Marple Zones All Delco Woods Open Space; Rejects County Request To Use Building To House Mental Patients From Prison — The Marple (Pa) Commissioners voted 6-0, last night, April 15, to zone the 213-acre former Don Guanella tract all open space.
The commissioners also voted 6-0 to reject certificates of use and occupancy for three buildings on the site sought by Delaware County. Two were wanted for office space. The third was to be a secured 28-bed mental facility for patients who would otherwise be housed at the county prison.
As the second vote was a late agenda addition, the board rescheduled another vote for Monday, April 22, allowing proper advertising.
They want to play it safe, 1st Ward Commissioner Joe Rufo said.
Abstaining from all votes was 6th Ward Commissioner Mike Molinaro. He cited a conflict as he is a county assistant solicitor.
The land was acquired by Delaware County in 2021 and has been renamed Delco Woods. Promises were made by County Council to save it as open space despite it zoned residential and institutional.
The property is between Sproul and Reed roads.
About 40 acres on Sproul Road with buildings for a Catholic Church institution for boys with mental disabilities was the institutional zoning.
Attorney Nick Caniglia, representing the county, said his clients had no objection to changing the residential zoning for the woodland but demanded the institutional section stay.
Close to 100 raucous residents filled the meeting room. Several shouted suspicions that the county would raise the number of mental patients at first chance.
The building for the beds in is 60,000 square feet.
The board noting the unanimous support for rezoning suggested public comment be skipped.
There were no objections but some still took the microphone.
One man said he arrived as immigrant from Sicily in 1977. It had taken him two years of paper work. He was responding to the rumors that the county secretly seeks the buildings to house Biden’s border breakers.
A resident suggested the county use one of the shuttered hospitals as a mental facility.
Charles Alexander of Chuckles Sports asked if the county would put probation offices in one of the buildings.
The commissioners said those with questions should take them to County Council, which will meet 6 p.m., Wednesday, at the Government Center Building, 201 West Front Street, Media, PA .
A woman who led a community youth group said that all her teenagers were vehemently opposed.
A Cedar Grove Road woman said the county has created an atmosphere of distrust with the citizens.
Republicans Liz Piazza, who is seeking the 165th District Pennsylvania House, and Alfe Goodwin, who wants the 5th Congressional District seat were there to support the residents.
Outstanding!
When your taxes go up, though, remember that open space pays no taxes. It sounds like a great idea-“This farm permanently preserved as open space”, etc-but you give up on future increased revenue that business use or residential use might provide.
I’m not advocating one or the other, just pointing it out, for when people start to gretz about how high their real estate taxes are.
The counter is that open space doesn’t require schools, roads and other services hence keeps taxes down.
But you’re point is well taken along with the very real benefit of having more than one supermarket/gas station/bank etc nearby.
Taxation is theft.