All in a Name . . . Patriots Path Plan

Following tonight’s Board of Supervisor Meeting will be a Public Hearing for the Patriots Path.  The Patriot Path Plan is a proposed trail network which will connect historic American Revolutionary War sites within East Whiteland, Malvern Borough and Tredyffrin Township via the Chester Valley trail system. The path would connect East Whiteland’s Battle of the Clouds Park, Malvern Borough’s Paoli Memorial Grounds and adjacent Paoli Battlefield, which was the site of the infamous Paoli Massacre, and Valley Forge National Historical Park.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the Tredyffrin Township Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan (PROS) in 2005.  The PROS plan was included in the township’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan. The primary benefit of incorporating the Patriots Path Plan in the Comprehensive Plan is for help with future funding opportunities.  As part of the multi-municipal effort, the Patriots Path funding opportunities could be increased.  That said, tonight’s discussion does not imply a commitment to build the trail, nor impose any timeline on further action.

The purpose of the public hearing will be to consider the adoption of the Patriots Path Plan as part of the Tredyffrin’s Comprehensive Plan. There are two segments of the Patriots Path that are located within Tredyffrin Township:

• Valley Forge Segment: 1.8 mi. connection from the Chester County Trail to Valley Forge National Historic Park through Tredyffrin Township
• Cedar Hollow Segment: 1.8 connection from Chester County Trail to Cedar Hollow Preserve and Cool Valley preserve via the Warner Spur Trail and then extending an additional mile to East Whiteland to connect to the Valley Creek Segment.

There is concern among some of my Great Valley neighbors over the proposed Patriots Path and the proximity of the path to their properties.  Tonight’s discussion should be useful for members of the community who are ‘for and against’ the proposed path. Sometimes misunderstanding of the facts can be at the root of the problem; tonight’s information session should help both sides with any misinformation. 

For many of us, we will recall the years that some Radnor Township residents spent in argument over the 2.2 mi P&W Radnor Trail.  There were resident that lived next to the abandoned railroad tracks that were very much opposed to it and the trail debate lasted decades (lawsuits, gag orders, etc) and became a major political issue. The Radnor Trail finally became a reality and many of the resident’s earlier fears have not materialized.  In fact, I’m thinking that many of the neighbors probably use the Radnor Trail themselves and the trail certainly stands as a success story and attribute to the Radnor community.

The success of Radnor Trail aside, we need to look at the Patriots Path Plan and make sure that concerns/questions of Great Valley residents can be answered by the township staff and the Supervisors.  Good open discussion is always helpful — here’s hoping that tonight’s public hearing will provide that kind of forum.

I thought it might be useful to give some links to those of you who like to read further about the proposed Patriots Path Plan.  Tim Lander, member of the Open Land Conservancy and also on the Sidewalks, Trails and Path Committee offered helpful information, including articles concerning the Radnor Trail and providing a vintage photo (below) of the trestle bridge over Valley Creek.  I encourage people to attend the Public Hearing tonight and if interested, review the following documents:

• Draft Patriots Path Plan (caution, large file and will take a few minutes to download)
• Main Line Suburban newspaper article, Tredyffrin Supervisors Will Consider Patriots Path
• Main Line Suburban, sideshow concerning Radnor Trail

The former trestle bridge across Valley Creek in the Great Valley, with nothing but farmland in sight (foreground is now the Open Land Conservancy’s Cool Valley Preserve);

Board of Supervisor Meeting & Public Hearing on the Patriot’s Path Tonight

Tonight is the first Board of Supervisors Meeting for 2010, 7:30 PM, Keene Hall, Township Building.  Here is the agenda for tonight’s meeting.  Following the Board of Supervisor Meeting, there will be a Public Hearing for the Patriot’s Path.  Later today I will be posting some background information on the Patriot’s Path.

Supervisor Olson Provides Updates on Fire Company’s Holiday Drive

I am excited to report that Supervisor Olson contacted me in regards to my questions surrounding the Fire Company’s Holiday Drive, the timeline for collection, contributions collected to date, responsibility for follow-up, etc. Yes, on the eve of the first 2010 Board of Supervisor meeting, Supervisor Olson called to give me an update. As you recall, Supervisors Olson, Lamina and Kampf organized the Holiday Drive, which culminated in the $23,200 cardboard check that was presented to Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor Fire Companies at the last Board of Supervisor Meeting on December 21. Supervisor Olson was able to offer the following information in regards to the Holiday Drive.

• There is now a paper trail in place to track the pledges and donations, which will allow easier follow-up.
• All fire company Holiday Drive pledge money to be contributed by March 31, 2010.
• All checks for the Holiday Drive are to be made payable to ‘Berwyn Fire Company’. Berwyn Fire Company will make the appropriate disbursements to Radnor and Paoli Fire Company.
• Supervisors Olson and Lamina met with Berwyn Fire Company president Rip Tilden in the last couple of days; checks totally $8,950 were given to the fire company.
• According to Supervisor Olson, there is not concern regarding the duplication of fundraising efforts to local businesses. It was my understanding that the Berwyn Fire Company is willing to review the contribution checks and make the decisions necessary so that each fire company receives contributions from businesses in their particular jurisdictions.
• Supervisor Olson is unclear as to the exact meaning of Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee (TTRC) Chair CT Alexander’s ‘matching fund’ statement that accompanied his announced contribution of $5K from TTRC. Supervisor Olson indicated that the TTRC money was going directly to the Berwyn Fire Company and was not included in the $8,950 checks already distributed. He was uncertain of the exact contributions to date by TTRC but thought it was about $2K (Apparently, TTRC’s contributions are going directly to Berwyn Fire Company). Supervisor stated that he was not a TTRC committee person and therefore was not certain about the details. He suggested I contact Mr. Alexander directly for follow-up on that issue. (If Mr. Alexander or members of TTRC are reading this blog, any update you can provide related to the $5K fire company contribution would be helpful).
• Supervisors Olson, Lamina and Kampf will take care of all necessary follow-up required for the Holiday Drive.
• I inquired whether the full list of Holiday Drive donors would be public. Supervisor Olson’s reply was appropriate; he said that the judgment to release the donor list would need to come from the fire companies.
• Supervisor Olson mentioned the idea of creating a Fire Company board, suggesting representation on the board from local businesses. There are required capital expense items upcoming for the Berwyn Fire Company, and help with funding is needed.
• It is not the intention of Supervisor Olson to make the Holiday Drive an annual event.

Supervisor Olson was completely forthcoming in his responses. Although I am grateful for his candor, I did suggest that it would be helpful if he would make this information public at tonight’s Board of Supervisor Meeting. Open and transparent government leaves the public asking fewer questions and I challenge the Board of Supervisors to think about this as a resolution for the New Year.

Based on the fundraising talents of Supervisors Olson, Lamina and Kampf, . . . I am making a personal appeal.  If they can raise in excess of $20K for the fire companies in a matter of days, I am asking them to help me and the Board of Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust with our Build the Barn Capital Campaign.  Historic preservation needs their help in Tredyffrin; I am asking them to join us to raise the necessary funds for our rebuilding effort.  Locally, we have recently witnessed the tear down of La Ronda in Lower Merion and Radnor’s Eastern College tear down of a historic log cabin.  Let’s show our neighbors that Tredyffrin Township cares about their historic resources . . . and I’m asking the Board of Supervisors to help.