The new boardwalk at Randolph Woods Nature Preserve is finished, the pedestrian bridge is close, and crews have moved on to the pavilion and nature-play area. That is where the Borough Engineer's September 1 update left Phase 1, as reported in a Malvern Borough progress post last updated September 30. Those are the parts you can see from the trail. The project exists for a quieter reason, though. The Borough's own explanation is that the forest had stopped replacing itself, and the tall see-through mesh fence that went up before any of the boardwalk work is the part meant to fix that.
Six Years From Survey to Shovels
The work you are walking past this fall began as a master plan. Here is how it got from a survey to construction.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| January 2020 | Borough opens an online resident survey for a Randolph Woods master plan |
| January 13, 2023 | State lawmakers announce a $324,800 DCNR grant for the preserve |
| October 7, 2025 | Council awards Phase 1A to NJS Concrete, LLC for $555,683, subject to DCNR approval |
| February 17, 2026 | Council awards Phase 1 to Flyway Excavating for $843,042 |
| June 9, 2026 | Phase 1 construction begins |
| September 1, 2026 | Boardwalk complete, bridge nearly complete, pavilion and play area next |
The grant came through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Community Conservation Partnerships Program. According to Sen. Carolyn Comitta's January 2023 announcement, it was meant to cover a renovated access drive, a pavilion, fencing and gates, ADA access, landscaping and signage. At the time, the Borough Council president described a planned total investment of $1,151,500. Together, the two construction contracts awarded since then come to $1,398,725. That figure isn't final. When Council approved the Phase 1 bid, the Borough Engineer said the contract could change once alternative options were reviewed. By April 2026, Borough staff were reviewing about $100,000 in possible savings. At that same February meeting, residents asked when and where the full project budget would be posted.
The Problem the Plan Was Written to Solve
The Borough's Randolph Woods FAQ is plain about why there's a master plan at all. "The health of the forest has been declining due to invasive plants, erosion, and high deer populations," it says. Deer are the part it spends the most words on. The FAQ says that for many years deer have eaten nearly all the young trees and native plants in the preserve, and that "without help, the forest cannot recover on its own."
That changes what the new amenities are for. A boardwalk and a viewing platform give you a better view of a forest, but they can't make it regrow. The conservation easement on the land already keeps the preserve mostly natural, with passive uses like walking, birdwatching and nature exploration. So the restoration work had to come from somewhere else, and the Borough chose a fence.
What the Fence Is, and What It Isn't
The FAQ describes it as a tall, woodland-style mesh fence on wooden posts, built to be see-through so it blends into the woods. It uses the same mesh found at nature preserves across Pennsylvania to protect the forest floor. It surrounds the heart of the preserve, where the Borough says browsing damage is worst.
A few details answer the questions people ask most on the trail:
- The pedestrian gates are not locked. They're spring-loaded and stay open to the public. Only the vehicle gates are locked.
- The trails stay public. The Borough says there will be several pedestrian gates and maintained trails for walkers and families.
- The gates are newer than the fence line. April 28, 2026 Public Works Subcommittee minutes report the Phase 1A deer-fence gates installed, with adjustments underway for safety and ease of use.
- The timing was planned well in advance. The FAQ says the fence is part of a restoration based on years of ecological study and grant approvals, and the Borough went ahead once funding, permits and scheduling lined up.
Early Results Inside the Fence
The best evidence that the fence is working comes from a short line in the Borough's records. At its June 1, 2026 meeting, the Public Safety Subcommittee discussed what the fence had done so far. Members reported improved vegetation growth and talked about professional monitoring, public communication, and possible coordination with the Malvern Retreat House.
That was one week before boardwalk construction started on June 9. Before any of the visible amenities were built, the ecological half of the project was already producing the result the master plan was written for.
The Deer the Fence Doesn't Stop
A fence keeps deer out of one area, but it doesn't reduce how many deer there are. That concern came up as soon as the project moved forward. When Council awarded Phase 1A on October 7, 2025, a council member raised concerns about more deer moving into the rest of the Borough. Several residents spoke about deer control and how the community had received the project. At the February 17, 2026 meeting, wildlife balance and the deer fence came up again during resident comment.
The FAQ responds directly. It says deer already use neighborhoods and roads, some may change their movement patterns in the short term, and they usually adapt by moving to other wooded corridors. It also says the Borough is looking into a broader deer management initiative. Borough minutes show how that has moved through committee this year:
- February 19, 2026: The Environmental Advisory Council discussed the pros and cons of deer management and suggested an educational meeting and a community survey.
- March 12, 2026: The EAC discussed what a program might look like and asked the Borough Manager to contact municipalities that already run one.
- April 27, 2026: The Public Safety Subcommittee kept deer management under its oversight. It noted that Malvern's open space is limited and broken up, so it would need to coordinate with neighboring properties including the Retreat and Malvern Prep. It directed staff to bring in a professional organization to evaluate options.
- July 27, 2026: Minutes record that the mayor had spoken with what they call the "PA Gaming Commission" and that the program's focus would be Paoli Battlefield and Randolph Woods.
Deer management was on the subcommittee's August 24 and September 28 agendas. No decision on a method appears in the records available as of early October. The Borough's October 6 Council agenda lists the next Public Safety meeting for October 26.
Walking It This Fall
The preserve has stayed open throughout construction. The Borough asks visitors to follow posted signs and stay out of active work areas. At the September 1 Council workshop, the Engineer reported that the loop trail had stayed open and was expected to be substantially accessible within one to two weeks. Once Phase 1 is complete, it will add an ADA-accessible stone loop trail, the bridge, the boardwalk and viewing platform, a pavilion and picnic area, nature-play features, benches, bike racks, signs and landscaping. The Borough expects work to continue through fall 2026 and hasn't announced an opening date.
Some connections reach past the Borough line. On Willistown Township's park map, the Duffryn Trail at 26 Duffryn Avenue is listed as connecting to Randolph Woods. Ruth's Run in Randolph Woods is a site for CRC Watersheds' annual cleanup, which the Borough's Environmental Advisory Council supported according to its 2025 annual report. If you come by car, the Public Safety Subcommittee has been discussing temporary traffic calming on Ruthland Avenue toward Randolph Woods, such as rubber speed bumps that won't interfere with trucks. Questions about the project go to the Malvern Borough Office at (610) 644-2602.
Our team keeps track of projects like Randolph Woods because they shape what daily life on a Malvern street looks like years from now. If you're weighing how changes in your part of the Borough fit your own plans, the Houder Nunez-Strid Team is glad to talk it through. Schedule a Confidential Market Consultation whenever the timing is right for you.
