At the April 3 meeting of Delaware County Council, the council renamed the 213-acre Don Guanella property in Marple Township to Delco Woods and county officials spoke about plans to use existing buildings at the site as a mental health facility. Two days earlier, the county filed an application for use permit with Marple Township to preserve its rights to use some of the buildings for office and residential services, according to county Executive Director Barbara O’Malley. “The county strives to provide quality health and human services for our residents, and one of the most needed services is residential support for those with mental illness so that they can transition back into the community from facilities that have a high level of care,” O’Malley said. Before being acquired by the county in 2021, Don Guanella Village was operated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as a residence and work site for developmentally disabled men for nearly 40 years. Councilmember Kevin Madden said the proposed mental health facility would “100% save lives” and no trees would be cut down for it. He said the facility, located along Sproul Road, could be cordoned off from the rest of the property, which will become Delaware County’s largest park. Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer said she strenuously disagreed with the proposal. The county had previously pushed back on unsubstantiated rumors that immigrants would be housed at the Don Guanella site. Read more in the Daily Times, and find the April 3 council meeting video and documents on the county website.
Source: Marple Newtown Patch; 3/22/2024 and 4/1/2024 & Daily Times; 4/4/2024