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WEST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING
April 5, 2006
A special meeting of the Board of Supervisors of West Goshen Township was called to order by Chairman Dr. Robert S. White at 3:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, at the West Goshen Township
Administration Building. All members were present. Dr. White opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Dr. White opened the floor for public comment.
Ms. Dorothea Cook from the League of Women Voters said that for many years the League has used the meeting rooms in the West Goshen Township Administration Building.
She said the building is centrally located and that candidate and voter education forums had been held in the meeting rooms. Ms. Cook said that recently a new member of the League caused a problem when she sent an unauthorized letter of complaint to the Township. Ms. Cook said she has spoken with the author of the letter and made clear to her that all correspondence from the League must go through the League's officers and the board for approval. She asked the Board of Supervisors to reconsider their decision to deny the League use of the meeting rooms. Dr. White said that the Board will take the matter under consideration.
Mr. John Poth, 549 Willow Way, said that he lives 250 yards from the site of the proposed YMCA on Airport Road in East Goshen Township. He stated that he just recently learned of the
proposal for the YMCA and is concerned about the impact it could have on the quality of life in the area of Paoli Pike and Airport Road. Mr. Poth said that he had canvassed the residents in the
area of the YMCA and found that 81 out of 90 people were in favor of a delay in the approval process for the project.
He said that this would give more time for an in-depth study of the traffic on the adjoining roadways. Mr. Poth expressed his concern that West Goshen Township residents in the vicinity of the proposed YMCA were not advised of the project even though it is in East Goshen Township. He said that the traffic study that was done for the project is inadequate and does not show the true impact that will occur since the YMCA has 15,000 members. Mr. Poth referred to a previous study that was conducted to consider widening Paoli Pike from Route 202 in West Goshen Township to Route 30 in Paoli. He said the conclusion was that it was not feasible to do the widening of Paoli Pike. He questioned why this study was not included in the YMCA traffic study. Mr. Poth thanked Ms. Lynn for meeting with him previously to discuss this situation. He said that the parking proposed for the site will be inadequate and that there is no alternative parking available.
Dr. White said that he did not learn about the YMCA project from a letter but read about it in the newspaper. He said that he attended the hearings in East Goshen Township for the project
to represent the Township and that he was the only West Goshen Township resident in attendance. He said that the YMCA has plans to open another access to Paoli Pike which is not in the current
plans. He asked Mr. Poth what he would like the Board of Supervisors to do since the project is in another municipality and the final land development plan is to be voted on April 11, 2006.
Mr. Poth replied that he will not stop working against the project regardless of what happens on April 11th. He said his biggest issue is the traffic and that the current proposal does
not assume any traffic increase from the use of the facility by the West Chester Area School District swim teams. Dr. White said that the usual procedure is for the teams to use school buses when
going off site from the schools and he asked Mr. Mark Groves from the West Chester Area School District, who was in attendance at the meeting, if this would be the procedure with the proposed YMCA.
Mr. Groves replied that the use of school buses is the usual practice but that he is not aware of the potential plans for the use of the YMCA.
Mr. Poth presented a petition to the Board asking that they request the East Goshen Township Board of Supervisors to delay their decision on the YMCA's plans.
Dr. White accepted the petition and said that the Board will take the matter under advisement.
Mrs. Evelyn Baker, 900 Sheridan Drive, said that she can understand both sides of the project in that she lives near a community swimming club and traffic is a problem when there are swim
meets. On the other hand she said that she is a full member of the YMCA and that all 15,000 members do not use the facility at one time.
She said that if the residents want to slow the project down for further study, they need to present constructive solutions to the East Goshen Township Board of Supervisors at their meetings. She said it would be a good idea to visit the YMCA and see the good things they are doing with programs designed for the elderly and young children. She said that the YMCA is an asset to the community. Mrs. Baker said that it would be helpful to have a traffic signal on Paoli Pike at the end of the exit ramp from northbound Route 202 and Dr. White replied that the engineering study for installing a signal is currently being conducted by PennDOT, in addition to a study for installing a signal at Paoli Pike and Fern Hill Road.
Mr. Robert Ingram, 1225 Paoli Pike, asked if the issue of residents walking along Paoli Pike to the proposed YMCA had been addressed and Dr. White replied that walking along Paoli Pike would
not be safe. He said that Paoli Pike is a major state highway and that West Goshen Township has very little input in its maintenance.
Mr. Ingram said that West Goshen Township was responsible for providing safety for walking along Paoli Pike and Dr. White replied that the only way to do that was to require the residents along Paoli Pike to install sidewalks and that this would not be practical.
Ms. Janet Poth, 549 Willow Way, said that she agrees with Mr. Poth's statements and is disappointed with this situation. She said it should not be necessary to read a newspaper to get
information about projects. She said she is not against the YMCA but that if the YMCA moves from the present West Chester Borough location, people will not be able to walk to the facility.
She said that there are wetlands on the proposed site and bald eagles have been seen there. She said that she does not feel that any building should be allowed at the proposed site.
She said that the Board should have notified all West Goshen residents about the proposal and informed them of the meetings in East Goshen Township. She said that residents in her neighborhood had seen the sign on the property about the YMCA but did not believe it could be moving to that site. She said that she needed time to get experts to the site to investigate the bald eagles. She said that she does not want to wake up to the sound of trees being cut down.
Mr. William Scott, 405 Franklin Street, said that he was a member of the West Chester Borough Council at the time the YMCA was considering using the lot at Walnut Street and Chestnut Street in
West Chester Borough for expansion. He said that the Borough Council did not discourage the YMCA from considering the location for development.
Dr. White announced that the Board met in Executive Session on March 10 and March 24, 2006 to discuss real estate matters.
Ms. Lynn announced that this Board of Supervisors meeting was a Special Meeting and that this would be the only meeting to be held in April.
She said that in May the Board of Supervisors meetings will be held on the regularly scheduled days of May 10 and May 24, 2006.
Ms. Lynn announced that Mr. Kenneth Lehr, Park and Recreation Director, was recently sworn in as President of District Three of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society.
She said he will serve a two year term.
On motion by Ms. McIlvaine, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved the Board of Supervisors minutes from March 8, 2006.
On motion by Mr. Meakim, seconded by Ms. McIlvaine, the Board unanimously approved the Treasurer's Report dated March 31, 2006 for the General Fund, the Sewer Revenue Fund, the Waste and
Recycling Fund, and the Capital Reserve Fund, as well as the bills to be paid from the General Fund, the Sewer Fund, the Capital Reserve Fund, and the Waste and Recycling Fund.
Chief Michael Carroll gave the Police Report for the month of March 2006. Chief Carroll announced that the annual Skatearama that was held on Saturday, March 25, 2006 at Ice Line as part
of the "Say No To Drugs" program was a success with 575 participants.
Chief Carroll announced that Mr. Thomas W. Flick, Jr., who retired in 1985 after 26 years of service as a West Goshen Township Police Officer, passed away on April 1, 2006.
Mr. Raymond McKeeman, Zoning Officer, gave the Fire Marshal Report for the month of March 2006. Mr. McKeeman also gave the report for Good Fellowship Ambulance. The report for
Goshen Fire Company was not available.
Mr. McKeeman, gave the Building Inspection Activity Report for March 2006.
On motion by Dr. White, seconded by Mr. Meakim, the Board unanimously approved the signing of the contract with D. Malloy Paving, Inc., for the Five Points Road Reconstruction Project.
Bids for this project were opened and read at the February 22, 2006 Board of Supervisors meeting.
The following bids for 2006-2007 Pavement Markings were opened and read by Mr. Richard Craig, Township Engineer:
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