Air Base Redevelopment Priority for Horsham Candidates

The top agenda item for those vying for a seat on Horsham Township Council is an issue that candidates will not likely see come to fruition during their term - and possibly their lifetime.

Redeveloping 860 acres of - anticipated to take 20 years or more to complete - is perhaps the only agreed upon issue for both sides as Democrats attempt to unseat incumbent Republicans who hold a 5-0 majority on Horsham Township Council.

See what else Horsham's candidates told Patch about their backgrounds, positions on issues and the township's future.

Candidate profiles are listed alphabetically, by last name, below.

PAUL B. GALLAGHER

Age: 56

Party affiliation: Democrat

How long have you lived in Horsham? 14 years

Education/professional experience: Gallagher has a BA from SUNY Stony Brook, 1978, where he earned a double major in Russian and Linguistics; MA from Ohio State University, 1980, Linguistics. He has 25 years experience as a full-time technical translator. Gallagher served 12 years as president of Brookwood Condo Association in Horsham and has been a Democratic committeeman in Horsham since 2005. Gallagher ran twice before for council and became Chair of the Horsham Democratic Committee in November 2010.

What special expertise or insight can you offer council? Gallagher’s diverse educational background and experience means he has the ability to talk intelligently on almost any subject and understand and help solve any problem, he said. He has translated texts on various subject such as oil and gas, law, medicine, pipe manufacturing, aviation, botany, construction, etc., and had to begin by understanding them. “My long cross-cultural experience means I've been exposed to many different ways of thinking about the world, and the ability to see all sides of a situation will come in handy on the council.”

What do you see as the major areas of concern for Horsham and how would you work to address them? “Haphazard, incoherent development due to lack of an overall plan, a vision of the big picture. Zoning and development decisions have been made on a piecemeal basis for years. Also, it's critical that we get the air base redevelopment right - it will be the center of our town for decades to come. It has the potential to revitalize Horsham and become a source of pride, but it could also become an expensive eyesore or a traffic nightmare. I would make sure the council sees all sides of an issue before deciding it.”

What do you see as the best use of land/redevelopment options for Willow Grove Naval Air Station? How do you intend to balance good reuse options with the need for ratables? “Good reuse options are those that are sustainable, both financially and otherwise. Horsham doesn't have any huge gaps, such as a lack of parks or schools, so we have the flexibility to choose mixed uses that will integrate well both within the development area and with Horsham as a whole.

Financial sustainability means the town will recoup its initial investment, and also that the developed area will remain productive over the long term, not become a drain on our resources. The development must also be sustainable in other senses; for example, it must offer space where people and businesses want to locate in order to minimize crime and other forms of blight. The worst-case scenario is ‘if we build it and nobody comes.’ ”

What are your interests and hobbies? A lifelong baseball and hockey fan, Gallagher has played 15 years of hockey as an adult and liked the combination of team concept and agility/athleticism. Other interests include music from classical to pop - his mother was a violinist – and he has played violin, clarinet and piano. Gallagher said he loves science, understanding how things work and putting together information from various sources. He reads science, especially the earth sciences, both for work and for pleasure. Language is his other love - both playing with it and learning it. Gallagher speaks Russian fluently, as well as some French. He has also studied German, Polish, Bulgarian, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and most recently Korean.

What else would you like voters to know about you? “I will listen attentively to their views and represent them well.”

RICHMOND L. GARDNER

Age: 51

Party affiliation: Democrat

How long have you lived in Horsham? 10 years

Education/professional experience: Gardner has a BA in history from Boston College, Chestnut Hill Mass.; Certificate Help Desk Analyst from the Cittone Institute in Plymouth Meeting; Petty Officer Personnelman US Navy 1991-2001 – served in Norfolk, Va., Gaeta, Italy and Pensacola, Fla. Gardner said that since his time in the military he has dealt with a wide variety of clerical and administrative tasks and many computer programs and has been working mostly in data entry since the Navy.

What special expertise or insight can you offer council? Gardner said his skill set is in the field of a councilman’s responsibilities in that he attends meetings of political groups all the time. He said he keeps up on the issues well enough to write letters to the editor five times a week or more and knows the community well.

What do you see as the major areas of concern for Horsham and how would you work to address them? “What to do with the Willow Grove Naval Air Station is a major concern at the moment. I'm determined to make Horsham government open and accessible and transparent to all. All contractors must feel that they have an equal chance to do work for the township.”

What do you see as the best use of land/redevelopment options for Willow Grove Naval Air Station? How do you intend to balance good reuse options with the need for ratables? “I support turning part of it into a downtown section for Horsham. I'd like to see a main street something like what Hatboro and Doylestown have, but with less traffic running right through the middle. Suburban homes would be a good use for most of the rest without adding too much to traffic density.“

What are your interests and hobbies? Gardner has been active in the anti-war movement for most of his time in Horsham. His interests include history and working with various computer programs, including Microsoft programs and Linux Ubuntu and related Open Source programs. He attends meetings of the Philadelphia Area Computer Society.

What else would you like voters to know about you? “I'm a loyal Democrat, as Howard Dean puts it, I'm from the ‘Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.’”

MARK MCCOUCH

Age: 51

How long have you lived in Horsham? 28 years

Education/professional experience: Real estate professional, Owner/President of AlliMark Marble and Granite

What special expertise or insight can you offer council? McCouch has served eight years on council, including the past two as president. This experience has given him invaluable insight as to the needs and concerns of all residents while maintaining fiscal responsibility.  As a real estate professional, McCouch said he understands the need for responsible growth and as a small business owner he brings the desire to succeed as a growing community.

What do you see as the major areas of concern for Horsham and how would you work to address them? “Two of the major concerns we have had since I took office have been taxes and traffic. While many of our surrounding towns have had to raise taxes in these tough economic times, we have not raised taxes and still provide the excellent services that our residents expect. We did not spend foolishly when times were good, but instead kept our reserves high so we could weather out the economic storm that we are currently experiencing. I will continue to encourage this forward thinking as our economy improves. Traffic is one concern that will never go away. The expansion of Horsham and Dresher roads along with many intersection improvements, have certainly mitigated many concerns. But there continues to be improvements needed. We have key roads and intersections that we have targeted for improvement and will continue to make those improvements going forward.”

What do you see as the best use of land/redevelopment options for Willow Grove Naval Air Station? How do you intend to balance good reuse options with the need for ratables? “The federal government has mandated that the redevelopment of the base must be economically feasible. Our charge is to develop a plan that is economically suitable to the federal government, but, at the same time, not only economically suitable to our residents but one that defines Horsham as one of the best places to live in this country. This is a challenge I do not take lightly nor should any of us who live here take lightly.  A mixed-use option is the best option. Depending on how our economy recovers will ultimately determine the development process. One aspect of the development will drive and support the next and so forth. This is not an overnight project. We have to be looking out over the next 15 to 20 years for full implementation, so the dynamics of the plan will surely change. Fortunately we have received a tremendous amount of valuable input from our residents. We will continue to use that as we finalize a plan that will meet our federal mandate, but, more importantly, meet the dreams and expectations of all our residents.”

What are your interests and hobbies? McCouch is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing, as well as hiking and camping with his family. He plays baseball and soccer and watches various sports on television.

What else would you like voters to know about you? “I enjoy my service on council. Community leadership is personally fulfilling and rewarding. I am proud to serve ALL residents of Horsham. Our accomplishments over just the past eight years have benefited all our residents. This isn’t about party affiliation, it is about serving my community, listening to all concerns and making decisions that benefit us all. Twice being named one of the best places to live in the country is a testament to that leadership.”

GREGORY S. NESBITT

Age: 45

Party affiliation: Republican

How long have you lived in Horsham? 38 years

Education/professional experience: Nesbitt is a graduate of Hatboro-Horsham High School, Moravian College and Widener University School of Law. Nesbitt works with the firm of Kilcoyne & Nesbitt, LLC in Plymouth Meeting as a trial lawyer specializing in defending physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice cases.

What special expertise or insight can you offer council? After serving eight years on council, Nesbitt said he has the experience and insight to continue to find cost-effective ways to improve the township’s infrastructure and municipal services without increasing taxes. 

What do you see as the major areas of concern for Horsham and how would you work to address them? “Traffic and the reuse of the base are the major concerns of residents. We have sought to improve traffic through widening of Horsham and Dresher roads. I will continue to look to ways to have developers perform necessary intersectional improvements. The base reuse process must continue to be controlled by the HLRA relying on input from Horsham residents.”

What do you see as the best use of land/redevelopment options for Willow Grove Naval Air Station? How do you intend to balance good reuse options with the need for ratables? “I support a mixed-use redevelopment plan that is based on the “town center” concept. This plan must be innovative, with the mixed uses (office, commercial, retail and residential) integrated to minimize the adverse impact of traffic and stormwater runoff. Establishing a strong tenant base that will create jobs and generate tax revenue is a priority. There should also be a focus on redevelopment that will rapidly restore the lost revenue to our school district. I believe that the residents want this plan to also utilize a large amount of open space, active recreation (integrated trail systems) and green energy.”  

What are your interests and hobbies? As a married father of four children (Grace 16, Matt 14, Ben 8 and Lilly 7) and a partner in a busy law practice, Nesbitt said he does not have much time for hobbies. He really enjoys making time for family activities and attending my kids’ sports events.

What else would you like voters to know about you? “I am a fourth generation resident of Horsham. I am so proud of being able to serve my hometown and help it continue to maintain its nationally recognized reputation for excellence. I cherish the opportunity to help shape the redevelopment of the base. I believe that the end result will be a community that will be nationally recognized for its innovation and economic development.”

For more information on Gallagher and Gardner, visit www.horshamdems.org. 

McCouch and Nesbitt did not list a campaign Web site and www.horshamrepublicans.com seems to be out-of-date.