Historic Yellow Springs Provides Glimpse into the Past

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Nestled off Art School Road in the heart of West Pikeland, is a village that carries remnants of centuries of deep history, ranging from the first military hospital in North America to a spa resort to an orphan school for military soldiers’ children. The village is known as Historic Yellow Springs, which consists of 142 acres of land and 16 buildings — 10 of which are owned by the nonprofit organization that maintains the historic district these days.

“Historic Yellow Springs is a vibrant and living village that brings people together through its many cultural and art events and programs, it’s beautiful and inspiring landscape and its rich history,” said Eileen McMonagle, executive director of Historic Yellow Springs, Inc. “The 300-year history of this village reflects the history of our nation and provides us with lessons in innovative rebirth and creativity. Historic Yellow Springs is a unique gem in Chester County that is preserved by and shared with the community now, and for many years to come.”  Continue Reading →

Planning Commission Employee Takes on Open Space Coordination Role

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Whether she is tending to her garden in rural East Vincent or making phone calls from her desk in West Goshen to land trusts and conservancies, one thing is for certain: Rachael Griffith has a strong appreciation for Chester County’s open space. And she’s looking forward to leading open space coordination efforts between the Chester County Planning Commission and other agencies.

Rachael is a Pennsylvania-registered landscape architect who has been a staff member at the county’s Planning Commission since December 2016. Rachael now will be handling open space coordination efforts for the county agency and will be the main point of contact for people with open space inquiries. She is available to answer questions about the Planning Commission’s Protected Open Space Tracking data.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member Guy Ciarrocchi

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Guy Ciarrocchi, a Tredyffrin resident, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Ciarrocchi, an attorney, has been the president and chief executive officer of the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry since 2014. Prior to that, he served as chief of staff to former Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley.

Ciarrocchi also previously served as a township supervisor and planning commissioner in Tredyffrin, and he was a member of the county’s Children, Youth and Families Citizen Advisory Committee. Ciarrocchi’s areas of expertise that he brings to the Landscapes3 Steering Committee include an understanding of effective government and economic development.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member Alisa Jones

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Alisa Maria Jones, M.P.H., a London Britain Township resident, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Jones is the president and chief executive officer of La Comunidad Hispana, which has offices in Kennett Square and Oxford.

Jones said she is honored to be a member of the steering committee–given its critical importance in setting the plan for the county’s future. She hopes to bring the perspectives of the nonprofit and Latino communities to the table.  Continue Reading →

Planning Commission Releases Landscapes3 Public Survey Results

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Many thanks to the almost 6,000 members of the public who took the time to complete our Landscapes3 public survey! The interactive, online survey was open for almost two months, and was conducted to help identify priorities for Chester County’s future as work continues on the next long-range comprehensive plan.

The public survey is just one method of engaging residents and businesses as development of Landscapes3 advances. Stakeholder input, topic specific surveys, photo contests, presentations, and outreach at community events are also helping us to share information on what planning means for the future of Chester County, and to get feedback on what the public values. An upcoming opportunity is the first Landscapes3 public meeting — Oct. 26, 2017. More details will be released in the coming weeks, but mark your calendars now and check for details here.  Continue Reading →

Planning Commission Welcomes New Community Planner

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The Planning Commission welcomed a new employee in August: Community Planner Kaitlin Feiler.

Kaitlin began working for the agency on Aug. 21. As a community planner in the Planning Services Division, Kaitlin is already assisting with revisions to a township zoning ordinance and updates to municipal comprehensive plans, and will also perform monitoring for projects that are funded through the county’s Vision Partnership Program.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member Kevin Johnson

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Kevin L. Johnson, a Tredyffrin resident, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Johnson is the president of Traffic Planning and Design, Inc., a transportation planning and engineering firm with nine offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The Chester County office is located in West Chester.

Johnson’s areas of expertise are in transportation engineering and design, transportation planning, and environmental analyses. He has served on the board of many planning and transportation related organizations. He is a current member of the SEPTA Board of Directors and the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Board of Directors. He previously served as a board member of the Chester County Planning Commission, which included involvement with the Landscapes2 Steering Committee, and was a member of the Transportation Transition Teams for Gov. Tom Wolf and Gov. Tom Corbett.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member Kristin Camp

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Kristin S. Camp, a West Whiteland resident, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Camp has worked with the law firm of Buckley, Brion, McGuire & Morris in West Chester since 1996 when she moved from Pittsburgh to Chester County to start her law practice.

Camp will bring legal expertise to the steering committee. For over 20 years, she has practiced municipal, land use and zoning law representing municipalities, zoning hearing boards, planning commissions, municipal authorities, and private clients with land use and development projects. She also has served as special counsel to Chester County on various land use and development matters, including the Chester Valley Trail, Schuylkill River Trail, and future expansion of the Rim Trail near Hibernia County Park.   Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member Lisa Moore

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Lisa M. Moore, a Kennett Township resident, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Moore is the manager of Kennett Township.

As the manager of Kennett Township, Moore has a vested interest in planning for the entire community and the future of her township and the county. Her areas of expertise that she will bring to the steering committee include extensive knowledge in planning, utilities, transportation and housing needs, open space preservation and benefits. She also is currently working on an economic development plan for her community.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member Pamela Brown

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Pamela Brown, a resident of the Birchrunville section of West Vincent, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Brown is the conservation director of French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, and her service area includes 11 municipalities in the French and Pickering Creeks Watersheds.

Brown’s area of expertise and interest as a member of the steering committee is land protection and how it relates to the health and well-being of the community, including groundwater protection, outdoor recreation, and economic benefits.  Continue Reading →