A letter to Senator Loeper

Senator Loeper,

My father (R. Saha) owns a 50+-acre farm in Valley Township, PA; the City of Coatesville has condemned the property and plans to build a municipal recreation complex. The first my parents heard of this was in the local paper on Monday (April 12). Today (April 15) they were served papers condemning the property. The property is in excellent condition, has a 250+ year old restored farmhouse (claimed to be location where William Penn signed a treaty with local Indians). This farm is not in the City of Coatesville, how can they make decisions on property not in their jurisdiction?

The city claims that this will benefit the City of Coatesville yet, local government officials have done nothing to clean up the city itself. My father owns a tool & dye shop in Coatesville (on Chestnut St) where the drug dealers are brazen enough to stand on the corner. My parents are good citizens & continue to sweep the broken glass outside their business each day to try to maintain some decency on the block. If the city officials want to help the city of Coatesville they need to start with the infrastructure. Clean up the city neighborhood, employ more police so that the city will be safe enough for businesses to stay in the city, and people are not afraid to walk around. The main street has so many boarded up storefronts; it is ridiculous to believe that anyone that comes to use this golf course will go into Coatesville for shopping and meals! The city officials have no plans to help the citizens of the city. There is not even a food store in the city for local people to walk to.

It seems a better plan to use some of the abandoned buildings (such as the former Junior High School) to be used for the supporting municipal activity buildings. With increased Police support, this would boost the City economy and benefit city residents as they could walk to the activities instead of driving out to Valley Township. Why not use these buildings, why do they have to bulldoze my parent's farmhouse?

My parents bought this farm in 1972 and worked very hard to make it a beautiful place and restore the farmhouse. They had always planned to sell some of the property for their retirement fund. They are willing to sell parcels to the City or allow them to run sewer lines or whatever but they are given no options such as this. I don't understand how they can steal their "American Dream".

Can you please offer some steps to take, so they can continue to live in their dreamhouse? Any support you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Susan Saha Sandbothe