Hearing for Bustleton charter school variance is continued

Bustleton resident Maureen Greene sent us the following update from Wednesday’s Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing, at which Tacony Academy Charter School was was set to request a zoning variance to send kindergarten and first-grade students to St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church at 608 Welsh Rd.

“The hearing for the variance to allow a charter school to rent parts of St. Thomas Church was continued on Wednesday without a date for a new hearing.

The attorney for the Church confirmed that the charter school withdrew from their plans and the Church had to evaluate what they were going to do. Councilman Brian O’Neill pointed to the 20 neighbors in the hearing room and displayed a stack of petitions the group had collected as proof of massive opposition.  The neighbors went down town to the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing knowing that there was going to be a continuance so they could put in appearance slips allowing them to be notified of any further hearings.

Afterward, he praised the neighbors for their efforts and promised to help get a proper traffic study of the dangerous segment of Welsh Road.”