Neighbors Ask for More Discussion on SCHA Field Improvements

While the Development Review Committee recommended the approval of variances for Springside Chestnut Hill Academy's athletic field improvements, with some provisions, several neighbors spoke up at the Chestnut Hill Community Association meeting Thursday night of the board of directors to ask otherwise.

Peter Marvin, whose home is adjacent to the field, said that there had not been enough communication between the school and the neighbors.

"We are not opposed to the varience, but we can not yet support it. We hope to come back some weeks from now and say we do support it," Marvin said.

The conversation focused on using landscpaing to screen the fields from the driveway that three adjacent neighbors use to access their homes. Board member Richard Snowden agreed that landscaping would be "intergral to [board] approval."

Two more neighbors chimed in that they concur with Marvin's statements on asking the school to commit to screening before the board could approve the variances.

Because the plan goes to the Philadelphia zoning board Aug. 22, the board agreed to allow the Executive Committee, which meets in two weeks, to give approval of the project on behalf of the Board of Directors. The board asked that SCHA works with neighbors to come to an agreement on landscaping before appearing before the Executive Committee.