What does it take to get a 73-year-old woman to pound the pavement handing out fliers? If that 73-year-old woman is Lower Southampton township resident Dolores Madrigale, it takes the threat of an un-funded proposed Community Center ruining the quiet enjoyment of her property and creating traffic snarls on already crowded township roads. She’s asking area residents to join her in opposing the center at tonight’s Township Supervisors’ meeting.
The Community Center is proposed to be built on a disputed parcel of land at a busy Meadowbrook Road intersection. The the township is acquiring the land by sale from Jack Hagopian after threatening to take it by eminent domain. Hagopian has claimed that the township got him to agree to sell the land after providing false information about its proposed use. The as-yet-unfunded center is planned to be up to 40,000 square feet with up to 200 parking spaces.
Madrigale opposes the center of the basis of a number of issues.
She said Tuesday afternoon that the township is playing unfairly because it didn’t consult with the community before signing a sales agreement in July with Jack Hagopian for his Meadowbrook Road 9.65-acre property at a cost of $1,060,000. The settlement is expected to happen by Sept. 15. Supervisor Connie Birrane was the lone vote against the deal, saying she believed residents should have been aware of the land purchase before the board voted.
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The community center could cause “severe traffic problem, increase in taxes to support personnel and maintenance of building, possibility of water problem for surrounding areas and parking lot flood lights will bother neighbors. Most of all, the value of properties will diminish as busy streets do not have the value of a quiet streets,” Madrigale said.
She said erecting the center on the intersection of Meadowbrook and Springmeadow roads will cause more traffic congestion in the area, jeopardizing the “peace and quiet” that residents have in the neighborhood.
Because the township doesn’t have secured construction money, Madrigale also fears taxes will increase to cover the cost.
Madrigale will be addressing tonight’s township Supervisor’s meeting to express her concerns.
Supervisor Mark Hopkins said the board will listen to her concerns and will try to answer any questions she presents to the board.
He added that “the public will have the opportunity to be heard during the development [of the center.]”
Based on their handling of the center so far, that seems unlikely. The township has acted toward residents like parents used to act toward their children: “Better to have them seen and not heard.” Connie Birrane had it right; township Supervisors are not township Kings and Queens. They are there to represent the concerns and wishes of the township residents, not to force residents to cow-tow to their ill-conceived plans. Township Supervisors have rammed this plan down residents’ throats, and seeing that they are being opposed by residents at every turn has not deterred them from seeing it through.
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Bucks County, Eminent Domain, Lower Southampton TownshipRelated Posts
1 Response to “LSH Resident Wages Anti-Community-Center Crusade”
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1Kelly on Sep 17, 2008 at 8:38 am:
I live less than 1 mile from this intersection and I knew nothing about this proposed park. How is that? None of my neighbors have said anything to me either. Is it possible that none of us heard about this? I am looking at moving in the next few months and realized from pulling area comps that my taxes are higher than anyone else with the same house and property size in the area. How is it that the township can just do whatever they want with our taxes, property, lives, etc???? When did office become not for the people? If I had known that Ms. Madrigale was passing out flyers I would have gladly helped her with a larger area and been at that meeting to support her.
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