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. 

Changes

The area of Broomall’s Lake has resettled and is now a meadow with a free-flowing stream running through it. We have observed deer grazing as well as other wildlife. Due to the lack of rain as well as the change in hydrology, Broomall’s Run, as it passes through Glen Providence Park, appears to have a much lower flow. A great deal of sediment from the lake has also been deposited in the stream and probably in the pond. We are watching closely and consulting with experts to learn about the short and long term impacts on the stream and the pond. 

Construction

To the best of our knowledge, plans for construction of the dam and two way road continue with Media Borough as the project manager and is slated to begin in late 2018. We are not aware of either Delaware County or Broomall’s Lake Country Club (BLCC) agreeing to be owner — a requirement for DEP permit. Friends of Glen Providence Park continues to advocate for full stream restoration and an environmentally sensitive bridge across Broomall’s Run that addresses the community’s transportation needs. 

Zoning & BLCC Development

Media Borough has begun the process of changing the zoning of a few parcels in town to MERC (Municipal, Educational, Recreational, Community) and one under consideration is the BLCC property. This property has been used recreationally for nearly 100 years as a private swim club, and is one of the only remaining large tracts of undeveloped land in Media Borough. Delaware County’s Open Space Plan of 2015 encourages municipalities to “take full advantage of their planning and zoning powers to protect sites and land resources of community importance.” (Open Space and Recreational Plan, Vol. 1, Chapter 3, p. 29; Delaware County Planning Department, 2015.)

BLCC leadership is strongly opposed to this zoning change, expressing their desire to retain the right to develop their land, which they estimate to be worth more than 12 million dollars if developed into 17 townhouses, as stated in their attorney’s letter to Media Borough dated September 29, 2017. Many club members who attended a Borough Workshop meeting expressed surprise at the club’s opposition to preserving this historic tract of land. 

A group has emerged in support of preserving open space in Media called Keep Media Green. Friends of Glen Providence Park supports the preservation of the BLCC property as open space. It will protect the vulnerable Ridley Creek Watershed, of which Broomall’s Run is a part, will help keep storm runoff and flooding more manageable within the park, and will help to mitigate the effects of development all around Glen Providence Park and Media Borough. You can find Keep Media Green on Facebook. 

Footbridge

Friends of Glen Providence Park continues to work with a community coalition that has made proposals to, and met with, Delaware County Council about a way to establish a pedestrian footbridge at the partially removed dam — we expect to have an update soon.

Partial breach of Broomall’s Dam when it was completed in July