Politics & Government

Board Approves Veterans Memorial With Several Conditions

Parking was one of the main concerns that was addressed by the board on March 14.

NEWTOWN SQUARE–A unanimous decision was made among the for the approval of the proposed veterans memorial off of West Chester Pike/Route 3 and Alice Grim Boulevard with a few conditions, including parking concerns on March 14.

Mark D'Amico, representing the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association in Newtown Square, a non-profit organization, addressed that the association has a long-term lease with the property owner and a written parking arrangement between the two parties was signed to provide parking for that development.

The 15,000-square-foot property for the memorial's site is currently vacant but six parking spaces have been included on the plan for the site.

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"The required parking for this project depends on the number of seats available around this monument," explained D'Amico. "There are 24 seats and the code requires one parking space for every four seats. We all agreed that six parking spaces would be sufficient for this project."

However, for now, the six parking spaces will be temporarily assigned along Alice Grim Boulevard as parallel parking spaces that would go down from the monument to those spaces.

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Supervisor Dr. Ross Lambert raised a concern about the temporary parking spaces on Monday night's meeting.

"I'm really not comfortable with that," shared Lambert. "I love the project. I think it's absolutely gorgeous and I look forward to enjoying it myself but there needs to be parking provided for this project."

Although he was "okay" with the six spaces, Lambert suggested that the spaces be specifically designated for the memorial until the permanent parking spaces are installed once the entire Marville Lifestyle Village has been developed.

"If it's going to be on Alice Grim Boulevard, then those parking spaces should be designated, marked, and signed that the parking is for the veterans memorial," said Lambert.

He continued, "But I'm not fine with putting in some temporary arrangement that everyone's going to forget about in two, three, four years down the road. People need to know where to go, where to park and no one else should park there except for the people parking there for the veterans memorial."

D'Amico and project engineer Angelo Capuzzi agreed that the parking provisions will be made in the plan and a parking agreement has already been assigned with the property owner.

"The owner has a written agreement to provide the same six spaces immediately in the vicinity in the interior of the developed parts of the project," said D'Amico. "They will also be designated on the plan."

Other conditions with the approval of the plan included the elimination of two, white pine trees on the project as recommended by township landscape engineer Paul Coy as well as a maintenance agreement as recommended by township engineer David Pennoni.

The memorial will be centered around a carved marble eagle that will be situated underneath a dome and on top of a fountain. Half of the memorial will be surrounded by a curved marble sculpture with pillars holding the words: "Lest We Forget."

The veterans memorial is part of the Marville Lifestyle Village project which will include retail, food, hotel and an arts conservatory as well as condo, townhouses and a 220-room hotel.


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