Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The story behind Bud's Bar's paint job

We're going to put the real story out, in print, about the paint job.
The owner of Bud's Bar is going on the record with his reason for giving everyone in Lower Providence something to talk about these past couple of weeks.
Make sure you pick up a copy of The Times Herald this weekend (We should have the interview completed by then) to hear the real story. Speculation has been flying, but that's just what it has been speculation.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank You! We enjoy Buds Bar and his reasoning needs to be heard.

Anonymous said...

Stan doesn't have a real blog - a real blog accepts ALL comments without editing. He screens out the intelligent responses in favor of the ones that generate controversy and invective, in a misguided effort to sell papers, rather then educate and inform. Thanks for aiming low, Stan!

Anonymous said...

That was a cheesy plug! *wink*

Anonymous said...

I sure hope there are two sides to this story, otherwise don't bother printing it!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I'll drink to that. Can't wait until the weekend. Stan the interview should be done in the umbrella area, that way we can all enjoy a cold one.

Anonymous said...

It will be interesting to hear how the Township has treated the owner of Bud's!I am sure there is a story!

Anonymous said...

Stan...I'm sure both sides will have their space in the Times as usual. If more papers are sold...that's great. We need all people in the Norristown Area informed on local happenings and not happening. (Is Phoenixville in your area? Visit there on Friday Nites - we enjoyed the Blogfest last week) Yes, then of course back to Buds?

Anonymous said...

There are two sides: The supervisors with you know who at the chair changed the Village Commercial Ordinance to allow CVS and Commerce to move in and then reverted back to the original. The Chairman refers to the board as MY BOARD thats why the pendulum swings three ways not five. Stan, shame on you for not printing the intelligent responses, maybe the person who wants to educate your blog readers should run for the ordinance changers.

Anonymous said...

It's ashame that the Lower Township Supervisors are standing in the way of completing something that Audobon really needs; a traffic flowing intersection. This will definitely improve the quality of life in the village and this is being blocked because they refuse to let free enterprise work. Just like Commerce Bank and CVS improved their corner w/unlimited funds at their disposal, so would another National Company or corporation would improve the dynamics of the village at Bud's Bar Corner, of which the owner of the building should have the freedom and the right to do what he wishes w/his hard earned property. This would save the township taxpayers not only time but money in improving that entire section. This is how the marketplace should truly work.
Thank you......Jim and Rita

Anonymous said...

I agree with "anonymous #2" above regarding this blog. The readers should be able to start the conversations with Stan adding his 2 cents worth and refereeing the submissions.

I suggest that the Times Herald use a formula similar to Cruise Critic's very popular site. As an example here is a link:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=171

Please consider this format and watch your "blog" grow.

Anonymous said...

For all you people who enjoy Buds, a cold one and a great cheese steak, beware if Joe Dedominick gets his way with Lower Providence, the only thing you will be abel to get on that lot will be "COLD CASH".

Anonymous said...

Why the presumption that LP Township has treated the owner of Bud's poorly? Any development on that land would have required some level of zoning relief regardless of when the plan was submitted, under original VC or today's version. If he'd submitted a plan back in the Stone Ages it wouldn't have fit neatly into any zoning ordinance then either. Geesh. One minute LPT is accused of being pro-developer, pro-business, and the next, it's accused of picking on and mistreating its viable business owners.

Think about Bud's Bar's situation in the context of past experience at that interesection. What organization is most likely to protest changes on land involving a historical building in a village environment, and hold up any plans he has to develop or improve it?? If LPT is so pro-development, as some claim, would it really be treating Bud's poorly?? Can't have it both ways, folks.

Anonymous said...

For all those who enjoy Bud's Bar so much, get a grip, it's on the chopping bloc, word on the street is he has applied for a demo permit!

Anonymous said...

Well it looks like I wasted my money looking for the story on Bub's Bar. I guess it was just to sell papers as so many have blogged....

Anonymous said...

Bud's is old news already. It doesn't much matter if there was an offer from a "big company" to buy and develop the plot. The plot is way too samll to be developed into anything a larger company would want. Remember, it's a triangular plot of land with little room for a larger building than the exisiting one plus parking, set backs and buffers. When all of the CVS and Commerce dealings were going on, Bud's should have been included in the revamping of the intersection as well as Cumberland Farms. Unfortuantely, no big companies are stepping up to buy and pay for "traffic improvements" on top of the construction. Again, remember that CVS and Commerce got the zoning OK because our township Supervisors at the time ( Dogherty, Lomire, Hager, Dunbar and Brown) all wanted the traffic improvements at no cost to LPTownship. What a can of worms they opened by doing this. Those sitting on the board now ( Brown, Dinniney, Sassu, DiPAolo and Altieri) are going to take the brunt of this mistake eventhough they didn't have much to do with it....more they got it dumped in their laps from those who came before. I'm not saying that some on the current board haven't supported the VC ordinance change to allow CVS and Commerce...4 of the current five have and 1 of those has now changed his tune ( thank goodness!). It stinks that we can't have more open discussion about it in public...everyone gets on the defense right away....maybe we should all go to Bud's and have a few beers together and bury the hatchet. I'm sure there will be more pressing matters for LPTownship to deal with in it's future. As someone stated...you can't please all the people all of the time.

Anonymous said...

wow...lotsa response to this situation....good to see people care, whichever side of the fence they sit! from what i have heard, the CVS and Commerce have dedicated considerable amts of money to road improvements. personally, i think it would be nicer if the ENTIRE intersection were improved, and not 3/4 of it. besides, anyone who has seen the 2 new buildings and dont think the lots are improved, in appearance AND "looking more like a village" is crazy! Also, look at all the other places that have opened in last couple years to drink and eat. how can little old buds compete?

Anonymous said...

Let's set the record straight: When CVS and Commerce got their approvals Mr Lomire was history, Mr. Brown was not on the board, Mr. Dunbar was the Township Manager. The sitting Supervisors who deserve all the credit for the beautiful corner goes too: Dinniny,Dougherty, Hager, sassu, and Kearney. Amen.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous-

You have to be kidding. The current board did not start the process for the re-zoning of CVS and Commerce properties. Janice Kearney sat on the board for all of 2 seconds and never even opened her mouth while sitting up there except to cast a vote. I can't believe how people's memories have suddenly diminished. The village commercial ordinance change came about when the board was - Hager, Dunbar, Lomire, Brown and Dougherty...I should know...I got yelled at by them many times over this issue!!! And since I'm taking my 2 minutes to spout off here...Mr. Lomire, when you said you visited every house when campaigning to be Supervisor and spoke to almost every person in this township, I had my doubts but really, wouldn't it have been better if you and all of the current and past township Supervisors visit with the residents AFTER YOU ARE ELECTED!!! You never once came to ask the residents how they felt about the zoning changes...we had to come to you!! Maybe the current board will get out and do some door knocking over the next "big issue" that affects residents in LP instead of waiting for them to form a non-profit group and have to threaten legal action. No one wants to get into a fight but you really didn't leave the residents with much choice.
Anonymous, I'd be happy to give you all of the dates, votes and what was said going back 3 years to when all of this started but that would fill an entire novel which no one has time to read. As I said before, the current board ( DiPaolo, Sassu, Altieri, Dinniney, and Brown) got this all dumped in their laps and I'm sure will continue to take blame for it. Mr. Brown was the only one of the current board who was present when the VC ordinance change was first proposed. Maybe I should write a book on the history of the VC Ordinance change so everyone gets their facts straight...of course by now, who cares?...except for poor Mr. DiDomenic.

Anonymous too

Anonymous said...

Just to set the record straight, the Village Commercial Ordinance #517 that permitted large retail like Commerce Bank and CVS was adopted on 9/16/04. The board of supervisors at that time consisted of James Dougherty, Craig Dininney, Pero Sassu, Doug Hager, and Janice Kearney, (never elected, was appointed to fill the unexpired term of John Lomire who resigned in August).

Anonymous said...

Hey Stan,

Give us a break, why can't the latest posts be printed at the top instead of the bottom, that way you wouldn't have to search all the way to the bottom to see what is the latest gossip on each blog item.

Anonymous said...

Quit crying, you did not have the necessary acreage to put a bank on that corner. Stan put this beast to rest.

Anonymous said...

To set the record straight...again...Kearney was sworn into office in late August or early September 2005...not 2004...

Anonymous said...

To be exact Mrs Kearney was sworn -in as a new Supervisor replacing retired Mr. Lomire for a term of 4 months on September 1,2005. If I recall correctly District Justice Ben Crahalla did the swearing in duties. Let's put this one to bed also.

Anonymous said...

In response to just the facts, Janice Kearney was brought on board in September of 2005 to vote for the CVS & Commerce Bank projects. She voted for resolution 05-116 and 05-117 on 11-17-05 which gave preliminary and final approval for both projects. While in office for four months she also voted for resolution 05-119 which reduced the minimun acreage for townhouses from 10 acres to five acres, paving the way for 30 townhouses on Eaglestream Drive on 5 acres with no provision for open space. She was a busy lady for her short time in office.