Why the Edgmont Elementary School Belongs on Middletown Road

In March 2020 Rose Tree Media School District publicized plans to build a new elementary school in Edgmont Township. In June 2021 they announced a site had been selected on Middletown Road and in March 2022 they submitted their formal Application to the Township.

There is a lot of publicly available information out there, but it can be difficult to attend every public meeting and keep up with hundreds of pages of applications, reports and ordinances. With that in mind, this article will attempt to answer the following questions:

• Why does Edgmont Township need a public elementary school?
• Why is the Middletown Road parcel the best available location for the Edgmont Elementary School?
• Why does an elementary school belong in Edgmont’s R-1 Residential Zoning District?
• Why is an amendment to allow a school in R-1 consistent with Edgmont’s Zoning Ordinance?
• Why is an elementary school on Middletown Road better for Edgmont than a housing development?

This article will not address the reasons why the School District decided to build a new elementary school. For information on that process, please visit RTMSD’s Room to Learn, Room to Grow website.

Why does Edgmont Township need a public elementary school?

Edgmont is the only municipality in RTMSD that does not have an elementary school. Edgmont’s children are currently bussed to neighboring townships where they attend schools that are over capacity.

Our Township is growing. More than 400 housing units have recently been constructed or are in the process of being built. When Edgmont’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2015, the Plan anticipated only moderate growth in the Township. In reality, the housing developments that have already been approved since 2015 will result in housing and population growth that far outpaces even the most aggressive growth estimates the Comprehensive Plan projected for the year 2040.

In other words, when Runnymeade (249 units) and Ventry (167 units) are complete, Edgmont Township’s total housing units will have already increased by 36.6% (609 units) since the 2010 data referenced in the Comprehensive Plan. By comparison, Edgmont’s Comprehensive Plan estimated a total housing unit growth of 17.7% (294 units) by the year 2040.

Similarly, using Edgmont’s population to housing ratio from the 2020 Census, it is possible to project that when Runnymeade and Ventry are complete, Edgmont Township’s total population will have increased by 31.5% (1257 people) since 2010. By comparison, the Comprehensive Plan estimated a total population growth of 17.2% (685 people) by the year 2040.

By 2025, Edgmont Township will have already doubled the amount of growth the Comprehensive Plan predicted we would have over 30 years. That is double the amount of growth in half the time.

The rapid growth that our Township has experienced since the adoption of our current Comprehensive Plan needs to be matched by a growth of infrastructure. Infrastructure is not just roads, traffic signals, parks and public utilities. Infrastructure is also the public school system, a system that is currently overwhelmed and over capacity. Approving significant growth in our community without permitting our public school district to build a school to serve the residents of Edgmont is unsustainable.

And a public school is not just infrastructure. It should be a source of pride in our Township. It is the School District’s responsibility to educate the children of the District and it is the Township’s responsibility to protect and facilitate the health, safety and welfare of its residents. These two missions go hand in hand. A public elementary school is a win for Edgmont Township. It directly serves the population around it, it fosters a sense of community and it provides open space, playgrounds, playing fields and meeting spaces where residents can come together. A public school will be a great asset to the entire Edgmont community.

Why is the Middletown Road parcel the best available location for the Edgmont Elementary School?

The School District saw this growth coming. In 2016 they began a multi-year process of determining the need for new classroom space, evaluating options to respond to that need, unanimously deciding a new school was the best path forward, and, finally, selecting a site on Middletown Road in Edgmont for a new elementary school.

Public presentations, right to know requests and in-person meetings provide a window into RTMSD’s site selection process. The School District began by evaluating undeveloped parcels in Edgmont against a set of requirements:

• Parcel Size: A minimum of 10 acres; later increased to 12-14 acres
• Proximity to Hazardous Pipelines: No pipeline may cross through area where school and supporting structures would be built; the school must be located beyond a certain threshold distance from the Mariner East II (ME2) pipeline.
• Proximity to Population: A location near the population, not on the far outskirts of the School District.
• Topography: A suitable area free from steep slopes, hills, streams and creeks; an appropriate parcel shape and layout.
• Owner’s Willingness to Sell: A willing seller. (No eminent domain)

A total of twenty-four parcels in Edgmont’s R-1 Residential, OR Outdoor Recreation, and PRD Planned Residential Districts were considered. Twenty-two of these parcels were ruled out for the following reasons:

• 6 parcels were too small.
• 9 parcels had pipelines crossing their buildable area or were too close to ME2.
• 5 parcels were located on the outskirts of the District, too far from the target population.
• 5 parcels had unsuitable topography.
• 6 parcels had owners who were unwilling to sell.
• (Note that several parcels were ruled out for more than one reason.)

The chosen site, a combination of two adjacent parcels on Middletown Road, was the ONLY location that met all of RTMSD’s requirements for an elementary school:

• Parcel Size: The combined parcels total 37 acres which allows ample space for a school and supporting structures. The additional acreage also presents the opportunity to build a zero-emission school with a solar array and geothermal well field.
• Proximity to Hazardous Pipelines: The two Enbridge natural gas pipelines skirt only the northern edges of the parcel and do not interfere with the building envelope. This site enables a school building to be constructed outside RTMSD’s threshold distance from the ME2 pipeline.
• Proximity to School Population: The site is a suitable location near large neighborhoods and accessible to new developments. It offers frontage on a major artery that leads into the rest of the School District.
• Topography: The site’s topography is suitable for a school and supporting structures.
• Owners’ Willingness To Sell: The Rose Tree Erection Company parcel had already been placed on the market. The owners of the Church parcel planned to place the property on the market that Spring. RTMSD and the landowners negotiated and agreed upon acceptable terms of sale for the two parcels. (Of note, RTMSD owns only the Church parcel; the RTEC parcel’s sale is contingent upon RTMSD receiving the Development Approval for a school.)

Why does an elementary school belong in Edgmont’s R-1 Residential Zoning District?

Elementary schools belong in the residential neighborhoods they serve. This is supported by the locations of the public schools in all adjoining townships. In fact, EVERY public school in EVERY municipality adjacent to Edgmont is in a residential zoning district. Ten of these schools are in their Townships’ R-1 Zoning Districts.

Consider Penn Wood ES on Johnny’s Way, Westtown-Thornbury ES on Westbourne Road, Sugartown ES on Sugartown Road, General Wayne ES on Grubb Road and Indian Lane ES on Old Middletown Road. These schools are surrounded on all sides by neighborhoods. Residents use the schools’ playgrounds, fields and other open spaces and these schools are natural gathering places for the community. All of these schools are in R-1.

Edgmont is different. Here, schools are not permitted in the R-1 District. We allow Educational Resource Centers like Open Connections in R-1 but we do not currently allow schools.

Instead, our zoning code only permits schools in the C-3 Commercial District (Marville Shopping Center on Route 3) and two higher density PRD Planned Residential Districts, the current sites of the Ventry Development and the planned Sleighton development. Both PRD parcels were considered and ruled out by RTMSD during their search. The Commercial Parcel is on the far northeastern edge of the School District and it is completely at odds with the concept of locating an elementary school near the residents it will serve. An elementary school does not belong in a shopping center on a four-lane highway; it belongs in our residential neighborhoods.

Why is an amendment to allow a school in R-1 consistent with Edgmont’s Zoning Ordinance?

Zoning Ordinances are not intended to be static documents. That’s exactly why there’s a whole section of Edgmont’s Code dedicated to describing exactly how a landowner like RTMSD can petition the Township for an amendment to the Code. The amendment procedure ensures that the overall purpose of the Zoning Ordinance is upheld while allowing the Code to evolve as the needs of the Township change over time.

Rose Tree Media School District has formally requested that Edgmont amend its Zoning Ordinance to permit a school as a conditional use in R-1 only if the school meets very specific requirements. To be considered under the proposed language, a school would need to be on at least a 35-acre parcel, the school would need to be built at least 150 feet from all lot lines, and the site layout would be required to incorporate a 50-foot perimeter of natural vegetation or landscaped plantings to act as a visual screen for neighboring properties.

Of note, RTMSD’s proposed requirements for the conditional use of a school in R-1 are MORE STRICT than the Township’s current requirements for a school in the PRD-3 and PRD-4 zoning districts.

Furthermore, the proposed requirements for the conditional use of a school in R-1 are consistent with the nature of the existing requirements for R-1. The proposed school will be on a large parcel, setbacks and screening requirements will be stricter than what is allowed for a residential use in R-1 and the impervious cover and building coverage requirements will match the existing R-1 regulations.

Edgmont’s zoning code lays out specific standards and criteria that our Township officials will consider as they decide whether to approve RTMSD’s proposed change to the zoning ordinance. Key criteria are as follows:

1. The proposed amendment must be consistent with the stated Purpose of Edgmont’s Zoning Code, which directs our Supervisors to:
   1. “A. Promote, protect and facilitate, individually and collectively, any or all of the following: the public health, safety, morals, and the general welfare; … schools, recreational facilities, public grounds,…” (§ 365-3A)
   2. “E. Accommodate reasonable overall community growth, including population and employment growth, and provide opportunities for development of a variety of residential dwelling types and nonresidential uses.” (§ 365-3E)
2. The proposed amendment must be supported by the criteria the Supervisors consider for Interpretation of the Zoning Code, including:
   1. “(2) Instilling order in the growth and development of the Township by regulating the intensity and location of development in accordance with environmental and land use compatibility and the availability of existing and planned utilities, and community facilities and services.” (§ 365-4B(2))
   2. “(6) Promoting energy conservation and the effective utilization of renewable energy sources.” (§ 365-4B(6))
   3. “(11) Maintaining existing institutional uses for various educational, cultural, community service and recreational pursuits; and to provide educational opportunities within the Township close to existing residential areas to address elementary school educational needs.” (§ 365-4B(11))
   4. “(20) Promoting a lower intensity of development in the western portion of the Township, in light of the higher intensity development based on available infrastructure east of Ridley Creek State Park.” (§ 365-4B(20))
   5. “(21) Providing for recreational and open space opportunities for all residents and property owners.” (§ 365-4B(21))
   6. “(25) Conforming to the other objectives of the Comprehensive Plan pertaining to growth management, environmental resources, historical resources, recreation and open space, community facilities and services, utilities, circulation/transportation, residential development, institutional/civic land use, commercial development, industrial development, public participation and education, and economic resources.” (§ 365-4B(25))
3. The proposed use and location must be consistent with Edgmont’s Comprehensive Plan.
   1. While the 2015 Comprehensive Plan did not anticipate Edgmont’s rapid growth and need for a school, the proposed school use supports the Plan’s overarching tenants of Sustainable Growth and Sustainable Environmental Practices (p.2).
   2. The proposed location supports the Plan’s goal to promote and diversify Gradyville Village (p.107). A public elementary school will bring the local community to Gradyville, make it a more attractive location for new businesses, and help realize the goal of having Gradyville serve as the community center for the western side of our Township.
   3. Note: The Comprehensive Plan may be amended at any time. If the Supervisors were to approve a Zoning Ordinance change that was not generally consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, Section 603(j) of Pennsylvania’s Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) states that the municipality shall “concurrently amend its comprehensive plan.”
4. The landowner petitioning for the amendment must show there is a demonstrated need for the new use and that this use will contribute to the health, safety, morals and general welfare of Edgmont Township.
5. The proposed amendment must be consistent in concept with other amendments that have been previously granted. Consider the change our Township made to its zoning code many years ago to permit an Educational Resource Center, Open Connections, as a conditional use in R-1. Modifying the code now to also allow a school as a conditional use is consistent.
6. The proposed use must be consistent with the logical extension of public services. In this case, a public elementary school IS an extension of public services.
7. This list is not exhaustive; see § 365-201 for the complete zoning amendment checklist.

It’s worth highlighting this section once more:

Edgmont Township’s own Zoning Ordinance states the Ordinance should be interpreted with a view towards providing “educational opportunities within the Township close to existing residential areas to address elementary school educational needs.” (§ 365-4B(11))

Building an elementary school in the R-1 Zoning District near the community it will serve is supported by the School District’s land choice, it’s supported by the location of public schools in every adjacent municipality, and, most importantly, it is directly supported by Edgmont’s own Zoning Code.

Why is an elementary school on Middletown Road better for Edgmont than a housing development?

The alternative to a public elementary school is not open space. If the school use is not permitted in R-1, the land will be purchased by a developer and it will be turned into yet another housing development.

A new elementary school is better for Edgmont Township than a housing development. The school will eliminate overcrowding for Edgmont children and across the entire district. The proposed school plan includes significant setback and landscaping requirements that will create more visual screening for neighbors than a housing development would be required to provide. Typical activity on the site will be limited to weekday hours during the school year as opposed to a round-the-clock, year-round presence. A public elementary school will result in open space and new recreational opportunities that all Edgmont residents can benefit from.

Conclusion

No location will perfectly meet every requirement and be universally agreed upon by the community. There is an urgent, pressing need for an elementary school in Edgmont right now and Middletown Road is the best available location for this school. This school belongs in our residential zoning district and the proposed zoning amendment meets the standards and criteria detailed in Edgmont’s Zoning Ordinance.

Edgmont Township’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will be faced with a big decision in the coming months. Edgmont’s officials should do what’s best for Edgmont and permit an elementary school on Middletown Road.