Community Rallies Against Potential LMSD Stoneleigh Seizure

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA – As the Lower Merion School District is looking for space to expand its growing district, the community is fighting back after one site in Villanova was eyed and eminent domain was touted as a potential way to use the site.

The district has looked at taking part of the Stoneleigh property in Villanvoa to expand and at the Monday, May 21 school board meeting the community showed its distaste for the potential move to Stoneleigh.

Monday's board meeting was overflowing with concerned residents, many donning shirts with the hashtag "SaveStoneleigh."

The "Save Stoneleigh" campaign was launched by the preservation group Natural Lands and is supported by other groups such as the Lower Merion Conservancy and the Brandywine Conservancy among others.

Natural Lands even started a petition to stop the expansion to the property. So far it's got more than 12,500 of the 15,000 signature goal. See the petition here.

Several sites were eyed as potential expansion locations, but the area of Stoneleigh has been the main focus.

Located at 1829 County Line Road in Villanova, a 6.9-acre parcel of the Haas Estate was granted conditional use approval by Lower Merion Township for this site included area on this property. That site does not include public gardens which just opened to the public, according to the district.

Despite the public outcry over a proposed expansion to the site, the district has floated eminent domain as a means to acquire the site.

The three other sites were Friends Central Lower School, the Islamic Foundation, and St. Charles Seminary, but the district has given up pursuing expansions there.

LMSD Superintendent Robert Copeland had a letter featured in the Tuesday edition Philadelphia Inquirer in which he defended the idea of expanding to Stoneleigh.

"We realize this is not an ideal solution," Copeland wrote. "However there are times when ideals and reality do not align."

He went on to say building another middle school is the solution to the face-paced enrollment growth.

"The district remains hopeful that a solution can be found," he wrote. "We understand many consider Stoneleigh a unique treasure. Lower Merion School District considers each of its 8,600-plus students, and the 1,000 more expected in the next decade, to be unique treasures as well."

No decision was made at Monday's meeting, but the public made it clear they are not in support of an expansion to Stoneleigh.

Image via Lower Merion School District