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Chester County Press

Weer saluted for 30 years of service for East Marlborough supervisors

12/05/2017 10:45AM ● By J. Chambless

Robert Weer with a procolamation in his honor, recognizing his 30 years of service on the East Marlborough Board of Supervisors.

By John Chambless
Staff Writer

Friends, family and supporters stopped by for more than an hour before the East Marlborough Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 4 to congratulate Robert Weer, Sr., on his 50 years of public service.

Weer, who is stepping down from the Board of Supervisors after 30 years – and 20 years as a Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board member before that – beamed as he greeted them all, delaying the unfailingly punctual Weer five minutes past the opening time for the meeting.

Robert Weer shakes hands board of supervisors president Richard Hannum, Jr.

 “I'd like to thank the citizens and voters of East Marlborough for having me represent them for the past 50 years in public service. I appreciate it, and it was an honor and privilege to serve you. I want to thank the board members in the past, and the board members currently, and also the officers and staff of the township.”

Weer also thanked supervisor Eddie Caudill, who was not at the meeting due to scheduled surgery. Caudill served for 32 years on the board, and will be stepping down this month.

Board chairman Richard Hannum, Jr., read proclamations from Rep. Eric Roe which thanked Weer and Caudill for their long records of service. Weer was instrumental in the planning of the East Marlborough Township sewer system and Unionville Community Park. He is a member of the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company.

Weer, 82, noted that he has longtime ties with Hannum's family. “I served on the school board with your grandfather, and then when I came on this board, I served with your dad, and you represent the third generation of Hannums for me,” he told Hannum.

“There are going to be some major shoes to fill,” Hannum told Weer, “and we hope that you will come back and visit, and bring your pencil so you can be sure that our budget is keeping on track. We can't thank you enough, and I hope the residents understant 30 and and 32 years of service on this board, and the significance of that.”

When it was time for business, the board heard details of the final land development plan for the proposed Longwood Preserve development, a 150-unit townhouse community to be built on Schoolhouse Road. Attorney John Jaros presented the plan, which calls for raising Schoolhouse Road by about 6 inches to fix sight distances for cars exiting the community's boulevard entrance. The distance had been a concern for months, since a dip in the road to the south prevented the 350 feet of sight distance mandated by the township. Raising the road for a stretch of about 200 feet will take care of the problem, Jaros said, and will sidestep any negotiations with property owners on the road, some of whom have opposed the proposed boulevard entrance. One driveway will have to be raised to meet the new roadway height. The road will not be widened.

Several residents voiced concerns about trucks that stop to make a turn into a driveway north of the proposed Longwood Preserve entrance, saying that drivers coming north cannot see the trucks until they are close to them when cresting a hill. The neighbors proposed adding a stop sign on Schoolhouse Road to slow traffic, and the project developers, CJK, agreed that a three-way stop would be a good safety feature. That improvement, however, was not part of the plan approved at the meeting. The issue will be studied further while construction begins on Longwood Preserve, and if it is deemed necessary, the three-way stop will be added to the scope of the project.

The board approved the final plan.

The board also voted to approve the townshp budget for 2018, which will have no increase in taxes for residents. In 2018, real estate taxes will remain at 1.05 mills (for an estimated income of $738,700), the library tax is 1.83 mills ($128,649), the open space tax is 0.2 of a mill ($140,600). The budget figures will be posted on the township's website (www.eastmarlborough.org).

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].