Radnor Township Announces $11.6M Ardrossan Deal


ardrossan philadelphia story

Photo from The Philadelphia Story via Stand By for Mind Control

The famous “Philadelphia Story” land — represented on behalf of two family trusts by Edgar Scott III — has been the subject of ongoing neighborhood debate until developer Scott and Radnor Township commissioners brokered a compromise: The township’s planning commission would okay Scott’s plans for between 62 and 75 houses as long as the township had an opportunity to buy a tract or three to serve as green space.

And that’s exactly what’s happened: According to the Main Line Times’ Linda Stein:

Radnor Township has announced an $11.6 million deal to buy 71.03 acres of Ardrossan Farm at Darby Paoli and Newtown roads. If approved by the Board of Commissioners, the township plans to purchase the 27.65-acre Wheeler field, the 16.3-acre quarry tract and the 27.04-acre Rye field. The township land will be used for trails, wetlands and woodland preservation and protection of the viewshed.

Some on the Board of Commissioners feel this deal — which will likely be approved — is a victory for the township. Indeed, Scott told the Inquirer “that if he didn’t sell the land to the township, ‘I’d sell the land to somebody else. It’s a lovely property. I would imagine that a lot of people would be interested in it.’

Board President Elaine Schaefer said this compromise was in the making for years (though for Ardrossan-drama watchers, it seems more like decades):

“We’ve been working with him for seven years to come up with a solution where he can minimize the density of his development and we can preserve open space,” she said. “This is something our community has wanted for years.”