Don't Be Bullied
The project is not a quick fix or a good decision. Do your own homework.
· Rose Tree Road is a challenging site facing layers of reviews & numerous permits.
· Middletown Township must approve a reverse subdivision to give the appearance of compliance with the stormwater ordinance.
· The County Conservation District permits stormwater with additional review & comment by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection. The creation of impervious surface generates extensive stormwater conveying heat & contaminated runoff to the high-quality Ridley Creek - a cold-water trout fishery.
· The district proposes realigning Rose Tree Road - with PennDOT involvement. Road construction is estimated at a year, not accounted for is engineering design time.
· An easement it required for the road realignment. Eminent domain claim filed May 1, 2026 to take adjacent church property for Rose Tree Road realignment.
· PennDOT & the Township are responsible for review of the traffic studies with PennDOT deciding on the issuance of a permit for an entrance/exit onto Rose Tree Road.
· In 2006, the Township denied a district proposal to build an 88-car parking lot with an entrance on Rose Tree Road due to the blind curves & short sight lines creating a significant safety concern. The proposed entrance/exit is at the same location.
· The school district has no plan to mitigate the identified traffic deficiency at Barren Road & Route 352.
· A September 19, 2024 PennDOT presentation about future road improvements (accessible on township website) notes the area has a “higher crash rate than statewide average” and mentions “the bottleneck issues for both route 1 and also 352.” Specific to the Rose Tree Rd realignment slide it notes “the yellow dotted line represents HISTORICAL PROPERTY due to Penncrest farm which would need to be taken into account.”
· The district proposes creating a cut-through road connecting Barren Road & Rose Tree Road.
· The PA Department of Education oversees the Act 34 process which imposes a cap on building costs: at the October school board meeting, the project was reported as “trending a little higher than the budget plan” – this was before the decision to realign Rose Tree Road and the need to install a soil drainage system.
· The site has no utilities:
The Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority must evaluate sewer capacity & approve sewer connection.
Aqua PA must approve water line connection.
PECO must provide electricity.
· All permits are required prior to beginning construction.
· Construction costs are escalating.
· If August is missed, the opening is delayed a year.
· Renovating or expanding at the elementary schools or middle school property eliminates long bus rides for very young children, keeps siblings together, simplifies logistics, reduces bus runs, protects the environment, lowers overhead costs/taxes, is feasible, & can be accomplished sooner than the proposed K-1 Center.
· Eminent domain claim filed May 1, 2026 to take adjacent church property for Rose Tree Road realignment.
· PennDOT 8/25 meeting minutes state “Environmental clearance for whole PennDOT project is needed before the project can be broken up into phases. Funding and contracts need to be set a year prior. The realignment of the road involved property not controlled by the School District.
·The district filed an eminent domain claim for needed adjacent property despite legal restrictions involving “taking” of church property.
Email worktogetherrtmsd@gmail.com to stay informed, ask questions, receive updates.