Politics & Government

3rd Street Project Awaits Appeal Decision

The 3rd Street Project continues to be in 'litigation limbo,' Media Borough president says.

Media Borough Council President Brian Hall gave a brief update as to the status or holding pattern the 3rd Street Project is currently in.

In September 2012, after eight months, the majority of council voted to over the dam and within two weeks of the vote Broomall's Lake Country Club filed a contempt of court petition saying council violated a three-way agreement between BLCC, the borough and Delaware County, Hall said at council's Thursday meeting.

"(BLCC) was asking the court to force the borough to build a two-lane, two-way road on top of Broomall's dam," Hall said.

Find out what's happening in Mediawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In February 2013, instead of the the original May 2011 three-way stipulation agreement, which required the borough to design, build and pay for the project.

"The court said that that stipulation no longer exists," Hall said.

Find out what's happening in Mediawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In March, BLCC filed an appeal to the judge's decision and is now before the Commonwealth Court, Hall said.

"While that appeal is at the Commonwealth Court and while the court is reviewing the petition, nothing can go forward," Hall said. "Everything here is frozen.  ...Things are in, what one may call, litigation limbo."

However, as part of the one-lane, one-way vote, council had advised its engineer to develop a revised plan for the project as well as a schedule as to how the project would move forward. That was completed in February, Hall said.

"But because of legal action, everything has now stopped," he said. "We are now waiting to see what the court will decide."

Councilwoman Dawn Roe mentioned that the borough has also filed a cross appeal in the matter.

Letters to the Editor

Earlier in the meeting during public comment, resident and member of the Friends of Glen Providence Park Terry Rumsey asked Councilwoman Monika Rehoric about a recent letter to the editor posted on Media Patch and the Delaware County Daily Times.

Rehoric, along with former councilman Pete Alyanakian and Jim Cunningham, wrote in the letter that the May 2011 stipulation agreement moved the project forward.

It went on to say that she, along with Roe, are disappointed in council over the decision to delay the project, "by patronizing a small vocal minority determined to keep their street private. There are obvious signs of conflict of interests here, and reliance on a ridiculous petition that claimed the park would be destroyed if the dam were rebuilt."

Rehoric and Cunningham are running for election in May's Primary.

Rumsey asked Rehoric Thursday why she characterized the views of 526 people who signed a Friends of Glen Providence Park petition as "ridiculous."

"I want to understand why you felt it was necessary to disparage the views of 526 folks from Media who live in every neighborhood in this town," Rumsey asked Rehoric. "Do you think that's a responsible way to communicate about your constituents when you are a council person."

Although Rehoric defended her position and the letter she did say that the use of the word "ridiculous" may have been uncalled for.

She said she represents the 5,500 residents of Media not just 526 and in her opinion she felt the petition was portrayed in an unbalanced way.

"I've talked to people since that time, who did sign the petition, who felt they were misled as to how things were going to happen at the bridge and the dam," Rehoric said. "The perception was that we were going to take out all the trees in the park, there was not going to be a park anymore and it would become the Blue Route with traffic and would be unsafe."

She said it was an unbalanced way of portraying the situation.

Rumsey disagreed that the petition and how it was presented was unbalanced.

Councilman Kent Davidson also posted a response to the Rehoric letter on his Media, Pa. News blog here.


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