Return to "In The News" Michael Anthony Homes Deeds Land to Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association Lower Gwynedd, PA (September 4th, 2004) - Montgomery County, PA based, Michael Anthony Homes, Inc., recently completed the deed transfer for land it donated to the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, which involved a tract of land located along the Wissahickon Creek adjacent to its recently completed Penllyn Greene community. Pictured are David Froehlich, Executive Director of the Wissahickon Valley Association Watershed and Jack Barbary, Vice President, on behalf of Michael Anthony Homes, reviewing the blueprints of the property. "This generous donation and transfer of ownership to the Watershed Association has fulfilled an important goal of preserving a natural buffer along the Wissahickon Creek allowing the linkage of the upstream portion of the Green Ribbon Trail with the downstream portion at Mathers Road," explained Froehlich. "The Green Ribbon Trail is popular with hikers who can now walk the almost 21 miles of tranquil trail from North Wales to the Schuylkill River, and guarantees the trail will be here for many generations to enjoy in the years to come." Working together to compliment each others goals for the Penllyn Greene site, the land was rezoned from C-residential to E-1. Under the original zoning requirements, large estate homes on 10,000 square foot lots would have prevented the natural buffer between the development and the Wissahickon Creek. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association approached both Michael Anthony Homes and Lower Gwynned Township officials to work towards a better solution for building on this site. The result was the community of 36 luxury townhomes, Penllyn Greene, requiring less land and thereby enabling the preservation of acreage along the Wissahickon Creek. In the spirit of goodwill and generosity, Michael A. Nolen, President of Michael Anthony Homes, decided to take things a step further and donated the buffer tract to the association so that it could fulfill its goal of linking more of the Green Ribbon Trail. A total of 26% of the total land involved in the project was dedicated to this effort. "This is an excellent example of how environmental groups can work together with a developer like Michael Anthony Homes to maintain a balance that is good for all involved," remarked Froehlich. Prior to construction beginning on the site, Watershed Association volunteers were also given the opportunity to reclaim approximately 60 trees that were subsequently planted at the 4 Mills Nature Preserve, home to the association's executive offices. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association was founded in 1957 and has been involved with the protection of approximately 1000 acres of land along the Wissahickon Creek. They maintain the 21 miles of trail and own a total of almost 600 acres within the association. Their primary focus is to protect the creek and to educate the public about its value to the environment. The association will celebrate the Green Ribbon Trail with the "Walk for Wissahickon" to be held on October 3. Information on the walk can be found by visiting www.active.com. "Penllyn Greene was developed by Michael Anthony Homes so that it would fit into its beautiful surroundings," remarked Jack Barbary. "Mature trees, proximity to the Wissahickon Creek and beautiful Cedarbrook Country Club, plus its desirable location, all contributed to the careful consideration taken when planning the community. Overall, very little change to the existing community is evident post construction."
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