Traffic Improvement Opportunity!
Thursday, May 18th meeting @ 7:30 PM

The UMT Board of Supervisors will have a phase 2 review of the O'Neill Properties revised Subdivision and Land Development application at the UM Township Building, in Freedom Hall Thursday night, May 18th 2006 starting at 7:30 PM.

Action needed:
Call, send notes, e-mails, visit neighbors, and request GMCA members to attend this meeting. Offer rides to those who need transportation. Through strength in numbers support the Civic Associations position that the UM Board correct their poorly reasoned, erroneous 2001 decision, and direct that Renaissance Blvd. be completed now, in conjunction with this Subdivision and Land Development application.

Desired Outcome:
Simply stated, we would like the completion of Renaissance Blvd., as was long planned and envisioned in approving the Master plan for the Corporate Park. The connection would give at least some of these commuters an alternative route to the Interstate highway system, without impacting any residential neighborhood!

History:
The UM Board of Supervisors approved a plan to develop the Renaissance Corporate Park and limited the Park to two entrances/exits (Church Road & Sweedland Road). This limitation forces all traffic down these two roads – much going through the Gulph. The original plan called for four or more entrances to accommodate the resulting traffic.

The developer and we in Gulph Mills supported an entrance/exit to Crooked Lane from Renaissance Blvd. This was proposed as a right turn in, left turn out, and would limit traffic from continuing down Crooked Lane toward Church Road. It would also expedite the connection over non residential roads to the proposed and expected Expressway ramps at Henderson Road .

This needed artery would take some of the future traffic burden from Church Rd., Sweedland Rd. and surrounding roads and allow emergency access.

Situation:
We can't stop the development, nor should we try. It is permitted under the Court approved zoning for Renaissance. The only question is whether nearly all of these 30,000 trips, on top of those 6000 trips generated by Glaxo's 2500 employees and contract workers should be forced through Gulph Mills residential neighborhoods because the Board of Supervisors decreed, on their own initiative, and against the advice of the traffic experts, to have the long planned Renaissance Blvd end in a cul-de-sac.

The developer has offered, and is prepared to finance the completion of Renaissance Boulevard through to Crooked Lane, but only if directed by the Board of Supervisors.

If Renaissance Blvd. is not completed, we can expect growing congestion, pollution and further degradation of our residential quality of life. A future possibility could include condemnations of frontage along Holstein, Trinity, Swedeland, and Balligomingo for roadway improvements. This is right out of the Traffic Impact study for Renaissance Corporate Center.

Additionally, the "cul-de-sac" decision by the Board creates a concern not only for the health, safety and welfare of our residents, but also for all those employees in Renaissance and at Glaxo, because of poor access for emergency vehicles, given the congestion we have on Trinity, Swedeland, and South Gulph Roads.

Also note that Church Road is scheduled for a fairly long-term closure to allow bridgework in the near future. This will increase the traffic burden on all surrounding roads.

Please put the May 18th meeting on your calendar, and pass the word to all of your neighbors.

FYI

Rich Dougert