Media still feels like the small town it always was, a place where neighbors know neighbors, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY.

But now Media is at risk of losing that hometown feel. 

The culprit is unchecked development and suburban sprawl. Media’s losing green space and housing prices have soared, threatening the racially and economically diverse community.

Julie Smith’s family has been in the borough since 1954. She bought her grandmother’s home in 2008.

“And since 2008, every last little bit of space has been developed, and I mean, little teeny spaces have been cleared of trees and another house built,” Smith said.

Larger luxury homes are coming in. The borough has flooding, sinkholes, and misplaced wildlife.

Development has been a worry for decades, says Borough Council President Brian Hall. Back then, it was the Springfield and Granite Run malls destroying Media businesses.

“It’s a perfect small town,” Hall said. “And because it’s such a desirable place, more people want to live there. And because more people want to live there, there are increases in housing prices. And there are development pressures. Media is facing the problems of a successful town.”

But other residents say the borough has reached a tipping point.

Read more about Media at WHYY.