Page 16 - The Hunt - Summer 2024

MEMORANDUM
14
THE HUNT MAGAZINE
summer 2024
“Our concern the whole time has been,
‘How do we do this and make it nice?’”
—John Lymberis
the fields around Sadsburyville to make everything pedestrian-friendly. After his help with a 1992 renovation of Harry’s and the convenience store across the street, customer traffic tripled. “But I knew nothing about sewers,” he admits.
But that didn’t faze Durat, who suggested they run the lines themselves.
A $2.2 million plan was put together, and John became the first president of the Sadsbury Sewer Corporation. In the end, tie-in costs for residents were reduced to $2,200. “And I got to learn civil engineering really fast,” John says.
After the completion of the public sewer, the hills that once kept the rail line away became Quarry Ridge, a development of 156 single-family homes. Then came the 400-unit Sadsbury Park, which was recognized by the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance in 2005. Hindered by recession and pandemic delays, the walkable village was finally completed in 2023, a year after Lafayette Square’s 125 luxury apartments debuted. Another 84 apartments can be found at Sadsbury Square.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Simon Jessey moved into the first house in Sadsbury Park in January 2012. His wife loves living in the country, but she didn’t want to be
far from her job in Malvern. Almost from the beginning, Jessey attended township meetings. “It’s fascinating to see how the sausage is made, as it were,” he says.
Jessey went on to chair the township’s parks and recreation department, then became part of its planning commission in 2019, working on a strategy for the shopping corridors under development as Sadsbury Commons. “I’m interested in seeing the township fulfill its potential,” he says. “There’s a lot going on. It’s a chance to make a mark.”
For its part, PennDOT has reconfigured traffic through the township and will adapt current bypass exits. “This prompted us to reconfigure our zoning,” says Jessey. “We want the infrastructure in place to support new businesses near the commons.”
A resident for 20 years, Victoria Horan was a township supervisor from 2008 to 2014, helping to hold things together in Sadsburyville during the 2008 recession. She’s now documenting the township’s history. The village of Sadsburyville
was established in 1729 with a land grant from William Penn, and Horan is particularly fascinated by the area’s ties to the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. “I want to give newcomers a sense of place,” she says. TH
Sadsbury Square; (left) John Lymberis with his father’s famous hot dogs.