Officials Approve Bidding Ad of Wyola School Sale

NEWTOWN SQUARE–At the last Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 13, the supervisors unanimously approved the authorization of Township Manager Mike Trio to advertise the  in Newtown Square.

"This is just the last step in the process of the sale of the Wyola School," explained Township Solicitor Rich Sokorai. "The next step is to advertise it."

After advertising the sale, Sokorai said the township will then hold a public auction. 

John Battista, president of the Newtown Square Historical Society, shared his concerns of going to a public bidding process.

"One of the things that attracted us to the sale was that Episcopal [Academy] is a very fine organization–they really want to maintain it. But if we go to a bidding process, tell me, if a builder outbids them and they don't quite have the reputation that Episcopal has...?" asked Battista.

Sokorai responded that, unfortunately, the law provides that the township is required to have a public process–either by public auction or sealed bid.

However, Sokorai assured that the Wyola School is being "sold subject to restrictions that is only allowed to be modified in certain ways physically so it has to maintain that appearance."

In addition, Sokorai said the sewer system for the Wyola School is located on Episcopal Academy's property as well as the driveway which would create "significant obstacles" for another bidder to build on a property surrounded by Episcopal Academy.

Another recommendation was made by John Custer, solicitor of the Newtown Square Historical Society, to reconsider looking at the township's historic ordinance to better protect historic properties in town. 

Supervisors Chairman Joe Catania stated that if suggestions or modifications were recommended to the Board about a new historic ordinance, the Board would be happy to take a look at it if something were proposed.

In June, of the historic Wyola School.

The petition was filed by Newtown Township on April 27 of this year to the Orphans' Court for approval of sale. The historic school house, which dates back to the 1870s, is located on 0.41 acres on the  campus at 556 N. Newtown Street Rd., just south of St. Davids Rd.