Home Care In Upper Darby, PA

Fifteen acres of undeveloped land in Upper Darby Township face an uncertain fate as environmental groups rush to secure funding to purchase and protect the site.

Upper Darby residents and environmentalists are working to pull together $8 million to secure the purchase of the Mozino Tract, a parcel of land in Drexel Hill that, until recently, was slated to become a mixed-use housing and retail development.

Upper Darby’s council in August voted to table a proposal to rezone the land, currently zoned for residential use, to allow for a blend of single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, commercial spaces, and community gathering spots. Township staff at the meeting said they worked with the developer to create the mixed-use zoning proposal, a plan they said would help meet core township goals of increasing tax revenue and adding diverse housing options far more than an initial proposal to put 56 single-family homes on the site.

Now, developer Greg Lingo of Rockwell Development Group says he has abandoned the plans to build the mixed-use development and is giving organizers a chance to purchase the land for open space preservation.

If they can’t pull the money together, Lingo will go back to his original plan to put 56 single-family homes on the Mozino Tract, a proposal that is already permitted under the current zoning and won’t require special approvals.

As the high price tag looms, organizers say they’re confident they can find the money to keep the Mozino Tract wild.

The Mozino Tract is a 15-acre wooded parcel located between State and Township Line Roads in Drexel Hill. The land is currently owned by the Peter S. and Catherine G. Mozino Deed of Trust and is under contract to be sold to Lingo’s Rockwell Drexel LLC.

At an August meeting, Upper Darby residents packed the council chambers, urging the township to reject the plan for a mixed-use development and asking council to purchase the land to preserve it as open space. Many described spending time in the wooded area that, while not officially a public park, has been a place to commune with nature.

Amid pushback from residents, Lingo at the meeting said he would be willing to sell the property to the township, despite thinking that it would not be “a great use,” and approximated the cost of the sale at $8 million. Council unanimously tabled the zoning ordinance and voiced an openness to purchasing the property if funds could be raised.

The property’s assessed value is $446,920, according to Delaware County property records.

Lingo in an email on Sept. 15 wrote that it was immediately clear when he first met with neighbors that “they did not want any development” of the Mozino Tract, so he thought it best to work with the township on the mixed-use plan to “maximize open space, introduce different housing types across different price points, improve pedestrian mobility, maximize taxable income to the township and to dedicate a public park.”

Lingo’s email affirmed his commitment to Upper Darby, where he grew up, and said it was his “fault for assuming that I knew what was best” in proposing the mixed-use project.

If the environmental groups can’t find the funding to purchase the property, Lingo plans to enter into an agreement with a public or national homebuilder to build the 56 single-family homes.

Rockwell Development Group is “communicating regularly” with the environmental groups, Lingo wrote.

Bonnie Hallam, an organizer spearheading the effort to preserve the Mozino Tract, said local environmentalists “have all confidence” that they will be able to raise the $8 million.

“We really believe that this is going to be conserved, and we want the township to get on board with that,” Hallam said.

Hallam said she and other organizers submitted their first grant application on Sept. 25 to the Open Space Institute and have been in conversation with local and national funding groups, including the William Penn Foundation and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The group is going to start a community fundraising effort through the Foundation for Delaware County, she said.

The environmental leaders are also hoping to secure money through an open space referendum on the ballot in Delco this November. If the referendum is approved by voters, the county could spend $120 million financing land conservation projects, including “protecting natural areas from development.”

“We’re really going to work hard to secure that because we feel that the county is very much interested in this piece of property as well,” Hallam said.

Delaware County “has not had any conversations with Mr. Lingo regarding the purchase of the tract,” according to county spokesperson George Basile.

Hallam hopes Upper Darby Township will agree to be the title holder for the land, an agreement they have not made yet.

Upper Darby Township is “exploring its options right now” and “hoping for a resolution soon” regarding the Mozino Tract, public information officer Rob Ellis said in an email.

For Hallam and her co-organizers, preserving the open space — its wildlife, tall trees, and bubbling creek — is priceless. The Save The Mozino Forest group organized a rally on Saturday at Collenbrook Church.

“We have a really unique piece of property here that’s doing hard-working environmental services for the township,” Hallam said.

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UPPER DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- The Upper Darby School District is in the early stages of researching a four-day school week to not only retain teachers but also recruit new ones while improving classroom instruction, officials said.

"Teacher recruitment and retention is a concern," said Upper Darby Superintendent Dr. Daniel McGarry.

McGarry told Action News that they still have a lot of research to do and that no recommendations have been made.

"This is the fewest amount of teachers that we've lost in a year," McGarry said.

He said they'd like to keep that momentum going because turnover is a worry.

"You can't just continue to go and tax your community. You got to look at creative things to keep people working here," McGarry said.

McGarry added, "We're never going to be able to financially compete with wealthier school districts who by the very nature of their zip code can pay their teachers better than we can pay them."

The school board asked a committee of staff, students, and community members to find a way to be more competitive while also considering ways to improve learning while lessening impacts on families.

"The one thing we're not going to do is put our parents or our students in a bad position," McGarry said.

The committee, referred to as the Act 80 Exploration Committee, presented several scenarios to the board in August.

Three options made the cut, and then they decided to focus on researching one option that includes four days in-person, with day five as a flex day, where students would complete work at home on their own among many possibilities for that day.

Action News reporter Corey Davis asked McGarry if he supports the idea.

"I support the idea of exploring it. I have to get myself to a place to understand how we can make sure that we're doing right for all the kids and the staff," McGarry said.

Action News asked parents and guardians about how a four-day week could impact their lives.

"Would it be a three-day weekend? So now the parents are inconvenienced because they work Monday- Friday. How does that work?" asked Nicole Norman of Upper Darby.

"Four days is better," said Ala Uddin of Upper Darby, "My wife is not working. She's in the home."

"I would prefer five instead of four days," said Garmai Gray-Smith of Upper Darby.

McGarry said, "The board had a lot of questions. I want to be clear that nothing has been approved, nothing has been adopted. There'd have to be public agreement to this," McGarry said.

McGarry said it's more complicated in underfunded districts.

They'll have to look at childcare options, feeding kids who rely on school meals and additional needs for special education.

This idea is in the early stages; no recommendations have been made, officials said.

The committee will come back to the board in March with more research on what a four-day school week could look like.

Residents press Upper Darby council to reject rezoning of Mozino Tract

WPVI

DREXEL HILL, Pa. (WPVI) -- Residents hoping to preserve the Mozino Tract urged Upper Darby Township council members this week to vote against a proposal that would rezone the 15-acre forest for mixed-use development.

Supporters of the group Save The Mozino Forest attended the council meeting, applauding speakers who called for keeping the wooded area - located between State and Township Line roads - unchanged.

"It's one of the last forests in Upper Darby Township," said Lee Jordan of Drexel Hill.

Rockwell Development Group, which owns the property, is seeking to rezone the tract from its current designation allowing 56 single-family homes to a mixed-use plan that includes townhomes, apartments, retail and a park.

Members of Save The Mozino Forest argued the proposal would harm the community.

"We feel that we are very densely populated right now. Building that many homes would be a public health and safety issue for our area," Jordan said. "You can't even get down State Road. Traffic is horrible. It would be an extreme strain on our public services."

Environmental concerns were also raised.

"This tract has over 2,000 trees, has a creek running through it. It's a soak-up place for stormwater," said Bonnie Hallam of Drexel Hill.

In a statement, Rockwell President Greg Lingo said, "We have been working tirelessly with the neighbors and broader community to create a new community for us all to be proud of, in an area that already has significant traffic issues."

He also said, "This mixed-use plan provides open space, significantly higher net income to the Township and School District, pedestrian connectivity and a much-needed variety of new housing types."

Hallam questioned that claim, saying, "I don't know that they worked with the neighbors."

Residents said they hope council members will reject the zoning ordinance.

Upper Darby Council Vice President Noah Fields said leaders are still evaluating the proposal.

"It's going to be built on, and so the question is not should we build or should we not build. It's private property.... I think we should build the future. It shouldn't just be something that happens to us, and we should build something that makes sense for the future of Upper Darby," Fields said.

Fields said no vote is currently scheduled.

Residents say they plan to continue meeting with local leaders as they work to preserve the Mozino Tract.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Upper Darby residents may soon be paying a lot more for their garbage disposal and sewer operations if the proposed 2027 budget goes through.

In his proposed budget, Mayor Ed Brown has asked for the yearly trash fee to be raised from $325 to $425, as well as a $20 increase on sewer fees. He called the increases necessary for those utilities to become self-supporting operations.

However, there are a lot of residents, like Scott Buscaglia, who are not happy with that proposed price jump.

“$120 goes a long way. It goes in your gas tank. It goes into your food, which is expensive now. I don’t think it’s a good thing,” Buscaglia said.

Some of Upper Darby’s senior residents said if passed, the tax would hurt people like them, who live on fixed incomes.

“I can’t work to make that extra money. I have to keep using my social security, for more and more taxes,” said Heather Rose, who has lived in Upper Darby for more than 50 years.

“We just don’t have that in our pockets anymore,” said Linda Baxter. “Social Security does not go up by that much. Neither do our retirement funds.”

Valerie Wyles asked for the township’s elected officials to find the pulse of the community they serve. “Even people who were actually able to pay these extras are suffering because of our economy,” she said. “Our economy sucks.”

Township officials said they were looking forward to working with the mayor to see how they could reduce the proposed tax hikes.

Council still has two full budget hearings before they can take a vote on the budget. A vote is expected for December.