There is a simple question at the center of the Blackthorne Estates situation (“Club at Blackthorne no longer facing legal challenges,” April 14, TribLive): Are the rules optional?
Blackthorne was approved as a planned residential development with a clear structure: homes, an 18-hole golf course and a clubhouse that exists to support that course — not operate on its own.
Penn Township has acknowledged this. The current clubhouse owners knew it before they purchased the property (the township sent them a letter explaining it in November 2025; they purchased the building in December 2025).
Yet today, the golf course remains closed, homeowners are left in limbo and the township has withdrawn its own enforcement action, while allowing the clubhouse to operate.
If the rules are clear, and everyone involved understands them, why are they not being enforced?
This is not about opposing business or resisting change. It is about whether a community plan still means something — and whether residents can rely on it.
If changes are appropriate, there is a formal process that ensures transparency and public input.
Anything else sends a clear message: the rules only apply when convenient, and are enforced selectively depending on who is involved.
The township and its commissioners must answer that question — with action.
Jackie Cortese
Penn Township, Westmoreland County