[DVBC] Upper Providence Trail

[domzdvbc at att.net]

Thank you, Woody, for keeping us informed of this project.  I wish the many people we met at the previous meetings who support the plan had attended that meeting.
 
I found the following report on the towntalknews.com website.  Don’t know about the accuracy of that March 13th date at the end - something funny about the chronology.
 
Dom
 
**********************
 
Posted on Tue, Mar 4, 2008 
 
Upper Providence Trail Plan Draws Packed Audience 
By Paula Williams 
 
Upper Providence Council meeting last week was standing room only. The topic that brought most people out is a proposed township-wide trail plan. The scheduled 30-minute public forum lasted almost two hours. More than once the crowd had to be told to calm down.
Most residents said they had not been informed about the plan. Council said there have been three public meetings and post cards had been mailed to all residents.
Some residents alleged the trails would ruin the environment, cause or worsen storm water and erosion problems, cause traffic and parking problems, bring strangers into their neighborhoods, increase crime, and devalue property.
"We have trails in Ridley Creek State Park; we don't want them going through our yards," said one resident.
Council told the crowd it is not a plan it is a concept. Council said that the feasibility study was sent to the Department of Conservation and Environmental Resources because the township has a matching grant with the township paying $40,000 for the study and state paying $40,000.
Council said if the township drops everything concerning the plan it will lose $40,000.
Residents said the costs of building the trail, maintenance, liability, security costs, and property value costs were too high.
Council explained that they could not vote on the issue because it was not an advertised business meeting. Residents tried to poll council on how they would vote, but township solicitor Robert Pappano said, "this township does not take straw votes."
Residents asked if the proposed trail would go through any of their yards. The answer was no.
Council Member Fred Reed said they would put the vote on the agenda for the next meeting (March 13).
 
-------------- Original message from "Woody Kotch" <hrkotch at comcast.net>: -------------- 


> I attended the Upper Providence Township Council meeting tonight. It was the 
> biggest crowd ever at a township meeting. I'd say three hundred residents 
> came out to rant at the council on the poor job they did on communicating 
> with the community on this project and urged them to vote down the entire 
> proposal, which they did. 
> 
> The speakers from the audience called the report by the consultants a waste 
> of $80,000.00 that was poorly done. The arguments of higher taxes, 
> undisclosed expenses, security issues, and eminant domain concerns, that the 
> township would take land from property owners highlighted the opponents 
> points. Only three people spoke out in favor of the proposal. 30 or so 
> against. 
> 
> Alot of work went into this plan and it is a shame that it seems to have 
> been killed by the inclusion of trails that would have been built on or 
> behind private property many years in the future. In this case it might have 
> been better to start small with just some designated streets and extended 
> sidewalks. That might have been downed too. The venum in the room was that 
> thick. 
> 
> Woody 
> 
> 
> 
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