OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Radnor Township Board of Commissioners Meeting - May 11, 2026

Board of Commissioners & Boards — Monday, May 11, 2026
BodyRadnor Township, Pennsylvania
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Boards
DateMonday, May 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 56:45

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Hi.

0:03

I would like to call an order the Board of Commissioners meeting this Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 65 p.m.

0:15

Let's start with the uh Pledge of Allegiance.

0:27

Which is sands.

0:29

One nation.

0:39

Thank you.

0:40

Thank you for coming.

0:42

I'd like to give notice of executive session that we had just prior, where we discuss legal and real estate issues.

0:49

We're going to start off with a presentation.

0:54

Mr.

0:54

Norsini, thank you.

0:56

Thank you, Commissioner.

0:57

Allow me to introduce Tony Steele, owner of Signal Sales, who is our rhythm engineering representative here in Pennsylvania and on our latest traffic adaptive project.

1:10

He's going to go over a few things, outline the system, and would also be able to answer a few questions from the board.

1:18

Is that me?

1:20

Thank you.

1:21

Uh like first of all, like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to help everyone understand what we have out on uh Route 30.

1:29

And I really appreciate it.

1:31

Um couple things I want to get through.

1:34

I want to get through on the introduction, who I am, the understanding of an intersection, the understanding of what you guys had here, what you have now, and uh want to address the complaints that you've been getting.

1:49

Um I'm Anthony Still.

1:51

Um I'm from the area.

1:53

Um my family's deeply rooted in the area.

1:56

I'm a direct descendant of William Still, who helped with Harriet Tubman, this underground railroad.

2:01

And the only reason I even mention that is because I have a I have a deep interest in doing right for the area.

2:09

I'm from here.

2:10

This is where I am, this is where I'm from.

2:12

Um I'm originally from I came from New Jersey.

2:15

In relationship to my experience.

2:16

Uh I did 25 years with General Highway Products, which is a distributor in the area that distributes jury traffic control equipment.

2:24

And um my primary my primary responsibilities was systems.

2:29

So systems is what I do.

2:32

Um I want to talk about I want to talk about an intersection, how an intersection basically works.

2:36

When you look over to an intersection, there's two main, there's two main uh characteristics of intersection, the main street and the side street.

2:43

Your main street is the corridor, Lancaster Avenue that handles most of the volume.

2:49

And the other streets, the side streets, are the ones that feed the main street.

2:54

Okay, that's basically how it works.

2:56

At least that's the way we look at it.

2:57

We look at it as there's a main street, a corridor, we're removing traffic through through an air set through moving traffic through an area, and the side streets feed traffic into that corridor.

3:07

Every corridor is designed for a certain number of vehicles in order to handle a certain number of vehicles.

3:13

When we go over that design, we create saturation.

3:18

And there's only two solutions of saturation.

3:20

You can either make more lanes or take the cars off the street.

3:24

If we reduce the cars, if you reduce the cars on the corridor, you have a better flow.

3:29

Okay, since we can't add more lanes, what we do as far as rhythm concerned is we remove the cars off of the track off the main street so that we can have traffic flow.

3:38

And we want to remove the cars off the main street.

3:40

We basically put them on the side streets.

3:43

Okay.

3:45

Um what you guys had before we got here, what you guys had were non-intelligent intersections.

3:53

What you guys know, you're non-intelligent intersections.

3:55

So basically, what you had was an intersection I gave a certain amount of time for Lancaster and a certain amount of time for the side street for whatever Lowry or whatever.

4:05

And what happens in that particular scenario is that people who drive the intersection consistently, since it was non-intelligent, they're used to how it operates.

4:14

So they get they understand that when I pull up this intersection, it's gonna go there, it's gonna go there.

4:18

The intersection doesn't think, has no concern about the corridor, it's just feeding the intersection.

4:23

This guy gets a turn, that guy gets a turn.

4:25

That's what you guys have.

4:27

And drivers become accustomed to that, and any change from that particular setup is different from what they're used to seeing.

4:34

So that's when the complaints start.

4:37

Um what you have now is an intelligent intersection.

4:43

And if you're in the our trap traffic signals are patented in 1923 by Garrett Morgan, and his idea of a traffic signal was there was a guy standing on the intersection with a clicker, and basically what he did was he looked at the intersection, he judged wait time and volume, and he clicked the intersection to make it go to whatever one it was.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety█████████████████████████████████████37%
Animal Welfare██████████████14%
Signage Regulation████████████12%
Zoning Variance██████████10%
Procedural█████████9%
Public Engagement██████6%
Community Engagement█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Radnor Township Board of Commissioners Meeting - May 11, 2026

The Board of Commissioners met on Monday, May 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM in the Radnorshire Room. The meeting included a presentation on the Lancaster Avenue traffic adaptive system, public comments on a proposed development, and adoption of several ordinances and resolutions, including a ban on pet store animal sales and a community recycling requirement.

Presentation – Lancaster Avenue (East) Traffic Adaptive System

Tony Still, owner of Signal Sales and representative of Rhythm Engineering, presented on the new traffic adaptive system installed along Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue). He explained that the system uses cameras to adjust green times based on real-time traffic volume, making intersections less predictable but improving corridor flow. He acknowledged that initial settings caused long waits on side streets in residential areas and described adjustments made: guaranteed green time on the main street was reduced from 60% to 30% and the gap between platoons was shortened from 4 to 2 seconds, alleviating complaints. Steve Norsini, township staff, added that the system has successfully moved traffic through Lancaster Avenue, a key goal of the PennDOT grant. Commissioners asked about pedestrian crossing buttons (all intersections have actuated pedestrian signals) and whether the system uses neural networks (it does not, but can detect vehicle types). Future expansion west was noted as requiring further study.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mary Packer (27 Fairview Drive) spoke in opposition to the proposed development at 118-120 North Wayne Avenue. She cited the 2025-26 Radnor Township Comprehensive Plan survey results showing residents' preference for preserving rural character, low traffic, and small-town feel. She raised concerns about increased traffic, noise, scale (three stories disrupting the downtown block), and precedent-setting. She urged reducing the building to two stories and requiring a clear parking and traffic plan. She acknowledged the board's assurance it was a one-time exception but expressed skepticism.
  • Pet Advocacy Network representative spoke against Ordinance 2026-12 (pet store ban), arguing bans are ineffective and could discourage specialty pet stores (birds, reptiles, fish) from locating in Radnor. She noted that Cambridge, MA saw a Petco leave after such a ban. She offered to work with the board on targeted approaches.
  • Radnor Outreach and Animal Rescue founder (Radnor Township resident) spoke in favor of the pet store ban, citing personal experience rescuing animals originally sold in pet stores and the negative effects of impulse sales and inhumane breeding.

Consent Calendar

The following items were approved unanimously by one motion:

  • Approval of meeting minutes of April 27, 2026
  • Resolution 2026-63: Purchase of two hybrid Ford Explorer police vehicles ($91,044) from insurance proceeds and capital budget
  • Resolution 2026-66: Grant application to PA DEP Section 902 Municipal Recycling Grant Program ($250,000) for a compost windrow turner, requiring $27,778 in matching funds
  • Resolution 2026-64: Agreement with Stix Lacrosse for 2026 seasonal recreational programming ($20,000, fully offset by proceeds)
  • Resolution 2026-68: Purchase of one Ford Transit 250 cargo vehicle for Parks and Recreation ($73,500) from 2026 capital budget
  • Resolution 2026-65: Appointment of Angela Dement as Interim, Part-Time Zoning Officer

Discussion Items

3.A. Ordinance 2026-11 – Community Events Recycling (Adoption) The ordinance amends Chapter 240 to require recycling at community events. During discussion, a commissioner proposed an amendment to also require signage on trash receptacles directing people to recycling bins. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. The amended ordinance was then adopted unanimously.

3.B. Ordinance 2026-12 – Pet Store Sales Ban (Adoption) The ordinance prohibits the sale of pets in pet stores within Radnor Township. Commissioner Mulroney noted that no current pet stores sell live animals, so no existing businesses are impacted. After hearing public comment both for and against, the board voted unanimously to adopt.

3.C. Ordinance 2026-13 – Removal of Handicap Space at 38 Garrett Avenue (Adoption) The police chief confirmed the subject has moved, making the space unnecessary. The ordinance was adopted unanimously.

3.D. Resolution 2026-69 – Financial Support to Main Line School Night ($20,000) The resolution authorizes up to $20,000 for facility improvements (fire suppression, acoustic panels, energy-efficient lighting). Staff explained that the lease cap for maintenance has grown above $20,000, and Main Line School Night regularly exceeds its obligations. Funds come from facilities improvement bonds, not the general fund. Adopted unanimously.

3.E. Resolution 2026-70 – America250 Banners Purchase ($25,000) The resolution authorizes purchase of 97 banners (50% America250 themed, 50% “Welcome to Radnor Township”) for business districts. Staff reported that fireworks for July 2 have been secured at $16,800, leaving about $13,000 in unused America250 funds, and a potential Visit Delco grant of $25,000 may cover banner costs. Adopted unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance 2026-11 adopted with amendment (signage on trash and recycling bins).
  • Ordinance 2026-12 adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance 2026-13 adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-69 adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-70 adopted unanimously.
  • Old Business: Commissioner White announced an anti-gun violence petition will be placed on the next meeting’s agenda.
  • Adjournment: Motion passed unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Hi. I would like to call an order the Board of Commissioners meeting this Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 65 p.m. Let's start with the uh Pledge of Allegiance. Which is sands. One nation. Thank you. Thank you for coming. I'd like to give notice of executive session that we had just prior, where we discuss legal and real estate issues. We're going to start off with a presentation. Mr. Norsini, thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Allow me to introduce Tony Steele, owner of Signal Sales, who is our rhythm engineering representative here in Pennsylvania and on our latest traffic adaptive project. He's going to go over a few things, outline the system, and would also be able to answer a few questions from the board. Is that me? Thank you. Uh like first of all, like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to help everyone understand what we have out on uh Route 30. And I really appreciate it. Um couple things I want to get through. I want to get through on the introduction, who I am, the understanding of an intersection, the understanding of what you guys had here, what you have now, and uh want to address the complaints that you've been getting. Um I'm Anthony Still. Um I'm from the area. Um my family's deeply rooted in the area. I'm a direct descendant of William Still, who helped with Harriet Tubman, this underground railroad. And the only reason I even mention that is because I have a I have a deep interest in doing right for the area. I'm from here. This is where I am, this is where I'm from. Um I'm originally from I came from New Jersey. In relationship to my experience. Uh I did 25 years with General Highway Products, which is a distributor in the area that distributes jury traffic control equipment. And um my primary my primary responsibilities was systems. So systems is what I do. Um I want to talk about I want to talk about an intersection, how an intersection basically works. When you look over to an intersection, there's two main, there's two main uh characteristics of intersection, the main street and the side street. Your main street is the corridor, Lancaster Avenue that handles most of the volume. And the other streets, the side streets, are the ones that feed the main street. Okay, that's basically how it works. At least that's the way we look at it. We look at it as there's a main street, a corridor, we're removing traffic through through an air set through moving traffic through an area, and the side streets feed traffic into that corridor. Every corridor is designed for a certain number of vehicles in order to handle a certain number of vehicles. When we go over that design, we create saturation. And there's only two solutions of saturation. You can either make more lanes or take the cars off the street. If we reduce the cars, if you reduce the cars on the corridor, you have a better flow. Okay, since we can't add more lanes, what we do as far as rhythm concerned is we remove the cars off of the track off the main street so that we can have traffic flow. And we want to remove the cars off the main street. We basically put them on the side streets. Okay. Um what you guys had before we got here, what you guys had were non-intelligent intersections. What you guys know, you're non-intelligent intersections.

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