Category: News and Updates
Planning Commission to Host Commercial Landscapes Symposium
The Chester County Planning Commission will be hosting a Commercial Landscapes Symposium from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. June 7 at the Penn State Great Valley campus. The planning series focuses on trends and potential strategies to address changes in retail centers, office parks, transit centers, and old industrial properties around the county.
The featured speaker will be James Cook, the Americas Director of Retail Research at Jones Lang Lasalle, who will discuss the future of commercial real estate in Chester County and the Philadelphia region. There also will be a panel discussion with experts. Click here to register for the event.
Local Municipalities Receive Vision Partnership Program Grants
We are happy to announce municipal planning awards totaling $143,000 to six Chester County municipalities through the Vision Partnership Program (VPP) grants! The competitive grant process received seven applications covering eight municipalities, which requested almost $220,000 in county funds. Continue Reading →
Planning Commission Provides Update about Landscapes3
The Chester County Planning Commission continues to advance the development of Landscapes3, the county’s next comprehensive plan, with the help of partners, stakeholders, and the public.
As part of this process, the Planning Commission has gathered experts’ opinions during stakeholder meetings about preservation, agriculture, housing, utilities and infrastructure, transportation, and economic development. The stakeholder meetings are wrapping up with one more about community health, which will take place from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. May 18 at the Chester County Intermediate Unit, 455 Boot Road, Downingtown. Continue Reading →
Planning Commission Assistant Director Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Chester County Planning Commission Assistant Director David Ward has always appreciated the uniqueness of communities. That passion started when he was young.
That’s why it’s fitting that he has worked for the Planning Commission — an organization that assists communities with future growth and preservation — for four decades. He celebrated his 40th anniversary with the agency on April 4. Continue Reading →
Employment Opportunity
The Planning Commission seeks a Community Planner to assist in advancing smart growth principles at the municipal level throughout Chester County. The position, classified as a Planner III, provides professional planning services to local municipalities in the development of comprehensive plans and ordinances that advance the principles of Landscapes2, the county’s comprehensive plan. Continue Reading
Chester County Boroughs Receive Accolades
Chester County has great places to live, work and connect. And the county’s municipalities aren’t going unnoticed these days.
For instance, Malvern was named a “Classic Town” recently by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). The regional planning commission stated: “A desirable mix of Victorian charm and modern amenities makes Malvern an ideal Classic Town.” According to the Daily Local News, the DVRPC has designated 22 municipalities in the Greater Philadelphia region as Classic Towns. In addition to Malvern, other Chester County municipalities that have received this designation include Kennett Square, Oxford, Phoenixville and West Chester. Continue Reading →
Discussing the Future of Chester County with Students
The future leaders of Chester County have some items on their wish lists when it comes to features they are looking for in their communities. In particular, they are hoping for affordable housing options in Chester County along with more sidewalks.
That was the message that about 60 West Chester University (WCU) students delivered during a Chester County 2020 forum on March 1. The majority of students who attended the forum were pursuing degrees in public administration and geography. The meeting took place at the new College of Business and Public Management Center on WCU’s campus. Continue Reading →
Planning Commission Welcomes Technical Services Director
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
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
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 →