Reason #4

of the Top 5 Reasons to Rezone the Broomall's Tract

Borough Council should use old-fashioned common sense: Recreational Use = Recreational Zoning. The Meriam-Webster dictionary’s definition of Common Sense is: “Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.” Back in 1919, Mr. Frank Hadley, along with six other gentlemen, purchased the Broomall’s tract to establish the Media Swimming and Rowing Club (renamed Broomall’s Lake Country Club in 1967). For 100 years, the Broomall’s tract has been used for private, tax-exempt recreational purposes. Although this land use did not contribute to the Borough’s tax coffers, it did create a green, wooded haven where individuals with means could participate in boating, hiking, swimming, tennis, and other recreational activities. Yet, for some reason, the land on which a private, tax-exempt recreational club operates has been zoned Residential rather thanRecreational (Municipal, Educational, Recreational, & Community - MERC). Does that make sense? Keep Media Green believes that a simple perception of the situation and facts leads one to a common sense conclusion that land used for recreation should be zoned Recreational rather than Residential. Of course, sometimes when money is involved, cent$ trumps common sense. In 1965, the Club sold a wooded parcel on their northern border to deep-pocketed housing developers who built the Hickory Hill condominiums in 1973. It was a short-sighted decision to trade land value for financial value, and it happened because the property was zoned for Residential use rather than for Recreational use. Flash forward – in 2017, the Club submitted a plan to build a housing development to the Media Zoning Hearing Board.  Once again, there’s talk of financial value trumping land value. We think it is long past time for Borough Council to use common sense when deciding if the Broomall’s tract should be zoned Residential or Recreational.  Look for reason number #3 in our next post – Keep Media Green!