This update includes an overview of Connect Edgmont’s current involvement in the proposed elementary school project. We also answer several frequently asked questions about development of the school property, community connections and utilities.
As a reminder, Connect Edgmont is a community group and our updates serve only to supplement the official District and Township communication. We recommend checking out the following official resources for more information:
- RTMSD’s Room to Learn Room to Grow site: The official school district source for information on the proposed new elementary school in Edgmont.
- Edgmont Township’s Elementary School page: All Township information about the new school.
- Edgmont Township Public Meetings: Meeting dates, agendas, online registration links and minutes for Board of Supervisor and Planning Commission meetings.
- RTMSD School Board Meetings: Meeting dates, agendas and online registration links for school board meetings.
School Land Use / Rezoning Process:
A formal conceptual plan has not yet been submitted to Edgmont Township. The Township’s land development process will begin when RTMSD submits preliminary plans to the Township’s Planning Commission, which will include the required zoning change request. The Township will then begin working with the district to ensure health, safety, and the good of the Township and its residents.
Upcoming Meetings:
- TONIGHT, 9/14, 6:30PM: RTMSD School Board Committee Meeting and Legislative Meeting (link)
- TONIGHT, 9/14, 6:30PM: Edgmont Township Board of Supervisors Work Session and Regular September Meeting (link)
- MONDAY, 9/20, 7:00PM: Special Planning Commission Meeting at Springton Lake Middle School for RTMSD to present their proposed elementary school project. (link) While there has not yet been a formal Application made to the township, this meeting is an opportunity for the District to present their proposed plan to the Planning Commission. There will be an opportunity for public comment at this meeting and residents are encouraged to attend and participate.
Connect Edgmont Meeting with RTMSD & Edgmont Township:
On September 1st Connect Edgmont co-founders Steve Brook and Annie Thorne met with RTMSD Superintendent Dr. Eleanor DiMarino-Linnen and Edgmont Township Manager Neil Vaughn. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce CE and to proactively begin to share and discuss resident feedback. We were able to unofficially voice some of the circulating hopes and concerns in an effort to plant opportunities, provide a head start on potential ideas for enhancement and potentially correct false rumors.
Dr. DiMarino-Linnen and Neil answered several direct questions related to the proposed new school. We have included our understanding of this information in the FAQs section, below.
As a reminder, we encourage all interested residents to attend the Special Planning Commission Meeting next Monday, 9/20 at Springton Lake Middle School since this will be the best, most direct source of information about the proposed new elementary school. An invitation to the meeting from Dr. DiMarino-Linnen is attached.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will the school site include a bus depot?
No. In our September 1st meeting, Dr. DiMarino-Linnen was very clear that the district has no intention to ever move the bus depot to Edgmont. RTMSD recently invested in a new bus depot at Penncrest High School and the district is not going to abandon that investment. Furthermore, a transportation hub located at the outer edge of the district doesn’t make logistical sense.
Will the school site utilize public water?
Yes. Public water is already available on Rt. 352 in Edgmont.
Will the school site utilize public sewer?
No. Public sewer is not yet available in that area of the township. The proposed school plans include onsite septic facilities per township code.
Will nearby neighborhoods have walkable access to school grounds?
This is a subject for ongoing community and district discussions. In our September 1st meeting community walking trails on the school grounds and possible pedestrian connections to nearby neighborhoods were discussed. The school land development plan, safety, liability concerns, and neighborhood input will drive the final answer to this question.
Will the school’s appearance fit in with the rural look and feel of Edgmont Township?
At the initial public meeting in June, a resident commented that while the proposed school’s design and materials probably advanced energy and collaborative learning goals, the physical building reminded her of a “spaceship” that was inconsistent with the surrounding area. In our September 1st meeting, Dr. DiMarino-Linnen confirmed that the District is aware of this feedback and has already instructed the architectural firm to revisit the school’s exterior materials and design to achieve better cohesiveness with the surrounding countryside.
Will the surrounding community have access to school fields, playgrounds and facilities?
The District aspires to have all of its elementary schools be “neighborhood schools.” Although it is difficult to finalize plans at this stage, the District anticipates that the school fields, playgrounds and facilities will have public use options. In fact, the conceptual design already includes the ability to block off classrooms from common facilities to enable community use.
Are the concerns of nearby neighbors being heard?
In advance of the meeting Steve Brook spoke with several families that live adjacent to elementary schools in other districts. Overall feedback was positive, but some residents mentioned nuisance concerns from truck noise and lights from early morning deliveries and trash pickups. The people Steve spoke with from the other districts (Great Valley & Downingtown) also commented on the advantages of living next to an elementary school, like using its field for play and spillover birthday parties, etc.
Dr. DiMarino-Linnen acknowledged the potential noise-related nuisance concerns and explained that this situation had also happened at Media Elementary School. In that case, the district worked with the delivery vendors to adjust schedules and minimize the problem for neighbors.
Dr. D also explained that she is personally willing to sit down with nearby neighbors to listen to and discuss any concerns. She has already met with adjacent property owners to discuss noise mitigation and privacy/visual barriers and looks forward to continuing to work with the Edgmont community as the school design comes together.
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In closing, we acknowledge that we are acting as self-appointed leaders of a parade that is still forming. We are encouraged by all of the responses from residents wanting to get involved in the various projects Connect Edgmont is promoting and we hope to be able to reach out with ways to get involved very soon. For now, we will continue to try to be honest brokers of information between the Township, the School District and Edgmont residents and we appreciate the opportunity to do so.
Sincerely,
Steve Brook and Annie Thorne
Co-Founders
Connect Edgmont
Connect Edgmont 