Vol. I, No. 18: The Radnor Gazette

5 Things to Watch This Week

Overnight vehicle theft hits Lewis Lane, Barcladen and Browning on the same night. A car was stolen off Lewis Lane and multiple vehicles were rifled through nearby, all overnight July 17 into 18. Lock your car. See lead story.
Ordinance 2026-19 gets introduced Monday: Radnor would spend $1.45M to buy 405 W. Wayne Ave. for the Magisterial District Court. The Board of Commissioners meets 6:30 p.m. Monday; public comment on the introduction opens after the pledge. See Development and Real Estate.
$1.2M in state RACP grants land for Radnor: $700K for Fenimore Woods, $500K for Eastern University's Walton Hall elevator. The awards, announced Friday by Sen. Cappelletti and Rep. Borowski, fund Fenimore's stables restoration and accessibility work at Eastern. See Environment and Parks.
Two adopted parking ordinances take effect Monday, plus a UPenn signage settlement and an Emerson Group land-development waiver. The July 20 BoC agenda runs long. If you park on Trianon Lane or Francis Avenue, read the fine print. See Township Action Bulletin.
Wild Yeast Bakehouse debuts at Eagle Village this weekend; Pica's returns as Pica's Italian Market in Broomall. Two openings previewed in prior issues have arrived. See Community and Lifestyle.

A motor vehicle was stolen from Lewis Lane sometime overnight between Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18, according to a Radnor Township Police alert posted Saturday afternoon. On the same overnight, several vehicles were entered and items removed in the area of Barcladen Road and Browning Lane, a second alert confirmed.

The two incidents on the same night, in the same corner of the township, are the pattern signal. Vol. I, No. 15 led with two vehicles stolen off the 200 block of Bryn Mawr Avenue in mid-June; a week later, another vehicle was stolen from the Radwyn Apartments parking lot on Bryn Mawr Avenue. Radnor's overnight vehicle-crime pattern is not new, and it is not slowing.

Radnor Police have not identified a suspect in the July 17 to 18 incidents. The department's standing advice is unchanged and worth repeating.

What to do tonight

Lock your vehicle. Do not leave key fobs inside. Do not leave the keys in an unlocked car in your driveway. Take valuables out overnight. If you see suspicious activity, call 610-688-0503; for an in-progress incident, 911.

Homeowners with driveway cameras can help. If your camera captured any part of the Barcladen, Browning, or Lewis Lane corridor between roughly 10 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, Radnor Police detectives will take the footage.

Township Action Bulletin · Monday's BoC Agenda

Board of Commissioners meets Monday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m., Radnorshire Room. Public comment opens the meeting. Full agenda.
Ordinance 2026-19 · introduction: $1.45M purchase of 405 W. Wayne Ave. for the Magisterial District Court. Detail in Development.
Ordinance 2026-16 · adoption: Convert four metered spaces on the west side of the Wayne Senior Center to handicapped-only.
Ordinance 2026-14 · adoption: No-parking zone between 215 and 219 Trianon Lane, 650 feet in length.
Ordinance 2026-15 · adoption: No parking on the west side of Francis Avenue for the full length of the street.
UPenn signage settlement is on the business agenda for approval, resolving a signage dispute with the University.
Emerson Group land-development waiver requested; the plan set is attached on Granicus.
Sara Pilling of Garrett Hill will be honored in a public recognition; she passed away July 5.

Upcoming Township Meetings

Mon Jul 20: Board of Commissioners, 6:30 p.m.
Tue Jul 28: RTSD School Board Business Meeting (if necessary), 7:00 p.m.
Tue Aug 25: RTSD School Board Business Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
Fri Aug 1: Delco 2026 assessment appeal deadline.

Money on Monday's Agenda

$146,200 Resolution 2026-88: replace ten water-source heat pumps at the Township Building, funded from the 2024 Facilities Improvement GO Bond.
$82,500 Resolution 2026-85: Carroll Engineering design and bidding documents for the upstream bridge at Ithan Valley Park.
$77,185.93 Resolution 2026-87: emergency traffic signal replacement at Glenbrook and County Line, insurance-reimbursed.
$15,000 Resolution 2026-86: electronics recycling and shredding event, eForce Compliance and ProShred.
$24,000 Motion 2026-BPT-02: Business Privilege Tax settlement.

2026 Priorities Watch (No Change)

Delco 19% tax hike / Aug 1 appeal window: Still open. Vol. I, No. 17 covered mechanics.
118-120 N. Wayne redevelopment: No new filings this week.
Oak Hill amended plan: Returned to Planning Commission July 6. No new action.
Ithan Elementary rebuild: Facilities Committee update pending.
AI / cyberbullying policy at RTSD: No public draft yet.
VFMA land: No update.
Gas-powered leaf blower ordinance: No committee action this week.

Radnor buys a 16,933-square-foot building for $1.45 million and leases it back to Delaware County. The court comes home. The economics are the question. See Development and Real Estate, below.

Development and Real Estate · Environment and Parks

Ordinance 2026-19 Would Bring the Magisterial District Court Back to Radnor for $1.45M

The Board of Commissioners will introduce Ordinance 2026-19 at its Monday, July 20 meeting, authorizing the township to purchase the 16,933-square-foot former St. George Hunt Memorial Veterinary Hospital at 405 W. Wayne Avenue for $1.45 million. Delaware County would lease the building from the township and relocate Magisterial District Court 32-2-43 back to Radnor.

The court handles Radnor's small-claims cases, landlord-tenant disputes, and preliminary criminal hearings. Under the current arrangement, reported by Patch's June Bakan, Radnor residents summoned to appear before a district judge for a Radnor-only matter must drive to 4655 West Chester Pike in Newtown Square.

The parcel sits on the 400 block of W. Wayne Avenue in South Wayne, adjacent to Wayne Presbyterian Church and within a half-mile of the Wayne train station. St. George Hunt operated at the site until February, when the practice moved to Villanova. The building's current owner, Vetley Capital, a Maryland real-estate investment firm specializing in veterinary properties, purchased the building for $1,395,000 in 2022 per public records.

Ordinance 2026-19 is on Monday's business agenda for introduction only; adoption would come at a subsequent meeting after the statutory public-notice window.

$1.2M in RACP Grants Land for Radnor: Fenimore Woods, Eastern's Walton Hall

State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-17) and state Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-168) announced Friday that the Office of the Budget has authorized $10.7 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants across Senate District 17, including two awards that land directly on Radnor Township ground.

The $700,000 Fenimore Woods Park award funds stable renovations, upper and lower parking-lot rehabilitation, a new accessible walking path, fencing, site furnishings, park signage, and tree planting. Fenimore's historic horse stable, which the township considered demolishing in 2021 before pulling back after community pushback, has been the subject of a feasibility study since 2022, with the pavilion already demolished.

"The enhancement of Fenimore Woods has long been a need in Radnor Township, a project which started way back when I was a Commissioner," Rep. Borowski said in the release. The $500,000 Eastern University Walton Hall award funds construction of an elevator inside the historic building, addressing "long-standing barriers for students, staff, and visitors."

The RACP program funds regional-impact capital projects. Both awards require project sponsors to match with local or private dollars; the exact match ratio for these two grants has not been published.

Ithan Valley Park Bridge Design Contract on Monday's Agenda

Resolution 2026-85 on the July 20 agenda authorizes Carroll Engineering to perform design, permitting, and bidding documents for rehabilitation of the upstream bridge at Ithan Valley Park in the amount of $82,500. Construction is not yet funded; this is the engineering step that precedes bidding.

Emerson Group Waiver Request Monday

The Monday BoC business agenda includes a motion to approve the Emerson Group's request for waiver of land-development requirements. The plan set is attached on Granicus. Worth watching if you follow land-development actions.

UPenn Signage Settlement Up for Approval

The board is set to approve a settlement agreement between the University of Pennsylvania and Radnor Township dated July 9. The agreement resolves a dispute over signage on University-owned property in Radnor.

Zoning Hearing Board Met Thursday

The Zoning Hearing Board convened Thursday, July 16. The agenda was published, but the agenda-viewer PDF failed to render at deadline. Decisions will be summarized in Vol. I, No. 19 after minutes post.

Restaurant Row Watch

Wild Yeast Bakehouse debuts this weekend at Eagle Village, as previewed in Vol. I, No. 17. Coverage at SAVVY Main Line.
The Bakery House has leased the former Sushi Nami next to the Paoli Nudy's and expects to open Sept. 28.
Triple Crown Restaurant at the Radnor Hotel opens for dinner service Friday, July 24.
118-120 N. Wayne redevelopment: No new filings this week.

Safety Beat · Schools (RTSD)

Overnight Vehicle Crime: See Lead Story

Full detail on the Lewis Lane vehicle theft and the Barcladen / Browning break-ins appears in the lead story above. Bottom line: on the overnight of Friday, July 17 into Saturday, July 18, one vehicle was stolen off Lewis Lane and several were entered on Barcladen and Browning. Read the full story.

CVS Retail Theft, July 10

A retail theft occurred at the CVS at 316 E. Lancaster Avenue at approximately 10:15 p.m. on July 10, Radnor Police reported July 13. No arrest disclosed.

I-476 Crash Cleared Thursday

A crash on I-476 in Delaware County Thursday afternoon caused a major traffic jam before the scene was cleared, Patch reported. Residual delays cleared by evening; PennDOT has not disclosed injuries.

Quiet Week in Schools; Next Business Meeting July 28 (if necessary)

The RTSD board calendar lists a School Board Business Meeting for Tuesday, July 28 at 7 p.m. in the Radnorshire Room, marked "if necessary." The next regularly-scheduled full business meeting is Tuesday, August 25. No committee or board meeting was streamed to RTSD-TV in the July 13 to 19 window.

RTSD Policy Watch

AI in academic integrity policy: No public draft yet in BoardDocs.
AI / cyberbullying policy: No public draft yet; last discussed at the March 10, 2026 Policy Committee.
Ithan Elementary rebuild: Milestones tracked by the Facilities Committee; last committee meeting on the record was April 14, 2026, viewable on the RTSD-TV YouTube channel. No update this week.
Technology-use policy: Last board action on the record was the 2026-27 Proposed Final Budget approval on April 21, 2026.

RTSD Board Roster

Board of School Directors, 2025-2026: Liz Duffy (President), Susan Stern (Vice President), Sarah Dunn Esq., Clare Girton, Jannie Lau, Thomas Le, Lon Rosenblum, Lydia T. Solomon, DJ Thornton. Superintendent: Kenneth Batchelor. Contact information at rtsd.org/board/board.

Community and Lifestyle

Radnor Recognizes Sara Pilling

The Board of Commissioners will observe a public recognition Monday of Sara Pilling, a longtime resident of Garrett Hill who passed away on July 5, 2026. The proclamation on Monday's agenda honors her "lifelong advocacy for the welfare of all Radnor Residents through her unwavering dedication to protecting the environment."

Delco Assessment Appeal Window: Aug 1 Deadline Still Open

No new governmental action on tax or budget this week. Resident-impact summary: the Delaware County 2026 assessment appeal deadline remains Friday, August 1. Vol. I, No. 17 covered the mechanics in detail; if you have not yet filed and think your assessment is high, you have 13 days. Records at delcopa.gov.

Pica's Italian Market Broomall Soft-Launched Thursday

Pica's Restaurant, founded in 1941 in West Philadelphia and operated for 70 years at its Upper Darby location, reopened Thursday morning at 1101 Sussex Blvd., Suite 10 in Broomall as Pica's Italian Market Broomall. The relaunch is a soft launch with a limited menu due to gas-connection issues, but the square pizzas are on the opening menu.

Wild Yeast Bakehouse Debuts at Eagle Village

The subscription sourdough business gets its first Wayne storefront this weekend at Eagle Village, per Caroline O'Halloran at SAVVY Main Line. Vol. I, No. 17 previewed the opening; here it is.

Radnor Library Blood Drive July 29

The Radnor Memorial Library hosts a blood drive Wednesday, July 29, at 1 p.m. at 114 W. Wayne Ave., Wayne. Sign up through the library's e-news.

Author Events at Main Point Books

Jackie McMahon with special guest Jenni Walsh, Wednesday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m.; Ethan Joella, Thursday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. Both at Main Point Books, 116 N. Wayne Ave.

Upcoming Events

Date	Event	Details
Mon Jul 20, 6:30 PM	Board of Commissioners	Radnorshire Room, 301 Iven Ave., Wayne. Ordinance 2026-19 introduction and three parking ordinance adoptions. Agenda.
Wed Jul 22, 2:00 PM	Author Event: Reading and Art Project	Lancaster County Farmer's Market, 389 W Lancaster Ave, Wayne.
Wed Jul 22, 6:30 PM	Jackie McMahon with Jenni Walsh	Main Point Books, 116 N Wayne Ave.
Wed Jul 22, 7:00 PM	William White: Patriot talk with Sarah Barringer Gordon	Saint David's Episcopal Church, 763 S Valley Forge Rd.
Thu Jul 23, 6:30 PM	Author Ethan Joella	Main Point Books, 116 N Wayne Ave.
Fri Jul 24, dinner	Triple Crown Restaurant dinner debut	The Radnor Hotel, 591 E Lancaster Ave.
Mon Jul 27, 5:00 PM	Student Works Art Exhibit	Wayne Art Center, 413 Maplewood Ave.
Tue Jul 28, 7:00 PM	RTSD School Board Business Meeting (if necessary)	Radnorshire Room, 301 Iven Ave.
Wed Jul 29, 1:00 PM	American Red Cross Blood Drive	Radnor Memorial Library, 114 W Wayne Ave.
Fri Aug 1	Delco 2026 Assessment Appeal Deadline	Board of Assessment.
Tue Aug 25, 7:00 PM	RTSD School Board Business Meeting	Radnorshire Room, 301 Iven Ave.
Mon Sep 28	The Bakery House opens in Paoli	Former Sushi Nami building, next to Nudy's.

Worth Your Time Elsewhere

Spotlight PA: Pa. adopts $50.8B budget that sends more money to poorest schools, skips difficult policy questions. Radnor hook: Gov. Shapiro's signed budget adds $678 million for K-12. Districts like RTSD generally net less as more state aid flows to poorer districts, and homeowners see the delta in the 2026-27 mill rate.
PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro signs $50.8 billion compromise budget, despite some opposition in both parties. Radnor hook: the compromises the legislature made on cyber-charter reimbursement and RGGI shape RTSD's cyber-charter obligation, which runs to seven figures annually.
SAVVY Main Line: Beloved bakeries on the rise. Caroline O'Halloran on Wild Yeast Bakehouse's Wayne debut and The Bakery House's Paoli expansion. Local, warm, well-reported.
Delco.Today: $3.2M Historic Villanova Estate Debuts After 40 Years. Adjacent-market data point for the estate-watchers in the readership.

· · ·

Hot Take: The Court Comes Home, the Money Comes From Somewhere

Ordinance 2026-19 will be introduced Monday, not voted on, so nothing is decided yet. But the fact pattern is clear enough to sketch the trade the township is asking residents to accept.

For $1.45 million in general-fund capital dollars, Radnor buys a 16,933-square-foot commercial building at 405 W. Wayne Avenue. Delaware County then leases that building from the township and moves Magisterial District Court 32-2-43 out of Newtown Square, back to the jurisdiction it exclusively serves. The convenience benefit to Radnor residents is small but real. Landlord-tenant hearings, small claims, and preliminary criminal appearances that today require a drive to West Chester Pike would return to a Wayne address a short walk from the train station.

The economics are the question. The county's lease payment schedule is not disclosed on the ordinance cover sheet, and the lease term is not stated in the introduction packet. Whether the county's rent covers Radnor's carrying cost on the building, plus operating costs, plus a reasonable return on the $1.45 million of township capital, will determine whether this is a break-even transaction, a subsidy from Radnor taxpayers to Delaware County taxpayers, or a modest revenue generator for the township. Public records available before the meeting do not answer that question.

The prior owner, Vetley Capital, paid $1,395,000 for the building in 2022. At a $1.45 million purchase price, Radnor is paying roughly four percent above what a private investor was willing to pay three and a half years ago. That is not obviously wrong, but it is close enough to the 2022 comp that the appraisal supporting the $1.45 million figure ought to be part of Monday's public discussion. Ordinance introductions do not require a full financial analysis. Adoption should.

Introduction ordinances carry a public-notice window. The residents most affected by the choice, and by the loss of a downtown-Wayne commercial parcel from private tax rolls, get a formal chance to be heard before the adoption vote. Take it.

If You Can Do One Thing This Week

Attend Monday's Board of Commissioners meeting. Ordinance 2026-19 will be introduced, and public comment on the introduction opens after the pledge. Even 30 minutes is enough. 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 20, Radnorshire Room, Radnor Township Municipal Building, 301 Iven Avenue, Wayne. Agenda.