Radnor Township has dropped its plan to buy 405 W. Wayne Ave. for a new district court. The decision ends a summer-long dispute with neighbors over traffic, costs and the fit of a courthouse in a residential area.

The Board of Commissioners posted the cancellation on Thursday, Sept. 3. The board cited a thorough review of the site and feedback from neighbors about traffic, infrastructure, neighborhood compatibility and the building's structural and financial condition.

The board said it will hold a public town hall to discuss what a Magisterial District Court handles and to help identify a new location. No date, time or venue has been set. The township said details will be posted on its website and social media accounts once finalized.

How the deal unraveled

In July, commissioners voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance to purchase the former veterinarian's office at 405 W. Wayne Ave., as the Daily Times reported. The township planned to buy the building and rent it to Delaware County, which funds district courts. Officials estimated the purchase price would be recouped within a decade through county rent payments.

Commissioner Jack Larkin explained the urgency in July. He warned the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could eventually strip Radnor of its court designation if the township kept letting it sit in Newtown Square.

"When the Supreme Court looks at Radnor, and we haven't had a magistrate in Radnor for 15 years, they're going to say, 'well, they don't really want one,'" Larkin said at the July board meeting, as Mainline Media News reported.

But residents pushed back. At an August board meeting, several spoke during public comment against the proposal, as Mainline Media News reported. Jason Bologna, a lawyer and former prosecutor who lives near the site, said he had never seen a magisterial district court placed in a residential neighborhood. Skip Kunda questioned the financial projections, saying he found it extremely hard to believe the purchase could be paid off in 10 years. Neighbor Diane Edbril, who walks her dog past the property, called the plan "an idiotic solution" at the same meeting.

Larkin acknowledged the concerns at that meeting and promised a town hall in September. The cancellation came before any town hall took place.

What comes next

The board said the search for a new court location will stay within Radnor Township boundaries. Delaware County Magisterial District Court 32-2-43 (MDC 32-2-43), which handles minor civil disputes, landlord-tenant matters, traffic citations and preliminary proceedings, has operated at 4655 West Chester Pike in Newtown Square for roughly 15 years.

The township's stated goal remains bringing the court back inside Radnor so residents and police do not have to travel to a neighboring township. The purchase price for 405 W. Wayne Ave. was never publicly disclosed.

Residents can watch for the town hall date on the township's website and official social media channels.