At the Feb. 22 Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors meeting, someone (other than a supervisor) finally stood to represent the St. Davids Golf Club in the continuing controversy over the Board’s decision to release the St. Davids sidewalk escrow.
Mr. Bruce Parkinson rose to defend the club's interests. Describing himself as a 45-year member who has held "every position" at St. Davids, Mr. Parkinson offered a brief but stern lecture.
Speaking about membership and dues, Mr. Parkinson noted that "some of those dues go to pay real estate taxes, and we also own homes in Tredyffrin, and we pay more real estate taxes. Double bubble."
It turns out Mr. Parkinson was inflating his own bubble.
Facts
St. Davids is a registered non-profit, and the golf club pays county, township and school taxes as a recreational green space--at far, far less than residential property appraisal. Based on the assessed value of the club's 124-acre property and its multi-million dollar clubhouse, total real estate taxes paid amounted to about $130,000 in 2007, for a club with $3.2 million in membership revenue. [Fact paper on St. Davids real estate.]
The club's Tredyffrin township tax is actually less $100 an acre—for some of the most valuable land in the municipality. Contrasted with the Tredyffrin tax bill for an average residential property, based on lot size, residential homeowners are paying township tax at a rate about 7 or 8 times greater than the country club.
Plus, dividing the club's township tax on a per member basis, Mr. Parkinson and his fellow members are likely paying less than the cost of lunch in the renovated St. Davids' clubhouse for the "double" of that "bubble" he complained about.
With arms folded across his chest, Mr. Parkinson declared to the packed crowd in Keene Hall, "I don’t like the idea of this being a political football." It is an interesting choice of words from a man who has been active in the Tredyffrin GOP for many years and currently serves as a Republican Precinct Committeeman.
Mr. Parkinson is surely mistaken if he believes that only Democrats are source of the month-long flow of criticism about the special treatment afforded his club. The community at large has been shocked at how the board went about its decision.
Since 2005, Mr. Parkinson has also been serving as an appointed member of the township's advisory committee for Sidewalks, Trails and Paths--nominated by Supervisor Paul Olson. Since 2008, St. Davids Golf Club has been out of compliance with the township for their development plan on the $6.5 million clubhouse expansion, by failing to install the sidewalks along Upper Gulph Road. This seems a little too much like having a scofflaw serving on the parole board.
In advocating for his January 25 motion to release the St. Davids escrow, Supervisor Olson went out of his way to say there was "no back room deal here." Perhaps he doth protest too much: Maybe there was meaning in Olson's anticipating defensiveness?
Given the dynamics of these relationships, the Tredyffrin supervisors' actions remain troubling. Their January 25 vote to release the St. Davids escrow has been followed first by apologies and now by their murky motion on February 22 to reinstate the escrow, while still putting the St. Davids sidewalk obligation on hold. This suggests the supervisors are still caddying for the country club.
Instead, by following both proper Home Rule Charter procedure and administering policy with even-handed consistency, Tredyffrin supervisors should play themselves down the center of the fairway and get the township back on par.
#####
Comments by Mr. Parkinson at Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors' meeting on February 22, 2010.
Video from Tredyffrin Public Access Television broadcast, excerpt edited and posted by Pattye and Jeff Benson, www.pattyebenson.org
At the Feb. 22 Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors meeting, someone (other than a supervisor) finally stood to represent the St. Davids Golf Club in the continuing controversy over the Board’s decision to release the St. Davids sidewalk escrow.
Facts