West Chester residents try to stop Montessori settlement

Two West Chester Twp. residents are trying to stop the settlement the township has reached with owners of the Community Montessori School.

Dave Lindenschmidt, who is also running for trustee, and his neighbor, Gary Bolte, have hired a lawyer and filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit filed by Todd and Jamie Minniear against the township.

The trustees last week agreed to enter into a consent decree with the Minniears that will transfer the property to them for $250,000.

“Any consent decree between the township and J. Lyn (the Minniears) is nothing but an end run by the trustees and J. Lyn to get their way despite the BZA (board of zoning appeals) disapproval,” attorney Tim Mara wrote. “The trustees should not be the deciders of their own de facto appeal of the BZA denial and in fact lack authority to overturn the BZA decision, such power resting solely with this court.”

The township’s attorney has filed a motion as well, asking the court to disallow the intervention because it is too late.

MORE: Community Montessori School to expand in old schoolhouse

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Denise Callahan