Controversial plan to modernize Delaware County business district raises overdevelopment concerns
A community in Delaware County is divided over a plan to modernize the township.
Haverford Township's Board of Commissioners laid out their vision for the township's future in a during a meeting Monday night.
"This plan looks back at 30 years of our township and our neighborhoods and comes up with an idea and a blueprint of what we can do better," Haverford commissioner Larry Holmes said.
The plan calls for redeveloping the Eagle Road Corridor by allowing mixed-use buildings, in other words, apartments on top of storefronts, to create a vibrant downtown with a village feel.
The board said adding wider sidewalks and moving parking lots to the back of buildings would make the area more pedestrian-friendly.
"If it makes it more bike-able, walkable, we're in favor and the businesses can stay here and do more business," Fran Pennypacker, who grew up in Havertown, said. "That's what we want."
But some business owners are concerned. Lee Molineaux is a manager at the Head Nut, a coffee shop on Haverford Road.
"This is a nice, suburban, quiet neighborhood that would be greatly interrupted with more traffic, much more pollution," Molineaux said. "We don't even have the hospitals to support the increase in population."
Residents like Dory Doughty are worried redevelopment would change the character of the township.
"I honestly feel upset that this is happening to my township," Doughty said. "It's making it into a city and I'm really unhappy about it."
Judy Trombetta, president of the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners, declined to speak on camera on Tuesday, but said the board is working to address residents' concerns and wants to see businesses thrive. She said the next step is to rewrite the zoning ordinance to turn the plan into action.
In a statement to CBS News Philadelphia, the Haverford Township Board of Commissioners said:
Adopted following a six-year community engagement process, Haverford Township's new Comprehensive Plan offers a shared framework for the future, shaped by the voices of residents, business owners, and local stakeholders. We're proud to have adopted Haverford Township's first Comprehensive Plan in nearly 40 years - a long-overdue, community-driven framework to help guide our future.
Haverford Township envisions a thriving, welcoming, and sustainable future that blends tradition with progress while prioritizing its residents' well-being and the inclusion of people from all walks of life. We envision walkable neighborhoods anchored by robust local businesses, accessible green spaces, and intentional, well-planned housing.
The Comprehensive Plan offers a vision for how Haverford Township can grow thoughtfully while honoring the character that makes it special. Importantly, the plan does not call for the closure, removal, or relocation of any current businesses. It does not propose demolishing buildings, nor does it change anyone's zoning or property rights. Instead, it presents ideas for what the township could look like over time, if and when new development occurs.
We're grateful to all who have participated in the process so far and look forward to continued collaboration with residents, businesses, and community organizations. Turning this vision into reality will require thoughtful planning and sustained public involvement. The adoption of this plan is not the end of a conversation - it's the beginning of a shared effort to shape a strong, inclusive future for everyone who lives, works, and visits Haverford Township.
