East Whiteland to study sewage facilities plan

East Whiteland Township has advertised a “Special Study” amendment as part of its Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan to provide sewage facilities for existing residential areas relating to the Mill Lane Pumping Station Replacement Project. The Study was performed at the request of the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in connection with a project to replace the existing Mill Lane Pumping Station. The study outlines the construction and use of public sewer facilities; and the eventual replacement of sewage flow restrictions. A copy of the Study is available for inspection at the Township Municipal Building located at 209 Conestoga Road, Frazer, PA 19355.

Source: Daily Local News; 09/27/2011

Parkesburg mulling optimal train station location

There has been discussion over whether the Parkesburg Train Station should stay in its current location at West First and South Culvert streets or move to a new location near the borough building or somewhere in between. In August, the Plan the Keystone Team in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s rail division and the Borough of Parkesburg held public workshops to gather community input on the decision. What the community wants is a station that would project “a more welcoming environment,” said Jim Thomas, Parkesburg borough manager.  Stakeholders, residents and station users, would like better lighting, better parking and a better crossover.  Thomas said the train station’s future is key to the 2009 Main Street Revitalization Plan in Parkesburg. Another plan also calls for the possible extension of SEPTA service.

Source: Daily Local; 9/29/2011

DASD will begin reappointing regions in January

Downingtown Area school officials say they will begin reapportioning regions in January due to 2010 census data. The school district is divided into nine regions, each represented by a school board member. The board aims to reapportion the district based on population so that the regions will be fairly balanced for the next elections. According to the 2010 census:

• Region 1 (Upper Uwchlan 1 and 3, and Wallace) has 11,435 residents,

• Region 2 (Upper Uwchlan 2 and West Pikeland) has 5,216 resident,

• Region 3 (East Brandywine N1, N2, and S) has 6,742 residents,

• Region 4 (Uwchlan 1, 3, 4, 5) has 5,993 residents,

• Region 5 (Uwchlan 2, 6, 9) has 7,850 residents,

• Region 6 (East Caln 1, 2, Uwchlan 7, has 9,083 residents,

• Region 7 (Downingtown WN, EE, EW) has 6,784 residents,

• Region 8 (Downingtown WS, West Bradford 2, 4) has 6,708 residents, and

• Region 9 (West Bradford 1, 3, 5) has 6,602 residents.

Currently, there appears to be a vast unbalance in voter representation, because the population throughout the regions range between almost 5,000 to more than 11,100. After reapportionment, different board members may be representing district residents, and it is possible that two people on the board may be in the same regions, forcing one to resign. At the time of reapportionment, the school board may decide to maintain the nine regions, with each represented by one elected school board member, or shift to three regions, with each region represented by three school board members.

Source: Daily Local; 9/26/2011

Development council eyes Route 1 corridor

The Chester County Economic Development Council sees potential for business in the Route 1 corridor, and it is trying to bring together the forces to make it happen. The mission is to “coordinate with southern Chester County developers, land owners, construction/engineering and service companies on creating a Route 1 Business Corridor Council and aggressively marketing zoned and approved properties to local, regional and national companies and to corporate site selectors.” To encourage the development of the corridor, the Economic Development Partners Initiative is suggesting a branding and marketing effort to help attract growth. Along with that, the area has to prepare in advance for incoming businesses. That could include zoning changes that would accommodate development and infrastructure improvements that enhance the appeal of properties. The area the council is looking at runs from Kennett Township to Nottingham, bounded by Route 1 on the north, the East Penn Railroad on the south, and bisected lengthwise by Baltimore Pike. There is approximately 3 million square feet of current or planned commercial space available in the area over the next several years.

Source:  Kennett Paper; 9/27/2011

Oxford School Board votes in favor of at-large representation

The Oxford School Board voted Tuesday to compose its members totally of those who are elected at large. The school board has been wrestling with the issue of how the three voting districts in the school district can be changed to fairly represent the residents. The population in East Nottingham Township has grown to the point where it is the largest municipality by far at a population of 8650. It is part of Region Three with Elk and West Nottingham townships giving the region a total population of 13,053. Region One, composed of Upper and Lower Oxford has a population of 7,684; while Oxford Borough at 5077 is the only municipality in Region Two. In the end, any decision to change how the school district elects board members will be made in the courts, but the board’s request for a particular system could contribute to a judge’s choice.

Source: Avon Grove Sun; 9/22/2011

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Coatesville to enforce vacant property registration fee

Coatesville City Council is expected to reinstate a registration fee for vacant properties at its next scheduled meeting. Prior to 2009 the city had collected a $250 registration fee from owners who declared their property as vacant. Council members decided in March 2009 to continue the registration process, but stop collecting the fee. The decision was made by council to encourage property owners to reinvest and make better use of their vacant properties, according to city Codes Director Damalier Molina. However, the lack of registration fees is beginning to cost the codes department because vacant properties require monitoring and visual outside inspection by code officials. A major problem the department is facing is that owners of vacant properties are not registering, so when a city code violation occurs, the department must spend time and resources searching for the owner. Molina said he is recommending that council keep the fee at $250.

Source: Daily Local; 9/18/2011

Habitat celebrates new homes in Coatesville

The new Habitat for Humanity development on Community Lane in Cambria Heights, Coatesville, will provide 45 new homes for families in the area. Three homes were dedicated Saturday and another three are to be dedicated Oct. 15. The area is off Oak Street, where a housing project was demolished several years ago. Habitat is searching for sponsors of five more homes to be built soon and seeks to finish all of the homes within six to seven years.

Source: Daily Local; 9/19/2011

T/E School District considering Earned Income Tax

The Tredyffrin Easttown School District is considering the enactment of an Earned Income Tax (EIT) to offset large projected budget shortfalls facing the district over the next five years. Due to the struggling economy, budget gaps have become an ongoing problem for many school districts in the area. When the T/E school board began looking into solutions, they found a possible solution in the EIT. A Tax Study Group selected by the school board is set to meet four more times over the next month. The upcoming meeting schedule is as follows.

• Thursday, October 6, 2011 – 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 13, 2011 – 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

The district has posted the comprehensive budget numbers and background information that the Tax Study Group is working with here on the T/E website.

Source: Tredyffrin-Easttown Patch; 9/14/2011

Kennett Township approves law permitting retirement homes

The Kennett Township Board of Supervisors recently voted in favor of an ordinance allowing the building of retirement homes. The ordinance establishes a new type of zoning use, Retirement Community 2, permitting campus-style communities of at least 10 acres in the limited-industrial and business park zones of the township. It requires that at least one household member be 62 years old or older, forbids dependent children to live in the community, and requires residents to have a combined household income at or below 50 percent of the median income for the region or to qualify as low-incomes as defined by the federal government. The vote was a culmination of a nearly three-year effort that started when representatives of Luther House, which operates senior housing in the Jennersville area, told township officials they wanted to build a retirement home in Kennett Township.

Source: Daily Times; 9/20/2011

Land-use study recommends housing for Pennhurst campus in East Vincent

A preservation group has asked East Vincent Township Supervisors to revise a proposed zoning amendment to allow residences on the Pennhurst property. At a recent township meeting, Nathaniel Guest, a founding member of the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance, presented supervisors with a study of the financial feasibility of developing the Pennhurst site while preserving its buildings. The study, available on the Preservation Alliance website, found it would be financially feasible to redevelop 11 core buildings on the site as rental housing. Richard Chakejian, of Pennhurst Acquisitions LP, owner of the former Pennhurst School and State Hospital property, is seeking to change the zoning from its current low-density residential to a general industrial zone. The proposal has been under review by the township planning commission, which voted last month to recommend denying the request as presented.

Source: Daily Times; 9/17/2011

Disaster Recovery Center opens in Chester County

A federal/state disaster recovery center has opened in Chester County for residents affected by rain and flooding as a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The center is located at the Chester County Administration Building, 601 Westtown Rd., Room 42, West Chester, PA. The center will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week starting on Sept. 21, 2011.

Source: Daily Local News; 9/20/2011

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Easttown Township faces uphill sewer battle

Valley Creek Trunk Sewer Line, owned by Tredyffrin Township and shared by eight municipalities, has Easttown Township on the wrong side of the ridge. The planning for the trunk line’s expansion was completed in January. Once completed, the expansion will be able to handle more waste from the municipalities to the south and west, including Willistown Township, Malvern Borough, East Whiteland, East Pikeland, and Charlestown, whose sewer lines connect to it. Unfortunately, this will not help Easttown, which has 12 pumping stations that are too old or too small. Easttown’s sewers have reached a saturation point, and from mid-2009 to early 2010 there were 14 sewage-system overflows in the township. As a result Easttown has been fined $21,400 by the Department of Environmental Protection. The township is currently considering another $14-15 million in work to improve inflow and infiltration.

Source: Main Line Suburban Life; 8/24/2011

Coatesville accepts financial statements in lieu of audits

Coatesville City Council formally accepted compiled financial statements for 2009 and 2010 last week in lieu of official audits. Auditor Pam Baker said she could not perform audits for the city, because she did so much work preparing the financial statements. She said she does not believe the state will require audits from the city for those two years. According to the financial statements, the Coatesville withdrew about $9.7 million from the city’s trust fund. The majority of that money was used as a loan of nearly $7 million to the Redevelopment Authority. That loan has yet to be paid back. The city was able to increase its fund balance in the general fund in 2009 from about $472,000 to more than $1.1 million. However, the fund balance was almost completely depleted in 2010 and now has just over $33,000 left, according to financial statements. In both 2009 and 2010, the city had a shortfall in revenues from what was originally budgeted and spent more in expenditures than expected, according to the statements.
Source: Daily Local; 8/30/2011

Oxford Area panel reviews redistricting

Oxford Area School Board members Sharon Grasty and Howard Robinson met with Upper Oxford Township Supervisor Scott Rugan, East Nottingham Township Supervisor John Coldiron and a small group of concerned representatives to devise a plan for school board redistricting. The three-region representation system for the Oxford Area School Board is widely seen as unfair, but finding an alternative has been a challenge. One petition brought before the board calls for all nine members to be elected at large, but that idea met resistance from community members who said they could be left without representation if heavily populated East Nottingham takes over a majority of board seats. The community meeting aimed to find an alternative that could be presented to the school board at its work session Sept. 12. Though they came up with various alternatives, none appears to be a perfect solution. The plan with support from most of the dozen people present at the redistricting meeting was to keep the three-region system by somehow dividing East Nottingham into two precincts that could then go into different regions, with the north section joining Oxford Borough. West Nottingham could remain with the south section of East Nottingham and Elk, or it could join Upper and Lower Oxford, depending on the numbers in the new precincts. Another idea is to create three new districts with similar populations — East Nottingham as one; Upper and Lower Oxford as another; and West Nottingham, Oxford and Elk as the third. This would evenly distribute the population, but West Nottingham, Oxford and Elk are not contiguous. These options along with two others will be presented to the school board.

Source: Daily Times; 8/29/2011

West Chester Citizens Financial Advisory Committee

West Chester Borough’s Citizens Financial Advisory Committee will hold meetings on September 14, 2011 and September 29, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in the West Chester Municipal Building. The committee has been charged to examine the financial challenges facing the Borough and make recommendations for ways to address the long term financial future.

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Oxford school district outlines reapportionment process

Ellis Katz, solicitor for the Oxford Area School District, provided an overview of Section 303 of the Pennsylvania School Code, which outlines regulations for reapportionment.  School districts have three ways to elect school board members—regional, at large, and a combination of the two. Oxford currently utilizes the regional plan (Region 1: East Nottingham, West Nottingham and Elk Township; Region 2: Lower and Upper Oxford; Region 3: Oxford Borough). At one time, the populations of the three regions were in balance, but population shifts now have created an imbalance with more residents in the township than in the borough. Residents have objected to a proposed move to an at-large system noting concerns that the borough would not receive adequate representation.  A petition to begin the reapportionment process can be submitted by the school board or private individual. A school board member has led a private effort to gather the necessary number of signatures, and the school board also approved a measure authorizing the solicitor to petition the court.

Source: Chester County Press; 8/17/2011

East Brandywine prohibits offsite real estate signs

East Brandywine Township’s manager, Scott Piersol, recently removed approximately 25 signs along Route 322. The township reminds agents that the sign ordinance does not permit any off-premise or off-site signs unrelated to the property on which it is located.

West Chester parking garage plans back in gear after 3-year break

Plans for the New Street Parking Garage project at the corner of South New and West Nields streets in West Chester are back on track after a three-year legal battle delayed the project. West Chester Borough Council approved a recommendation by the parking committee at its meeting last week to complete design and construction phases of the project provided that West Chester University agrees to pay revised fees. According to Borough Manager Ernie McNeely, the university will have to pay $317,700 in fees to developers, the Harman Group, for revised and updated fees because of the project’s three-year delay. A meeting and discussion with residents has been scheduled for 6 p.m., Sept. 26 in the West Chester Municipal Building at 401 E. Gay St. Residents are encouraged to come and voice their opinion on the project as the next phase of the garage begins development.

Source: Daily Local; 8/24/2011

Coatesville council selects a new leader

Coatesville City Council appointed its former vice president Monday to become president after it accepted the resignation of former Council President Karl Marking. Marking announced Thursday that he would resign from council effective Monday. Joseph Hamrick was unanimously approved as the new president of council. Former Council President Martin Eggleston was named as vice president.  Hamrick said council is now accepting volunteers to be named as Marking’s replacement to serve the Fourth Ward in an interim capacity. Anyone interested should notify City Manager Gary Rawlings in writing before council’s next meeting on Sept. 12. In November, a special election will be held to elect a permanent replacement for the final two years of Marking’s term, according to the charter.

Source: Daily Local; 8/23/2011

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