Upper Darby Township Forum Held at Drexelbrook
Chamber Hosts First Ever Upper Darby Township Forum with Chief Administrative Officer Tom Judge, Jr.

September 29, 2008

UPPER DARBY - A township official highlighted Upper Darby's strengths while revealing some future projects from single-source recycling to a new library at the "Talk of the Township" breakfast forum Friday at the Drexelbrook Corporate Events Center. At the talk, 130 business leaders from ConocoPhillips, Crozer Keystone Health System, Citizens Bank and including James W. Hall, CEO of the Journal Register Company, corporate parent of the Delaware County Daily Times, listened to officials outline the case for Upper Darby's potential. After showing a video displaying township highlights, Upper Darby Chief Administrative Officer Thomas Judge Jr. said, "No one individual can run an organization or a municipality. It takes teamwork." He said the township wants to present quality community facilities and resources with vibrant employment centers. "We like to present ourselves as a welcoming entity for all who come to Upper Darby," Judge said, referring to the Welcome Center that opened in 2002 to provide a non-threatening environment for people to learn about American laws. There are more than 50 different languages or dialects dealt with at the Welcome Center and in the school district, he added. Judge also spoke of the township's transportation with three trolley lines, more than 47 bus routes and the 69th Street terminal and the Market-Frankford line. "We're always in negotiations with SEPTA about service expansion and service improvement," Judge said. He added that 25,000 people go through 69th Street Terminal every day and it's the community's job to get them to stay by putting a good first foot forward. Judge also mentioned the township's objective to begin construction at 501 Bywood Ave. in the spring for a new library. "Our goal is to ... build a larger municipal library branch with a community room," he said. In addition, the township is moving to single source recycling on Jan. 1, 2009. He said the township would be coming to small businesses for education on the initiative to learn what needs to be recycled and how it's to be recycled. He added that the township has adopted an approval for Verizon to provide FIOS throughout the township, although the mechanisms will take time to be installed to allow that service to be provided. Judge said there are two developers who are interested in the Frank's nursery site on Baltimore Pike as a health club or restaurant. Overall, he added Upper Darby as a whole is also moving ahead.

"Are we having success?" Judge asked. "Yes. We have a long road to go for more success."

He said that's possible with the business community.

"Please come and speak to Upper Darby Township," Judge said. "I think you will find us business friendly and willing to work with whatever goals you have."

Produced by Pete Ricci of Solstice Media.

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