There was no telling the stink that might have been raised had yellow buses clogged up already-jammed Ridge Avenue during rush hour.

Or if a new batch of young people had roamed the East Falls business corridor without supervision.

But Sept. 14 came and went, seemingly without so much as a peep, a relative surprise considering the opposition to Delaware Valley High School that had been displayed in the neighborhood months and weeks leading up to the school's opening.

"There was absolutely no interruption in traffic flow. It was a nonissue," said developer Mark Sherman, who is leasing the property to DVHS and monitored the location the morning school opened.

The school recently relocated its operations from Northeast Philadelphia to East Falls, a move opposed by some neighbors, who said they saw the location, 4300 Ridge Ave., as a poor choice for the school. One of the main concerns was that it had the potential to cause traffic problems in the community.

Sherman, who said he was at the site from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sept. 14, the day the privately run alternative school opened, witnessed six school buses entering the property. The most amount of traffic congestion he noticed was a 12-to-15-vehicle backup going westbound on Ridge Avenue toward Manayunk, a common occurrence for that location during normal mornings.

"It never really got any deeper than that," he said. "Six school buses could not cause a traffic issue on Ridge Avenue."

While some members of the East Falls Community Council, as well as others in the neighborhood, continue to oppose the school's presence, Sherman has nothing but positive things to say about his new tenant.

"This operation is so efficient and professional that it's really a nonissue," he said, referring to the ongoing controversy surrounding the school, which caters to students with disciplinary problems or those in need of enhanced academic assistance.

Sherman said the traffic argument simply doesn't hold water. If a supermarket was built instead of the school, he noted, traffic would have the potential to be much worse, since vehicles would be filing in and out all day long.

"It's a made-up story in my opinion," he said of the rationale for opposing the school.

But others disagree. Meg Greenfield, the community council's acting president, said it's too soon to make any claims that no problems will arise.

"It is too early to tell about traffic, among other things, because they haven't yet started construction on the interchange," she said.

Greenfield was referring to the Gustine Lake Interchange Bridge Reconstruction Project, a plan to refurbish four bridges, and eliminate one, in the area where City Avenue, Kelly Drive, Ridge Avenue and Lincoln Drive converge.

The project, announced last spring by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is slated to cost $16 million, and is expected to take four to five years to complete. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2010.

Civic leaders like Greenfield predict a traffic nightmare along the Ridge Avenue business corridor once the road reconfiguration project gets under way.

When DVHS announced it would open despite community opposition, civic leaders vowed to take all necessary measures to stop the project, not ruling out litigation as a last resort.

But during a phone interview last week, Greenfield, an attorney, would not get into details about a possible court fight.

"There is nothing new to report there," she said.

Another initial opponent of the school was the East Falls Development Corp. The group's executive director, Gina Snyder, said her organization was leery about the school for a reason other than traffic worries.

Snyder said school placement typically affects property value of neighboring homes and businesses, and not in a good way.

And considering the fact that the commercial lot next to DVHS is yet to be developed, Snyder said some in the community worry about any future use of that property being hampered by the school's existence.

Still, Snyder recognizes that DVHS is operational, and is willing to let bygones be bygones.

"The school's there. It's a reality, (and) we're now trying to adjust," she said during an interview in her office last week. "I feel like it's water under the bridge and we're moving on. It's there. It's a business in the district, we're going to work with them."

David Shulick, board president of DVHS, said he was surprised by all the opposition when the school announced plans to move into the community.

"I don't believe that any of the opposition was genuine," he said in a phone interview last weekend. "If you break down any of the logic of the opposition, there was none."

Shulick agreed with Sherman that an alternative use for the property, such as retail stores, would affect the business corridor from a traffic standpoint in a more negative way than the school. And the argument about the school negatively affecting the property value of sites in the vicinity of DVHS couldn't be further from the truth in Shulick's view.

"The school has done nothing but beautify that area," he said, noting DVHS has invested $1.2 million into the property since June. "Everywhere we've gone, it's done nothing but foster development."

For decades, the school's main campus was on Bustleton Avenue in Northeast Philly. Shulick said after DVHS moved to that location, the commercial strip experienced a boom. He also said a similar experience took place when DVHS opened a site in lower Bucks County.

"We have one of the best reputations in the state," he said. "They rolled out a red carpet for us to come to Warminster."

Shulick, a lawyer, also expressed disdain that the community may still pursue legal options. He said he doesn't believe there is a case.

"There is no merit, whatsoever, of taking this to court," he said. "The site is within full compliance with every law."

In the eyes of the zoning code, the school is viewed as an acceptable use, meaning DVHS did not have to obtain a variance before construction. Some in the neighborhood had accused school officials of not conducting enough community outreach prior to the decision to open shop.

But while people are entitled to their opinions, Shulick said, some of the opposition was borderline rude.

"Everybody deserves to be treated with respect," he said. "I'm willing to work with anyone as long as they're genuine, civil and work within the law."

At this point, Shulick just hopes people can put the past behind them, and embrace DVHS.

"I hope and pray that any of these groups recognize this school to be a positive in the community," he said.

Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com