Will a newspaper ad get Children of America to meet with CHCA?

The Chestnut Hill Community Association is having an internal debate on how best to restart talks with the operators of the soon to open Children of America daycare center.

The only problem is COA doesn’t have to talk to the CHCA and has told NewsWorks it has no plans to meet with local neighborhood leaders until after it opens sometime this summer. “We are open to discuss any impacts there may be that we may have contributed to, with the Committee once we are operational,” said Jim Perretty, CEO of Children of America.

On Tuesday, the CHCA’s Development Review Committee voted to urge the full association to publish a letter in the Chestnut Hill Local that publicly asks COA to meet with them.

Some members feel COA is not being very neighborly after it declined to meet with the association’s traffic committee. “I’ve think they’ve tried to dodge contact with the community association,” said Greg Woodring.

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“I think the committee needs to make a resolution (regarding the letter),” Woodring said.

Rob Remus, a DRC member and a representative of the Chestnut Hill Business Association (CHBA), disagreed saying a letter seemed a little too much.

Children of America has signed a 15-year lease to move into the old Borders building at 8701 Germantown Ave. The daycare can operate as a matter of right under the Philadelphia zoning code and does not need the CHCA’s approval to open.

NewsWorks wants to know whether you think a newspaper ad (published letter) is a good strategy to get Children of America to meet with the CHCA’s traffic committee?

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