Corn can be seen growing on the “Movie lot” properties owned by the North Penn School District north of Welsh Road in Hatfield Township in Sept. 2024. Photo by Dan Sokil | The Reporter.
Could chemicals on cornfield cause health problems?
An area resident has raised concerns about potential hazards on or around the “Movie lots,” a roughly 56-acre patch of farmland North Penn School District is in the process of selling to a developer.
“I’m concerned for my community, my family and myself. I’m bringing evidence that digging up the cornfield is a health risk to my community, my family and myself,” said Patricia Houston-Martinez of Welsh Road.
“I’m trying to make you aware that this soil is not healthy for families. Please don’t build and endanger our community,” she said.
In mid-September the school board announced and approved a $15 million sale agreement with developer Pulte Homes for the so-called “movie lots” near Welsh Road in Hatfield Township. The lots total about 56 acres and are located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Welsh and Forty Foot Roads and are currently farmed on a year-to-year contract with an area farmer.
The board has made passing references to the lots in prior years, dubbed “movie lots” because the strips roughly 100 feet by 20 feet had been given away by movie theaters as far back as the 1920s, as prizes for those attending movies, then acquired by the district over the years.
In the September meeting, the board said several offers had been fielded from developers seeking to acquire the lots, and voted to accept one from Pulte, contingent on the buyer receiving final approval to build 85 homes on that land.
Pulte has nearly completed a “Del Webb North Penn” development, which Hatfield Township officials approved in 2019-20, of roughly 325 homes just west of the movie lots, and the township has held several public meetings to field feedback since Pulte submitted a conditional use application in March proposing to build 78 single-family homes on roughly 42 acres of the “Beach property" adjacent to both.
Site plan showing the "Movie lots" owned by North Penn School District, and the adjacent "Beach property" just to the north, located off of Welsh Road, at bottom, in Hatfield Township. (Image courtesy of North Penn School District)Voicing concerns
During a visit by The Reporter after the board vote, and in both Hatfield and North Penn meetings since, Houston-Martinez has voiced similar concerns about what has been done on the land in recent years.
"Since the 1990s the farmers have used Round Up (glyphosate) as a pesticide. In 2015 the World Heath Organization has declared glyphosate a probable carcinogen. It has also been linked to neurological conditions, like you can see I carry," she said.
"I know of two neighbors, one my age and one elderly, dealing with cancer. I’m concerned (about) the babies, the pregnant, there’s a young couple possibly starting a family. I’m concerned for my family and myself: digging up this toxic chemical could have devastating health effects on our community," Houston-Martinez said.
During both the Hatfield commissioners meeting on Sept. 25, and North Penn's facilities and operations committee meeting on Sept. 30, Houston-Martinez provided similar comments in writing, read by township Manager Aaron Bibro in the former and district CFO Steve Skrocki in the latter after Houston-Martinez introduced herself and explained that she now has difficulty speaking.
Corn can be seen growing on the "Movie lot" properties owned by the North Penn School District north of Welsh Road in Hatfield Township in Sept. 2024."We moved from Towamencin to our house, adjacent (to) the cornfield. In fact the cornfield is less than 100 feet from my front yard. When the farmers spray, I stay inside because my tongue and lips get numb," she said.
"Soon after the move (in) spring 2013, I lost my voice and needed a walker. In 2016 I had a total thyroidectomy, due to thyroid cancer. My now ex-husband who lived here also had thyroid cancer. I’m concerned for my health and my children if I would get worse, especially if you dig up this ground," Houston-Martinez said. In subsequent comments, Houston-Martinez added that she has learned that glyphosate has been linked to neurological problems similar to hers, has been in contact with a professor who has said turning the soil could release toxins again, and hopes to bring info to future meetings.
"Nobody wants their house in that. It's not right or fair to the new homeowners," she said.
Comments made in public
North Penn's committee fielded her input with no answer beyond thanking her for the comments, while Bibro explained more about the upcoming land development approval process after reading the comments from Houston-Martinez, and fielding questions from neighbor John Sperling, who said his driveway could be one of the access roads to the development.
"What's going to happen to the people that live there? What kind of frontage do they need to put access into this thing? I don't know when we're going to get answers, but I'll be here every time you have a meeting until somebody gives us some," Sperling said.
New houses are seen under construction as part of the "Del Webb North Penn" development north of Welsh Road and east of Forty Foot Road in Hatfield Township in Sept. 2024."We don't have many answers right now," Bibro answered. "In this case specifically, there are going to be some legal hurdles that the applicant will have to jump through, and we don't know exactly what they're proposing at this point."
Traffic also questioned
In a separate visit by The Reporter, a neighbor who asked not to be identified said the concerns of neighbors on Leon Drive near the "Beach Property" had largely to do with traffic and access to that site through what is currently a quiet neighborhood.
Several public hearings have already been held this summer on Pulte's plans for the Beach Property, according to Bibro, and similar notifications would likely be made to tell residents nearby about any similar such plans for the movie lots if and when the developer submits plans for those.
"You will get a notification from the township, letting you know when the hearing will be. You'll be able to ask all the questions you want," Bibro said.
Residents can also contact township staff or their commissioners if they think they missed a notification or would like to know when the next public talks will be held.
"Everything will be done publicly, and in this room. You'll have every opportunity to hear what's being presented, and to comment on it," he said.
North Penn's district's facilities and operations committee next meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28; for more information visit www.NPenn.org. Hatfield's township commissioners next meet at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 at that township's administration building, 1950 School Road; for more information visit www.Hatfield.org.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.
