Proposed "K-1 Center" & Multi-Sport Complex

Environmental Impact

· The proposed site is meadow & woodland with mature trees & is home to a variety of wildlife.

· The site does not have public water or sewer connections & the prior owner did not build due to wet soil conditions raising the possibility of wetlands.

· The district noted the soil does not infiltrate requiring the installation of “an extensive underground system to achieve stormwater drainage” - cost undisclosed.

· The Rose Tree Road tree line will be forever removed & habitat, including wetlands, destroyed causing fragmentation and wildlife displacement.

· Stormwater is a major concern - not just for the project but for the Ridley Creek watershed.

· Replacing natural ground with pavement & rooftop prevents rainwater from soaking into the soil reducing groundwater recharge & sending heated runoff, oil/grease, salt, deicers, trash, and harmful pollutants into Ridley Creek.

· Ridley Creek serves as a drinking water resource for over 40,000 people & is impaired for aquatic life support. The impairment is due to stormwater runoff from land development which erodes soil, widens stream channels, smothers & scours aquatic life & introduces harmful pollutants.

· The proposed K-1 project cannot stand on its own - the amount of natural ground covering replaced by pavement & roof exceeds the Township’s stormwater ordinance. The plan is to rezone the property to count Penncrest athletic fields in the runoff calculation - creating the appearance of stormwater ordinance compliance without reducing the quantity of stormwater generated - changing the math, not the environmental impact (the science).

· The land development includes paving a Penncrest field to make a 75-car parking lot.

· Nearby homes rely on well water. Yet there is no discussion about how the land development may affect groundwater quality and quantity.

· A regional K-1 requires additional bus runs & generates significantly more private vehicle trips due to the young student population.

· The buses & cars consume fossil fuel & generate elevated levels of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change & air pollution.

· District leaders say they must build at the site because they “already own the land.” The district owns close to 200 acres across its six campuses. The middle school alone is on 73 acres. Several of the already owned, already cleared, unused fields, exceed the size of the proposed K-1 site, disproving the claim that displacement of wildlife, removal of trees & destruction of open space is the only choice.

· The Township promotes environmental stewardship through recycling, carbon-reduction efforts, & Environmental Advisory Committee activities, such as education of the harmful effects of artificial lights & the planting of native trees to support watershed health and climate resilience.

· As a designated Bird Town, the Township encourages healthy wildlife habitats. Clearing woods (which absorb carbon dioxide, offset climate change, and prevent soil erosion), lighting fields, & replacing grass does not match these goals.

Environmental harm is often irreversible.

Email worktogetherrtmsd@gmail.com to stay informed, ask questions, receive updates.

Common-Sense Solutions

1. Upgrade /Expand Existing Properties

· The 2018 RTMSD Capacity Study (linked here) by Marotta/Main shows the district could expand & improve existing schools to accommodate future growth; "New Kindergarten & First Grade Center option was "Considered, Not Recommended."

· The above linked 2018 Capacity Feasibility Study was available on-line. It was noted that pages 28-31 are missing. A 2018 version of the Study was located with the missing pages which include Pros/Cons & Costs . There are discrepancies between the 2 versions on the page titled “Options Considered, Not Recommended” - see the Missing Pages tab.

· Existing infrastructure is already in place at the current school properties & the land is already disturbed.

· Options considered at the time included: additions to all school buildings, a new kindergarten & first grade Center, new fifth & sixth grade building, & moving fifth grade to middle school. The district is ignoring these cheaper, smarter, faster solutions.

· The Capacity Study provides detailed, viable construction options (see Design Options Page).

· Converting existing semi-permanent modular space to permanent, brick & mortar wings needs to be considered.

·5th grade students are already starting to transition into middle school, are older, & can handle a longer bus ride thus reducing car traffic; this option opens up room in all the schools, utilizes existing bus runs, maintains a consistent school start time, & allow for growth & full-day kindergarten (see Design Options tab 3 & 4). Many other school districts (e.g. Lower Merion) already moved to this model as a solution to overcrowding & Downingtown school district has a "6th grade center."

· UPDATE: The public’s comments were dismissed by the District stating that such solutions were not possible. However, in addition to finding acreage at Springton Lake Middle School to construct a meadow, the District announced at a March 2, 2026 Upper Providence Planning Commission meeting, it intends to construct a 70 x 84, 2 story, 6 classroom, 11,760 s.f. building to address crowding & that the traffic study shows no impact. A solution that could be duplicated at Glenwood, Indian Lane & Rose Tree Media - thus alleviating the safety & traffic concerns, cost burden, & harm caused by siting a regional school & sport complex at the corner of Rose Tree Rd. & Rte. 352.

· How classroom space is utilized should be studied at all schools to ensure optimization.

· Building a second floor at Indian Lane, a new school at Glenwood Elementary, and/or a 5th grade center at Springton Lake should be evaluated.

· The district often states they must build on the 13.9-acre parcel on Rose Tree Road because “they already own the land”. The reality is the district owns close to 200 acres across its six campuses. The middle school alone is on 73 acres.

Glenwood Indian Lane

Rose Tree Springton Lake

2. Consider Repurposing Existing Properties

The Middletown Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Plan recognizes the value of repurposing existing structures as a means of preserving green space & reducing storm water runoff.

· This large property with paved roads & ample parking, is accessible from Route 352 & Baltimore Pike, has no wetlands, stormwater mitigation, or mature tree removal, is already equipped with water, sewer, & electrical connections, would preserve open space & utilize a potentially empty building.

The Roosevelt Community Center & former Township library building

· The Roosevelt Center is the former Roosevelt School.

· The Township already had 2 elementary schools, a middle school, & high school in the district, so the Roosevelt building “was no longer needed” as part of RTMSD’s school capacity.

· Middletown Township purchased the property in 2018.

· There are 4 classrooms in the Roosevelt Community Center & is in close proximity to Indian Lane elementary school.

· Consider whether programs currently conducted at the Roosevelt Community Center could be held at the former Middletown library on Pennell Road, which is currently unoccupied & whether the classrooms in the Roosevelt Community Center can be utilized to alleviate overcrowding.

· When the public suggested possible use of the large agricultural crop fields at Elwyn on Route 352 which are spacious & tree free, a school board member said this solution was not possible because there are laws regarding how close students can be in proximity to adults. Later it was learned that a quarter of the proposed K-1 Center will include a dedicated space for adult students ages 18-21 with special needs & students in the 9th-12th grade Autistic Support & Life Skills Support programs.

· To address growth, the Springfield & Haverford school districts, & others across PA, built new schools on existing athletic fields & replaced the fields when construction concluded.

Email worktogetherrtmsd@gmail.com to stay informed, ask questions, receive updates.

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