Save Marple Greenspace

Pictured here is the developer's attorney Donaghue calling the Whetstone Coalition a group of "radicals" for committing the terrible offense of working to protect a taxpayer subsidized forest. This video is an excerpt of the special commissioner's meeting on 11/16/20 and shows the closing argument by the Whetstone Coalition in its role as an objector to the residential application submitted for the Don Guanella forest. Our attorney Michael Fiorentino summarizes the testimony ...of seven experts who presented their evidence over the course of two Marple Commissioner meetings on 11/16/20 and 10/19/20. In addition to showing how this residential plan is in violation of Marple's codes and MS4 pollution reduction requirements, Mr. Fiorentino also strongly argues that the Environmental Rights Amendment (passed overwhelmingly by PA residents in 1971) must be brought to bear on this residential application. Marple's Commissioners, as the PA Constitutional Amendment prescribes, are trustees of our natural heritage and environment in Marple Township even when those resources reside in private hands. In other words, the forest, streams, groundwater, flora, and fauna that exist on the century long tax-exempt land of Don Guanella must be safeguarded by Marple's elected officials. https://youtu.be/wlL5sSOXZwM

In case you missed Monday night's special commissioners' meeting, here's video of our attorney presenting the first two of seven total witnesses for the Whetstone Coalition. Stormwater engineer Michele Adams and award-winning architect Jay Cooperson presented their expert findings on the many failings of the stormwater management systems proposed by the developer as well as the poor planning with regard to extreme grading and sloping of at least 60 individual housing units, among other issues. We're just getting started, so tune in for the next meeting in November to hear our other five experts. Thanks for your support. https://youtu.be/SM6_ZFO4vF0 If you'd like to support the cause: https://savemarplegreenspace.com/

At the September special Commissioner's meeting, we were treated to the usual "it's a done deal" routine developers use to knock the wind out of communities concerned about their quality of life and local environment. "They are simply conforming with all the township rules and regulations," Yadda, yadda, yadda. What the developers don't want you to know is that township ordinances governing land use are open to interpretation. Ordinances can be much more nuanced and subjectiv...e and are not usually so black and white as the developer wants you to believe. Townships have a great deal of discretion, then, to interpret their own ordinances in order to protect their community from harmful developments. What's more, some township land use ordinances are frequently outdated and have missing protections put in place by many other municipalities or by higher law. In other words, there are state and federal rules as well as state-level constitutional issues that need to be considered here as well. The scare tactics employed by developers usually only work on defenseless or uninformed communities. This self-interested bunch rarely encounters well-funded, highly organized opposition movements capable of mounting sustained and lengthy legal campaigns. For this reason, they have an arrogance about them that they can do whatever they damn well please. But the would-be spoilers of the Don Guanella forest who first said they wanted to protect those woods didn't count on the Whetstone Coalition. And this you can be sure of: we're highly motivated and dug in for the long fight. Each member of the Whetstone Coalition has been involved in protracted and expensive legal battles, so we all know what to expect and how to navigate the breakers ahead. Like the community that's been fighting Miller in East Brandywine Township, Chester County for the past 10 years, we're not going anywhere. We stand up to bullies. So join us Monday night when the Whetstone Coalition will present several experts who will show the harm that would result from Miller's "development." That's this Monday, October 19th at 7pm. Register in advance for the meeting and you'll be sent an easy link to get into the meeting. https://www.marpletwp.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=64

A reminder for tomorrow to all who are interested in helping clean up the perimter of Don Guanella along Reed Road. Meet in the Home Depot parking lot at 9am. Bring your own face mask; we will provide gloves and bags. Click the pic for more details...

Close your eyes and imagine that this commitment to trails and open space preservation was true for Delaware County.