Friends of Glen Providence Park welcomes the finalized conservation easement agreement between Delaware County and Broomall’s Lake Country Club. 

With the replacement of the dam and two lane roadway no longer required, Media Borough and Upper Providence residents are free to pursue a 21st century connection between the two communities.

Research suggests a pedestrian/bicycle greenway would have the least negative impact on the park’s ecosystem and would provide the safest access for park users. 

Friends of Glen Providence Park looks forward to participating in the site development plans and are asking for assurances that future construction and management of the area meet regulatory requirements, as well as best environmental practices. 

This includes obtaining the services of a professional team most able to restore and protect Broomall’s Run and to collaborate with the County’s efforts in the adjacent conservation area. 

March 2023

Research suggests a pedestrian/bicycle greenway would have the least negative impact on the park’s ecosystem and would provide the safest access for park users. 

After more than one year of researching, advocating, educating, and organizing for the removal of Broomall’s Lake dam and establishment of a pedestrian and bicycle only greenway (with access for emergency automotive vehicles), the Friends of Glen Providence Park is supporting the recent compromise decisions on the Third Street project made by Media Borough Council.

When the proposed design for the Third Street project was first made public in June, 2011, it became clear that the new, significantly larger dam would not replace what was there, but would cover with earthfill over 1/2 acre of valley in Glen Providence Park, destroying significant wetlands and requiring the removal of more than 70 trees in over one acre of the park.  Aiming to preserve the peaceful, recreational atmosphere that had developed on the closed segment of Third Street since its closure 16 years ago, and determined to protect the beautiful, natural habitat at the north end of the park, Friends of Glen Providence Park was founded and began its work to preserve and protect Delaware County’s oldest park- through citizen science, historical research, volunteer work days, nature walks, and advocating for better options for the Third Street project.

Despite our earnest efforts, on May 17, 2012, the Council voted 5-2 to reconstruct the dam and re-establish a roadway open to automotive vehicular traffic over the top of the dam.  Then, on September 20, 2012, Council voted 4-3 to instruct PennDOT and the project engineers to design a 28-foot-wide passageway on the crown of the dam that would include a one-way traffic lane for automobiles entering Media from Upper Providence and an equal area for non-automotive traffic that could accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The thoroughfare will include a buffer between the automotive vehicular and non-automotive vehicular lanes, as well as required shoulders on each side.  Emergency automotive vehicles will be granted authority to cross the automotive roadway in both directions.  A landscape architect will be engaged.

We want to be clear that our organization continues to believe that removing the dam and establishing a pedestrian-bicycle only greenway, with access for emergency automotive vehicles, is the best solution for Glen Providence Park, park users, and for the community as a whole.  We also believe that the weight of community opinion leans in our direction, as demonstrated by the report on public opinion issued by the Council’s own Citizen Advisory Committee on the Third Street Project.

Even so, we recognize that Council’s votes reflect a compromise solution that complies with the legal stipulation entered into with Broomall’s Lake Country Club and Delaware County, reduces by roughly 3,600 square feet the impact on the park as compared to the original reconstruction design, addresses key safety concerns about emergency vehicle access and the hazard of entering Media from Ridley Creek Road/Baltimore Pike, and offers a reasoned resolution to the divisive issue of whether to prioritize automotive or pedestrian-bicycle traffic on the Third Street thoroughfare. Given that the project goes forward as outlined, and that implementation strictly complies with the laws protecting the environment and public safety, the Third Street project should be viewed as an asset to our community.

Our members look forward to working with Council, the project’s landscape architect, and other community stakeholders to create a unique, attractive, and welcoming gateway into Media for people cycling, driving, and walking.  Some of the additional amenities we hope to see incorporated include traffic calming surfaces and safety signage, low impact lighting, benches, stone planters and historic-looking fencing as an alternative to chain link fencing. The Friends of Glen Providence Park has also expressed a preference for using local labor and recycled materials, including stone and wood available on-site.

Compromises never completely please everyone and – at times – they please no one.  While the compromises crafted by our Council fall considerably short of our vision, we understand that they do address other legal, financial, and social concerns and they do represent a reduction in environmental impact over the original design. In the spirit of moving forward on this long-debated matter, uniting with the widest possible majority of residents, and fulfilling our mission of protecting and enhancing the entire park, the Friends of Glen Providence is announcing its support for the decisions of Media Borough Council regarding the Third Street Project.

Steering Committee, Friends of Glen Providence Park

It was the fruit of the Advocacy Committee of Friends of Glen Providence Park’s work with a 5th year Landscape Architecture Student, Melissa Boffa. See below how the principles of public safety, control of environmental damage and prioritizing pedestrians was turned into a visual rendering.

The rendering as presented to Media Borough Council.

Most importantly, Friends of Glen Providence Park is urging Borough Council to construct a one-way, one-lane automobile road with a separate  path to maximize pedestrian safety and access while minimizing damage to Glen Providence Park. The dam reconstruction is expected to destroy 1.1 acres of park, including mature trees, native plants, wetlands, historic springs and trails. This area will be filled in with “earthfill” to create a large earthen dam. Each foot that is conserved on the roadway atop the dam conserves one foot of Glen Providence Park, so for a 500 foot wide dam, that adds up quickly!

Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the width of the roadway at its September legislative meeting this Thursday, September 20th at 8pm.

Background

Since Borough Council’s decision to proceed with the $4 million reconstruction of Broomall’s Dam, their deliberations have turned to usage issues of the roadway, which Media Borough will maintain after construction is complete. Usage is important as it affects design. Debate has centered around the width of the roadway, how many lanes of vehicular traffic and pedestrian access. No decision has yet been made, but most recently a majority seemed to favor a one-lane road with a pedestrian lane.

A Shared Vision for Third Street

Members of Friends of Glen Providence Park presented their vision for the Third Street Roadway to Borough Council Thursday night. Linda Healy, Terry Rumsey and Robin Lasersohn made the case for a community vision for the park, with the principles of:

• Ensuring public safety,

• Minimizing environmental damage, and

• Enhancing community enjoyment.

To back up these principles, FrOG has determined group support for:

1. A one-way automobile road
2. A west to east roadway with emergency vehicle access
3. Borough-managed traffic control with electric gates or bollards
4. Prioritizing pedestrian access with amenities such as benches
5. Utilizing historically appropriate materials to match the historic park structures

Read the handout presented to Borough Council – A Shared Vision for Third Street. Council members had no specific comment. Media Patch has reported on the presentation and is asking whether its readers support FrOG’s vision. Go there to weigh in!

FrOG is working with a Landscape Architecture student to create a design that visually represents these principles. Check back here soon to see the results, or come to a FrOG Advocacy meeting! Email us at friendsoftheglenATgmail.com to learn more.

If you are interested in dam safety issues as well, come to the Dam Safety Tour and Workshop on August 20th from 4:30-6pm at Broomall’s Dam on Third Street.

You are invited to participate in a special meeting of the Friends of Glen Providence Park Third Street Greenway/Dam Committee:

Thursday, July 26th

7:00 p.m.

Media Fellowship House

302 S. Jackson St.

The purpose of the meeting will be to collectively develop a proposal for the design and use of the Third Street project to present to Media Borough Council in light of its recent decision to proceed with replacing the dam.

A design for the park and park users

As you know, FrOG has advocated for removing the dam and restoring Broomall’s Run stream, and we continue to assert that this would be the most environmentally responsible course of action. However, given Council’s 5-2 vote on May 17th in favor of dam replacement, FrOG is also advocating for a “roadway” design and use plan that is most favorable to the park and to park users. All along, we have promoted the idea of a greenway that could serve as an attractive gateway to Media while prioritizing the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists while allowing for passage of emergency vehicles.

Bring your ideas

Join us as we brainstorm ideas for what a new Third Street dam/bridge could look like. We will have the services of an advanced landscape architecture student who will be translating our ideas into visual images so that Borough Council and the community at large can imagine the greenway and rally behind it.

Council has already made some decisions that lean in favor of FrOG’s positions on the project, and it is not too late the further influence the outcome! Bring your creativity and any photographs of similar projects that you think could inspire ideas. While the FrOG Steering Committee will have final approval on FrOG’s design proposal, we would like to have enthusiastic participation from many FrOG supporters in crafting the best proposal possible.

For background information on the project, including FrOG’s advocacy work, technical issues having to do with dam design as well as the political history of the Third Street project, please visit the Bridge/Dam pages of the website, as well as the Dam/Bridge category on the sidebar.

Media Borough Council has called for one final Special Meeting to seek input on the Third Street Project, before they vote on the direction of the project at their May 17 legislative meeting.  Make sure that Borough Council considers your opinion before they vote- attend the meeting!

Special Meeting/Public Hearing

Thursday, May 10, 2012
7:00 pm
Media Borough Council Chambers
301 N. Jackson Street, Media

This may be the last time before the vote that residents can weigh in on the options:

– dam replacement vs. dam removal & stream restoration
– automobile traffic vs. pedestrian & bicycle traffic only (with potential for emergency vehicle access)

Some background:

At the June 2011 Borough Council Workshop Meeting, the design for replacing the Third Street Dam was first revealed; the dam as designed would destroy over one acre at the north end of Glen Providence Park, filling over .5 acre with earthfill.

In its 76 year history, Glen Providence Park has hosted a wide range of community events, and has provided recreation and relaxation for generations of families.  Glen Providence Park was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, and it provides refuge for an array of plants and wildlife.

To minimize destruction to the park and protect the stream, wetlands, and habitat, Friends of Glen Providence Park is urging Borough Council to vote for dam removal and stream restoration, and building a pedestrian & bicycle-only greenway that connects Media with Upper Providence, with potential for emergency vehicle access.  

In the 11 months since the dam design was revealed, the community has consistently expressed support for environmentally-friendly alternatives that would help preserve this historical park:

• Over 500 Media residents signed a petition calling for a pedestrian and bicycle-only greenway at Third Street. This was before PennDOT clarified in November 2011 that their funding would cover the option of dam removal.
• Public meetings on August 3, 2011, October 13, 2011, and March 5, 2012 turned out hundreds of citizens and revealed overwhelming support for protecting Glen Providence Park and keeping Third Street closed to automobile traffic.
• The results of a questionnaire, sent in March 2011 by the Borough’s Third Street Citizens Advisory Committee to over 3,500 Borough residents and property and business owners, showed the strongest community support for any single option being for 2B: dam removal and stream restoration with a pedestrian/bicycle bridge.  All categories of stakeholders favored dam removal and stream restoration, including all four precincts of Media Borough residents, business owners, and Broomalls Lake Swim Club Members.  For further explanation and links to the CAC questionnaire results, see our blog on the CAC Report.

If you can’t attend the Special Meeting on May 10, call or write to Borough Council – you can find their contact information on the Borough website.

We’ve published a few posts about great greenways, both in Pennsylvania and nationally. Overall, governments and citizens are realizing the benefits of open space, greenways and alternative forms of transportation.

Benefits of Greenways:

• safe, family-friendly transportation
• improved air and water quality
• floodplain protection
• healthy transportation
• better habitats for plants and animals
• protection for historic and natural resources
• improved recreational opportunities

Greenways have been shown to have positive economic impacts as well, from improving home values to increasing local economic activity. Delaware County is working on a master plan for the western part of the county, and just held its first public forum on the subject. It is already implementing its Greenway and Open Space Plan for Eastern Delaware County. Philadelphia and partners along the Brandywine River are also creating major greenways.

Glen Providence Park Greenway

We’d like to see Glen Providence Park included into a larger county-wide greenway plan, with the 3rd Street Bridge becoming a pedestrian and bicycle “green bridge.” We think a greenway would be an extension of the park and the natural area of Broomall’s Lake Country Club. Right now, with the bridge currently closed to automotive traffic, it is easy to envision the serenity and beauty of a real greenway, and how it would become a part of the park while connecting Upper Providence and Media.

Regardless of the decision on the dam, a greenway would improve the park and create a beautiful, family-friendly gateway to Media.

Some people worry about the restricted access to Media from Upper Providence. The truth is, for most locations in Upper Providence, taking a state-maintained road such as Orange Street or Baltimore Pike to and from Media is the most efficient choice. According to online maps, going across a 3rd Street bridge by car would reduce the trip for only about 150 households. And for those houses in Upper Providence that are closest to 3rd Street, the most efficient trip is actually a walk into Media. Some Upper Providence residents have expressed a preference for a pedestrian greenway, because it makes their walk into Media safer.

Smart Transportation

Pennsylvania’s Smart Transportation Guide articulates many themes that support the construction of a greenway in Media:

• Accomodate all modes of travel
• Enhance local network
• Build towns not sprawl
• Understand the context; plan and design within the context.

A greenway would be a smart, family-friendly choice for Media and Upper Providence, as well as Glen Providence Park.

More resources: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/conservation/greenways/index.htm http://www.americantrails.org/resources/economics/GreenwaySumEcon.html http://www.americantrails.org/resources/benefits/BenefitsGrnwy.html http://www.enhancements.org/misc/TEGuide2002.pdf http://www.maine.gov/mdot/opt/pdf/biketourismexecsumm.pdf http://www.smart-transportation.com/themes.html

Portland’s Bike Boulevards Become Neighborhood Greenways from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Portland has set a goal to have 20% of all transportation be by bicycle by 2020, and 80% of residents within a 1/2 mile of a greenway. Philadelphia has started designating some significant bicycle routes as part of their general transportation plan.

What will be possible for Delaware County? Bring your ideas and goals to the Delaware County Open Space, Recreation and Greenway Public Forum on Thursday, February 23, from 7-9 p.m. at the County Council Meeting Room, Front and Orange Streets, Media, PA.

Many Friends of Glen Providence Park hope that the 3rd Street Bridge can become part of a larger Delaware County Greenway, which prioritizes safe, family-friendly, pedestrian and bicycle transportation and recreation.

We want to make sure you are aware of an exciting opportunity to be involved in the planning for the future of open space in Delaware County, including Glen Providence Park.

The Delaware County Planning Department (DCPD) is working on a Delaware County Open Space, Recreation, and Greenway Plan (“Open Space Plan”).  As its name implies, this plan involves more than parks: the plan will address all parks and recreation in the County including municipal, public and private land, and trails.  DCPD’s Environmental Planning section, in conjunction with County Parks & Recreation, is leading this three year effort that is funded, in part, through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Parks:

One aspect of the Open Space Plan will be an evaluation of the County’s park system, including existing conditions and future direction.  As part of that effort, DCPD will examine six of our major parks, and will hire a firm to assist with proposed site development drawings.

The six parks for which the consultant will be preparing site development drawings are:

Rose Tree Park
Smedley Park
Clayton Park
Kent Park
Glen Providence Park
Upland Park

Mineral Hill, Millenium Park, Scott Park and adjacent municipal land will be included in a separate open space/conservation plan.

Greenways:

There is already a Greenway Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed in place for eastern Delaware County.  DCPD will work to develop a Greenway Plan for Western Delaware County, hoping to link the county’s open spaces.

Public Involvement:

DCPD will have public meetings to gather information from the public concerning all parks, with breakout groups for each of the six major parks.  This could be an opportunity to weigh in about the future of the park’s pond, which is threatened by erosion.

The first of those meetings are scheduled for Thursday, February 23:
– Springfield Township Building 4:00-6:00 pm, and
– County Government Center Building in Media 7:00-9:00 pm.

You can view the flyer for the February 23 meeting here.  Come join us and provide your input for the future of Glen Providence Park and Delaware County’s other open spaces!  
 
We will keep you updated about any future meetings, and of course we will report on the meetings and any developments.  It is exciting that DCPD is thoughtfully working on the future of open spaces in Delaware County, and that they are seeking public input.

In the past couple of months, information has come forward that has shifted the possibilities for the 3rd Street Bridge and Dam. It is very clear that something must be done, and soon; the dam was declared unsafe in 1980 by the Army Corps of Engineers, and has been closed to traffic since 1996. For the public and especially those living downstream, it must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Up until recently, it was believed that PennDOT (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) required that the dam be rebuilt and the road be restored and opened to automotive traffic. Recent interactions with PennDOT have revealed that this is not the case, and in fact, Media Borough, the “project sponsor,” may declare whatever goals they see fit, as long as the safety issues with the bridge are resolved.

To the best of our knowledge, there are four possible options that the PennDOT (and local) funding would permit, noting that there are variations and creative options within these four broad categories:

1. Replace the dam, reconstruct an automotive road. This is the current plan on the table, incorporating a two-lane road. It is possibly the most expensive and environmentally damaging plan, but maintains Broomall’s Lake and allows the greatest amount of transportation access between Media and Upper Providence.
2. Replace the dam, create a greenway for pedestrians and bicycles, possibly that is open to emergency vehicles. This would maintain Broomall’s Lake and the parklike atmosphere between the lake and Glen Providence Park, while allowing passage between Media and Upper Providence.
3. Remove the dam, build an automotive bridge. Dam removal and stream restoration tends to be a less expensive option, often 2-3 times less expensive. Environmentally, dam removal can be disruptive in the short term, but will overall cause much less damage to the park and will restore the stream to its natural course. It will improve water quality. All dam maintenance and ownership issues are resolved when there is no dam. There are many factors specific to Broomall’s Dam that can only be addressed by an expert. Building an automotive bridge, however, would be costly and have significant maintenance costs.
4. Remove the dam, create a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, or greenbridge. This would potentially incorporate the cost savings and environmental benefits of removal, while maintaining a transportation connection between Media and Upper Providence.

As far as we understand, PennDOT would fund 80% of any of these four options. The rest of the money would come from local grants like that provided by Senator Pileggi.

Friends of Glen Providence Park wants to minimize damage to the park and create a pedestrian and bicycle greenway, to preserve and enhance the park for those who use it recreationally, and for those who live there — the wildlife. (The park was founded as an arboretum and bird sanctuary, after all.) We are currently working to understand the pros and cons of dam removal vs. replacement of the dam, particular to the 3rd Street Dam and Glen Providence Park.

Media Borough, Delaware County and Broomall’s Lake Country Club have also signed a stipulation agreement that seems to include replacing the dam and rebuilding a “roadway.” We acknowledge that the stipulation is a different challenge than PennDOT funding, and one that can probably only be handled by the signatories and their legal counsels.

That said, the stipulation was signed under false assumptions that PennDOT would only fund dam and bridge reconstruction, and that PennDOT was in charge of the project. It is now clear that Media Borough is in charge of the project, and PennDOT will fund any option that restores the public safety of the Third Street Bridge. Is it time to consider all the options? We think so. 

Check back regularly for updates and information as we do our research.

What are your priorities and concerns for Glen Providence Park and the Bridge/Dam?