Widener vs Covanta in City Council

Widener University is building a new dorm and would like to abandon the surrounding streets. Chester City Council put it on the agenda and refused to vote on it. 

“They have a right of appeal,” (Mayor John) Linder said. “Part of Widener’s rights to apply for that vacation goes to the county planning department, at which point city council will have no say in the matter.”

What did Widener do to deserve no vote? No one agreed, no one disagreed, no one abstained. No one voted. (I'm scratching my temple).

Isn't Widener our friend? It's the only university we have, if that rates. Anyone who is building new stuff in Chester should be our friends. 

Just last month we learned that Covanta Energy is building new stuff and City Council voted Yes despite huge public outrage. 

City officials argued that if they had voted no to Covanta, Covanta would have gone to the County for approval (and probably receive it). There was also mention that a Yes vote would avoid the city having to pay some money if Covanta went to the County (and you know we have to watch our spending).

I guess Widener’s case to the County will be a freebee. But I still wonder why they would put the Widener ordinance on the agenda if they knew they weren’t going to vote for it. Doesn’t it cost money to prepare those ordinances? Aren’t planners and engineers involved in all that street work stuff?

Ah, stranger stuff has happened in Chester City Council. This one is just the first vote which no one voted on that I’ve heard of. 

I wonder how many more issues the County will have to decide for our city? 

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