Grassroots push to preserve Harston Woods gains momentum

by Barbara Sherf
Posted 6/16/22

If you think you’ve been seeing a lot of “Save Harston Woods” yard signs in Springfield Township that’s because nearly 200 have been sold by the Friends of Harston Woods (FHW), a grassroots organization trying to save one of the few remaining open spaces in the township.  

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Grassroots push to preserve Harston Woods gains momentum

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If you think you’ve been seeing a lot of “Save Harston Woods” yard signs in Springfield Township that’s because nearly 200 have been sold by the Friends of Harston Woods (FHW), a grassroots organization trying to save one of the few remaining open spaces in the township.  

As a bit of background, in 2019, native son Brian Halligan of MEH Investments purchased the 4.78-acre wooded site at 380-402 Haws Lane, which sits next to Erdenheim Elementary School and the Harston Hall nursing home.  

Halligan has the right to develop the property for institutional use as a nursing home or sanitarium. He would need board approval for a zoning amendment to build townhomes on the site, which he had proposed to do. 

Residents were opposed to all townhouse options. The last proposal was for a 60,00-square-foot behavioral-health facility and outpatient drug rehab for adults.  The four-story building would serve 88 patients and have parking for 93 cars with a staff of 90 working around the clock. 

Friends of Harston Woods have advocated for protecting the property as open space and hope to see the site revamped into a wooded ecological park.   

FHW member Ellen Stevenson, of Flourtown, said momentum is building to keep the space open and preserve the established 100-plus year-old forest and vernal pool ecosystem.

“This past Election Day, volunteers with our group collected close to 500 signatures from voters at six precincts,” Stevenson said. “The goal is to let the commissioners know how constituents feel about preserving open space.”  

The commissioners have been discussing the possibility of taking all or part of the heavily-forested and wooded property through eminent domain.  

Richard Metz, who lives near the site, said “there’s a compromise on the table with Halligan that involves the preservation of the woods and a much-reduced number of houses, which would be okay with me, but it’s all still in flux,” Metz said.  

Halligan did not return two requests for comment.  

Board vice chairman Jim Lee confirmed that talks are continuing for a hybrid plan that includes a park and fewer townhomes.  

Meanwhile, members of FHW agreed to develop a nonprofit organization with a broader mandate and vision, and formed a new group called Springfield Open Space (SOS). 

SOS, which has been incorporated as a nonprofit, has a mission “to protect, conserve, enhance, and promote open space, woodlands, and ecosystems in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, and nearby townships of Southeastern Pennsylvania, for environmental, ecological, recreational and educational benefits.”

Alexandra Klinger, who is an 18-year resident of Wyndmoor and has a doctorate in biophysics from the University of Virginia, is president of the SOS group. 

“The vision statement for the group is that of a community that sustains and embraces our natural ecosystems, woodland and open space and understands the connection between a thriving natural environment and the quality of life in our township,” she said.   

“Now with more than 200 members, Friends of Harston Woods thought it was time to create an organization like Springfield Open Space that was born from the continued growth of Friends of Harston Woods,” Klinger added.  

Klinger noted that the Wyncote Audubon Society has agreed to be an official fiscal sponsor in order to receive donations until a 501c3 (nonprofit) is established for SOS. 

Klinger said more than $10,000 has been donated in the few months since they started SOS, and asks donors that checks be made out to the Wyncote Audubon Society with SOS noted in the memo field. The Wyncote Audubon Society is at 1212 Edge Hill Rd., Abington, PA 19001. 

“We look forward this summer to beginning an environmental speaker series at the library to keep the conversations going,” Klinger said.

The Save Harston Woods group will host a get together at 5 p.m., Sat., July 16. For information and to RSVP, email SaveHarstonWoods@gmail.com.  

“It’s just a good way for members of the community to get to know each other.  There will be no speakers,” Stevenson said. The party is free and will include live music.  

Stevenson said people are connecting at the grassroots level to implement change.  

“I think the community plays a key role in the preservation of any open space by showing up at commissioner meetings, writing to them, sending them emails, speaking at board meetings and more,” Stevenson said.  “I do think the commissioners are sensitive to what the community wants, especially in this time when we are seeing so many environmental issues due to global warming and overdevelopment.”  

Stevenson added that if Halligan and the commissioners agree to a compromise, the next step is for the commissioners to hold one or more public meetings for residents to ask questions and provide guidance to the board.  

To contact SOS email Alex@springfieldopenspace.org.  

Barbara Sherf can be reached at CaptureLifeStories@gmail.com.