All eyes on Marple tonight for Cardinal Crossing hearing

First it was Middletown.

Call it the Battle of Franklin Mint. Residents were less than thrilled about the prospect of a massive development on the site of the longtime mint property that stretches along Baltimore Pike. They railed against what they mocked as 'The City.'

Then the same thing popped up in Concord, where residents were enraged at the prospect of losing one of the last open tracts in their township. Call it the Battle of Concord. All that was missing was Lexington. The tract in question, known as the Beaver Valley, was a pristine, idyllic tract in what is one of the fastest-growing areas in the region. Spend any time trying to maneuver along Route 202 or Baltimore Pike out in those parts on a Saturday and you'll see why people were so upset at the prospect of losing any more open space.

Now it's Marple Township, and the Battle of Cardinal Crossing.

That is the name affixed to another sprawling development planned for the former site of the Don Guanella School on Sproul Road.

And yes, a lot of residents are upset at the notion of still one more development eating up open space in their neighborhood. They have organized themselves into a coalition called Save Marple Greenspace. They are pushing their concerns online. Developer Bruce Goodman's plan for the 213-acre tract calls for 696,650 square feet of retail space, 100,000 square feet of office space, an 80,000-square foot recreational facility, 65,000-square foot hotel, 50,000-square foot movie theater and 5,585-square foot convenience store/gas station.

Tonight Marple planners will once again take up the proposal. They are not expected to vote, but they will take more comments.

There will not be any shortage of those.

A couple of hundred people turned out for the last meeting.

Another huge crowd will be on hand tonight. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Marple Newtown High School. We'll be there.

Comments

Doug Humes said…
The Marple Planning Commission held another hearing tonight [1-13-16] on the proposed Cardinal Crossing development for the woods behind Don Guanella. Because of the the high turnout at the previous meeting at the Township building, this meeting was held in the MN High School auditorium. And the additional room was needed. Marple is hopping mad about the proposal, and a lot of people turned out and spent close to four hours there, hearing the developer's experts, and then having the chance to speak out. There were still about twenty people in line waiting to speak when the Commission ended the hearing at about 10:40. There will be another meeting in February - so more opportunities to speak. If you cannot get there, you can also send your comments in to the Commission. If you have looked over the proposed plan, the developer seeks to maximize the use of every inch of the property. And to do so, they are proposing zoning changes that would eviscerate our zoning ordinances, our tree ordinance, our open space requirements, and our steep slope requirements. The plan is worse than it looks on paper. When you review it, the green space at the southern end - that's Cardinal O'Hara High School and its parking lot and playing fields. That's the only thing that adds any green to the proposed plan. It will be a disaster, and one that we will pay for for generations. So what to do? First, this is not a "DONE DEAL". There are so many things wrong with this plan, and so much opposition, that if we keep up the pressure, I can't see how the Planning Commission could recommend this awful proposal. Like Horton Hears a Hoo - we must each continue to add our voice to the opposition. So, come to future meetings. If you can't, then write a letter. If you know the Commissioners, tell them what you think when you see them in the Wawa. Sign up for the mailing list at: http://savemarple.com/ . Get one of their snazzy bumper stickers and put it on your car. If you want the nitty gritty of the proposal, go to the Township website and review the files for the Cardinal Crossing development: http://www.marpletwp.com/ . The Planning Commission recommends to the full Board of Supervisors. The supervisors are identified on the Township website - with contact info. It is not too early to begin telling them how you feel as well - as they make the ultimate decision. Let them know what you think! Politely and thoughtfully. Let's keep it classy, Marple!
January 14, 2016 at 8:33 AM
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