The Sadsbury Board of Supervisors is conducting its own internal investigation into why sewer bills were improperly calculated for the past 10 years. The township has a flat fee and usage fee for its public sewer customers, but the flat fee should have been billed per equivalent dwelling unit, as opposed to per customer. Businesses and multiple dwellings received a lump sum bill for fees dating back to 2007 due to a billing error. Chairwoman Stephanie Silvernail said the board, township auditors and the township’s accountant are conducting an investigation to discover how the problem occurred. Township engineer Jamie MacCombie discovered that the error existed after reading a copy of the township ordinance.

Source: Daily Local; 4/11/2012

Chester County’s growth continues, but slower

Newly released figures from the U.S. Census show the rate of population growth in Chester County has leveled off since the development boom of the past two decades. Economic and demographic factors have combined to slow considerably the rate of growth in suburban and ex-urban areas – those ring suburbs outside the traditional metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania. Chester County is still growing at a fast pace compared with other counties across the commonwealth. Ronald Baily, executive director of the county planning commission, noted that “ changes in the economy, the recession, and changes in the character of households over the decade have created more demand for people to live in urban centers of the county like Phoenixville, Downingtown, and Malvern. That’s a good thing. That’s what (the county’s planning model) urges.” Over the past year, the county’s growth was one percent, tying it with Lehigh and Tioga counties for the second-fastest growing county during that period.

Source: Daily Local; 4/8/2012

Concerns raised over DASD Sixth Grade Center

Parents and residents of Uwchlan Township had the opportunity to voice their concerns about the Sixth Grade Center at a conditional use hearing.  Downingtown Area School District’s Sixth Grade Center and its affiliated traffic impact studies were presented to township supervisors, continuing from a hearing held Feb. 2.  The Downingtown Area School Board hopes the project, which will include a facility large enough to educate the entire sixth grade population in the district, will be constructed next to Shamona Creek Elementary School. According to Guy Donatelli, solicitor for the school district, the land at that site was purchased with the intention of building more than one school. Residents are concerned about increased traffic from buses. Plans for the site will be made available for public input on May 1.

Source: Daily Local; 4/12/2012

Trail access point draws opposition

A proposed access path across the Chester Valley Trail is generating diverging views from neighbors near its entrance. Signatures from 48 residents opposing the access were collected from the Chester Valley Knoll development, along with 24 residents from along Deer Run Lane. Approximately 80 residents attended the East Whiteland Township Supervisors’ meeting to express support or opposition to the access path. The Chester Valley Trail is one of a series of nature trails being developed in the county and throughout the region. The Chester Valley Trail will eventually connect to the Downingtown area. To the east, it will connect with trails to Philadelphia.

Source: Daily Local; 4/8/2012

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Phoenixville Area school officials hope a newly formed community budget committee will provide school board members with insight about difficult financial decisions as the officials get a head start on the district’s 2012-13 budget. Board President Paul Slaninka said he recently thought of establishing the community-comprised task force to help the district discover new revenue sources and cost savings and other reductions for its upcoming budget. The district recently completed a budget season with substantial cuts in state subsidies and a 2.66 percent tax increase. To learn more about the budget advisory committee, visit the district’s website at www.pasd.k12.pa.us.

Source: Daily Local; 6/27/2011

Owen J. Roberts hiking taxes 2.48 percent

The Owen J. Roberts School Board recently approved a 2011-12 budget that raises district property taxes 2.48 percent. The district’s tax rate will rise by 0.65 mills to 26.82 mills. A mill equals $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed property value. The change will result in a $108 increase in real estate taxes for the district’s median homeowner with a property assessed at $148,000, according to district Business Administrator Jaclyn Krumrine.

Source: Daily Local; 6/27/2011

Penn Township gives developers more time for plan

Penn Township Supervisors granted Jennersville an extra 60 days to come up with a plan for the development of its site before the township makes a decision to allow them to continue with a project or reject them completely.  The Penn Township planning commission and the township engineer have both recommended that the plan be rejected because of numerous deficiencies that the engineers have found that have not been addressed.

Source: Avon Grove Sun; 6/15/2011

Downingtown plans for 6th grade center

The Downingtown School Board directed the architectural firm Hayes Large to begin the design phase for the construction of a 6th grade center on land the district owns beside Shamona Creek Elementary School. The plan is to eliminate overcrowding in the middle schools. The district has tried for two years to come together with East Brandywine Township to build a middle school on property the district owns on Rt. 322, but the plans have not moved forward. The district hopes the construction of a 6th grade center is less costly than that of a middle school. Click here to read more about the project.

Spring-Ford taxes up 3.23 percent

The Spring-Ford Area school board unanimously approved the $123.1 million, 2011-12 budget that includes a 3.23 percent tax increase. The new tax rate of 24.291 mills will equate to an additional $76.10 in school property taxes for the owner of a property assessed at $100,000. The school district faced many financial challenges in developing the budget, which had initially called for a 7.6 percent tax increase to plug a $10.4 million deficit.

Source: The Pottstown Mercury; 6/21/2011

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View Home for Sale at 402 Hopewell Road, Downingtown, PA 19335

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View Home for Sale at 405 Driftwood Lane in Downingtown, PA 19335

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