Pottsgrove Asks for 'Head's Up' on Major Projects

Despite not being on the agenda, the potential impact the 508 homes proposed for Sanatoga Green might have on the Pottsgrove School District's bottom line was a subject of  discussion for regional planners Wednesday night.

Perhaps the most significant thing to be discussed during Wednesday night's meeting of the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee wasn't even on the agenda.

For the first time in recent memory, the agenda slot for a member of area school districts to offer comment was actually filled by an actual school district representative.

David Nester, business manager for the Pottsgrove School District, was in the audience and was ultimately drawn into a conversation about why he was there.

The answer can be expressed in two words -- Sanatoga Green.

Alarmed by headlines about the size of the project and the potential for the children living in 508 homes to swell the school rolls, Pottsgrove School Board members expressed concern during Tuesday's meeting about being more in touch housing proposals in the townships.

Tuesday night, Nester told the planners that he recognizes that decisions affecting housing proposals are often spread out over years and not always easily interpreted by educators.

Nevetheless, he said, it would be nice "as good neighbors" if municipal governments could "give us a heads up" on projects which might affect the number of children filling seats in district schools.

Also of significance, and also not on the agenda, was Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand's "guess" that there will probably not be enough money for any Independence Day activities in Pottstown this year.

He asked the surrounding towns to consider making contributions of either money or police personnel to help defray the costs of hosting the celebration, which he estimated at $50,000.

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