Council Focuses on Streets and Trees
The intersection of Yale and Cornell Avenues in Swarthmore
The intersection of Yale and Cornell avenues dominated the Swarthmore Borough Council meeting on Monday night. During the public comment section of the meeting, four residents relayed their concerns about safety at the intersection. Two of these had previously spoken at the Public Safety Committee meeting on January 27.
One Cornell Avenue resident, Eric Iversen, cited Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Publication 212, “Official Traffic Control Devices,” which, he said, suggested that a stop sign might be warranted at the intersection. He told the council that, while he and other residents supported the larger study, they hoped something might be done in the meantime. “Speaking for the neighborhood, we’d like a stop sign.” Penny Blaine, a longtime resident of Cornell Avenue, said she had spoken about her concerns to the council 20 years ago. Little has been done to address the problem, she said, while traffic volume along Cornell Avenue has continued to grow. She urged the council not to limit their study to Yale Avenue but to include Cornell as well.
Public Safety Committee Chair Jill Gaieski reported that her committee had extensively discussed what, if anything, could be done to address resident concerns. The threshold question was, she said, whether the number of accidents at the intersections of Cornell and Yale, and also of Chester Road and Yale, is too high. She related that borough resident Al Federico, a traffic engineer who attended the Public Safety Committee meeting, recommended that — rather than focusing on one or two intersections in isolation — a traffic study of the entire length of Yale Avenue from Chester Road to Swarthmore Avenue be conducted.
Borough Manager Jane Billings said she had spoken with the borough engineer, who estimated that such a study would cost approximately $40,000. Billings pointed out that — should the borough decide to commission such a study — it could be put out to bid, possibly resulting in a lower price.
Swarthmore Borough Council members at the February 3 meeting
Studying the Stop Sign
Billings also said that a limited study of whether a stop sign at Yale and Cornell was, in fact, warranted could be done fairly quickly, likely for between $2,500 and $5,000. There followed a great deal of discussion of the merits of either answering this specific question immediately or waiting for a more comprehensive answer.
Just as it seemed that the issue would be sent back to committee for further consideration, council member Ross Schmucki made a motion to ask the borough engineer to conduct a limited study of whether a stop sign would be warranted at Yale and Cornell, while sending the question of a larger study back to public safety. The motion passed, and applause broke out in the audience.
The only no vote was cast by Betsy Larsen, who said she worried the study would create a false impression that a solution was forthcoming. “We have given the community the impression that we are considering installing a stop sign at that intersection,” she said.
Surveying the Trees, and Planting a Few More
The other two principal issues discussed at the meeting had to do with trees. Environment Committee Chair Lauren McKinney reported on a proposal by Davey Tree to survey the borough’s street trees, as well as the trees in its public parks. The council has been trying to settle on a vendor to do such a survey since 2017. McKinney reported that her committee had a constructive conversation with Andrew Hillman of Davey about the proposal. Questions about exact costs were raised by Larsen and Council President Mary Walk. As a result, McKinney will go back to Davey for more details and try to get a copy of the actual contract before the council’s legislative session on February 10.
Larsen, a member of the Environment Committee, spoke to council about a request from the borough’s Tree Committee. This committee has an opportunity to purchase, through a program of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), 12 trees that could be sold to borough residents for $50 each. Unlike with street trees, these trees, which are about five years old and one to one-and-a-half inches in diameter, could be planted anywhere on a resident’s property. They would be planted by “Tree Tenders” trained by PHS.
Council voted to spend $600 to buy the trees, with the expectation that the money would likely be recovered as the trees are purchased by residents. Any unsold trees will be planted in borough parks. Because a third party — the Tree Tenders — will be doing the planting, rather than borough employees, purchasers will be asked to sign liability waivers.
The three species of tree available will be snowdrift crabapple (4), espresso Kentucky coffeetree (4), and swamp white oak (4).
View this or any other Swarthmore Borough Council meeting.
The next council meeting is Monday, February 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Also at Borough Council:
Renewable Energy: Having learned from the Swarthmore Environmental Advisory Council that the renewable energy the borough buys is not local — but in fact comes from Texas and Oklahoma — the borough is looking into other options. The Environment Committee will discuss this issue at its upcoming meeting on February 26 at 7:30.
Parking Meters: The General Government Committee is considering parking meter stickers and hoping to clarify meter enforcement times.
Reconsidering Columbus Day: A class of Swarthmore Rutledge School fifth graders plans to attend the General Government Committee meeting on February 18 at 7:30 to talk about changing the name of the Columbus Day holiday.
College Dining Center: The Planning Commission will hear from Swarthmore College about its plans for a new dining center at its upcoming meeting on February 19 at 7:30.
New Part-Time Police Officer: Police Chief Ray Stufflet asked the council to issue a conditional offer of employment to someone he hopes to hire as a part-time police officer. If the council issues the offer, the candidate will undergo psychological and physical tests as well as a background check. Were he to pass, he would be sworn in. The council decided to meet in executive session after the meeting to discuss the candidate.
Street Paving: The repair of water lines by AquaPA being finished, street paving will soon begin. Streets that AquaPA has torn up for pipe repair will be at the top of the list. Borough residents are invited to send suggestions for streets that may need repaving to borough council.
Sidewalks: The borough inspector will again make an inspection of Swarthmore’s sidewalks, and residents will be asked to fix broken ones. Public Works Committee Chair Ross Schmucki said that, last year, approximately 100 borough households were fined for failing to repair sidewalks the borough identified as unsafe.
Pollution Reduction: The Public Works Committee has prioritized Thatcher Park for pollution reduction. They hope to commission a design for remediating storm water runoff with the goal of being ready to apply for grants to fund such a project.
Central Park Walls: Repairs on the walls are expected to be completed by May 1.
Fire Department Funds: The Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association has mailed its annual appeal. According to fire company president Rick Lee, the return rate is generally less than 20%. Mayor Marty Spiegel urged borough residents to respond to the appeal generously. “When you dial 911, you expect a response,” he said. “The one time during the year the fire department would like a response” is now.
