Calling All Photographers to Participate in Photo Contest

The Chester County Planning Commission launched a Landscapes3 photo contest at noon Monday, Aug. 28 to highlight the county’s greatest asset: people. The Planning Commission is seeking photos of people who live, work, visit, or play in Chester County. The photos can focus on people in different settings, including businesses, homes, downtowns, public community events, and outdoors, among others.

The contest, “Putting a Face on Chester County,” ends at noon Friday, Oct. 13. To view the rules and submit a photo, click hereContinue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Member David Brant

David Brant, an East Goshen resident, is one of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee members. Brant had two careers: first as an architect, including some residential projects and mainly commercial for Conrail, and second as a Realtor. He is currently a district vice president for the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors.

Brant will bring housing opportunity expertise to the steering committee. He was on the executive committee for the Chester County Housing Options Task Force, an action item for the county’s current comprehensive plan, Landscapes2. Brant also has been active in community leadership as a past district governor of the Lions Club and the past president of West Chester Area Communities That Care, a local coalition charged with following the evidence-based model supported by the Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Co-Chair Molly Morrison

Molly K. Morrison, a Thornbury resident, is one of the three co-chairs of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee. Morrison is the president of Natural Lands, a nonprofit that protects land, cares for land, and connects people to nature throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond. The organization’s headquarters is near Media, Delaware County.

“The Landscapes3 process allows Chester County’s citizens to have a say in the future of the county,” said Morrison, who is also a board member of the Chester County Planning Commission. “By bringing many voices to the table, we will have a plan that reflects our collective priorities and that allows us to protect the essential qualities of this wonderful place where we live and work.”  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Co-Chair Christopher Alonzo

Christopher Alonzo, a Kennett Square resident, is one of the three co-chairs of the Landscapes3 Steering Committee. Alonzo is the president of Pietro Industries, a third-generation family farm in Kennett Square, and the chairman of the Chester County Agricultural Development Council. As a mushroom farmer, his areas of interest include agriculture, business, and workforce housing. He believes Chester County is great place to raise a family.  Continue Reading →

Meet Landscapes3 Steering Committee Co-Chair Matthew Hammond

The Chester County Commissioners established a Landscapes3 Steering Committee in late June as part the development of the county’s next comprehensive plan. The steering committee will start meeting this fall to create the plan’s vision and goals.

In the meantime, we’ll be highlighting the 27-member committee in an effort to inform residents about the Landscapes3 process.

Matthew Hammond, a West Bradford resident, is one of the three co-chairs of the steering committee. A professional engineer who specializes in transportation planning and design, he is the executive vice president of Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. in West Goshen and the chairman of the Chester County Planning Commission. He is interested in the transportation aspect of the county (vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, rail, aviation, etc.), but is also interested in all facets of what makes Chester County such a great place.  Continue Reading →

Planning Commission Analyzes Landscapes3 Public Survey Results

Now that the Landscapes3 public survey has closed, the Planning Commission has begun to analyze the responses of nearly 6,000 participants.

Participants provided a total of 9,500 comments. The Planning Commission also received a lot of input through the electronic map feature, which was on the final screen of the survey. About 13,000 markers were placed on the map of Chester County, which included about 6,700 “thumbs up” icons that indicated positive feedback about places in the county.  Continue Reading →

Chester County Commissioners Establish Landscapes3 Steering Committee

The Chester County Board of Commissioners announced this week the next step in the Landscapes3 process — the creation of a steering committee to guide the development of the new county comprehensive plan.

The steering committee will be co-chaired by three Chester County leaders representing key sectors of the county’s drive to balance growth and preservation: Chris Alonzo, president of Pietro Industries and chair of the Chester County Agricultural Development Council; Matthew Hammond, P.E., executive vice president of Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. and chair of the Chester County Planning Commission; and Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands and a member of the Chester County Planning Commission.  Continue Reading →

Final Call to Participate in Landscapes3 Public Survey

Have we heard from you?

We have heard from over 5,000 people through our Landscapes3 public survey, helping guide the future of Chester County, but we are looking for even more participation. If you haven’t already, please share your priorities and preferences for Chester County’s future in the survey, and spread the word to friends, family, and co-workers by clicking here.

Continue Reading →

Take our Survey!

The Chester County Planning Commission has some exciting news to share as it continues to advance development of Landscapes3, the next comprehensive plan for the county, with the help of partners, stakeholders, and the public. As part of this process, the agency released a public survey today to gather additional input about the plan from county residents and anyone interested in the future of Chester County.

“Public input is critical for making Landscapes3 the best plan possible,” said Chester County Planning Commission Executive Director Brian O’Leary. “Your input will help determine the vision and priorities for the county.”

The survey seeks to gather feedback on several issues, including growth, open space and environment, sense of place, modern infrastructure, transportation, the economy, healthy lifestyles, and housing options. It will be available to the public for about a month. Click here to participate in the survey.

Planning Commission Shares Highlights of Landscapes3 Topical Surveys

Public engagement for Landscapes3 has occurred in a variety of ways in recent months — stakeholder meetings, topic specific surveys, presentations to more than 20 groups, and outreach at community events (check our calendar for where we’ll be next) — and we will be launching our public survey on May 15. The public survey is an interactive, highly visual survey that asks about priorities and preferences for the future of Chester County. As we get ready for that survey, here’s a look back at the logistical details on our topic specific surveys from 2016:  Continue Reading →