SCHUYLKILL TOWNSHIP
HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MEETING DATE: March 17, 2008

COMMISSION MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Sandy Momyer, Joanne Brown,  Doug White, Khalil, Hihi, Dianne Cram, Pam Applegate-Frasch.
OTHER ATTENDEES:  Lee Ledbetter, Barbara Cohen, John Gregory

Sandy opened the meeting at 7:04

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

  • Misspelling of name:  "Toonerville" Trolley.
  • Jan and Feb meeting minutes approved with corrections.

CORRESPONDENCE & ANNOUNCEMENTS                     

  • Every Sunday from 30-Mar to 27-Apr Schuylkill Township EAC will be hosting tree plantings at 1pm
  • CCHPN Workshop on demolition was attended by Sandy and John Gregory. 
    • Kudos to the Board of Supervisors for their support of the Historical Commission.  Several others in attendance told Sandy that they do not have the support that we do.
    • Kudos to Khalil for his GIS work

NEW MEMBER RECRUITMENT
Deferred to end of meeting.

  • Motion to bring John Gregory onto the Historical Commission.  All approved. 
  • Will re-invite 3 other candidates to a meeting.

REPORTS:

  • Board of Supervisors :
    • Royal Bank is still in litigation.
    • Laurie Williams is very concerned that nothing is being done at the Ticket booth.
      • Volunteer issues:  we no longer have donations of materials.
      • Laurie demanded that sandy report back to her.  Sandy will send a report to the Board of Supervisors.
      • Laurie wrote a letter to the editor which was published in the Phoenix.  This letter invited residents to come and put a roof on the ticket booth. 
        • Building is not stable - cannot install roof until walls are stabilized.
        • Brush needs to be cleared, clean-up crew would be more appropriate.
        • Per Lee:  Ticket booth is on Pasquale's property.  This is private property.  We have an easement and can only be there twice a year.  Community would be trespassing.
        • Barbara Cohen:  Ticket booth is a historic property.  Work needs to be done professionally.
        • Dianne:  HC has been saying that for a year but we have been stalled because we were told volunteers were going to do the work.
        • Sandy:  Clean up could be a community event with permission from Pasquale and an organized plan.
  • Planning Commission:
    • Nothing new to report
  • EAC:
    • Brackman property still being discussed.  EAC is asking for an Army Corp review of the wetlands.
    • 1096 Bridge Street - EAC to review plans.
    • Reeves - Pohlig attended with detailed plans.  Post meeting note:  Sandy and Doug worked to arrange a walking tour of property.
  • Open Space Commission:
    • No update

CURRENT PROJECTS

  • Anderson Cemetery - wall repair
    • Dianne to check with Mary on next steps.  Both Doug and Dianne obtained mason quotes.  Crack is throughout entire wall.
  • Ticket Booth/Valley Park Pavilion
    • Barbara, Mary and Sandy sent a letter of intent to Schuylkill River Heritage Center to develop the Toonerville Trolley Trail.  $26,000 grant for planning and studies.
    • Joanne objects to name of trail - it was not called the Toonerville Trolley.  It was the Phoenixville/Valley Forge and Strafford Electric Railway.
    • Barbara:  Planning grant due 04-Apr.  It is very competitive.  If they accept the letter of intent we can then apply for the grant.
      •  Brought map with early projection of trail. 
      • Part of tracks were used to film the Toonerville Trolley cartoon.
      • Judy Difillipo of Tredyffrin Township and Chester Co Planning Commission, and others felt that naming it "Toonerville Trolley" had branding implications.
      • This will add to the current trails in Fernleigh and Valley Forge.  It will also connect to Horseshoe and Schuylkill Trails.
      • Grant for preliminary design and engineering as well as for Schuylkill School.
    • Lee:  Trail system also connects to East Pikeland and could connect to future rails to trails near Wilmer. 
  • Royal Bank - Mr. Sugarman is still working on this case. 
  • Sedgley Property (Reeves)
    • Sandy wrote a history of the property for the web site.  New page will feature properties 4 times a year including:  Meadowbrook (containing a link to Joanne's oral history), Moore Hall, Quaker Friends Meeting, Royal Bank House, Williams Corner Bridge. plans
  • Brackman Property:  under discussion at EAC
  • Schuylkill School
    • Barbara Cohen and Sandy toured the school.  It is very damaged inside.  Rain gutters are laying beside the building.  Water inside the building.  Cost of rehab will be very high.
    • Bill Mae (School Board Member) is against letting us raise money to save the school.  He was quoted in a letter to the editor in the Phoenix which was very negative to the BOS.
    • Term sheet is still not approved by School Board - voting again this month.
    • Working on funding but still do not have permission to do anything formally because the term sheet is not signed.
  • Trolley Trail:  HC to send a letter in support of Trolley Line.  Motion to write letter for grant proposal.  All in favor.  Sandy to write. 
    • Sandy brought article about Trolley and it mentions Toonerville Trolley filmed at Williams Corner by Betzwood Studios..

SCHUYLKILL PROPERTIES:..

  • Pothouse Rd (Wilmer)
    • Unauthorized construction - no permit. 
    • Russ issued stop order
    • It is in the historic district so needs to go through us.
  • Bull Tavern Property
    • New Restaurant - e-mail from Laurie Williams concerning the signage.  Resident felt sign was too colorful.
    • Signage is not in our historic ordinance, it is covered by township ordinance.  We only have jurisdiction over the building itself.
    • Sandy expressed concerns about the way building is being maintained:
      • Shutters falling off
      • Paint peeling
    • Property owned by Overstreet.  Can we send a letter to ask them to upkeep?
    • Barbara:  can we restrict sign in this case?
    • Lee:  we indicated that we want historical treatment of the Rt 23 corridor in the Comprehensive Plan, but this is not an ordinance or Zoning.

HISTORIC PROJECTS:.

  • GIS
    • Khalil attended a GIS course and it was good.
      • How to handle data and make nice maps.
      • Can make a signboard for future presentations.
      • Sandy - could we use for a driving tour.
      • Barbara - apply to Chester County Visitor's Bureau for IPOD tour of historic places.  Will give contact info to Khalil.  Could do tour based on Revolutionary history, Trolleys, Industry, Underground Railroad.
    • Khalil will break historic properties list into areas for each of us to tackle.

OLD BUSINESS:

  • Historic Ordinances
    • Had one meeting.  Next meeting 24-Mar 9:00.
    • Sandy to look at other ordinances for comparison.
    • Bypass Zoning Hearing Board and go to a JP instead?  Or go directly to BOS?.
  • Founders Day at Moore Hall
    • Sandy will follow up by phone.
  • Sedgley Property on web (see above)
  • Reports to Yerkes - no response
  • Meeting nights and times - no update.

NEW BUSINESS

  • 849 Valley Forge Rd - Gamble Property - Dianne
    • Spoke to owners.  They said they will call when old house is empty.  Post meeting note:  Dianne received a call that house was to be demolished the same day.  Some pictures were obtained.

PENDING - No Action

  • 1429 State Rd.
    • We will be asked to review, but they have not been in to see Rhonda or Mary regarding demolition.
    • Dianne asked Joanne to put together some recollections of the property.

Meeting adjourned at 8:49.
Next meeting will be 21-Apr-2008
    Meeting to begin at 7:00

Submitted by:
Pamela Applegate-Frasch