I have been meaning and meaning to post this but life got in the way. PennDOT said NO to Outfront Media chopping down more trees. Outfront is who bought the Catalyst 202 billboard site in East Whiteland where the tree massacre occurred a while back in 2022. Of course, they can appeal, but hey this is lovely news.
And speaking of billboards, that thing at 29 and 30 is still so bright you need shades even at midnight so….maybe complain to PennDOT and East Whiteland instead of just to me?
Take a bow East Whiteland residents, take a bow. Good things happen when residents get involved and take action where they live. Now let’s work on getting the 29 and 30 billboard turned DOWN.
Things that just send my hackles up: not telling East Whiteland when West Whiteland has a public hearing October 25th to change the zoning around the Weston Tract on West King Road from zoned O/L Office/Laboratory to R-1 Residential.
So right now the thing that also makes me think is if the conditional use for this was for say a halfway house or a drug rehab or anything that couldn’t otherwise be shoehorned into a R-1 zoning district there might have been a little more advanced notice other than a friend in West Whiteland who is just a regular resident says to me at noon today “You might want to look at the agenda for West Whiteland this week.”
Whoops there it is. An itty bitty zoning change…..Oh it looks all harmless zoning change, but as we have all learned zoning doesn’t exist in a vacuum does it?
Motion To approve Ordinance No. 476 to amend the R-1 Residential district regulations in the West Whiteland Township Zoning Ordinance and to amend the Zoning Map to re-zone a portion of land in the Office/Laboratory zoning district to R-1 Residential. Background At the Planning Commission meeting of June 20, 2023, Mr. Tom Kessler of the Willow Hill Development Group (“Applicant”) presented the latest in a series of sketch plans for the redevelopment of the Weston Solutions campus, a tract of about 54 acres along the south side of King Rd. at the southeastern corner of the Township. The plan (attached) proposed about 100 new dwelling units and featured the preservation of several significant historic buildings along with permanent open space. The plan was presented in support of a future application to amend the Township Zoning Ordinance (“Zoning”) since the development shown would not be allowed by the current regulations. Based upon the favorable reaction of the Planning Commission, the Applicant formally submitted a proposal to amend the Zoning Ordinance, pursuant to the provisions of §325-125.B of the Zoning. The proposal has two parts: an amendment to the text of the R-1 Residential district regulations and an amendment to the Zoning Map to change the designation of the Weston campus from O/L Office/Laboratory to R-1 Residential. The Commission and Staff had previously advised the Applicant that they would support a map amendment to re-zone the property to R-1, which would match the surrounding land; any amendment to allow the project more specifically would therefore need to be an option within the R-1 district. The Applicant’s approach is therefore consistent with the direction of the Planning Commission and Staff and may be summarized as follows:
The proposed text amendment will add a “large tract residential cluster option” to the R-1 district regulations. Only tracts of fifty acres or more would be eligible for this option. Other than the Applicant’s site, it appears that the Whitford Country Club property may be the only other readily available tract of this size in the R-1 district, although it would of course be possible for someone to acquire a number of adjacent properties to assemble a fifty-acre tract.
The Applicant’s proposed amendment to the Zoning Map included only their property. Amending the Zoning Map in this way would leave a handful of properties with a total area of about four acres in the O/L zoning district. Given that most of those lots are in residential use (which is not allowed in the O/L district), the Planning Commission and Staff agreed that any re-zoning for residential use should include those properties not owned by Weston. The County’s review (attached) supports this as well. Staff therefore proceeded to contact those property owners as required by both the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (“MPC”) and our own Zoning to advise them of the possible change. The Planning Commission discussed the amendment informally with the Applicant on August 1,2023 and officially (as part of the required review and adoption process) at their regular public meeting on September 19, 2023. Commission member Andy Wright expressed concern about the density of the proposed project, similar to the County’s comments, but the other Commission members were satisfied that with the amendment as proposed. The discussion concluded with the Commission passing a motion recommending that the Board approve the amendment; only Mr. Wright was in opposition to the motion.
So before we get into the meat of this let’s dish basics: who was notified of this proposed zoning change as in who lives within the magical 500 feet and who lives just outside the magical 500 feet and well, including down the road in the adjoining municipality East Whiteland? West Whiteland imposes it, but the applicant has an affirmative duty to notify, correct? Whomever owns adjacent properties doesn’t just mean homeowners, does it? For example, the little league field. Or better yet, that large academic institution called Immaculata University? Do they know? Because I know as of when I found out around noon, East Whiteland residents did not know, not sure about the township itself but I think not or it would have been on the website?
There is the letter of the law when it comes to notifications, but also important is the spirit of the law, correct? There are those in West Whiteland whom probably do not know, but there are also East Whiteland residents, aren’t there?
And to say this “cannot be tied to any specific development….” ok kids, then I am the Tooth Fairy, yes? Isn’t it kind of obvious this developer NEEDS this to develop this:
Oh and let us NOT forget the Johnson Matthey parcel directly across the road? I seem to recall the address is 1397 King Road West Chester PA. “Light Industrial” and 15.7 acres, correct? So do we REALLY think THAT land will be sold to OTHER than a RESIDENTIAL developer, and well it’s Johnson Matthey so umm what chemicals live in the land now? Fair question since well weren’t they a previous owner-operator at Bishop Tube? The PA DEP says so.
So this was “informally” discussed in August? And then in September only Andy Wright whomever he is had the gumption to say it might be too dense of a project? And everyone else rides the sheeple bus?
Maybe I am old, jaded and distrustful since I have watched what certain zoning overlays and changes have done to certain areas of Lower Merion and other Main Line communities, but developers don’t offer up helpful anything regarding zoning unless there is a derived benefit, correct?
Don’t treat this as just a little change and ignore this. Zoning changes and zoning overlay districts will never ever exist in a vacuum. I know I am repeating myself but this is important. And of course I am really repeating myself when I say this is yet ANOTHER REASON WHY THE MUNICIPLAITIES PLANNING CODE NEEDS AN OVERHAUL!
How many developments do we need?
Now other IMPORTANT THINGS regarding this development which starts with a little bitty zoning change: car volume. That development needs a traffic signal. Otherwise no one, including Immaculata will be able to get in and out from driveways and side roads up and down W. King Road. And don’t let them say oh PennDOT is difficult etc. It can be a condition of plan approval for one thing. And also that is what State Senators and State Representatives are for.
Another important thing here to be considered are PIPELINES. If memory serves I think three run through that property. I live in a blast zone for pipelines in East Goshen and West Whiteland personally. And one of my concerns is because I don’t actually live in the municipalities with the pipelines, I can’t be certain in the event of an emergency I would be notified and the plans for running uphill holding your breath or whatever don’t cut it for residents affected and well this development would create a whole new class of affected West Whiteland residents wouldn’t it?
Other truisms:
It will add yet more kids to the overburdened West Chester Area School District.
It will stress infrastructure in more than West Whiteland Township which also includes first responder infrastructure
It will have potential environmental impacts. Lots of things live int he Weston woods and would anything be considered protected? Either flora, fowl, or fauna?
But first things first, the zoning change. I mean realistically I think Weston is getting developed. I don’t think we can stop that, but I think it would behoove West Whiteland and East Whiteland to discuss the density. After all development doesn’t live in a bubble. It’s time for West Whiteland to add it all up again, especially considering the shit show happening on Ship and Lancaster Ave, right? You have Laborers, you have the other stuff between Church Farm School and Ship, right? I don’t know about any of my readers but all of this development gives me a headache. And related aside? Same developer for Weston has something cooking in Willistown too? And here is LINK for prior plans submitted for Weston property in 2022. And next two screen shots were those plans:
from September 2022From September 2022
The meeting is Wednesday October 25th in West Whiteland. It is accessible via zoom:
WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 6:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 848 4944 7386 Passcode: 871814 One tap mobile +16465588656 Meeting Packets can be found on Township website Reminder to meeting participants: Please speak clearly into the microphone
Yes. Farm Boy BBQ has their own beautiful space to call home! 625 N. Morehall Road, Suite 100, Malvern, PA. It’s where Naf Naf was very short lived, but a whole new feel inside and central Texas BBQ.
Today was a soft opening of sorts, and I sent my husband because I am grounded for a few days after a somewhat tricky Mohs surgery for skin cancer. (Which is why I borrowed photos I found on Google and gave credit. However the food we ordered are my photos.)
Google photo by I.H.
My husband described a large and beautiful space, immaculately clean and the aromas were amazing. Wood smokers and grills, and the cool inside grill gave my husband grill envy.
But what can I say other than this is a total rave and The Eagle Has Landed! I’ve already been a fan of Chef Paul Marshall’s food for a few years at this point.
But today, fresh from Farm Boy’s new home the food was off the hook! We had the rib-eye steaks for dinner and it was amazing! Prime beef from the Midwest (Copper Creek Cattle Company) , wood fired grill and no sous vides! Steak houses better watch out! And they already have the best BBQ anywhere! I just hope he starts making beignets again!
Google photo by I.H.
So the steaks. Heavenly and butter tender. Sides were fresh broccoli with some crunch (well who wants it to wobble?), salt baked potatoes. I have wanted a real steak house like they used to be steak for a while.
We went to Chop House in Exton recently and what can I say? The steak (rib-eye, as well) spent too much time in the sous vide, not enough time grilling , and was way too salty but not great flavor. It was a flop.
So when Paul Marshall told me steaks were on the menu for the new menu and on for this weekend I was totally psyched. It was quite literally a perfect steak and I am saying that even as take out this evening it was absolutely perfect, and that actually is difficult to do.
We also had chicken that we were looking forward to trying. BBQ grill cooked and lightly sauced. Paul Marshall’s barbecue sauce is amazing. It has zing from a little vinegar twang, but it’s not gloppy and super sweet. It’s a proper accompaniment to the food, it doesn’t hide the food. And that in my mind, makes perfect BBQ. I also like to taste the sauce but don’t want my food swimming in that. I am like that with all sauces and gravies, truthfully.
And of course my husband came home with brisket as well. And as I have told everyone before, the brisket Paul Marshall makes is like a religious experience.
There are plenty of BBQ places around, but Farm Boy which had me first at beignets, will completely blow other BBQ and your concept of BBQ away.
And whatever you order make sure you try the new spicy cheesy corn. It is one of the best corn dishes that I’ve ever had! Also, max & cheese, brisket chili which has no beans and the nachos. Any of the sides are amazing and I look forward to sampling his greens and baked beans and the sensation salad.
Google photo by I.H.
Chef Paul Marshall is also an accomplished baker/ pastry chef (hence the earlier beignet comment.) Any dessert will rock your dessert world. His pies are awesome and how can you not love real banana pudding ?
The new and permanent home is dine in and take out. 5 ⭐️ stars aren’t enough!
What more can I say? I mean it’s a total rave. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for hours as they revv up to their full on opening. I will note that I am an actual paying customer. I’m not an insipid influencer who shows up for an opening and then never again.
This is high end craft barbecue. The sauces and rubs are Chef Paul Marshall 100%. I hope someday he bottles both for sale. And actually I think he and his wife should offer cooking classes down the road.
Have I raved sufficiently? It’s just truly the first perfect meal from a restaurant in forever.
Chef Paul Marshall has worked hard to have his food stay in the community he calls home. The commercial real estate around here is ridiculous enough that he could have left. He is someone who works at his craft and we are lucky to have him around. In an area where too much food is the same, his food stands out and is always consistent and exceptional.
If you go once he is full on open, I vote for steak nights. This BBQ is an elevated art form. Yeah I have said that before about this food. But it is well deserved.
Today was the promotion ceremony for officers in the East Whiteland Police Department.
Four amazing men were promoted to Sergeant/Detective Sergeant and one woman became the first female lieutenant in East Whiteland Township Police Department history.
I am not diminishing the men in any way, they have done so much and are so incredibly accomplished, but now Lieutenant Patricia Doyle has accomplished something that is also well deserved, but history making because she is the firstwoman in the East Whiteland Police Department to achieve this rank. She also comes from a remarkable law enforcement family. Sorry not sorry I think it’s kind of cool.
Little girls don’t all want to be doctors and lawyers and ranking politicians or whatever overly ambitious parents choose as a path, they also want to be in law enforcement or first responders as well.
Here is the list of promotions in case ummm well local media would like to cover some incredibly accomplished people.
I have to say if you have ever been inside Immaculata where some of the professors have offices, I am still wondering why they think her office was in such bad shape when I can tell you I have been over there and was somewhat appalled by the offices I saw. And a lot of that has to do with how cell-like they were and very out of date and yes super duper cluttered.
According to the original complaint (see first post embedded above, it has the complaint):
(1) Grimes was chair of the art department until 2007 when it merged with English, literature, communications, and language. Grimes served as director of art programs.
(2) In February 2020, Immaculata stripped her of her title and gave her more responsibility without more pay.
(3) In the summer of 2022, university officials disposed of her personal belongings, research materials, artwork, and more.
Professor Grimes is an artist. Pieces of her art are among the things tossed. When they were tossing her office, was anyone else’s office getting tossed or was she just singled out?
Naturally and quite predictably, Immaculata’s hired legal guns have told a Federal Judge to basically toss out the poor professor’s case.
Here’s what I know about discrimination lawsuits: women don’t just file these willy nilly. They are hard. They are unpleasant. So I think (still) this case bears watching and I feel for this Professor Diane Grimes. We live in a society in this country that would not only sell a louse for it’s hide, but also ditch anyone middle aged in the work place if possible. Over 50 and female in the workplace, and even male is a precarious place to be.
Middle aged = expensive for employers does it not?
This whole case makes me sad. Immaculata should treat it’s employees better, male and female. I am allowed to have that opinion. Because if they did, there wouldn’t be litigation like this, would there be?
Maybe you think spending ad money to blind motorists from this insanely bright sign is the way to get new customers but you are selling cars so why aren’t you more concerned with driver safety?
I mean, do you think this sign is safe do you think this sign is not way too bright for its location? Do you think it’s nice to contribute to making the community in which you have a business as gaudy as Times Square?
I guess what I would just be thinking about if I was this car dealership is the fact that people already take issue with them because of the way, they essentially park cars right on the edge of Route 30 a lot of the time in East Whiteland.
But maybe you should put some money towards upkeep on those old structures on the property in East Whiteland and not billboard ads? These poor old and historic structures sure are getting run down looking or is that by design? Those are your rental properties correct?
And I don’t care what anyone thinks if I am singling out businesses that are contributing to the billboard blight on Route 30 by buying advertising. It is my right to comment, and I also think that if these are people and businesses doing business locally within a community that they should care about how the community looks, shouldn’t they? And is a giant billboard making Lancaster Avenue, AKA Route 30 in Frazer look like Times Square on a Thursday morning caring about the community?
Billboard Ad Blight award du jour goes to this car dealership. Shame on Jeff D’Ambrosio.
Too much? I don’t think so. How many of these GIANT ELECTRONIC OUTDOOR TV’s are supposed to light up our nights? We aren’t I-95. But now Outfront Advertising wants us to think so.
Yes, that is right, ANOTHER billboard application has been filed in East Whiteland Township. Another kill the trees for the Route 202 billboard. The application says 103 Feet East of Mill Lane.
To be clear, because I may not be being clear, this M-700 Application by Outfront Advertising AKA BILLBOARD COMPANY is to REMOVE and potentially unnaturally trim 150 year old sycamore trees not a brand new billboard per se. It FEELS like a new billboard because they are the successor owners to Catalyst. Catalyst had previously filed an M-700 with PennDOT after killing a slew of trees and then there was serious community uproar, and then before a decision was ultimately made if I recall correctly, the application was withdrawn and then the site flipped from Catalyst to Outfront.
This is next to a PARK and residents, as in real affected people. Like last time, it would be a heinous act with environmental, highway, and residential impacts. We are an area that floods now and badly with every heavy storm. Tree removal = more erosion and other impacts with stormwater impact. Overall environmentally this is bad and these are OUR heritage trees. Why do we have to lose more heritage trees in our communities for billboards? Scenic highways, would that be so bad? Less distractions, being more environmentally friendly?
East Whiteland Township is OPPOSED to this new application.
But East Whiteland needs your help, especially but not limited to residents. If you travel this stretch of Route 202 regularly, PLEASE take the time to contact PennDOT and CC: Scott Lambert, Chair of the East Whiteland Township Supervisors. I will provide some lovely email address I have looked up in a moment, but you can also report your concern via their Customer Care Center: https://customercare.penndot.gov/eCCC/eCCC.nsf
YOU MUST BE POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL, NO PROFANITY PLEASE.
At the end I will embed the actual documents I received on a Right to Know. But now a word about billboards as an issue. EVERY SINGLE TIME the issue comes up, the knee jerk response is “get rid of all of the elected officials.”
It’s not that simple, people, and neither should any of you be when it comes to this.
And you know, as well as I do that things with development are not always so simplistic because of the municipalities planning code. Billboards also come in to play with that, because if Pennsylvania had a more strict or defined policy about billboards as a state, it would have a trickle down effect to local zoning, and Pennsylvania kind of looks the other way which is why I am FOR different State Representative representation here for example. State Representative Kristine Howard does not do much of anything and does not have a voice for her constituents. We now have Katie Muth as our State Senator and I don’t know enough about her to have an informed opinion. At this point other than from what I have seen, she does stand up for her constituency, depending upon the issue. Maybe she will show an interest in helping save communities against billboards, or one can only hope.
You all know how I feel about billboards. I’ve never made a secret of it and I’ve been parts of groups fighting billboards since billboards were first proposed around 2010 in Bryn Mawr on Lancaster Avenue.
When billboards first became an issue in East Whiteland, some of the community were all gung ho, and formed a no billboards group. But those people soon fizzled out and didn’t go to meetings they weren’t speaking up and it was just left to a few people. People are not consistent with participating where they live. And everybody has a different reason, but the thing is people have to pay attention to the meetings and the schedules and what’s being submitted and it’s all there as public information. With regard to township meetings you can also attend them on zoom from the comfort of your home. You don’t have to be in person anymore and if you can’t attend them on zoom, you can watch them after on YouTube but people have to participate. Consistently.
Part of the problem is that more residents need to get involved where they live — as in East Whiteland and elsewhere. We can’t blame government for our lack of participation where we live.
When these billboards first came up the threat of the expense of prolonged litigation was real (look at Haverford Township and Lower Merion for real world examples.) This was like the one billboard that the billboard guy really wanted, but he had proposed three, so it was either they were going to accept this one billboard and the other billboards would go away or there would’ve been three like this within a mile and a half to 2 miles. People will have to go back and look at the original submissions. (http://www.eastwhiteland.org/418/E-Whiteland-Outdoor-LLC-Off-Premises-Sig )
Now I will admit that I think they could have said no, but the township felt compromise was in everyone’s best interest. Of course we now know how obnoxious that sign is, so perhaps that sign can be revisited by PennDOT and East Whiteland?
Once again, I ask people to start bombarding state elected officials, including the freaking governor to update the Municipalities Planning Code to protect where we live. It requires them to enact an act of the state constitution to do this, and they’re all too damn lazy to do it and this has to be done in Harrisburg. We need a top down STATE law solution to SAVING our communities from billboard blight.
I just don’t want people throwing the baby out with the bathwater because not all elected officials are bad. And we need to come together on this issue for real. Again.
Here are the documents I have to share below. I am also sharing something from Scenic America. I don’t pretend to have the answers but please contact PennDOT. Time is of the essence. If you have media contacts, please impress upon them to cover this.
Saying NO to billboards IS possible. It doesn’t happen often enough, but it does happen. Phoenixville did it in 2012, remember? And a Chester County Judge upheld that decision in 2014. And special counsel to Phoenixville then is now a judge…Anthony Verwey. And Tredyffrin won their case this year saying NO to a billboard on Lancaster Avenue in Paoli.
Stronger together, people. Fighting billboards is not the purview of any political party. This is a non-partisan we live here but the billboard companies don’t live here kind of an issue. This is purely a We The People thing. Please stand up and be heard.
Together we can save 150 year old trees. Hopefully we can someday save our communities completely from billboard blight. But we can only do that as unified communities across Pennsylvania.
Hi it’s me, the development critic. Weston is selling on West King Road across from Johnson Matthey. This is in West Whiteland, JUST over the East Whiteland border quite literally. I have written about this before:
So there was a meeting last night in West Whiteland. Planning. The Weston Development came up again. If it wasn’t for a West Whiteland resident looking at the agenda because they were at another meeting last night, I would not have known Weston was up again and with a zoning change going to zoning with I presume planning approval.
Now I have not seen the property change hands as of yet, but there is the possibility the sale is through since Chester County seems behind in what they record almost always.
I am kind of pissy about this. Right or wrong.
One reason WHY I am pissed is I have been on zoom calls of other meetings involving this property in the past. I even contacted them in writing as did many others from EAST WHITELAND. As a COURTESY, you all should have let East Whiteland residents know. I know full well they know how to reach me, and if not me the peo in East Whiteland Township.
This plan will drastically impact residents of East Whiteland who live on roads off of W. King or who are in the many houses that pepper W. King Road in East and West Whiteland.
It would be common courtesy to let your neighbors know when ANYTHING happens with this property because ANYTHING that happens with this property or the acreage across the road being sold by Johnson Matthey WILL AFFECT MORE THAN WEST WHITELAND, correct?
There is quite the eco system on that property. Has a property search been done as to any special special like bog turtles which might reside there? How many and what trees will be removed and how large will the trees be? And any tree planting should NOT be developer specials lined up like for a firing squad (what Toll brothers does) and left to die.
Also, the neighbors want a traffic signal as in yes a light right there at the mouth of that development at King and Weston Way. Otherwise, NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET OUT. And speaking of not getting out, has West Whiteland been monitoring the intersection of Ship and King lately? They should. And the guy who zips around on W. King in the motorized wheelchair in the lanes of traffic with nothing reflective? They should pay attention to him as well, and get him like those big reflective triangles Amish buggies have. It’s terrifying to be on W. King with traffic with him zipping around like he is driving a car.
West Whiteland approving a development of this size is going to affect the neighbors in more than one municipality. I saw a reference in old materials about a neighbors’ meeting in 2022. I don’t recall hearing about that. Thankfully this development will only overload West Chester Area School District.
I feel East Whiteland is completely out of the loop on projects that they border with West Whiteland and other municipalities and this has to stop. Soon we will not be able to navigate around the area with the development approved in West Whiteland on Route 30 from the Laborers past but including Ship Road and east on Lancaster to the municipal border with East Whiteland. Oh and this latest developer seeking big bucks at the expense of Chester County residents has a very similar plan to this brewing in Willistown. They are from Blue Bell which I sadly remember the farms and open space there before the developers moved in.
I am pretty tuned in to what happens around here, and I was a little distressed to see this all moving forward without us lowly East Whiteland folks being clued in.
Also has West Whiteland forgotten the pipelines that run through this property? Still want people running uphill or whatever?
I go out of my way to try to get East and West Whiteland to communicate. It’s only COMMON SENSE. Yet here we are.
Like I said, I can’t stop this development but I will talk about it. West Whiteland will have conditions of approval on this project and respectfully, one of those needs to include A TRAFFIC SIGNAL as well as answers to environmental questions.
It’s nice they are saving the historic structures, but as is the case with a lot of these things, seeing will be believing.
When I lived in Lower Merion they would create resident email lists for development projects. Someone in planning and/or zoning would notify residents of actions on a particular plan. A lot of your projects don’t just affect residents of just ONE municipality, they also affect residents of bordering municipalities.
It drives me CRAZY that no one in Harrisburg wants to get off of their asses and do a comprehensive non-Band-Aid update to the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), since hello the MPC drives our zoning. The last comprehensive update circa 1969 is what cause the first monster project to tear apart Chester County and blow up a school district: Chesterbrook.
It drives me CRAZY that municipalities that border each other and often have similar issues act like independent island nations. When there is collaboration there is often greater success. And West Whiteland and East Whiteland had success, great success years ago over what Rouse had planned for Church Farm. More recently, residents banned together to stop a hydrogen plant.
This won’t be a particularly long post and over the next couple of days I will be going through photos from the sign ceremony to post but today my heart was happy and full of joy.
I love this site, and I love the history it represents, and today I felt hopeful. Today I felt the old souls were pleased… and I could also feel more recent souls who loved Ebenezer whom I knew, Ann Christie and Al Terrell were smiling.
Also something unexpected happened. Today I got a thank you for my contributions to Ebenezer. That is a place that is so special to me, and the thank you was heartfelt. It came from Pastor April Martin and Bertha Jackmon. Coming from them that really meant something special to me. No one really has ever publicly recognized my efforts, and it’s one of those things where no brass band was ever needed, but a simple thank you today meant the world.
My relationship with the East Whiteland Historic Commission doesn’t really exist. I genuinely like a couple of the members and a few members past and present have always been truly really nice to me, and I enjoy speaking with them and knowing them a little bit, BUT I know most of those people do not like me, and a few do not go out of their way to make me feel welcome. And part of the things that have upset me about Ebenezer was trying to talk to them over the years. None of them are bad people, but they are quite cliquish, and not necessarily welcoming to someone like me, or anyone who isn’t their normal person.
Part of what I realized today is I don’t need their approval or permission to love local history. They honestly did a really nice job with the ceremony. Ebenezer’s graveyard is nicely cleaned up. A bunch of stones have fallen over but it’s partially the site itself, and there are new homes being dug around it. The plan is to restore the stones and cap the church ruin which is perfect.
There is a brand new website and fundraising will need to be done for the future and if there are folks who can set up a non profit to help Ebenezer live long into the future visit https://www.historicebenezerbactonhill.org/
It was really nice to visit Hiram and Joshua today too.
Many thanks to Chair of the East Whiteland Supervisors Scott Lambert and Manager Steve Brown for their support of preserving this historic site and for arranging all sorts of things today and East Whiteland PD for making a sometimes busy road behave today.
Again, I will post photos over the next few days. In the future I would like to plant daffodils and snowdrops by the grave stones after they are reset.
