REAL EVIDENCE, REAL TESTIMONY, REAL CHALLENGES

LAST NIGHT'S CONDITIONAL USE HEARING BEGAN WITH TESTIMONY BY THE TOWNSHIP-HIRED TRAFFIC CONSULTANT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE BEGINNING OF TESTIMONY BY LAND PLANNER & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECHT TOM COMITTA WHO DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF NOT ONLY MUNICIPAL & COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, SUBDIVISIONS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNING, LAND PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOGRAPHICS AND PARK AND RECREATION PLANNING AND DESIGN - BUT ALSO A DEEP LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE UPPER EAST BRANCH OF THE BRANDYWINE RIVER, LOCAL WETLANDS AND GEOGRAPHIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. A DETAILED WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF HIS 36 YEARS OF DOCUMENTED EXPERIENCE WAS GIVEN TO EACH MEMBER OF THE INTERESTED PARTIES AS WELL AS EACH AUDIENCE MEMBER. MR COMITTA WILL RETURN TO PRESENT HIS FINDINGS NEXT TUESDAY AT 7:30PM AND EXPLAIN WHY THE VALHALLA BRANDYWINE SPA RESORT FAILS TO CONFORM TO THE TOWNSHIP'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND, AS NOTED IN THE CHESTER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION'S ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT, IS NOT PROPERLY SUITED TO THE PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTALLY RICH AND SENSITIVE LOCATION.