A packed crowd told Delaware County Council Wednesday to abandon plans to use part of the former Don Guanella property as a mental health facility, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.

Council acquired the former Don Guanella School property by eminent domain to create the county’s largest park, named Delco Woods.

But a more recent proposal has also suggested the former school buildings on the property could be a mental health facility.

“Stop looking to use Don Guanella as a home to anything other than a park and a recreation home or the silent majority voices will only get louder,” said Boomall resident Charlie Alexander.

The county has been looking at locations to house up to 25 adults with persistent mental illness.

The Don Guanella property was considered a strong candidate because it’s now county-owned and already zoned for that use.

But Marple Township commissioners actually voted last week to rezone the entire property as open space.

Despite a plea appealing to people’s humanity for the mentally ill, the crowd in attendance said it was more about the county keeping a promise to create a park and never mentioning any other intent when they acquired the property.

Read more about ta Don Guanella mental health facility in the Daily Times.