Bryn Athyn
I live in the tiny borough of Bryn Athyn, which is sandwiched between the two “Morelands,” Upper Moreland and Lower Moreland, in Montgomery County. I’ve lived and voted in or near Bryn Athyn since the late 70s, although I’ve had ties to the town my whole life, as my relatives have lived here going back three generations. Bryn Athyn was created as a religious community in the last quarter of the 19th century. It is the headquarters of the General Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian), to which I belong, and I’m a graduate of the denomination’s local high school and college. Bryn Athyn is a tiny borough and benefits greatly from a relationship with Lower Moreland that enables it to piggyback onto LM contracts for trash hauling, waste disposal, and road paving. BA works closely with LM Public Works on snowplowing, and benefits from use of its Public Works storage facility. LM in its turn relies on BA for ambulance service to its residents and businesses. Both fire companies are suffering from a lack of volunteers and are discussing closer cooperation as one solution. BA and LM are in almost daily contact regarding a variety of issues. The religious community—the Bryn Athyn Church congregation—long ago increased to the point where it was too large for the borough, so numerous members live in nearby municipalities, especially LM and in particular the Pine Run Park development just north of BA. There is also one residential road located in BA that is part of the LM School District. BA has its own post office but does not provide home delivery of the mail. I believe all mail coming to the BA post office is routed through the Huntingdon Valley PO in LM. In addition, certain homes in BA that are located on roads already being traveled by HV postal truck are allowed to have their mail delivered directly to them by the HV Post Office. This is one more tie with LM, though an indirect one. BA cooperates with Upper Moreland as well, on the maintenance and snowplowing of Masons Mill Road along the border between the two municipalities. BA’s one large commercial property, the Masons Mill Business Park, is serviced by the Upper Moreland/Hatboro Joint Sewer Authority. What I would ask is that Bryn Athyn be mapped into the same House and Senate districts as Lower Moreland. Inclusion with Upper Moreland as well would be a benefit, though a less important one. Thank you for your consideration.