Rhona Klein

Chadds Ford voters had a chance to hear from candidates for supervisor during a candidates’ night at Turner’s Mill last week. Candidates for various offices introduced themselves briefly, but the major focus was on Rhona Klein and Frank Murphy, the Democratic and Republican Party candidates to replace Deborah Love as supervisor.

Klein and Murphy each gave a brief speech outlining their backgrounds and their reasons for running. There was no debate, nor was there any formal question and answer session with the audience. Klein said that was at her request because she wanted to keep the evening informal.

However, Chadds Ford Live did have the opportunity to ask them each one question in a one-on-one interview. Both candidates were asked the same question — What would you need to know in order to make a decision on the YMCA and K. Hovnanian Homes requests for zoning changes?

Klein, who has a background in environmental issues and township management, said she needs to see the actual plans.

“I’d have to really understand the schematics,” she said, “the egress, how the traffic flow is going. I don’t have enough information now. I want an engineer to review those plans, to tell me the good, the bad and the ugly about the traffic patterns. I want traffic studies to be done. I don’t want old traffic studies. I feel that if they put in a plan, and they want to come in, the onus is on them to do what we request, which are the traffic studies. Can they really stop trucks coming through? Is there a safety issue? All these things have to be addressed by professionals, by engineers before I make any decisions.”

Klein added that she wants more information from the YMCA about how many people would be members of a possible Chadds Ford branch.

She also stressed she wants to see a plan before deciding on a possible zoning change.

“Absolutely because the whole zoning change is to allow them. Who else is going to go there? Why would I say ‘yeah, you can go there’ and then find the plan that has all these issues?”

Murphy, an attorney with two engineering degrees, also referenced details.

“First, there is a difference in the requests being made. The YMCA is seeking a text amendment allowing a nonprofit community center, K. Hovnanian Homes is seeking a zoning change,” Murphy said.

“What I would need on both of them, first off is the precedent. What would happen if it was [sic] decided that each of these projects was good to have a zoning change? What precedent would that set for the rest of the township, for other properties? What would the text amendment allow for other sites in the township? What other variances or special exceptions would have to be granted and what is the impact on the neighbors and the community as a whole? I’m very concerned about traffic issues and very concerned about noise issues. We have to analyze those things and go from there,” Murphy said.

During the opening remarks, done publicly, both candidates reviewed their backgrounds and goals.

Klein said she’s well versed in environmental, budgeting, recycling and stormwater management issues.

“You name it, I’ve done,” she told the packed house.

Chadds Ford’s Recycling Task Force and annual recycling event were some of her initiatives.

“I’m passionate about environmental issues. I drank the green Kool-Aid before it was cool to be green,” she said.

Klein said the area is besieged by development and that supervisors should be critical in determining which plans could be detrimental. She also said that she would listen to all points of view, but that special interest should not take priority.

Of special concern to her is that township hires — both employees and volunteer committee people — should be based on qualification. She said for too long have the same people been appointed to various committees.

“Real progress will only come through openness and transparency…We need a government free of cronyism,” Klein said.

Murphy, too, said he wants to listen to everyone and that improving communication is one of his key goals. Supervisors need to ask, and get answers for the question, “what do you think,” he said.

He reiterated previous comments that there should be an e-mail newsletter where people can discuss issues and that podcasts of township meetings would also be a good idea.

He also wants to bring back the Financial Advisory Board. He said that if that board had been active, it might have caught the fact that many businesses in the township had not been billed Business Privilege Taxes for a seven-year period.

His primary concern is with development and said the board of supervisors needs to make sure developments are responsibly done.

“Supervisors must be able to dig into the details of a development and view the township from 10,000 feet in the air,” he said.

Murphy used that theme previously, explaining that supervisors need to plan with foresight, seeing the effects of all potential developments together, not just one at a time.