meanwhile in pennsyltucky….err…west goshen

So the other day I wrote about West Goshen. And what I saw in the recent meeting video was completely appalling. And Supervisor Ashley GagME is ridiculous. Ashley recently declined again to be interviewed by Barry Dee on WCHE.

Truthfully and ironically, he was trying to be fair and give Ashley GagME a chance to tell her side of this story. However, there was something in an email from her that basically translated to me was “Well you’re not a West Goshen resident, so I’m not going to speak to you.” But then she does she really speak to her residents anyway? Also full disclosure I thought she was ridiculous the first time she ran for office, but hey West Goshen is not my country, not my people.

West Goshen as a whole is a perennial cesspool as far as municipal government no matter what political party has all the toys at that moment and I feel sorry for her residents. (Pssst tell their solicitor that the First Amendment ain’t dead yet, hear?)

Anyway, the snippet of on Barry Dee’s show today on WCHE is embedded. I will post the entire podcast when it becomes available but I took a little recording of this segment so people didn’t have to wait.

And basically, I think the reason West Goshen is doing this whole thing with the EV chargers to begin with is because of grant money, aren’t they? But gosh, I guess they need to fill the coffers for “squirrel time“ again anyway, right?

So Supervisor Ashley GagME? Your spotlight and a spotlight on West Goshen Township continues and you and your counterparts give Democrats a bad name. In truth, you’re just petty dictators of the breakfast table.

Prior post below ⬇️

west goshen gets a “charge” out of shutting down residents.

West Goshen is a curious place. Watch the recent meeting which I have embedded below from YouTube. Especially starting at the 1:24 mark. It has to do with electric vehicle charging stations.

There is a gentleman who got up to speak about this who a resident. Not rude or offensive. He was measured and thoughtful in his comments. And what he was asking was reasonable.

I also don’t know this man at all. But I wish people would be more thoughtful and plain spoken and polite and conversational like this, when discussing things at township meetings anywhere.

And at first there’s the township solicitor who seems to speak a little too often for the supervisors and so it begs the question of who actually runs the township? And I know that solicitor doesn’t like me. It all stems from a cartoon from many years ago that was well within my first amendment rights just like my comments today.

The man politely persisted in spite of many rude interruptions on the part of the township, and he never lost his cool and again polite well spoken. Then this Twinkie of a supervisor, I guess the vice chair I’m not really sure starts basically telling him that he doesn’t have First Amendment rights in West Goshen and what kind of crazy is that? 

And I’m not making this up, here listen for yourself :

They are rude and argumentative with him, and it’s really out of line on their part and very unprofessional isn’t it?

However, what they are saying basically is First Amendment rights are subjective in West Goshen Township and how does that work exactly?

This whole thing with electric vehicles and charging stations is a hot topic in multiple municipalities. And if you build it into the zoning, the man who was interrupted and threatened with being removed by a police officer wasn’t wrong, saying that the language had better be tight or they will be subject to litigation. He also wasn’t wrong like some of the other residents in questioning who would be paying for the electricity at the stations if they’re at a township, for example? I know that this came up in West Vincent Township.

In West Vincent (and if I could find the meeting tape, I would post it) they put in one of these charging stations near the township, and again the question came up with who’s paying for the electricity? And one reason it came up in West Vincent is there were people that were parking their bikes at the township building, apparently and charging their car and coming back after the car was charged.

So residents in West Vincent looked into it and discovered that townships can add a mechanism in place where if you want to charge your vehicle, you basically swipe a credit card and you “fill up”, much like you do for gas at a gas station. What also came out after they added the pay as you go component is that if people had to pay for the electricity to fuel their car battery, they weren’t interested. They only want it free electricity.

And some of this language being built into township codes is also curious to me because it’s like if you do certain things to your house now, they want you to add capability for one of these charging stations, and should people be made to spend the money for that if they’re not necessarily going to use it ever? This is like a big Emperor’s New Clothes boondoggled to an extent isn’t it? For example, what if you’re putting a deck on your house and they want you to add this onto the deck and your deck is all the way around in the rear of your property where there is no driveway?

Just because there is grant money for something it doesn’t mean that everybody has to hop on it immediately before they know the ins and outs. Unless of course you work for a local municipality I guess?

This was a hot topic in Narberth as well. And at one point Narberth Borough had apparently installed charging stations on public streets in front of peoples homes where parking is a premium (little off street parking) without telling them and that was a problem. What was also a problem, was a lack of conversation with residents, who would be affected by these charging stations, who may or may not have electric vehicles, but again what they also didn’t have were driveways, and that’s the parking in front of their house or on their street.

Ironically, this nice man, who basically got threatened by the supervisor Twinkie at West Goshen last evening it looks like was on the Barry Dee show at WCHE last week. Barry show is called All Politics Are Local.

And here is the link to the complete West Goshen meeting:

So this man and other residents aren’t asking unreasonable questions. And my favorite out of all the speakers, I think was the guy with a man bun who looked like a plant who said everything was lovely in his world view and butterflies would be charging their wings, which again this is his right to public comment, but if you’re going to allow him to speak you allow the others to speak.

So once again, spotlight shines on West Goshen. And speaking of West Goshen whatever happened about that report that was supposed to be made public about the man who works for the township who committed suicide? And what’s happening with that litigation because it is in federal court still isn’t it?

Signing off with It’s always shady in West Goshen Township.

live at the brickette it’s wednesday night.

Come on. The signs are up. Ticketing is happening and yet there is this. COME ON BRICKETTE! I have been harassed on Facebook for writing about this but tell me, is this OK that these patrons literally don’t give a damn?

The photos received tonight are 100 and Kirkland. They came with a message:

Worse it’s been yet!

Called twice and they said they have received numerous calls.

Can’t see either way, and you have to be fully in the lane of traffic to even see.

Seriously, what does it take? I mean we all know what it will take and that’s a terrible accident that might result in not only injury but worse.

No one wants that.

This is unacceptable. The Brickette took away parking for the patio and smoker area. They need satellite parking and perhaps a shuttle. Either that, or they are over their stated occupancy because of all the parking issues but no one has ever said one way or the other what the occupancy was versus the number of parking spaces with prior owners and new owners.

And I will state for the record once again that because I point out these issues with the parking it doesn’t mean that I don’t think the Brickette should be there. And the neighbors are not saying that either.

But West Whiteland is baby sitting bar patrons. Neighbors are not being treated well. This is a problem, so Brickette are you going to step up or be put in the category of nuisance bar?

Shaking my head on this one.

the widow vs. west goshen.

Well that West Goshen case involving Woodward’s widow is alive and well in federal court. The document is embedded above.

One would think the media would still be covering this, but they probably don’t but the case is now in the Eastern District versus Chester County Court.

https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/51821359/WOODWARD_v_BASHORE_et_al

https://dockets.justia.com/docket/pennsylvania/paedce/2:2023cv05126/617226

male chauvinist planning in west whiteland? or mansplaining at it’s finest… or both?

The first Planning Commission meeting for West Whiteland Township was January 9th, but I missed it. The topic was that old folks development planned for Boot Road kind of on top of the Mariner East/SuNOco/Energy Transfer. Literally. Just put the address into the county pipeline interactive map.

I was concerned about this before as were many, many people. Which is why I was glad West Whiteland Supervisors didn’t just green light the plan 100% before. Among other things, there is no safety plan in the event of a pipeline emergency. We are talking elderly people, with any range of issues and that includes memory as in Alzheimer’s. It’s bad enough the pipeline runs super close to seniors in those places in East Goshen because the places were already built before Mariner East/SuNOco/Energy Transfer came through in recent years.

Yes, we’ve all lived mostly ok with petroleum pipelines. This is different. It’s more can go boom and will do so rather quickly and has the ability to cause incredible amounts of damage to life and property. Many of us, myself included live in blast zones for one pipeline or the other, so why built for at risk humans on top of a pipeline essentially?

Anyway since I missed the meeting I asked West Whiteland if I could have the zoom link. It’s a public meeting and publicly recorded so if you cannot go in person or attend the zoom portion, you CAN request to view it. (CLICK HERE) I will note again, that I requested the meeting like anyone else can. I have to point this out since people seem to think I actually run various townships with my blogging superpowers or get extra special treatment which makes me howl with laughter at the sheer absurdity of it. The truth is regular people have rights, and you can ask questions and ask to view public meeting recordings. The other truth is I am one opinion, one woman, why so fixated?

At first the meeting seemed pleasant enough and they welcomed a new member, Ginny Kerslake. If you click on below, turn up volume or watch entire meeting.

Now I make no secret that Ginny is one of my favorite people. I am very happy to see her on the Planning Commission in West Whiteland. There used to be another lady on it, but that committee runs itself like a boys’ club and often their attitude in general leaves a lot to be desired, so I have to wonder if that is why she is no longer there? I think some of them prefer those of us in the female species to be seen and not heard. I am sure I am on that list for expressing my opinion on things before them. 

This plan IMHO is still a fool’s errand. I don’t object to senior living facilities, but plans that are kind of bad….are just kind of bad. What makes THIS plan bad? Location and proximity to pipelines. That would be Item 9 being referred to a lot in the recording. I also think it’s too close to the road etc. It’s an awkward location all the way around, if most of us are honest, and no matter what happens, we can indeed think that.

That is kind of a BIG item (emergency plan) to NOT be addressed when submitting plan again or whatever, isn’t it? And Ginny Kerslake expressed the SAME concerns she expressed as an ordinary resident the LAST time this plan came up. And wow the rush of Male Chauvinist Planning in the room was something else. And mansplaining. Oy the mansplaining.

One of the chief voices on the recording I think was West Whiteland Planning Commission Vice Chair Mark Gordon. Why do I say that? The East Goshen and pipeline references. You see, Mr. Gordon was an employee of East Goshen Zoning Officer /Director of Codes until some point in in 2022. I guess he retired? Do they miss his sparkling know it all personality? He might not like that I said this, but it’s not illegal and I am just a silly woman, right?

Anywhoooo, a couple of those voices on the recording who were NOT anyone representing the applicant were horrible IMHO. So the other blue meanie I think was a guy named Jeff on the Planning Commission? Why are he and the Vice Chair so full of themselves anyway? Did I miss something? I have known quite a few men and women on planning commissions in various municipalities throughout the years and a lot of them have quite frankly amazing resumes and they didn’t behave so poorly even if they didn’t agree with the public, so what gives? 

The representatives of the applicant was quite pleasant throughout, I thought….and this can’t have been fun for them since they still don’t have a safety plan, right?

Here’s the 411 mansplaining Planning Commission members: you don’t know everything, no one has to kiss your rings. Yes, I am saying once again I am not fond of West Whiteland’s Planning Commission boys’ club. I have encountered it with other meetings and their obvious disdain for residents and neighbors and non residents and neighbors kind of just goes on. And it should NOT. If they don’t want to play nicely with residents etc., why are they there? That was Ginny Kerslake’s first meeting, so what is the objective? To beat her to a pulp verbally and will this continue every meeting moving forward? And point of fact, the Planning Commission has a liaison from the Board of Supervisors and why didn’t he calm the tone? He could have, it would have been most appropriate.

It’s funny, this coming week Willistown Township deals with the decorum of residents speaking at meetings. It seems West Whiteland needs to do the same with some of the Planning Commission members towards residents and seemingly women on their own board? I think it’s pretty pathetic but who am I but a mere mortal and female?

The biggest problem with certain West Whiteland Planning Commission members after mansplaining and dismissive atty-tudes is that they seem to think that if they make a recommendation it should be Gospel. They are an advisory board only. And I am glad Ginny Kerslake is there now because she will shake things up in a POSITIVE manner. I may or may not agree with her decisions while serving, but I will rest assured as will all West Whiteland residents that she LISTENS and does her HOMEWORK.

So yeah, boys’ club, I will get out the popcorn. And while I am waiting for the next mansplain be rude to female commission members occasion, I will take a moment to upload other agendas and some related screen shots where this Columbia Cottage thing has been discussed or other pipelines + elderly dwelling areas. It goes back to 2020 and I don’t even think I found them all. But seriously boys, what are you recommending for approval when all that time there hasn’t yet been a safety plan? How will you be when the plans for Church Farm Lane which will be Hershey’s Mill- like comes up? Maybe man babies, it is time to check your egos at the door and remember WHY you are SUPPOSED to be there?

You won’t like my opinions here, but am I completely wrong? I don’t think so.

Knock it off.

what is happening over around old phoenixville pike in west whiteland, really?

These are tough times to be a small neighborhood. I am writing today about a neighborhood just up West King Road past Weston in West Whiteland Township. The street is Old Phoenixville Pike. It’s a little neighborhood on a tiny road that is a dead end street. And to me, in my opinion, it’s potentially under siege.

This is a sweet neighborhood I think. Little houses, maybe not so Chester County farmhouse historic, but important to their owners, nonetheless. It’s a narrow dead end street. So when unusual things happen, like trucks you don’t normally see, people notice.

So in the fall I guess it was, I started hearing about this neighborhood when the Weston Tract on West King Road was being discussed. Why? The neighbors back there have been on alert because of a developer sniffing around.

There were many West Whiteland residents who spoke up that recent December night, when Weston was discussed. Among them were the residents over on Old Phoenixville Pike who are also trying to figure out exactly what a developer is doing back behind their neighborhood since somebody keeps doing perc tests or something. Some poor older gentleman spoke about getting his property torn up every time they send an excavator through, and I think that’s horrible. No plans have been filed and that’s what the John Weller from West Whiteland Township said that December night, but obviously something is going on if a developer is doing testing.

John Weller also made a comment that evening about Phoenixville Pike being narrow where those former helicopter warehouses are. BUT…the other side of West King, where those people in that small neighborhood on Old Phoenixville Pike also have a very narrow street, perhaps not even as wide as Phoenixville Pike across King. Another thing to note is neighbors are also concerned there about development happening because the land that’s being tested apparently also has 5 acres that are actually in East Goshen.

A little bit before this all occurred, a West Whiteland resident had reached out about this:

There have been surveyors galore on Old Phoenixville Pike telling residents they plan to build homes or something on the old farming area behind their homes. Supposedly, there is only one way into that property due to an easement the farmer produced back in the 1970s and no other entry or exit around the perimeter. It’s kind of crazy they would put so much traffic on a no outlet road…seems like it could be a safety concern. A developer has been reaching out to residents about drilling back there, but the township claims they haven’t heard anything. Guess it’s time to keep an eye on those agendas!

~ Old Phoenixville PIKE resident November 2023

What I learned then was some neighbors were getting outreach from this developer. There were surveyors all over and maybe some notices or something? (I haven’t personally seen any notices or anything but this is what I was told.) And then came what must have been boring or digging for those perc tests or whatever since you have to perc properly before development occurs, yes? That meant excavators. Big equipment in a tiny neighborhood. If this development goes through, the street is so tiny, existing residents are not only concerned about car lights in their windows constantly, but losing land because (again) the street is tiny narrow. It’s like 14 feet wide maybe?

How would development work? Or would it only work if the developer acquired more land and how would they do that if no residents want to sell? Would West Whiteland stick up for existing residents?

Then around the beginning of December a resident heard pec test number 1 was a fail, but number 2 was OK? I don’t know from perc tests but it struck me as potentially curious.

A percolation test (known as a perc test) is a test to determine the water absorption rate of soil (that is, its capacity for percolation) in preparation for the building of a septic drain field (leach field) or infiltration basin. The results of such a test area a must to properly design a septic system or decide if something goes public sewer. A perc test consists of digging one or more holes in the soil of the proposed leach field to a specified depth, presoaking the holes by maintaining a high water level in the holes, then running the test by filling the holes to a specific level and timing the drop of the water level as the water percolates into the surrounding soil. There are various formulas I am told for determining the required size of a leach field based on the size of a development, the percolation test results, and other parameters.

For leach line testing, test holes are drilled or dug. I read these should be drilled to different depths from three to six feet below the surface. Testing of these holes will result in a value with units of minutes per inch. This value is then correlated to a predetermined county health code to establish the exact size of the leach field.

Testing for horizontal pits typically requires five to eight test holes drilled in a straight line, or along a common contour, from three to ten feet below the surface. Testing is identical to leach line testing, though the result is a different type of septic system, established through a different calculation.

Recently I was told West Whiteland Supervisor Brian Dunn did meet with residents back there and walked their neighborhood. I was not privy to that, but I can tell you the residents were so grateful to him because literally an old timer said in 50 years no one ever came back there to listen to them or visit. I think that’s a disgrace, but with what West Whiteland has been dealing with the couple of years or so cleaning up after old managers and administrations, can you say it’s no wonder?

So West Chester University was given this land by the former landowner it seems?

I received a message on New Year’s Day….as in a holiday, a holiday around the world. The message I was sent was that supposedly some lawyer or someone for they think West Chester University called some neighbor on New Year’s Day about a shed on an easement I think it was? If true who does that on a holiday? Bully much? It could not have waited until a business day?

Old Phoenixville Pike residents are also constantly bringing up that part of that acreage potentially at play is in East Goshen. That means whenever this whatever pops will it be presented in East Goshen or West Whiteland or both?

Of course this all makes you wonder what is going to happen with the rest of the Schiffer Farm, doesn’t it? Isn’t this a tail end of it? Because if I read the names on the deed right, same names as farm on Morstein with all those wonderful horses, yes? And that’s in two townships too, right? And East Whiteland is right next door over a fence literally.

So the neighbors of Old Phoenixville Pike are extremely concerned with the flooding of their neighborhood. They don’t want to become the storm water run off dump off to new development, either so they are legitimately fearful, aren’t they? With development planned for Weston, and whatever is going on on those West Chester University acres behind them on Old Phoenixville Pike, in 2024 West Whiteland needs to start helping them out sooner rather than later, right?

Another fun filled flooding zone

Post storm photos shared with me come next – from a few different storms. Essentially just like Meadowbrook Manor in West Whiteland. When it rains it can be a problem.

Also back in that area I have to ask, is that a legit landscape or wood business we drive by on 1377 Phoenixville Pike? I thought that was zoned residential but when I asked another person I know from around that way they said always full of trucks and a lot of noise. Also West Whiteland.

But I digress.

Back to Old Phoenixville Pike.

West Chester University could do something other than flip gifted land to a developer. They offer environmental degree programs correct? Why not use this gift for good? So it’s what? 15 acres of nature as in environment? Couldn’t they actually do something related to nature and the environment with the land and NOT sell to a developer? Build an arboretum? Or sell to a nature conservancy perhaps? I mean hello Chester County has a few right?

My entire life I have loved small neighborhoods and open space. You can actually combine small neighborhoods and open space.

Well that’s all I have got. No one seems to really know what’s going on, only that something obviously will happen given the activity onto these acres behind the small neighborhood on Old Phoenixville Pike. Those West Whiteland residents matter. All of the residents in multiple townships in that area matter. Between this and Weston and who knows what else, it’s an area to watch closely. After all, life happens while you’re making other plans.

Happy New Year. Let’s do more in 2024 to preserve where we call home.

west whiteland planning commission and weston

Well last evening’s West Whiteland Planning Commission regarding the Weston Tract was a revelation for sure. And sometimes being at one of these meetings you feel like a squirrel up in the tree watching. In this case, watching so as a resident you can get your comments in. Which is not as easy as you think if you are an affected resident of a neighboring township.

First were the planning commission members who were essentially saying that they should just be able to decide things not the supervisors, and the supervisors were essentially idiots for not approving the zoning changes for HIGH density housing on the Weston property just up W. King Road which would detrimentally many. That was astounding to me and out of line. The Planning Commission also acts as an advisory body, not end-game decision maker.

What surprised me even more is that they were not checked on this running commentary by the supervisor who was present, Raj Kumbhardare because although merely a conversation, they should have been at least corrected as to their role that they signed up for. But in fairness to Raj Kumbhardare, it could have been a pick your battles thing, but to me the comments also smacked of arrogance and ego and that’s not why you supposedly sign up for these committees.

Then there was Weston’s lawyer who was saying essentially high density is what the market wants blah blah blah and that of course just makes you wonder because he is representing Weston the seller not the developer buyer?

I wasn’t rude but this is what I said:

My statement and sentiments are simple. I know nothing is being decided tonight and this is a discussion, but I am also not naïve as to how things work.

The Weston Tract being developed is inevitable. I wish it was otherwise, but I am being realistic.

This development won’t just affect West Whiteland residents, it will affect East Whiteland residents, and given the connectivity of roads off of West King, will also affect East Goshen residents and perhaps even West Goshen residents.

Municipalities do not exist as independent island nations. We are interconnected.

This development will need a traffic signal at West King and Weston Way no matter what.

Also just so you get an idea of just a regular few days of traffic, I asked East Whiteland if they could do an informal study next time they had the you’re- speed up on West King near my road. The time frame was between October 25th and October 30th and for that time frame specifically and most simplistically they counted 31,000 cars in total over 6 days which is about 5000 cars per day, fairly evenly split at 2500 in east direction.

That is not insignificant traffic and it can be and has been heavier. We know, we live here.

Please say NO to high density housing. This is not the location for it.

And you also all probably know that in West Whiteland there is a developer who was doing something like perc testing maybe behind houses on Old Phoenixville Pike and correct me if I am wrong but isn’t it the guy who is the reason thee is the mess on Ship at 30 adjacent to the new couplet which is also a mess? All that one does is high density, correct? And you don’t want data centers or hydrogen hubs.

If this gets developed, it would be great if it was a school because that would mean a use that wouldn’t harm the area as much. But if it is residential how about single family, 1 acre and ½ acre lots? As in both. They do sell although developers prefer cram plans because they care about only their bottom lines, not the communities they disrupt.

You are a municipality who is getting the short end of the development stick and like everywhere else it’s all too dense and looks the same. Apartments and townhouses contribute to a more transient society as they are more likely to either be all rentals or have a lot of rentals.

You have the chance to guide a developer to do something better. And if this area gets zoned Residential with 1 acre and ½ acre single family, that would be beneficial to across King where Johnson Matthey has that chuck of land for sale, and possibly it could better protect your residents on Old Phoenixville Pike because in my humble opinion if that went high density, you would be potentially looking at another Meadowbrook Manor situation.

Thank you.

The planning commission member who could indeed inspire the public to be rude because he is so unctuous is Mark Gordon. Mark Gordon WAS also the paid zoning / codes guy in East Goshen and well I think he was asleep there half of the time there but he sure likes to be king of his anthill on the West Whiteland Planning Commission. Ironically he lives close to Weston, so one would think he would care more about how this affects people. I remember him from when East Goshen was trying to take part of the Hicks Farm via eminent domain for private gain for the trail to nowhere. And another planning guy who gives me pause? Raymond McKeeman who for years worked for West Goshen as a facilities manager/zoning officer. He also lives close to Weston so what’s his horse in the race that he’s pretty non-supportive of the residents near Weston?

I mean, I guess you could say one connection for both of these planning commission members is the law firm representing Weston also used to do the solicitor work for West Goshen and East Goshen and I think they’re back at West Goshen, so is it all just too cozy on this bus? Should these two planning commission members actually recuse themselves when this law firm has things before the planning commission? I’m neither inferring or stating any impropriety, but it’s often the appearance of things which are worse than the actuality isn’t that correct? And yes as an American under the Constitution I am allowed to ask these questions aren’t I? I’m allowed to question government and have opinions, correct?

Now I know this is the planning commission set in place by the dearly departed township manager, who is now in Montgomery County, correct? So are a lot of the current members of the West Whiteland planning commission shall we say strategic to whatever was going on before?

When it comes to politics and local government , I don’t necessarily believe in coincidence.

And something else I want to address that was brought up by Mark Gordon the planning commission guy in West Whiteland. He interjected the West Whiteland tax increase into the conversation about development. First of all the reason West Whiteland has a tax increase is because of things like all the development over the past multiple decades, as well as 30 years of prior administrations playing kick the can down the road with regard to taxes, correct? And he said something along the lines that the tax increase is 300%. It’s not, it’s actually more like 180% because no increases occurred in about 30 years. What that comes out to on average is about $150-$200 a year so it’s about $10-$12 a month. And for the record, nobody likes a tax increase, but sometimes you can’t avoid it, especially when prior administrations weren’t looking after residents the way they should have been, right? If you look at neighboring municipalities, all this increase does is bring this up to the level of neighboring municipalities.

Does Mr. Gordon of the Planning Commission in West Whiteland think development and the cost of development are free long term to municipalities and residents? If so, what’s he doing on the planning commission? Part of the reason they need to do a tax increase has to do with infrastructure, and a lot of that infrastructure is the human variety as in first responders, etc. so is Mr. Gordon saying they don’t need police and fire in West Whiteland?

Also, curious as to how Mr. Gordon thinks more than one ingress and egress out of this development onto W. King Rd. is going to work? Especially because he lives near there? The one good thing about the Weston property being developed is Weston Way the road in and out of Weston is wide. It needs a traffic light for sure, but they don’t need to open up the back of the property onto other little streets or add more ins and outs on W. King Rd.

I think the West Whiteland Planning Commission needs to remember that they are an advisory committee which means they are acting in an advisory capacity. They should be there to work in the best interest of the township and residents as a whole, not developers, right? They aren’t the decision makers and dealmakers. And last night as they were lamenting the fact that the board of supervisors didn’t agree with what they had suggested was very eye-opening to me. They don’t make the rules, but they want to make the rules? And given relationships on that board to other factors in this plan, I really think we should all be grateful that the supervisors actually are the ones who are the decision-makers.

There were many West Whiteland residents who spoke up last night. Among them are the residents over on Old Phoenixville Pike who are also trying to figure out exactly what a developer is doing back behind their neighborhood since he keeps doing perc tests or something. Some poor older gentleman spoke about getting his property torn up every time they send an excavator through, and I think that’s horrible. No plans have been filed and that’s what the John Weller from West Whiteland Township said last night, but obviously something is going on if a developer is doing testing.

John Weller also made a comment about Phoenixville Pike being narrow where those former helicopter warehouses are. The other side of West King, where those people in that small neighborhood on Old Phoenixville Pike also have a very narrow street, perhaps not even as wide as Phoenixville Pike across King. Another thing to note is neighbors are also concerned there about development happening because the land that’s being tested apparently also has 5 acres that are actually in East Goshen.

These people on Old Phoenixville Pike are worried and justifiably so. Car lights right in their windows where that never existed and traffic turning at the tangent point of their road close to driveways, more stormwater issues, etc. Right now they have a developer being inconsiderate dragging equipment in and out and tearing up their yards like the pipeline people have in other neighborhoods, so you know that doesn’t bode well for whatever is to come if that developer proceeds right?

This West Whiteland residents and residents from other communities were abundantly clear about development NOT being high density. And it is also clear that no one from any township that lives back near Weston wants apartments townhouses, or carriage homes. What fits the area and is suitable for the area if it goes residential are single-family homes literally on half acre and 1 acre lots.

If a school came in and they didn’t have to change the zoning for Weston, that would be great but you still have to worry about who would buy the Johnson Matthey land across from Weston (and one would hope they would do significant environmental testing on that parcel), or what might get shoehorned in behind those homes on Old Phoenixville Pike.

The residents from multiple municipalities should be proud of the way they turned out last night, and I hope they keep the momentum going. Because the more people go to meetings on issues like this the better the conversation. That way my hope is whatever happens on that tract of land doesn’t actually hurt the community that Weston is in.

I am sure this issue will pick up again in the new year. And hopefully at that point, the planning commission won’t be shaking their heads “no” when residents were speaking which is disappointing, dismissive, and piss poor decorum. And I hope the planning commission in West Whiteland learn that their personal taste (or lack thereof) is not necessarily what matters here. I was on zoom, and people were messaging me this who were in the audience. Residents had a right to speak, and they did speak. And for the most part, they were a lot nicer to that planning commission than certain members of planning commission deserved. With the exception of the lady named Mary Fran, or Mary Frances. She was fair and thoughtful in her comments.

Stay vigilant. After all these are our communities, not the developers. We live here. We have a right to be heard and we have the right to want to preserve where we call home.

Good job once again, residents. Planning Commission in West Whiteland? We’ve got your number on this project.

Old coverage:

got security video in west goshen?

Today is the gift that keeps on giving for bloggers. When I finish my first post, I was in the middle of when I got this news you’ll understand why….

So, over the weekend I had written about the person defacing political signs in West Goshen Township.

If you recall, I said, I found the timing interesting. Given the big proclamation by the West Goshen, Republican Committee.

Well, my goodness guess what? West Goshen Police thanks to the public and security cameras caught the vandal.

But wait, there’s more… He’s a guy named Paul Linkmeyer and he is Republican committeeman in West Goshen Township!

Good job West Goshen Police Department. Defacing the signs is childish and this was wrong on so many levels. And residents, if you care to share the security camera footage, message my blog’s Facebook page.

Good job Felice Fein! She is the chair of the West Goshen Republican Committee, incidentally. (She is the one that was stupid enough to allow a gun raffle at the polls in this climate that blew up in her face, right?)

Bad day to be Chester County Republicans… but hey, I am sure that West Goshen Republican Committee will have the appropriate press release to cover it, right?

So Felice I have a question: between you and Paul Linkmeyer which one of you is Beevis and which one is Butt-Head?

widow of west goshen public works director to sue township over his sucide, and west goshen thinks forensic audit paid for by taxpayers should remain a secret? that’s some “squirrel time” indeed, right?

Ahhh West Goshen. A very murky, politically funky municipality. Today I learned something. Doreen Woodward whose late husband was Dave “Woody” Woodward the Director of Public Works is suing West Goshen Township.

Read the docket. It talks about “squirrel time” . It also makes you think back to just recently when West Goshen decided that residents didn’t need to see the result of the forensic audit that residents/taxpayer paid for. I am sure old Shaun Walsh doesn’t want ANY of this out before the election, right? I mean this is enough to make a politician take a final bow, right?

It’s always shady in West Goshen Township.

So yes. Litigation has been filed. Cliff Notes is West Goshen Township, West Goshen Supervisors, and Township Manager, Christopher Bashore, will have to defend 4 counts of Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress that allegedly was the cause of Director of Public Works, John David Woodward (22 yr. township employee) taking his life on July 28, 2023.

A lawsuit was filed against the defendants (named above) on Oct. 19, 2023 in the Court of Common Pleas, Chester County, PA. by the deceased’s Estate, et. al.

Again, any West Goshen person running for re-election right now, sure as shineola doesn’t want ANY of this to see the light of day, right?

https://www.griecofunerals.com/obituaries/john-woodward-jr

Also don’t forget….

History’s Mysteries….in West Goshen Township from 2014

Widow denied state benefits over husband’s mysterious drowning at water treatment plant
Updated: Jul. 17, 2014, 12:17 p.m.|Published: Jul. 17, 2014, 11:17 a.m.

By Matt Miller | mmiller@pennlive.com

Suicide is a terrible burden for the families which survive. So was this a suicide?

Is the past prologue in this municipality or is just everything always a hot mess half hidden? You have to ask the whole past as prologue thing now, don’t you?

And then there was this:

6ABC: Local leader killed by truck at West Chester grocery store
Wednesday, August 13, 2014

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Police say a longtime West Goshen Township Supervisor was killed by a pickup truck in a crash at a West Chester grocery store.

Action News has learned that the man killed was 77-year-old Dr. Robert White.

It was around 12:30 Wednesday afternoon when the driver of a silver pickup truck – a young woman in her early 20’s – reversed right into the front of the ShopRite store on the 1100 block West Chester Pike.

As the truck went careening toward the front of the store, White was standing right in the path on the sidewalk out front.

The truck first hit him – sending him right through the front window of the supermarket – then the pickup came to a stop.

http://6abc.com/news/local-leader-killed-by-truck-at-grocery-store/256384/

Seriously if you are looking for local municipality that could be the topic of several Lifetime TV whodunnit movies, look no further…..

West Goshen can bring out the conspiracy theorist in everyone.

The Daily Local has an article which I will excerpt next but it’s stuck being a paywall.

But please read the court filing. And shouldn’t Casey LaLonde be in this suit?

Widow of former West Goshen official files suit over his death

John Woodward committed suicide days after being placed on administrative leave

By MICHAEL P. RELLAHAN | mrellahan@dailylocal.com

PUBLISHED: October 26, 2023 at 12:45 p.m. | UPDATED: October 26, 2023 at 12:47 p.m.

Image courtesy of Just The Facts Please.

So apparently none of the employee supervisors who knew about squirrel time got this money? But they knew about it? And they are still working there? And one guy takes his life over it and West Goshen wants to sweep it under the rug? And why isn’t the former Township Manager in this lawsuit again? Seems like he knew this was going on? You can’t blame the current manager for being upset because well this is some shady ass stuff, correct?

What is the value of life West Goshen?

I close with (again) why is it always shady in West Goshen Township?

west goshen funnies