Very "High Society" so......
The non-political political season might get damn amusing, damn fast. (oh goody!)
I was wondering who the commissioner candidates were - hadn't seen any signs, and they all seem to be on perpetual vacation. And invisible. (Like that Ernie guy in Ward 5 - he still hasn't been to a meeting since the last time he ran for office and got lost on the way to the township building has he? He wants to be part of the solution, whatever that means.)
Recently this guy named Tom Dougherty pipes up - he doesn't like the whole idea of Radnor taxpayers funding a swamp land purchase at good old Ardrossan (and seriously? Is he wrong given the state of affairs being recovered from in Radnor added to that stellar economy out there?). Then someone who doesn't even live in Radnor and who hails from Lower Merion where we all know they think their shit doesn't stink and they spend like drunken sailors rolls up and does a soft shoe on why Radnor should spend millions on land Eddie Scott probably just doesn't want to deal with at Ardrossan. This guy is Mike Weilbacher .
Weilbacher used to run the Lower Merion Conservancy. Ahhh yes, the light bulb goes off - conservancy solidarity and all that. O.k. you betcha'. (How did all that preserving of La Ronda work for them again? Oh no, nevermind, don't want to be rude, just sayin') Weilbacher seems to be a king of it ain't easy being green, only he hasn't a clue about Radnor does he? Maybe he should have learned a little bit more before weighing in? Just sayin'Meanwhile, at meetings the old dragon of Republican politics Mimi Auchicloss keeps getting up and trying to politicize things that aren't political. Apparently that is her major tactical maneuver of Radnor's non-political political season? (much like her recent scare-dos at meetings I am not sure this is working for her, do you? The uncombed look?) Then people like that Heldring guy whom I seem to remember used to be a Democrat but is now a Demopendant will get up and agree? Do they have a routine worked out ahead of time or something?
Yawn. Yes, yawn.
So there is major finger pointing going on about the focus group results. Eyes rolling because, well, in spite of all Radnor has been through, politically it still doesn't want to look in the mirror. And oh yes, it challenged the Holy Grail of the Radnor Conservancy in a sense when it asked people in essence about Ardrossan (oh the horrors I tell you.)
Someone who doesn't seem to be running for office (or at least yet) in Radnor, did write a very nice common sense-oriented piece on this whole thing - some guy named Rob Murdocca . Everyone should read it (click HERE, it's on Radnor Patch)
And then there are the rumors of a certain geriatric commissioner tiptoeing around Radnor with the subtly of a rhinoceros in search of dinner? What up with those plans he pupportedly keeps whipping out? What is in it for him and how many layers is that answer buried beneath?
And now comes a new website that is being e-mailed around. It's called Radnor Residents for Responsible Government. That's a lot of R's, baby . Who are these people? There is nothing particularly identifiable on their website which is http://www.rrrg.org/ - mind you they make some valid points - but this is not a blog by any appearances it's a website ending in "org" so is this a non-profit? A PAC? What and who are they?
But again, whomever Radnor Residents for Responsible Government are I betcha they are making quite a few people who were counting their Ardrossans before they hatch a bit, well, shall we say itchy ?
Is this the time for Radnor to get all embroiled in this? Is now the time for all things Ardrossan or does Radnor need to concentrate on other things? Is the sky going to fall in?
And as for the Radnor Conservancy, I have to ask them where they are on the Willows? What about the Willows Cottage? It seems Greener Partners in not around, correct? So what of that developer turned cottage savior Mark Janiczek? Is he more user friendly or is it still all about him? The "friends" aspect seems to be disintegrating doesn't it? What have they done? How is the restoration going? Should they be seeking a tenant to pay the bills and most importantly what the hell happened to Skunk Hollow Farm and the wunderkind farmer?
And they are all worrying about Ardrossan? Is the Scott family going broke or does whoever is left just have no affinity or less affinity for the family manse and estate? Is Eddie Scott ready for the unemployment line?
Whatever. Guess change is not coming so easy to Radnor. At least the township building seems to be cleaning up nicely insude and out. Now if the political system would just follow suit.....but that might be file under hope springs eternal, right?
Stay tuned.....Stepford is heating up again....and somewhere Hope Montgomery Scott might just be twisting in her grave...
One last Ardrossan question: how many years prior to announcing land was going to be developed there did plans and land surveys actually begin?
Toodles it's that carpool time of day. Dodging cell phone mommies of Stepford on their I-phones while driving their mini vans is tough...
UPDATE: Yowza, maybe this posts should have the subtitle/subtext/whatever of Murdrocca v. Spingler Part 2. See:
Concerned About the Process of Buying Open Space
A Wayne resident is concerned about actions by Radnor Township’s Board of Commissioners.
By Rob Murdocca
Radnor Township’s Bob Zienkowski and Bill White are doing a fantastic job, especially given the circumstances of where their permitted authority begins and ends ..... However, the Board as a whole (when the votes get tallied) on some significant items still behaves in an opaque manner 2½ years after David Bashore's removal from administration.
Below is a tangible previous example why I am concerned about actions/process which can and have been taken by Radnor Township’s Board of Commissioners, could be taken again.
Do you think the Board would…:
--(i) significantly overpay for property;
--(ii) waive its rights to inspect said property properly;
--(iii) move swiftly to get it under contract and then purchased/settled;
--(iv) have one of its own Commissioners get paid; and
--(v) not advertise, promote and communicate the property as available for Public Use?
Well exactly that has happened at least once. See below for an actual case study:
....Woodland Avenue – Case Study
1) RT’s most recent Bond Official Statement, ten months ago dated 11/10/2010, mentions the 1/1/2000 property re-assessment was market valuation.
2) The Woodland Avenue properties (36-01-00744-00 & 36-01-00745-00) collectively were assessed at $77,380 on 1/1/2000 according Public Records.
3) Not even three years later, on 11/14/2002, Radnor Township (“RT”) agreed to buy these Woodland Avenue properties for $150,000 and to grant away an 8% (of land size purchasing) easement to the Seller. RT paid a rate of 2.1x* the recent 1/1/2000 market assessment.
4) On the same day, 11/14/2002, the Seller provided its Seller Property Disclosure (“SPD”) statement disclosing flooding/drainage/water problems.
5) On the SPD, and on the Agreement of Sale, David Bashore signed for RT and Bill Spingler witness-signed for both Seller and Buyer (RT).
6) The Agreement of Sale was drafted with only 28 days from signing (11/14/2002), to settling/closing (12/12/2002).
a. Buyer (RT) elected the box for property inspections – but was anything done?
b. RT waived wood infestation inspection for the garage structure.
c. RT waived lead-based paint risk assessment for the garage structure.
d. RT waived radon inspection.
e. Settlement/Closing was written to be contingent upon RT’s Board of Commissioners introducing 11 days later (on 11/25/2002) an Ordinance to purchase, and on passing that ordinance 14 days later on 12/9/2002.
f. Settlement Sheet seems to show no Survey was obtained.
7) On the Agreement of Sale and on the Settlement Sheet, The Spingler Agency was written as the Seller’s Broker.
8) On the Settlement Sheet, David Bashore signed for Buyer (RT). The Spingler Agency received $4,500 – 3% of the $150,000. Bill Spingler of The Spingler Agency, was a Board Commissioner then, and is a Board Commissioner now.
Please don't let this poor process happen again with portions of Ardrossan. It seems the Board is considering expending a large sum of money for a small portion of leftover acreage – but, citizens do not know for sure since so far the Board will not share the appraisal report done by someone this past February. I have requested such appraisal report, and the Board has said no.
Oh my! I might spend a lot of time shopping, but even I get the implications of this editorial. Oh my! Willy Von Slick Spingler you may have met your match. Funny, the clouds say rain, this editorial seems positively sunny.
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