PHOENIXVILLE, PA – Members of the Phoenixville Area Friends of Open Space, Phoenixville Green Team and Phoenixville Area Transition marched in the Dogwood Parade to raise awareness of efforts to save open space, which include a complaint filed with the Chester County Court of Common Pleas for alleged violations of the Sunshine act.
The coalition and members of the community have been working to protect the old Kindergarten Center from a vote where 5-members of the Phoenixville Area School District board voted to allow Toll Brothers to purchase and potentially overdevelop with over 80 townhomes.
While the district administration made claims this would only add 20 to 30 students, substantive studies show that number is likely to be over 70 students per 100 units. Another study presented to the board shows that allowing development would potentially raise taxes for everyone.
The question they are asking is, why did this board rush the vote without complete and thorough due diligence and with little to no public deliberation? In fact, one board member admitted to private deliberations behind closed doors, which would seem to violate the Sunshine Act.
The coalition had asked the board for 90 days to prepare a cost-benefit analysis and review expert testimony on potential environmental harms, including stormwater, drainage, contamination and loss of habitat, as well as impact on capacity given the current overcrowding in Phoenixville schools. At every public meeting since the board announced the intention to vote, members of the community have been at every school board meeting to speak against this action. While nearly 1,000 have already signed a petition and now the groups are moving to the next step and ready to file another complaint with the Chester County Court of Common Pleas.
Those interested in more information can contact the Phoenixville Area Friends of Open Space by filling in this contact form,
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsPcmBXPpFK-Z4Weaar8QXc2kDmDIVyZ8txCmp1IYjxWZSig/viewform
The coalition is also raising money for legal fees: https://www.gofundme.com/f/8kzmq-sos-stop-the-sale-of-the-kindergarten-center?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
During the April 25th PASD board meeting a member of the community reminded the board of their oath of office and challenged them to explain how their vote upheld that oath.
Each of you swore an oath to uphold the PA Constitution. Now, please explain how your vote meets the requirement of this specific article:
Article I Section 27 of the Pennsylvania constitution states: The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.
This property belongs to taxpayers. Not the district. You are trustees for us, and yet the five who voted to sell ignored the overwhelming calls for additional review.
