Group asking county to buy Archdiocesan tract in Delco
Now that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has pulled out of a deal to sell a 213-acre tract in the heart of a heavily developed area of Delaware County, a group of local residents wants the county to buy the land for preservation.
Now that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has pulled out of a deal to sell a 213-acre tract in the heart of a heavily developed area of Delaware County, a group of local residents wants the county to buy the land for preservation.
Organizers of a group called Save Marple Greenspace plan to attend the Delaware County Council meeting Wednesday morning to present their proposal to have a bond issue on the November ballot.
"We're asking for a $100 million bond," said Ken Hemphill, an organizer with the group. "It would benefit everyone in the county."
He said that money would afford buying this land - the size of 163 football fields - as well as cleaning up other parks around the county.
On Tuesday, Alex Charlton, a candidate for state representative, has called on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which has withdrawn from a $47 million sale agreement, to donate the land.
"It's one of the last, largest remaining areas of true open space in this part of Delaware County," Charlton said of the woods behind Cardinal O'Hara High School. "It will be extremely difficult to preserve this land if it is sold again."
Confronted with financial problems, the Catholic Church entered into negotiations to sell the land in 2013, but Charlton said that taking it off the market indefinitely is more consistent with the church's environmental teachings, citing an encyclical by Pope Francis.
"I don't think it's a good idea for the archdiocese, to get them to donate the land," said Charles Protesto, president of Save Marple Greenspace. "They need money, we realize they need money, we're offering to sit down with them and sell this land at a conservative price."
Charlton said state grant programs and county bonds often work to conserve open spaces, but he wants to pursue every possible option before reaching into taxpayers' wallets.
"Overburdened taxpayers should not have to take on more debt and pay higher taxes to obtain a preserved property they have been subsidizing for years," Charlton said, referencing the Church's tax-exempt status.
The archdiocese said Tuesday that it stood by its statement that its intention is still to sell the property.
Charlton asked residents to sign an online petition on his campaign website. He is currently the chief of staff for State Sen. Tom McGarrigle.
Protesto, 61, of Marple Township, pointed out a hawk flying over the area as he explained the importance of the land.
"Let the people decide if they want to spend the money to buy this land," he said, a lifelong visitor of the woodlands. "It's beautiful back there. It can't be lost."