Spring planning meeting

2/10/2022 - mtg minutes will be posted here within the week after the mtg…

 

Penn Valley Civic 2.10.22

13 attendees including officers

Agenda -Spring planning meeting

  • Mark your calendars for spring walk through business district with Chris Leswing

    • walk through with Chris to get his ideas, capitalize on his help going forward. Walk will be Sunday April 3 @ 10 am, Meet Staples lot. Walk down Montgomery at least to Woodbine. Discuss vision as well as short term troubleshooting. 

  • Montgomery Ave - intersection updates from Public Works

    • Mont & Old Gulph - exclusion phase added

    • Mont & Iona - advanced pedestrian crossing 

    • Brookhurst - also advanced pedestrian crossing

    • Mont & woodbine - also advanced ped crossing only have 2-3 seconds to cross

    • waiting for new development to make improvements at Meeting House; difficult intersection bc its 5 way with Maplewood; confusing; Community request is for all cars to stop so pedestrians can cross. Exclusion phase

      • Community comment: audio signal at these intersections would be helpful

    • Mont and Merion, Winding Way, Bryn Mawr - nothing to date

    • Mont and Old Lancaster - ongoing discussion due to property ownership change

  • spring bike ride to explore new greenway; Main Line Cycles supportive; targeting a Sunday morning in the spring; MLC offered to provide coffee and donuts; Chris Leswing usually makes these rides accessible for all

  • short hike for 4/24 - Belmont Hills Library wooded area behind the pool - check in on monarch pollinator garden and have a dedication; coordinate with BH civic; coordinate with Shari Steinberg and Library team

  • Tree planting for the fall for the business district - is anyone interested

    • PHS bare root trees

    • Need to identify spots - can use April 4th walk to do that; ask CL where the soil might be under pavement

    • Tree tenders groups are growing in our area and PV Civic will pay for training; teach how to plant and work together as a group; contact Michelle Detwiler (pennvalleycivic@gmail.com) if interested in this training

    • Perhaps opportunity to de-pave, add trees

    • May be tree planting opportunity in front of courthouse

    • Future opportunity in front of development across from Royal Cafe

    • Email pennvalleycivic@gmail.com with other tree location ideas

    • Rich Moskowtiz interested in Tree Tender program/training

    • Community member suggested planters as alternative to inground planting if pavement is an issue; discussion on maintenance needs/requirements and who would support; ideally business association would form and fund ongoing beautification and maintenance

Non Agenda Items

  • Acme

    • Community member raised issue of ivy growing on trees in Acme property

    • Willing to cut but wanted to see if that would be ok

    • Continuing trash problem at Acme

    • “Friends” group for Acme property might be helpful

    • CL identified area in front of Acme as possible conversion to outside dining

    • Suggestion to stop and talk about Acme during April walk

  • Erosion at Belmont Hills pool

    • Better directed at BH Civic, not within PV Civic boundaries

    • Potential for more plantings, pollinator friendly plantings

    • Previous planting on the hill, unclear if it was successful re: erosion

  • Bamboo in PV

    • Opportunity to harvest and convert to paper products

    • Corner of Woodbine and Bryn Mawr as well as other areas

    • Township has bamboo enforcement officer

    • Not allowed to plant bamboo or allow bamboo on property unless it was there previously; included in new code

    • Also have a noxious weed ordinance

    • Bamboo requires a deep barrier to stop it; cutting it back encourages root growth

  • Albrechts development

    • Narberth not Penn Valley

    • Concern for mature trees

    • Direct to Narberth Borough website for full plans

  • Stormwater fees in the township

    • Under discussion; township vetting options

    • Trying to decide how to levy the fees

  • Lighting ordinance

    • Has been under discussion for many years

    • Todd Sinai said they have hired a consultant

    • TS is aware of environmental issues

    • TS does not receive many complaints re: lighting

    • Community members can contact TS if there are issues; can request shade or make adjustments to specific lights

    • Light is supposed to light the street not your house

    • Lighting impacts early blooming of trees and flowers as well as birds and insects

  • Quiet hours – other towns and cities advocating for quiet hours to limit noise and pollution from gas-powered blowers

    • Not aware of specific groups launching to address that here but interest by community member

    • Some advocacy on this issue through the EAC

  • Dan Bernheim: West Mill Creek park update

    • Overuse, dangerous parking, park has become too popular and overused especially given the environmental sensitivity of the location

    • TS looking at reconfiguring parking lot to add additional entrance and getting split rail fence

    • Gladwyne Civic also aware and interested

    • Need to protect and preserve the park…and potentially locate other areas in the TS for dog parks to meet demand

  • Dan will follow-up on intersection timing/issues along Montgomery Ave in our area; important connection for residents and businesses between Narberth and LM. Will talk to Public Works about PVCA member requests to add exclusion phase at Meetinghouse Lane as well as increase the timing of the advanced pedestrian phase at Iona, Brookhurst, and Woodbine.