Save Gladwyne Village

The Gladwyne Montessori School (www.gladwyne.org) will be presenting their expansion plan at a hearing before the township zoning board on Thursday at 7.15pm at the Township Building in Ardmore. The plan includes consolidating a few of the 5 surrounding properties they've purchased over the years and expanding from a 3-acre site to over 5 acres. The purpose of the expansion is to address a shortage of parking and outside play areas. The current plan enlarges the parking lot as well as the driveway into the campus, adds a small soccer field and an orchard. It also includes the construction of two small additions to the newer building. Two interior lot homes will be torn down as well as multiple trees. The application shows a 14ft segmental block wall, topped by a 6ft fence and floodlights on top of a 14ft embankment in the rear of the property, all needed to retain the expanded carpark and play area given the steep gradient drop from Youngsford Road to Black Rock Road. The Montessori School will also be adding more teachers to accommodate a new program with a concentration towards preschool-aged children from 6 months old.

A neighbors' organization called "Save Gladwyne Village" is strongly opposed to the expansion plan. Traffic and storm water management, as well as the consolidation of residential properties to expand the campus to over 5 acres. The 5-acre site is an important stepping stone for the Montessori as the township's new comprehensive plan calls for lesser restrictions to institutions over 5 acres. For more information on their viewpoint and/or to sign a petition, please click www.savegladwynevillage.org &/or https://www.change.org/p/lm-zo...

Many feel that this is the first step in a much larger plan for the school, although school representatives at the last Gladwyne civic meeting denied it. According to their recent capital campaign brochure, "The Board of Trustees has purchased four neighboring properties while four additional and strategically important, contiguous parcels are being pursued. The sum total of these campus additions would more than double our total acreage. They are the cornerstone and starting point of our exciting plans." Since that brochure was printed, they purchased one of the four they are pursuing, so they now own 5 neighboring homes.

The Gladwyne Civic Association passed a resolution in 2016 when this project first came to light against the expansion for storm water and traffic issues, etc. The following quote from the resolution sums up their stance. "The expansion of the school use onto what had been neighboring residential properties in the Gladwyne Village will be detrimental to the viability of the Gladwyne Historic District and the preservation of the unique nature of the Village. Such an expansion is contrary to the recently approved Comprehensive Plan for the Township. The School's purchase of other residential properties in addition to those that are proposed for this immediate plan shows the intention of the School to continue on a pattern undermining the integrity of the Gladwyne Village through future development of the Campus if this proposal is granted."

In addition to being on the National Register of Historic Places, the Village of Gladwyne was designated a historic district by Lower Merion Township to ensure that its history and charms are preserved. Unfortunately, the continued preservation of the beautiful historic village is now at risk. Please attend the zoning meeting on Thursday 1st February, if you can.

* (Source of content from the Gladwyne Civic Association newsletter)