How Will Spring City Be Affected by Development?

Many on both sides of the spectrum were heard at a Wednesday night Board of Supervisors meeting for East Vincent Township. Townspeople and vested businessmen plead their cases in regards to the Jones Motor property's zoning.

In the end, it was "big business" that benefitted most, according to some residents, as the board solidified a in favor of changing the ordinance from PO-GI to CMU. Now, the property can be used to develop a "town center" similar to the one in Exton, with town houses and/or apartments to supplement.

Many were laid out by planners and professionals, but a few major studies were omitted from reasoning: traffic patterns and the benefits of skilled labor jobs versus minimum wage jobs. However, the townspeople did bring them up as major concerns.

But what about Spring City? The neighboring municipality, which is bordered by East Vincent on three sides, is expected to see some changes if the type of development that was talked about at the meeting occurs in the future.

Spring City resident Justin Creed spoke his mind about how his town will be affected by the development and cited infrastructure problems, the Royersford-Spring City bridge and small business to be of great concerns.

On infrastructure, Creed shared sentiment with other meeting attendees on how the area could not accommodate the volume of traffic that will be brought in due to development at the property. He also noted that the bridge would again need updates due to even heavier usage on a daily basis. But, East Vincent wouldn't have to worry about that - Spring City would.

Finally, Creed alluded to the many empty storefronts that Spring City yields in the current economy, blaming outside competition from surrounding municipalities for it. This may only make it worse in his opinion.

"You're robbing Peter to pay Paul," Creed said.

Creed's comments were met with a response from chairman John Funk, who said Spring City borough councilman Jim Burns frequents Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings in East Vincent Township. Burns was at the meeting, but had to leave before these concerns were brought to the table.

"I spoke with the borough council and they told me there's nothing they can do in regards to what you guys decide on," said Creed.

Those words would be his last of the night. Vice chairman Mark Dunphy was a little more sentimental toward Creed's comments.

"I think they’re valid comments," Dunphy said. "It really needs to be looked at a little bit further. Right now, there’s not a whole lot going on in Spring City. My feelings in regards to any type of shopping center and walkable landscape is an opportunity with the people of Spring City to interact with this commercial mixed-use development.”

Christine McNeil, who voted against the ordinance, said Funk was not being truthful when he said the board frequently talks to Spring City council in considering these types of decisions.

"Justin has great concerns and I don’t know how the traffic is going to be handled by a development of this size," said McNeil. "They talk about working with Spring City, but they really don’t work with Spring City. We need to work together. We talked about creating a beautiful 724 corridor that would focus on a local economy. Did they even think about what local jobs and new entrepreneurial incubator positions we could have created here? Nothing! They just want big boxes and the minimum requirements for any kind of design for this development."

McNeil continued with emotion at the end of the meeting.

"It’s a shame what has happened here tonight and is a travesty of what a public hearing is supposed to be," said McNeil. "This was not a public hearing. This was to meet the requirements of the law only. They had their minds made up before they walked in the room."

On the other side, Spring City borough councilman Michael Hays thinks development on the property is a good thing.

"I am generally supportive of a redevelopment of the Jones track," Hays said. "When I say supportive, I mean I’d like to see pretty much whatever would work there. Whether it’s a commercial retail establishment or a shopping center. It would mean economic development in that area. It’s not the most pleasant piece of land to look at currently and it would mean extra jobs for the area, which we certainly need right now."

Hays was not at the meeting, but has lived in the area since 2007. His thoughts on traffic were more on the side of the bridge renovation.

"My concern at this time would definitely be the bridge project," said Hays. "That’s going to be complete, obviously, before the development starts. Route 724 can support, in my opinion, a pretty decent increase in traffic flow in that area. In terms of Bridge Street and Main Street, Spring City, I’m not quite sure the impact would be. It would depend on what the project ultimately becomes. Whether it’s mixed use with housing, mixed use with apartment dwellings, whatever it might be."

Overall, he sees skilled labor and retail jobs to be both beneficial to any community with the national unemployment rate at nine percent and Pennsylvania's at eight percent. However, he said retail may be best.

"Knowing the residents in the borough, retail jobs would benefit Spring City residents best now," Hays said. "We want a town center and a redeveloped Main Street. I think a well-planned town center at Bridge Street and 724 could attract some future interest to Spring City and the borough. I view it mostly from a positive standpoint.”