Residents Lash Out at Supervisor Mack & Solicitor Dave Sander at Arcadia Meeting

Many angry residents attended the February 24, 2021, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) Meeting to oppose a settlement with the Arcadia developer to build 60 homes at Buck Road and the Bypass. None perhaps were more angry than Eric Scott Gold, a resident of Eagle Ridge whose lawyer advised the HOA to settle its case against Arcadia (see his statement below). In this short audio clip, Mr. Gold lashes out against me (John Mack) for voting in favor of the settlement. Mr. Sander objected to his language and Chairman Phil Calabro had to calm everyone down. Mr. Gold thought the supervisors came into the meeting with their minds already made up. Of course we did! We spent many weeks listening to all parties - including residents of neighboring communities and their representatives - at public and private meetings. I also spent many hours listening to and responding to residents on Facebook.* "Although Dave Sander was a convenient whipping boy," said Mr. Steve Harris, lawyer for Eagle Ridge HOA, "I would have recommended the settlement, even if the plan had not been deemed approved. Given the uncertainty that would result from the land use appeal that would certainly have been filed by Arcadia from a denial of the tentative plan, I would have also encouraged the parties to explore a settlement." *Immediately after my vote at this meeting, moderators of the Newtown Crossing and Eagle Ridge FB pages decided to block me from seeing or making posts to their pages. It is too bad that some residents now believe getting involved does not accomplish anything. They are greatly mistaken in my view. They helped create a better if imperfect settlement and they raised some issues that I will pursue going forward.