Planning Commission Welcomes Technical Services Director

Posted on by

When Paul Fritz was growing up, he wanted to be an architect.

“I loved looking at buildings and how they were put together,” he said, adding that he also was interested in history.

At one point during his childhood, Paul wanted to be a firefighter and a professional baseball player but he later realized those aspirations weren’t realistic.

Paul is now the new Technical Services Director at the Chester County Planning Commission. He is a certified planner and registered landscape architect with over 10 years of management experience with diverse public and private urban and rural projects.  Continue Reading →

Exploring Housing Trends in Chester County

Posted on by

If home is where the heart is, the heart of Chester County housing these days is multifamily homes, particularly apartments.

There were nearly 3,000 multifamily units proposed in 2016, which was an increase of approximately 1,000 since 2015. In particular, there was a drastic increase in the apartment development proposals over the past year. There were 2,231 apartment units proposed in 2016 compared to 1,150 in 2015.  Continue Reading →

County Commissioners recognize winners of Landscapes3 photo competition

Posted on by

Chester County Planning Commission’s photo contest, Show Us Your Favorite Place in Chester County, set out to engage the public in the development of Landscapes3, the county’s next Comprehensive Plan. From the county’s working agricultural lands to its urban main streets, participants shared 375 favorite places. The contest was intended to get a different  view on what places are valued in Chester County, and the perspectives offered were varied but still quintessential Chester County – open space, farmland, farm stands, main streets and side streets, community parks, streams and lakes, historic buildings, community events, walking trails, and bridges.  Continue Reading →

Senior Staff member departs from the Planning Commission

Posted on by

Tom West, Technical Services Director of the Chester County Planning Commission staff, will be leaving his post after thirty years of dedicated service.  Over his tenure at the Commission, Tom has held a position in nearly every division; from subdivision review to developing products using Geographic Information System software.  He has seen the evolution of technology from typewriters to computer networks. He became fluent in both planning jargon and technical language and could bridge planning issues with technical solutions. Continue Reading →

Spring Classes Announced

Posted on by

We are pleased to share the spring dates for the Master Planner Courses in Community Planning, Zoning, and Zoning Administration taking place at the West Chester University Graduate Center. These courses are designed to help municipal officials and land use professionals navigate the rules that govern land use in Pennsylvania. There are no pre-requisites to take the courses and any citizen who is interested in land use is welcome to enroll. Classes begin at 6:30 pm and are accredited for continuing education for attorneys, engineers, realtors, appraisers and licensed landscape architects. Continue Reading →

Landscapes3 Logo

Recapping 2016

Posted on by

The Chester County Planning Commission accomplished many goals in 2016.  The staff continued to create excellent, highly-professional products that set the standard for planning work in the region.  Here is a brief recap of 2016’s accomplishments and how they helped implement Landscapes2 and smart growth.  Continue Reading →

Landscapes2 Index Report Card 2015

Posted on by

We have just released the Landscapes2 Index Report Card 2015, which shows how 16 different planning related measures have changed since Landscapes2 was adopted in 2009. This report, which can be viewed here, is published each year to provide a long-term planning perspective. This report presents recent trends that relate to the preservation of open space, land development, housing features, transportation, and the local economy. A notable recent improvement revealed by this report was the increase in the amount of housing in proposed growth areas, which may reflect the desire for more multi-family and rental units, especially in walkable areas.

$52.9 million in grants to support Multimodal projects

Posted on by

On December 6th Governor Wolf announced $52.9 million in grant awards towards the PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) Program.  Funding for this program was established by Act 89, Pennsylvania’s Transportation Bill,  which was signed into law in 2013 by Governor Corbett.  The MTF addresses ports and waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian projects. Five projects in Chester County were the recipient of these awards totaling $3.25 million, as follows: Continue Reading →

December Planning Commission Agenda Announced

Posted on by

The Chester County Planning Commission will hold their final public meeting of the year on December 14 at 2:00. The meeting is held in the Planning Commission offices of Suite 270, Government Services Center, 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA. In addition to nominating officers for 2017, the agenda includes the following presentations and action items:  Continue Reading →