Stop Mill Run

Well, they did it. Tonight at the Skippack Township Planning Commission meeting, the Commission voted to recommend approval of the conditional use permit requested by Audubon Land Development Corporation and Del Grippo Homes. This gives them the green light to move forward with the Mill Run development on the site of the Perkiomen Valley Airport, despite repeated pleas over a period of six months from nearly 500 residents that this not happen. Now I'm annoyed. No, scratch that ... I'm pissed . On a stratospheric, biblical level. Pissed to the point of wishing for each of the Commission members genital boils, COVID, leprosy, and a full IRS audit. The thing is, I'm not so much ticked off at the result -- although it does infuriate me to no end -- but to the complete and utter lack of respect for the residents, the casual dismissal of their concerns, and the use of various procedural stunts to try to derail us: The Board of Supervisors claimed that BoS meetings were not fora f...

Okay, so here’s an update on the effort to halt the Mill Run subdivision. Up to this point we have been hearing the standard boilerplate from the developer, the Skippack Planning Commission, and the Skippack Board of Supervisors: “A property owner has a right to do with his or her property as he or she wishes. If you wanted to develop your property, you would have the right to do so.” This is only half true in that yes, a property owner does have the right to do with their property as they wish. What is left out is the implied caveat “Unless those activities infringe on another property owner’s right to enjoy their property.” This is exactly what is being proposed: Increased traffic Further increasing the overcrowding already present at Skippack Elementary (currently at a 16:1 student/teacher ratio, higher than the state average of 14:1). Environmental damage from increased storm runoff. Increased light pollution. Potential groundwater contamination. Two weeks ago I reached out to pret...