Sabine Coalition tells Narberth council it does not endorse 201 Sabine development plans; council schedules community outreach

Carol Marie Scanlon, identifying herself as a spokesperson for the Sabine Coalition, used the public-comment period on Dec. 18 to put a formal statement on the record: the Coalition "does not agree, approve, and or endorse any development on the 201 Sabine property," and therefore council members should not represent the coalition as supportive.

Scanlon said Sabine Coalition leadership and legal counsel had not been consulted on proposals that council members discussed and called the council’s prior references to Coalition views "false, disingenuous, and unethical." She also asserted there is no open-space easement protecting Sabine Park and urged the council to stop speaking on the Coalition’s behalf.

Council reply and scheduled outreach
The presiding officer replied that the borough is "working on finding a partner to develop an RFP" but emphasized the borough is not preparing or issuing an RFP at this time and that staff expects a community outreach meeting in March–April to review proposals and gather public input. The presiding officer said the borough would avoid an informal meeting with Coalition representatives after receiving a letter from counsel containing legal threats; instead, the council invited public comments and formal participation at public meetings.

Quote
"Let it be stated on the public record that Sabine Coalition does not agree, approve, and or endorse any development on the 201 Sabine property," Carol Marie Scanlon said.

Status
The issue remains unresolved in the meeting; the council scheduled community outreach in the coming months and said it would not proceed with issuing an RFP until community input is gathered. Sabine Coalition's assertion that council members misrepresented the Coalition's position will likely require follow-up and clarification during the advertised outreach process.