Residents living near Valley Forge Elementary School received a notice recently saying the school's tennis courts will be torn down Saturday, March 23.

There are two main reasons for the demolition, according to the district: The township will no longer maintain the courts, and the permeable ground that will replace the courts will offset new parking spaces at the school.

The following is an email sent Monday by TESD business director Art McDonnell on behalf of school board Vice President Pete Motel and the board in general: 

The process that preceded the removal of the tennis courts at VFES started in 2008, when a District-wide parking study was performed and identified the need for additional parking at VFES.  The VFES parking lot project will increase the number of parking spaces, widen the entrance roadway, and enhance the circulation through the parking area. 

To make the proposed parking changes at VFES, the District had to either accommodate any impervious increase with costly storm water management or remove existing impervious.

Coincident with this, the Township notified the District that it would no longer maintain the tennis courts and requested the District take over their maintenance.  The District has no programmatic need for the courts nor could justify the cost to maintain them.  Since they would no longer be maintained, the choices were to lock them or remove them.   The decision was made to remove them in conjunction with the increase in impervious coverage from the parking lot expansion project taking place this summer.  The Township does not recognize grass-pavers or gravel as pervious surfaces. 

These discussions and decisions have taken place in public at numerous meetings of the board and board committees over the past several years.  

The District has been working with Tredyffrin Township and has received the necessary permitting to remove the courts.

The public is welcome to attend our Board meeting tonight at 7:30PM in the TEAO, Room 200.