Chester GOP Boss Takes On Tenant Abuse — Tessalieni Kelley rented the second floor of a three-story home at 2220 W. Third St., Chester, Pa. in June and moved in along with his wife and one-year-old.
Kelley is Chester’s GOP chairman.
The landlord appeared to be a fellow living on the first floor. Kelly began paying him the rent, which began at $700 per month then went to a thousand when they took the entire floor.
Well, lo and behold, the guy to whom they were giving the money turned out to be a tenant.
Kelley stopped the payments.
A second man entered the scene. He claimed to be a property manager working on the behalf of the landlord.
This fellow wouldn’t take the money but told him to send it to a Zelle account of another guy.
Kelley sent $500 then started investigating.
This guy wasn’t a registered property manager.
Kelley started looking for the guy who owned the property. He came up with a name and attempted to contact him, but all efforts were rebuffed.
Kelley decided to withhold the money until it could get to the right person.
This time intimidation started in earnest. Kelley says there was rudeness from the beginning but threats started along with physical confrontations.
He has called the police several times but little could be done. Kelley says they left the apartment after his the battery from ring camera was removed.
He says he took the important stuff but possessions still remain.
Kelley notes the tenant who shared the floor when they moved in — an elderly woman — left because of intimidation.
The fellow who allowed the Kelleys to move in never asked for a lease.
Kelley says the tenants are related to Chester council woman Tameka Williams.
Kelley says he’s looking for an attorney to deal with tenant rights not just for himself but for the rest of those who pass through the place.
The house is in poor condition, Kelley says. There is mold, water leaks and raccoons living in the ceiling.
Mold found in a room at 2220 W. Third St, Chester, Pa.Above this hole lives raccoons
New Hospital Proposed For Springfield, Delco — A plan to finish the development of the Elocin Tract in Springfield, Delaware County, Pa. has been unveiled and the opposition has been aroused just as if it were 1979.
At least as per a professionally done flyer we received attached to our front door.
The property, now called Coventry Woods, is on North State Road between Rolling and Springfield roads.
A large section has already been developed with luxury, single-family homes.
The latest plan calls for building 84 townhomes and a 10-bed emergency room with a surgical center by Christiana Care, according to the flyer.
Leaving the townhome question aside, why build a new hospital when Springfield Hospital lies vacant a couple miles away?
Open space is almost as desirable as a hospital. It seems the powers that be in the township, county, state and Christiana Care have an opportunity to revive a facility already built for health care.
Pursuing the dollar isn’t always what’s best for a socieity.
Jason Kelce asked the Haverford Zoning Hearing Board, Feb. 20, for permission to add a fence and remove some slopes at his property on Coopertown Road in Havertown.
The work is part of a project by Kelce and his wife Kylie to build a new home.
Neighbor Wendy De La Rosa expressed concern about the project inundating her property with water runoff.
The project was approved with a condition that runoff not adversely affect neighbors.
Oh, if only a similar concern was shown in Ardmore to Saint Marys Road residents when an addition was built on Chestnut Avenue.
Zoners Nix Auto Dealer For Swarthmore Collision Site
By Bob Small
The Swarthmore Zoning Hearing Board, Jan. 21, continued its hearing from Dec. 17, concerning Swarthmore Collision Center, at Yale and Rutgers avenues. which was the only business grandfathered’ into this particular residential neighborhood.
Full Disclosure: We have lived almost directly across the street from this business for three and a half decades, with the noise and fumes.
As we live 500 feet away, we received a notice for the December meeting. It came from Linn Architects, the architects for this project, not Great Renaissance.
Borough manager William Webb denied the application on the basis that “automobile sales and preparation of automobiles is not a continuation” of auto repair.
My project was delivering the meeting announcements to people living on eight adjacent streets.
Linn Architects, after my first contact, regularly emailed and called me to arrange a meeting between them and the neighbors prior to Jan. 21.
Nothing came of that.
Now we, finally, come to the meeting. By the end of the meeting, there were 30-some neighbors in the audience. None of them spoke for the change. The evening started off with some comments from the audience, followed by an extensive and incomprehensible presentation by Linn Architects . At a certain point, a very soft-spoken representative from Great Renaissance Holdings did speak.
Finally, there was public comment; from myself, my wife Paula,Bronstein, Rick Lee, Maryanne Giselle, etc. , all against Great Renaissance.
At the end of all this, the seven members of the zoning hearing board retired for 15 minutes. When they returned they voted on both motions, basically supporting the Borough Manager’s decision.
We were all pleasingly amazed, though aware that this rejection could still be appealed.
Borough Solicitor Bob Scott spoke well for the Borough.. Others from the Borough were Mayor Marty Spiegel and Borough Council President Jill Gaieski.
Zoners Nix Auto Dealer For Swarthmore Collision Site
Sean Connolly On Search Warrant. — Investigator and whistleblower Sean Connolly, who has made a name exposing Josh Shapiro’s shady dealings and general corruption, was a guest on Search Warrant on KGRA where he discussed the laughably insecure elections in Montgomery County, Pa..
The good guys won — mostly — this last November but the poison still exists and we remain but one election away from misery.
Elections must be analogue. Even assuming the proponents of digital are honest — which we don’t — they can’t make them work as advertised.
And if digital is so great why does vote counting take so much longer than it did with the lever machines?
Sean’s also been firing his guns at Toll Brothers developers, which has close ties to Gov. Shapiro.
We say this bring this up because the once scenic Baltimore Pike in Delco’s Middletown has become seriously uglified thanks to Toll Brothers.
DNA Testing For Dogs At Proposed Aston Apartment Complex
By Joseph B Dychala
Aston Township held an informal meeting yesterday, Sept. 3, to unveil plans for the Star Hill tract on Route 452 near Mount Alverno Road. The meeting was heavily attended with standing room only. Several, but not all, commissioners were present.
Nancy Bowden, 5th Ward Commissioner, opened the event and opined she would like to have a calm and peaceful meeting. Once public comments were opened to the audience that was not the case.
Representing the developer, Fernmoor Homes, were Jeffrey Fernbach, president, and Carol Gebhart, director of sales. Based in Jackson, N.J. the developers have been in business since 2009. Both Aston and Fernmoor had their engineers in attendance and did most of the speaking.
The initial presentation, received by an unusually quiet audience, erupted into shouts and jeers during the public comment period. Questions asked involved the meeting itself. Why was the meeting scheduled on the night of the first day of school for the Penn Delco District dominated the discussion. Who planned for this day and why? Why was such little notice given to residents? What caused the initial letter of notice from Aug. 19 to many of the Fifth Ward residents to be delayed until after Aug. 26?
Township assistant manager Kelly Pippen responded the meeting was planned informally without a vote and was important to have the meeting after Labor Day when presumably more people could attend. She noted the error in sending notices citing a “software blip” causing incorrect zip codes on some of the letters. When pressed for details she responded they were working with the software vendor, BDS, to determine the cause of the error. She took full responsibility for not proofreading the envelopes before mailing them. No reason was given why the meeting was not rescheduled when many residents received less than a week’s notice due to the software error. One participant retorted how rescheduling the meeting for a week or two later would not affect a project that was planned for over a decade and wasn’t slated to start for several months.
The project includes a single entrance into the proposed development of approximately 80 one-bedroom and 50 two-bedroom apartments with just under 250 parking stalls across four buildings. Building Three will host a gymnasium, kitchen area, bar and common room. The remaining buildings will only have a common room. All access to the buildings will be via electronic key fob. There will be no new traffic light but a left turn lane on southbound Pennell Road for access is proposed. A bollard fence will be installed and evergreen trees planted along Old Pennell Road for privacy. All potential residents of the apartments will be required to pass a criminal background check.
Discussions for rezoning the property, previously owned by Joe Grace, began in 2012 and were finalized and approved in 2018. Fernmoor Group acquired the property in 2022. The buildings will be three stories high, down from four in the initial proposal with a reduction in the total number of apartments. Construction is expected to begin within the next six months and take up to two years to complete.
Other questions involved if pets are allowed and how that may impact surrounding neighbors with dog waste. Carol Gebhart stated all pets will be DNA tested. If something isn’t cleaned up it will easily be able to determine the guilty party who will be fined accordingly. An audience member shouted, “why not install cameras on every corner like in China” in a sarcastic tone. Another participant mentioned this pet DNA in a follow up question and Mrs Gebhart stated she was offended. Her position was they came to meet the community as a courtesy and would not be mocked. Several shouts of “those were your own words” and similar sentiments followed.
In addition to the usual questions such as stormwater management, attaching to the public sewer system and traffic congestion concerns one audience member asked what effect cutting down large swaths of trees will have on the area citing the rise in average daily temperatures observed since the former Mercury Gun Club was turned into a warehouse facility. Acres of old growth native trees were removed. It was suggested “Heatwave Adam” is just the beginning if we continue to lose more trees. Another participant lamented that Penn’s Woods are simply gone. Finally several residents questioned if blasting would be required as the area historically has needed blasting to clear the large expanse of solid rock formations. Many residents on Old Pennell Road and Brakel Lane complained of cracks in their homes from when the nearby quarry restarted and anticipated more problems.
The developers explained they would be both owner and operator of the apartment complex and hire all management for both leasing and property maintenance. Questions asking if the property would eventually be sold and turned into Section 8 housing followed. One question posed was will this be a “Fifteen Minute City.” This caught the developers off guard who stated they did not know what that meant. The resourceful Fernbach, however, looked it up on the internet and replied there are no plans to have any commercial buildings or businesses as part of the development.
The most asked question was how can this project proceed when all the studies — water runoff, geological, wetlands remediation, traffic patterns and calming, sewage removal and other issues — were completed years ago before many other new developments nearby and the pipeline that runs parallel to Pennel Road existed. Township solicitor Michael Maddren essentially said It is what it is and it’s going to happen. He said developers have rights in Pennsylvania.
Makes one wonder if taxpayers and residents still have a right to how their own communities are developed in 21st Century America.
Upland Tables Vacant Building Fine — Upland Boro, tonight, June 11 tabled a series of ordinances that would have fined owners of vacant properties after resident and landlord Jim Criswell explained the law would also be applied to responsible property owners.
Criswell owns 10 rental properties in Upland two of which are vacant but undergoing renovations. He noted that the the fee schedule would mean he would be hit $500 fines for each building neither of which is blighted. Obviously, a building under repair cannot be occupied.
He pointed out the law also applies to new home buyers who want to renovate before moving in.
Council President Christine Peterson said the law was aimed at 10 blighted homes in the borough including two on Main Street. She said Criswell made good points, though, and agreed to postpone a vote for the ordinances to be reviewed.
Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby addressed the board as a former Delaware County Council candidate and pointed out that the county has created a “land bank” that gives it first dibs on any property it deems blighted.
Such a policy could give a rogue government a powerful tool for social engineering.
It had been noted earlier by the board that Pennsylvania’s state government is also pushing municipalities to take over properties it deems blighted.
One wonders why code enforcement and sheriff sales can’t address the problem.
Aston Residents Angry About 37 Townhomes on 3.5 Acre Former Police Station Lot
By Joseph B Dychala
An informal meeting with Aston residents regarding the sale of 5021 Pennell Road was held May 23rd in the gymnasium at Aston Township Community Center.
The parcel had been site of the Aston Township Police Department and Administration building,
About 40 residents attended which was twice the number that turned out in September to hear about the construction of the new administration building and police department.
Township manager Bill DeFeo said not all residents received a letter of the hearing but a notice had been posted on the township website and social media.
Board President Michael J Higgens, who succeeded James M Stigale last year, opened the meeting. Missing were 2nd Ward commissioner Joseph P McGinn jr. and recently appointed Kevin Tinsley.
Tinsley resigned from the Penn Delco School Board in November to fill the remainder of Stigale’s term in the 6th Ward.
Only board President Michael J. Higgens and 4th Ward Commissioner Frederick T. Prendergast faced the crowd with the rest of the commissioners seated in the back of the auditorium.
Things were cordial until the attendees were told that 37 single-garage townhomes and a limited use office building would be built on the three-and-a-half-acre parcel. The development would be a cul-de-sac with just one entrance.
Township Engineer Joseph J Viscuso recapped the story of how the township had to vacate the building almost overnight after mold was found in it. A resident challenged him pointing out that mold damage like that doesn’t just happen. He said no remediation was ever sought and the building was merely abandoned.
Viscuso said that no re-zoning is required. While the parcel is zoned institutional it is in a mixed-use overlay district.
A resident said they had been told in September that the parcel was zoned commercial. The resident noted that it is in the middle of the part of the 7th Ward colloquially know as the business district.
The board initially denied the claim but followed with the statement that no promises were made. It was noted the project still needs the approval of several county and state entities including PennDOT as Pennell Road is State Route 452. Also the state Department of Environmental Protection has to address storm water management.
Township Solicitor Michael J Maddren peppered his dialogue with self deprecating humor. He said there were 30 bids for developing the property. The initial winner was Nova Ventures of Maryland. It’s bid was rejected, though, as the proposal did not meet certain criteria. A new grocery store was considered and some in the audience noted they could use one. They lamented that the township once had an Acme, a Shop & Bag and a Giant, and now only the Giant remains.
Last to speak were representatives from the firm with the winning bid, Iacobucci Companies. They won on a second bid that was above the appraisal value for the property. The developers were met with consternation. The majority of questions from the audience were about traffic patterns, traffic signals and flooding from rainwater run off. Many vocally disapproved of the plan to add new residences. When asked if these homes will be Section 8 HUD Housing the developer responded, “that is not our intention” with a retort from the audience member, “but it’s not off the table!” Another person in the audience exclaimed, “NGOs have unlimited cash!”
It was pointed out by several Richard Road residents the flooding that already occurs there and at Thomas Circle/Aston Court has yet to be remediated. Others were concerned that rainwater would flow not only to Richard Road but to the apartments next door. Topics such as rain gardens, the 100 year flood and sump pumps were discussed. Many did not appear satisfied with the answers given.
The majority in attendance were concerned about increased traffic in an already congested area, pointing out there are already three traffic lights between Pennell Roar at Weir Road up to Five Points and traffic is already difficult to navigate. At least one inquiry was made regarding the disposition of the communications tower currently at the site.
The meeting lasted approximately one hour and ended with little fanfare after an animated question and answer session with the developers. More informal meetings will be scheduled, said Higgins.
Home For Drug Addicts Would Break Residency Law In Haverford
By Sharon Devaney
The Haverford (Pa) Zoning Hearing Board, Thursday, April 25, questioned Mary Nolan who is the president of The Savage Sisters which is seeking to use 17 Tenby Road as a community living arrangement for recovering drug addicts.
Many neighbors attended in opposition. While they weren’t giving a chance to testify, they said outside the hearing that their children play outside and fear they may be endangered.
The homeowner of the home in question had passed away and his children don’t want it, and The Savage Sisters are seeking to move in.
Township law allows only three unrelated persons in a home.
This angered Ms. Nolan, who is seeking to have nine, when this was pointed out, and she began yelling threats that she would fill it with 25.
The residents will pay $175 per week to live there.
Among those on The Savage Sisters Board of Directors is Amanda Cappelletti, the Democrat who represents the 17th District in the Pennsylvania Senate.
The board asked about Ms. Nolan’s credentials and she was forced to concede she had no license or training for dealing with addiction.
“I have life education,” she shouted.
Ms. Nolan says she they have acquired a property in Upper Darby and there are no issues with the number of occupants.
She says Delaware County will give them a grant to fund the Havertown home.
Savage Sisters Program Director Melanie Beddis, who is a graduate of The Savage Sisters program, was asked if she was aware of the zoning concerns. She said she was not.
The lawyer for the Zoning Hearing Board produced a letter signed by Ms. Beddis saying she did understand the issues.
She says she didn’t remember signing it.
The hearing was stopped at 11 p.m. and will continue 7:15 p.m., May 23 at the Haverford Township Building.
Show up early.
The fear in Haverford is palpable. On the night of the hearing 6 ABC News broadcast a report of the dramatic increase in crime in the community.
And the idiotic plastic bag ban is not helping the quality of life either.
From coast-to-coast, concerned citizens have formed “Save our Neighborhood” organizations to protect their communities against relentless, all-consuming development. Politicians at the federal, state and local level demand more growth, residents’ wishes be damned.
Consider Colorado. Because of the Centennial State’s environmental bounty, thousands of disgruntled Americans left home to make Colorado their new residence. But Colorado’s appeal is on the wane. Gov. Jared Polis’ bill, SB 23–213, also known as the “More Housing Now” proposal, will keep Colorado sprawling, especially in already overcrowded metropolises like Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Boulder. More Housing Now designated these, and other major cities, as “Tier One,” targeted areas where single-family-only zoning would end, allowing permitting of duplexes, triplexes and add-on housing units. The land-use bill would block established limits on how many unrelated people can live in the same home.
The Polis administration’s dream plan would, over the objections of residents and elected officials, allow more dense housing across Colorado’s increasingly expensive metropolitan and resort areas. Traditionally, local governments in Colorado have had the authority to make their own growth decisions; under SB 23–213, that authority would shift to the governor’s office.
Polis’ power grab will put the governor and state legislature on a collision course with cities and counties. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, who attended Polis’ State of the State announcement, declared the bill “a pretty scary prospect” for local officials who would lose local land use control, as it’s transferred to the state capitol.
The Colorado Municipal League is also critical. In its statement, the League said that the bill would alter more than 100 years of municipal authority over Colorado’s land use and zoning: “It’s a vote of no confidence in local government and in citizens in having a say in how they would like their own neighborhoods and communities to develop.” Although the few Republicans in the legislature will push back, the stark reality is they’re the minority party and have little influence over which measures pass.
In Colorado, and in other states, building can never catch up to population growth. Developers attempting to match ever-higher population levels to housing starts are on fools’ missions. Colorado has experienced a population boom that has recast the state’s image as a final destination to get away from it all. Since 2010, Colorado’s population grew 15.1 percent to 5.8 million, more than twice the 7.3 percent national average. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates that Colorado, over the last four decades, has turned more than 1,250 square miles of open space, natural habitat and agricultural land into housing, shopping malls and streets.
Demographers project that the state’s 5.8 million population will, by 2050, increase by another 1.8 million. Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins, all Tier One cities, will become a single mega-city. When polled about growth, Coloradans are opposed. They want a future that has fewer arriving people. Nearly three of every five voters, 59 percent, prefer either a complete stop or a decline in the state’s population growth. Population stability is a key issuethat few elected, corporate or civic leaders will discuss. To help Colorado reach sustainable population, the state needs manageable immigration, the federal policy that, along with births to immigrants, drives more than 75 percent of all growth.
Coloradans should brace for more housing. Polis is pro-growth, but opposed to immigration limits. During his five terms as a U.S. Representative where his districtincluded the Tier One cities of Boulder and Fort Collins, Polis consistently voted in favor of expanded immigration and less enforcement at the border, as well as in the interior.
Under Polis, Earth Day celebrations will be de rigueur, butmeaningless charades. Other Coloradans, now deceased, like former Gov. Richard Lamm and Professor Al Bartlett, who spoke about protecting the Centennial State’s environment, would be disappointed and dismayed about what lays ahead.
As Professor Bartlett said: “The first law of sustainability is that you cannot sustain population growth; you cannot sustain growth in the rates of consumption of resources. That’s just arithmetic — it is not debatable.”
Joe Guzzardi writes about immigration issues and impacts.
