Tag Archives: west whiteland

face palm moment in front of the brickette on route 100.

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D’oh

The other day I posted one West Whiteland was putting up the NO PARKING signs on Route 100. It’s pretty simple: it’s not about depriving small businesses of anything, it’s common sense and safety.

(Besides if you own three or four other bars, are you still a “small business”?)

Anyway, the amount of ridiculous commentary from what can only be described as a great intelligentsia blaming it all on me (of course), when all I’ve done is write about it, made me think well some will just ignore the signage. Of course, human nature, dictates it would be sooner rather than later note the photo above. I understand they were ticketed.

But for these people, no parking will always be for other people.

The “No Parking” signs are
pretty hard to miss

So I’m sure soon as I hit publish on this post the comments will all start again about me being on American and horrible etc. People? I don’t work for West Whiteland Township. I don’t work for West Whiteland Township. Police. I don’t work for the Pennsylvania department of transportation, either.

And interestingly enough, the types of comments always being left about this and people wonder why middle school kids are harassing and torturing teachers on TikTok? Yep, but I am sure someone will blame me for that too since it is always easier to blame the blogger or whomever thinks your comments are ridiculous, right?

But back to The Brickette. This bar if they wanted to come to some kind of an arrangement for satellite parking and a shuttle/valet service on these super busy nights. Even if it’s as busy as this every night, they could still come up with something, they are choosing not to.

And for the residents on Sorber Drive behind The Brickette, I don’t believe you are in West Whiteland Township. I believe you are in West Goshen Township which means you have to go to your township and speak up at a public meeting and ask them to do something about the parking. But don’t hold your breath, West Goshen isn’t proactive for residents, are they?

Now I am going to ask a basic thing about The Brickette. What is their actual capacity? I ask because there was an article in the Daily Local they were getting ready to open.

Honky Tonk Brickette Lounge reopens in West Whiteland

By BILL RETTEW | wrettew@dailylocal.com | Daily Local News

PUBLISHED: November 4, 2022 at 12:56 p.m. | UPDATED: November 4, 2022 at 1:26 p.m.

WEST WHITELAND — With a nod to the past, and a two-step leap into the future, the classic Texas-style Honky Tonk joint called the Brickette Lounge, is back.

Historically, the Brickette Lounge, at 1339 Pottstown Pike, leaned country, with weekly line dancing, live music and DJs. All that will return.

Temporarily closed in July, the “Brick” is leaning even further to all things Texas, with the addition of two massive stick-fired BBQ pits built from decommissioned 1,000 gallon propane tanks.

The menu will be fairly simple with six meats, all cooked over oak and sold by the  pound, along with six sides. As the smell of cooking BBQ wafts over the new patio, with the addition of new picnic tables and two seater tables outside, the game corn hole can be enjoyed. A custom fabricated fire pit will give visitors a chance to congregate and watch the sun set.

The interior is decorated with vintage beer signs, lots of neon, pool tables and a 1940s antique shuffle board table.

While the Brickette Lounge no longer sells breakfast, the new owners proudly display on a wall a menu from 1963…The Brick reopened Friday night. 3 West Hospitality also owns the Square Bar and Slow Hand restaurants, in West Chester.

The honky tonk can seat 38 at the bar and has approximately 70 seats overall.

So what is the capacity here altogether? And please *note* before everybody jumps down my throat I am not saying they are over capacity because I am not saying that. I am only asking what the entire capacity of the place is? Does the number of parking spaces available match capacity?

I think the reason I’m asking about the capacity is perhaps that is even more of an argument given the success of the business that they spring for valet or remote parking with a shuttle?

Anyway, that is all on this for today.

Aesop says if you park where it says “No Parking” you will get a ticket. That has nothing to do with “hurting” a small business so some people need to grow up.

giddy up brickette patrons: no parking on 100 now in place

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A few months ago now I posted the above photo showing where people were parking for the brickette lounge on Old Route 100 / Pottstown Pike.

I have written about this topic before, because I thought the parking was nuts, and the residents on Kirkland and surrounding streets can attest to this craziness because they live it.

So the first, no parking zones went up on Kirkland. As of early this morning, the signs went up on 100.

I hope this helps the residents. If you see 100 all parked up, you can call the police now. If you see Kirkland all parked up, you can call the police now as everyone already knows if you see Sorber all parked up that is I think West Goshen and they have to deal with it.

still rotting: joseph price house in exton. tick tock, west whiteland.

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It’s still rotting. I’m talking about the Joseph Price House on 401 Clover Mill Road in Exton on the corner of S. Whitford Road.

I have written about it many, many, many times now.

https://chestercountyramblings.com/tag/joseph-price-house/

So West Whiteland has realtors on their historic commission and I know they want the house saved. I wish they could find a preservation buyer that could budge the demolition by neglect owners off of the property before it is too late.

There was a rumor a few months ago that someone once again was interested in buying the house but guess like all the other attempts, the demolition by neglect owners didn’t go through with it?

There are also a couple of trees in really bad shape.

The place has zero security it seems like and does the place look safe and secured?

West Whiteland has that property maintenance code, right? Maybe they can sit on the owners to NOT just let this gem rot?

Tick tock.

hey de joy, got a weedwacker for usps in exton pa?

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Now this is in West Whiteland Township. This is the United States Post Office in Exton, PA. If this were a residential property, they would be getting a citation most probably, but it’s USPS so what happens? Louis De Joy shows up with a weedwacker?

The weeds are 4 feet high in places and there are dead trees. A friend of mine took these photos. I’m taking these photos to the next level because it shows you some pretty basic things wrong with USPS. Other than the fact that we hardly get mail these days and they can’t keep employees because they treat them so poorly.

I think where a possible conundrum comes in is USPS doesn’t own all of their sites. And a lot of cases they are tenants on the land where they have the post office so who is responsible? The landlord or the tenant if it’s rented and if it’s not rented and USPS owns the property who is responsible? Is USPS responsible for property maintenance or do they get to skate under Donald Trump’s cloak of immunity?

Also at this post office are little signs posted over the USPS mailboxes. The people shouldn’t use the mailboxes outside because of theft, essentially. Another friend took that photo.

I will point out that Louis De Joy, the Postmaster General is a Trump appointee. From Wikipedia:

Louis DeJoy (born June 20, 1957) is an American businessman serving as the 75th U.S. postmaster general. He was appointed in May 2020 by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Prior to the appointment, he was the founder and CEO of the logistics and freight company New Breed Logistics and was a major Republican Party donor and fundraiser for Donald Trump.[1]DeJoy is the first postmaster general since 1992 without any previous experience in the USPS.[2]His companies still hold active service contracts with the USPS, generating controversy over conflict of interest.[3]

Anyway, I don’t know what can be done, but USPS should not be above the law for property maintenance, should they? I mean it seems like they are already not responsible for stolen mail most of the time as well, right?

Yet another reason why Louis De Joy needs to go, and why when it comes to glaring basic examples like this we don’t want Donald Trump back as president because of the cronies he appoints to do nothing but spend OPM and run things into the ground, right?

Signed me, still writing under the beloved, First Amendment until Pravda drives the bus in.

live at the brickette it’s wednesday night.

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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.

when did carnivals stop being family fun?

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The Exton Square Mall carnival for spring 2024 is over barely after it began. Ruined by gangs of marauding kids who also tried to wreak havoc at Round 1 Bowling and Arcade and the now creepy dying mall as well.

https://6abc.com/post/good-time-amusements-carnival-outside-exton-square-mall-canceled-after-unruly-crowd-assault-caught-on-video/14804519/

These kids were so bad that I am told West Whiteland PD called in an assist from other municipalities. There is also an unconfirmed report of a police officer being struck. That is horrible and UNACCEPTABLE behavior.

From last evening

Then at another carnival not so far away, a shooting. Again, teenagers.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/16-year-old-killed-shooting-carnival-concord-mall/3856275/

What is wrong with this world? Fairs and carnivals are for fun, making happy memories and now they are becoming obsolete because of crime.

https://chester.crimewatchpa.com/westwhitelandpd/14787/post/carnival-cancellation

https://chester.crimewatchpa.com/westwhitelandpd/14787/broadcasts/exton-carnival

https://chester.crimewatchpa.com/westwhitelandpd/14787/incidents/carnival-disturbance

The Exton carnival had it’s permit revoked – the carnival is canceled. If you know something, saw something, please let the police know. Also if you have photos or videos, they also would be helpful.

#seesomethingsaysomething

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/exton-square-mall-carnival-cancelled-following-assault/3856330/

live at the brickette…paid parking!

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I got a really funny message this morning:

Paid parking outside the brickette now, must be expensive!

~ happy neighbor of the Brickette Lounge

So West Whiteland, thank you. The neighbors are appreciative of any efforts to give them their neighborhood back.

Of course the Brickette could help fix this problem too by getting a satellite parking lot and shuttle, right?

conduct unbecoming in west whiteland township….on the historic commission no less.

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So the other night was a meeting of the West Whiteland historic commission. (Zoom link HERE.)

On the April 8th, 2024 agenda is this planned development that will literally destroy a small neighborhood on Old Phoenixville Pike . It is the plan for the 20 Schiffer Farm acres that are 15 in West Whiteland and 5 in East Goshen. It’s on their agenda because there’s a historic asset being discussed.

Discussing the historic asset is in the purview of the West Whiteland historic commission. The chair opining obnoxiously about the neighbors is definitely not.

Again, here is the ZOOM LINK.

At around the 32:00 minute meeting mark, this man calls concerned neighbors “whiners” and denigrates and mocks them. At around 38:20 minute mark again mocking residents about not having them pick a street name. Boaty McBoat face? I have to ask is that code for he’s an asshat ?

I don’t know this guy. But if that’s the attitude he takes about the residents and he’s in a volunteer appointed position serving a municipality, perhaps he should step down, because if this isn’t a clear-cut example of conduct unbecoming in an elected or appointed official, and he’s an appointed official I don’t know what is, do you?

Audio segment showing jerky boy behavior beginning at 3:04 or so…just press play.

Of course, this meeting was very interesting to me because other things fell into place. I noticed on the corner of the plans being shown to the township, the name of the engineering firm.

And I wonder, is it just coincidence that this is the same engineering firm where I had to block someone on LinkedIn for comments on my timeline since I started talking about development here and off West King Road? It was kind of obnoxious comments and mansplaining that I had chosen to ignore on things I had posted or shared until today when I decided I didn’t invite this man, so I blocked him.

As an amusing also maybe related fact, I’ve had at least three other people from Howell Engineering studying me. LinkedIn tells you who has been playing peek a boo. I just never knew this was in the job category of engineers? I wonder if they are the ones that showed up at my friend’s back deck incorrectly surveying his property as part of Schiffer farm a couple months ago maybe?

So it’s painfully obvious that this whole situation concerning those poor beleaguered residents and their lovely neighborhood on Old Phoenixville Pike is just going to be ugly until it’s settled.

But the guy from the historic commission, and it sounds like the guy who basically started the meeting who research indicates is the chair, was out of line. His job is history. His job is not opining on what kind of a development this is and how it will affect or not affect the neighbors and it begs the question is this guy a realtor? If so, when he’s sitting on the historic commission in West Whiteland, he needs to take his realtor had off and leave only his history hat on. And if he can’t be polite and professional, when referring to residents in the township he is supposed to be serving then he needs to sit down, shut up, and get off any commissions in West Whiteland, doesn’t he?

I personally find this recording of this meeting beyond disappointing. And the reason I say that is, this is a historic commission that until this point, I actually held in high regard. They seemed much more proactive than a lot of other historic commissions, and they’ve done some really good work. BUT for all the good work they do, any member being obnoxious about the residents they are supposed to be serving to the best of their volunteer ability takes it all away.

This guy needs to apologize to those neighbors. He’s not in their shoes, he has no idea how they feel and if he can only mock fellow residents then he should step down from the historic commission.

As a matter of fact, officials at West Whiteland Township need to look into that. This is not acceptable behavior. He can say it’s a joke, but this is where these people live. Essentially, if this development gets built, it will destroy this entire neighborhood. People will potentially lose equity in their homes when a development comes rolling through their teeny weenie, narrow street.

The residents in this neighborhood on Old Phoenixville Pike, and the neighboring streets love where they live. They are fighting for their survival and rights much like other small neighborhoods all over.

This whole thing is very uncomfortable, especially for the people who will be most directly impacted. And it’s really disheartening when as residents they are just starting to go to meetings in some cases for the first time ever since they moved into the township to learn about what their rights are, and what this plan will do and how they will be impacted, and then they’re basically put down by this guy on the historic commission.

And what made it even worse is there’s a supervisor who is the liaison to the historic commission. This supervisor should have politely corrected him about not mocking residents who are also HER constituents. I did not hear her say anything in defense of those poor residents.

The strange tale of development behind Old Phoenixville Pike continues.

Thanks for stopping by.

about old phoenixville pike and the development plan

about old phoenixville pike and the development plan

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Today 4/3/24

Last night there was a meeting of the West Whiteland Planning Commission. It was the first go round for the proposed development plan.

First of all who would’ve thought that the West Chester University Foundation would be practicing to be a bad neighbor, now that they have been given the Schiffer Farm? It’s very disappointing. Truthfully, also a little surprised the Schiffer family didn’t put more conservation restrictions on the gift. I mean, I get that probably the foundation doesn’t want to be responsible for this entire property, but this one section is so constricted by where it is and problematic before you think about adding houses to it that I just don’t get it.

Before I get to sharing some things, I think people will find interesting or helpful, I’m going to share a video from this afternoon showing rising storm water on Old Phoenixville Pike. Next is a photo with a ruler sticking out of it, indicating 8 inches of flood water on this narrow street this afternoon.

This plan has two parcels in two municipalities. 15 of the acres of this potential development are in West Whiteland. 5 acres are in East Goshen and East Goshen heard the plan recently.

Last night the whole thing got an airing in West Whiteland. [CLICK HERE FOR MEETING PACKET.]

I found it most interesting that the Chester County Planning Commission isn’t in love with this plan. and why I find that interesting is they are so pro development, so that speaks volumes about this plan already.

So here are some of their concerns:

Notes from County Planning Commission:

In #1 “enhancements in affordability” . It doesn’t sound like this development will do that.

In #2 highest priority, land-use objectives listed for this watershed.

In #3 pipeline concerns during construction listed

In #4 access concerns, because only one way in and out

In #7 limit tree removal from woodlands

In #8 stricter DEP or municipal limitations on wastewater and stormwater discharge because protected watershed  

So last evening, the neighbors were tremendous. They spoke so well, and from the heart and intelligent questions, and stated their case. One of the things that kept questioning is this easement where developer wants to build, and it shows up on the West Whiteland as naturally constrained land, The thing about that is, it’s not supposed to be developed. And it floods back there as you can see, so imagine, increasing impervious surface coverage, taking away trees, etc? Do we really think some stormwater management plan that are developer floats in front of the municipality is going to take care of all of it? I don’t think so and maybe that’s just my opinion, but I’m entitled to it.

When is the last time FEMA updated maps around there? Or the vicinity?

I am just here expressing support for these neighbors in West Whiteland on Old Phoenixville Pike and elsewhere around this proposed plan being carved out of now old Schiffer farm land.

This is not a needed plan, it’s just a plan for a developer to make a buck and move on, isn’t it?

Small neighborhoods should not be taken for granted anywhere, ever. These neighbors have been taken for granted already by what has happened so far.

Look at the geology of the area with the schist and karst of it all in our area – affects pipelines, wells, water lines so what will happen with what they want to do if they get this development approved?

Stormwater is already an issue here. Neighbors were saying at the meeting how water also pours off of Route 202. How will filling up 20 acres with McMansions improve that?

Economically viable uses might be the law BUT it doesn’t mean development here will actually be viable. Why do residents in a small, lovely, established neighborhood have to suffer like this? Are they not valuable and in a lot of cases very long term residents?

West Whiteland can be proactive here and could have a sign up for directly affected residents to be notified of every little thing happening because it happened where I came from which is Lower Merion Township.

And because this plan is in two municipalities residents need to watch everything going on in BOTH West Whiteland and East Goshen.

This is not a good plan and the developer also has warehouses planned for the Johnson Matthey parcel that he purchased at West King Road and Phoenixville Pike. And the Weston Property on West King Road may be quiet right now but it is only a question of when the next bad development plan for that property pops up, right?

West Whiteland and her residents and residents in neighboring municipalities of East Whiteland, East Goshen, and West Goshen need to remain vigilant and on alert.

Last night no plan was approved in West Whiteland and nothing has been approved in East Goshen. This is but the beginning, and people need to stay on top of it.

Thanks for stopping by.

more deterioration at joseph price house

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Someone sent me a photo today that I have cropped in so you can see the additional damage going on to the poor historic Joseph Price house located on South Whitford and Clover Mill Road in Exton, West Whiteland.

I don’t understand the absentee landlords of this historic property because I know there has been interest in people buying it for restoration and they just keep hanging onto it and letting it fall apart.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got I just wanted people to see that it’s continuing to be a demolition by neglect situation.

joseph price house in west whiteland 2024