An old veterinarian’s office may become Radnor’s new district court

A shuttered veterinarian’s office in Wayne may become the new site of a local courthouse.

Radnor Township has set its sights on purchasing 405 W. Wayne Ave., the former home of St. George Hunt Memorial Veterinary Hospital, for $1.45 million and converting the building into its magisterial district court.

The building would be owned by the township and leased back to Delaware County, which pays for and operates the county’s 30 district courts. District courts are the first level in Pennsylvania’s state court system and typically handle traffic cases, minor criminal cases, and civil cases involving amounts up to $12,000.

Radnor’s district court cases were previously split between Marple and Newtown Townships, meaning Radnor residents looking to challenge a speeding ticket or sue a faulty contractor would have to do their legal business in another town. Three years ago, a realignment of the court once again gave Radnor its own court, but a struggle to find a home has forced Radnor’s court proceedings to take place in Newtown Square.

Radnor’s district judge is Sloan Walker.

Officials said bringing Radnor’s district court home would make hearings more convenient for residents and law enforcement officers, would save the police department on gas and overtime expenditures, and would, the next time court realignment occurs, send a message to the state that Radnor should retain its own court.

“Eventually there’s going to be pressure, some other district is going to want a judge, and when the Supreme Court looks at Radnor and we haven’t had a magistrate in Radnor for 15 years, they’re going to say, ‘Well, they don’t really want one,’” Township Commissioner Jack Larkin told attendees at a July meeting, warning of the consequences of continuing to hold Radnor’s legal proceedings in Newtown Square.

Why is Radnor’s district court judge still sitting in Newtown Square? The cash-strapped county has been unable to afford the high cost of renting a space in Radnor, Larkin said.

Officials said they looked far and wide for commercial space in the township that would fit the court’s needs. Though “there are other places that are probably better locations” in the township, Larkin said, the Wayne Avenue site is already zoned for commercial use, has ample parking, is within the county’s price range, and is, most importantly, available.

Under the proposal, officials say, the county would pay the township back for the cost of purchasing the building and retrofitting it as a courthouse over the course of 10 years.

Township Commissioner Moira Mulroney said Radnor has “exhausted every option” during its three-year search.

At a meeting this week, residents pleaded with the commissioners to find another location for the court, citing concerns over traffic, parking, and the safety of having court proceedings happening in a neighborhood full of children.

“Respectfully, this is a square peg going in a round hole,” resident Jason Bologna said. “This is a court that is being put into a residential neighborhood, and that is not appropriate for our neighborhood.”

Diane Edbril, another resident, said the commissioners’ proposal is “an idiotic solution” and “ridiculous.”

“I am absolutely terrified by the idea of shackles and handcuffs in my backyard. I don’t think that that should be in anybody’s backyard,” resident Marciana Bradley said.

Larkin told residents that it is “incredibly early in the process” and that there will be a “lot of opportunities for feedback.”

In order to move the court into the old vet building, the township board of commissioners would need to approve and finalize the sale, and the county would need to agree to a lease price.

Radnor Township is planning to hold a public meeting in September, where residents will be able to ask questions and learn more about the district court.

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