HPED Proposes New $11,000 Development Plan

(Editor's note: It was originally reported that the HPED was also proposing to have decorative lampposts installed. That was not the case. This article has been edited to reflect that. .)

During Monday night’s Haverford Township Commissioners’ work session, the Haverford Partnership for Economic Development (HPED) proposed a possible $11,000 development plan that calls for brick paver edgings of the Oakmont business section of Havertown.

Colette Bannan, treasurer of the HPED, explained to the commissioners that since the Oakmont Parking Lot is scheduled for construction for repaving and new lighting and utility lines being installed this spring, her organization has proposed that the township matches funds with the HPED to install brick pavers along the Oakmont business section.

The proposal can be viewed as a PDF that Bannan emailed to the Haverford-Havertown Patch.

This would be the first step of a project that can be done in the other wards of the township to give Havertown a singular look to the township, Bannan explained.

However, Larry Gentile, the Haverford Township manager, told the board that the township does not have the money for the proposed project after he made severe cuts to the budget to “streamline” it.

“There are no more funds available,” he explained. “I’m trying to run this township in the most cost effective way.”

But some of the commissioners, such as 2nd Ward's Mario Oliva, 4th Ward's Dan Siegel and 6th Ward's Larry Holmes, liked the proposal, saying it would be good for the township.

And 7th Ward Commissioner James McGarrity suggested that the township could get a government grant to pay for the HPED’s proposal.

Bannan also said that HPED might be able to cover the costs by fundraising. After her presentation, Bannan explained to Patch that the proposed project for the Oakmont section could be up to $11,000.

Bill Wechsler, 9th Ward commissioner and president of the board, asked township solicitor Jim Byrne to look at the legality of the proposal before any more consideration can be done, since the plan would mean that the brick paver edgings would be on the property of business owners.