Plea for Rejection

The substance of this letter is to specifically object to the proposed Grant Applications that our local government, East Pikeland Township, has submitted to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the funding of a proposed dog park / community garden center within East Pikeland Township.

The project, which we now know is called Ridge Park, is the subject of the Grant Applications. The high-level objection to this project is premised upon the township’s over-reaching authority in the proposed site development plan. The township afforded no notice to the residents of this township and essentially made Grant Applications with no public notice of the proposed site development plan. The supervisors passed a resolution to approve the Grant Applications and did not even see the proposed site development plan. The counts for this plea for rejection are more specifically stated below:

1. The township failed to inform residents of its site development plan and provided no forum for discussion of the proposed site development plan. None of the residents of this township were made aware of the Grant Applications nor where they provided the proposed site development plan.
2. The township proceeded in its action of implementing the proposed site development plan based on a survey. That survey was conducted and 241 responses were received, of which 221 are township residents. The results of the survey are skewed in that the township has approximately 7,400 residents, thus falling short of true public opinion due to missing a large percentage of township residents.
3. The township supervisors passed a resolution to seek Grant Applications with no knowledge of the proposed site development plan. During a public meeting, one of the supervisors asked if there is a plan. De facto evidence that the supervisors had no knowledge of the proposed site development plan that they were passing a resolution to apply for Grant Applications. The supervisors, nevertheless, made a motion to approve a resolution to seek Grant Applications despite the fact that they had not seen the proposed site development plan. The passage of that resolution by the supervisors remains in question.
4. The residents were abruptly made aware of the supervisor’s meeting to pass the said resolution for the Grant Applications. Once aware, the residents rallied to attend the meeting. The unanimous public comment was that “nobody even knew of this project.” Yet, the supervisors passed the resolution to make the Grant Applications for a site development plan they approved, but had not even seen the proposed plan for (nor had the township residents).
5. In a telling move the supervisors approved the resolution for the Grant Applications and essentially dismissed any public comment despite the obvious resident interest for the right to know. The supervisors then referred all questions back to the Parks and Recreation Committee with the expectation that they field all questions coming in from the township residents.
6. The township has holistically circumvented the democratic process and the duty of public notice. In brief, there are many facts and opinions in support of and against this project. That said, there have been many public opinions posted since this project has become known. The township has not afforded a public forum to allow for sufficient due process. The Grant Applications should therefore be rejected for lack of due process and public notice.
7. A Parks and Recreation Committee meeting was held shortly after the passage of the resolution by the supervisors to apply for the Grant Applications. The Parks and Recreation Committee stated that this meeting was the most well-attended meeting in township history, including supervisor meetings. That said, there is an obvious need for the township to re-visit this proposed site development plan and afford the residents the due diligence process.

In conclusion, the township residents and the township are now fully engaged in the proposed site development plan. The present and future meetings will bear out the process that should have been afforded the township residents initially, which is late in coming.

The Grant Applications are respectfully requested to be rejected by the DCNR and the DCED based on the above counts and the application be pushed back to the township. The township can reapply after they have afforded the proper notices and public hearings.

The township has been egregious in its approach to this proposed site development plan and the resolution to seek Grant Applications, again without proper notice to residents.

On behalf of the residents of East Pikeland Township, and for the signers who join in this plea for the rejection of the Grant Applications, we respectfully request that the DCED and DCNR reject the Grant Applications to afford the residents and the community at large to further debate this proposed site development plan.

Furthermore, with emphasis added, we ask the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a whole to consider prioritizing the use of funds in light of the Covid-19 pandemic to essential services which, at present, should take priority over other funding initiatives such as this proposed site development plan.

Plan Details (Click for large version)

---

Sign Petition

Your information will not be used for any purposes other than this petition, nor will be be bought or sold.

I, the undersigned, have read this plea for rejection and desire to be joined in this action to have the proposed Ridge Park site development plan rejected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, DCED and DCNR so as to afford the residents of East Pikeland Township proper due diligence and public notice in the proposed site development plan and to suggest such funding be re-directed to essential services under the current pandemic.

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Phone

Address

Apt / #

City

ZIP Choose Zip 19425 19442 19460 19475

Comments

Any extra comments you want included in the petition

Signature

Sign with mouse or finger (if touch device).

Sign Petition