Radnor Township Design Review Board Meeting - June 10, 2026
Radnor Township Design Review Board Meeting - June 10, 2026
The Radnor Township Design Review Board (DRB) met on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Radnorshire Room to review five site and signage applications, approve prior meeting minutes, and address procedural matters. All votes were unanimous unless noted.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Meeting Minutes (May 13, 2026): The board approved the minutes from the May 13, 2026 DRB meeting by a unanimous voice vote.
Discussion Items
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DRB 2026-27 – Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Ave. (New site lighting, entry piers, bus shelter): Karen McManuels, Senior Project Manager for Villanova, presented a new gothic-style lighting plan for the realigned Dougherty Drive, two stone entry piers matching the existing corner sign, and a relocated bus shelter (two 8-foot shelters combined) near Sheehan Hall. The driveway will serve deliveries and a shuttle bus between Cabrini and the main campus. Board members praised the consistent stonework and fixtures. No public opposition. A motion to approve passed unanimously.
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DRB 2026-28 – Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Ave. (16 light fixtures along County Line Road): Riley Lervier presented plans for 16 dark-sky compliant gothic light fixtures along a new sidewalk on County Line and Spring Mill Roads, connecting the SEPTA station to Stonely Arboretum. A board member cautioned against planting pussy willows in the vegetated swale due to invasive growth. No opposition. Approved unanimously.
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DRB 2026-29 – Wayne Movie Theater, 109 Lancaster Ave. (Removal of five windows): Andy Cho, on behalf of the Anthony Wayne Theater board, proposed infilling five second-floor windows with brick to match existing. Three windows are on an inset northern facade (currently boarded up) and two on the western facade (Santander side). The work improves thermal performance and water tightness. Board members characterized the application as simple and clean. A motion to approve passed unanimously. Future plans for a marquee lighting were noted.
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DRB 2026-30 – Phamily Orthodontics, 239 Conestoga Road (One wall sign, one monument sign): Debbie Parnas, representing the practice, explained that a wall sign (over the door) and a monument sign panel were replaced without prior DRB approval. The wall sign is within size limits (calculated at 18 sq. ft. based on 9 linear feet of building frontage). The monument sign (owned by landlord Keith Martin) was replaced entirely, but only the panel with “Phamily Orthodontics” was changed. The board determined that the entire monument sign structure must be approved separately; the property owner must appear before the DRB. The board approved both signs conditionally: the wall sign is legal upon submission of linear footage measurements, and the monument sign panel is approved contingent on the owner obtaining proper approval for the sign structure. Parnas also sought guidance on a future vinyl window covering with text (signage limited to 20% of window area). Unanimous.
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DRB 2026-31 – Wayne Post Office, 108 W. Wayne Ave. (Five flood lights on roof): Al Bucchianeri, Mainline Electrical, requested approval to replace five flood lights (four aimed at the cupola, one at the flagpole) that were discarded during an unpermitted roof replacement. The new LED lights will be about 20% brighter (3000–3500K vs. 2700K). Board members expressed concern that the roof replacement was done without a permit or DRB review, calling it “illegal work.” The board voted to approve the lights conditionally, requiring the property owner to first legalize the roof through appropriate township permits, which may require another DRB appearance. Approved with condition.
Key Outcomes
- All applications approved: DRB 2026-27, 2026-28, and 2026-29 were approved unconditionally. DRB 2026-30 (Phamily Orthodontics) approved contingent on monument sign structure review by the board. DRB 2026-31 (Post Office) approved contingent on legalization of the roof replacement.
- Next meeting: The next DRB meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Applications for that meeting must be submitted by June 17, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Not the not the greatest of nights, but uh we promise we'll get you out of here uh in time for the build up a basketball I mean the next basketball game tonight so all right so before we get started I'm gonna ask Colin to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please stand flags in America stands for me for just as well okay. So um just a couple things. I most of you have been here before. So when you approach the podium, please let us know who you are in the business you represent. Uh the overhead cameras out tonight. So if you have any like papers are not gonna be visible, but I think some of you have had uh that you're gonna work off the computer, so we'll be fine with that. Um just you know speak loudly into the mic so the viewers at home can hear everything. So a little business for our board. Uh I don't know if you have a chance to look over the minutes from last month. If you have, can somebody make a motion for approval? I'll make a motion to approve the minutes of the design review board of May 13th, 2026. Okay, do we're a second? Second. Colin second. Okay, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay, great. Okay. Sure. Okay, super. All right. So the first application tonight is DRB 2026-27, the application at Villanova at 800 East Lancaster Avenue. It looks like uh work at RD Drive and uh Vassi Hall. So a little bit of everything. So welcome. Um Karen McManiels, senior project manager for Villanova. Nice to have you here. Thank you. This is um Doherty Drive presentation. Um the existing conditions. So this is the aerial, um, the current uh Dockerty Drive. Can you just speak a little louder? A little louder? Okay. The current Doherty Drive um comes in off of I Th uh If an Avenue right here, runs along here up over to uh Dockerty. Is the current drive? Um these are some pictures. This is the the loop road in front of uh Sheehan, and then this is the drive looking down towards Doherty towards the back here. So one of the main things um we're here for the design review is this is the new Doherty Drive proposed that comes in off of Lancaster Avenue. Um and we're proposing to do our gothic lights up along uh the drive. Um that's our typical Gothic light, I think familiar with. And then this was the lighting plan uh to show the light levels uh for long Doherty Drive. And those lights are consistent with what you have currently. Yes, yep. Okay. They're after dark sky compliant and everything. Okay. And then the architectural site plan. So this is the overall uh project, again showing the old one.
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