Phoenixville residents asked the Borough Council to take charge of the Second Avenue property that was once used by the kindergarten center instead of seeing it developed by the Toll Brothers, writes Evan Brandt for the Daily Local News.

In March, the Phoenixville School Board voted 5-3 to sell the 7.3-acre parcel to the national builder for $4.6 million. The builder aims to develop 80 townhomes. However, residents want the borough to take the publicly-owned land by eminent domain so its future can be decided by the community.

“This decision shouldn’t have to come just from council, it should come from the community — and it is,” said David Lutzer, president of the Phoenixville Green Team. “Everyone who hears about this wants to preserve this property.”

Lutzer said that a petition to take the space was signed by 1,000 members of the community.

Yet as Phoenixville continues to grow, some residents are not completely opposed to the idea of housing, as long as it’s affordable housing.

“We’re not against affordable housing,” said Bob Weber. “But I’m not sure what is going in on that property could be considered affordable.”

The borough council has been urged to make a decision before the Court of Common Pleas is scheduled to review the prospect of selling the parcel.

Read more about the fate of the kindergarten center in the Daily Local News.