The Chester County Planning Commission will conduct its monthly meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday, February 12th. The meeting will take place in the Planning Commission offices of Suite 270, Government Services Center, 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, Pa. Throughout 2020, staff will be highlighting eTools with this month being Accessory Dwelling Units, Housing Rehabilitation, Residential Conversions, and Housing Bonuses. The public is invited to attend, and there will be an opportunity for public comment during the meeting.
65 Municipalities Endorse Landscapes3
In 2019, 65 of the county’s 73 municipalities endorsed Landscapes3, Chester County’s new comprehensive plan. By endorsing Landscapes3, these municipalities recognized the need to balance growth and preservation and address issues that transcend local boundaries.
View a map to see to see which municipalities have endorsed Landscapes3.
Municipal Planning Grant Round Opening
The first round of the Vision Partnership Program (VPP), Chester County’s municipal planning grant program, is now open. The deadline for applications is February 21, 2020 at 4 pm. Eligible projects include individual and multi-municipal comprehensive plans, as well as ordinances, official maps, and a variety of studies. Efforts such as village master plans, trail feasibility studies, revitalization plans, historic preservation planning, stewardship plans, transportation studies, and sustainability/resilience plans are eligible project types.
Recapping 2019 and Setting Goals for 2020
With the adoption of Landscapes3 in November 2018, the planning commission pivoted its work program to focus on implementing the county’s new comprehensive plan, which seeks to balance growth and preservation. During the year, 65 of the county’s 73 municipalities formally endorsed Landscapes3, and another two municipalities acknowledged the relevance of the plan. This great support shows the importance of Landscapes3 as a guiding document for the county and its many diverse communities. In 2020, the Planning Commission will continue to implement the goals, objectives, and recommendations in Landscapes3. We will also have events associated with each of the six goal areas; Preserve, Protect, Appreciate, Live, Work, and Connect.
PennDOT District 6-0 Assistant District Executive Lou Belmonte presents to the CCPC Board
PennDOT District 6-0 Assistant District Executive, Lou Belmonte, presented to the Chester County Planning Commission Board at the monthly meeting held on December 11th. Lou offered an overview of how District 6-0 functions within the overall statewide PennDOT system as well as how District 6-0 interacts with Chester County and Planning Commission staff.
Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, District 6-0 is the busiest of the eleven PennDOT districts statewide. District 6-0 has averaged $536M in annual lettings (construction projects) between 2012 and 2016, while the next closest District 11-0 (Pittsburgh area) averaged less than $300M. District 6-0 is also the only district with a separate department dedicated to Traffic Operations which Lou manages.
Chester County Municipalities Awarded Grants
Congratulations to all the Chester County municipalities and organizations that were recipients of the Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) and Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) grants! C2P2 grants are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and are for projects that will create new recreational opportunities, conserve natural resources, and help revitalize local communities. MTF grants are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and are for projects that encourage economic development and ensure that a safe and reliable system of transportation is available to the residents of the commonwealth.
Grant awards were announced in November and given to the following Chester County recipients: Continue Reading →
Trails, Trains and Traffic Highlights County Transportation Initiatives
The Chester County Planning Commission (CCPC) held its final Landscapes3 event of 2019 titled “Trails, Trains & Traffic” at the West Whiteland Township Building on Wednesday December 4th. The evening event featured an open house format and slide presentation delivered by the CCPC’s Environment & Infrastructure division staff. The event was attended by 77 people including local residents and members of partner agencies. These included representatives from SEPTA, PennDOT, the Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) and the Greater Valley Forge TMA.
Planning Commission Announces VPP Awards
Congratulations to the Phoenixville Region, Honey Brook Township, and West Brandywine Township on their new Vision Partnership Program (VPP) awards! The Phoenixville Region will be updating their comprehensive plan to cover West Pikeland Township, which has made the decision to join the Region. With the inclusion of West Pikeland, the Region is now planning across a significant portion of northeastern Chester County, including five townships and the Borough of Phoenixville.
Honey Brook Township and West Brandywine Township were awarded a VPP grant to develop a feasibility study for the Icedale Trail. The trail corridor would roughly parallel Route 322, connecting residential areas and recreation options, focusing on Icedale Lake and Icedale Meadows Park. Both projects are anticipated to kick-off in early 2020. Congratulations to these eight municipalities on their planning project awards!
Planning Commission Graphics Specialist Retires
Polly Chalfant, a dedicated designer of many Planning Commission publications for over two decades, has retired from her county position. Polly celebrated her last day at the office on December 6. A native of Chester County, Polly instilled her love of the area into all her projects. The Planning Commission is very fortunate to have had her on staff and she will be missed. Continue Reading →
Planning Tools for your Community
The county’s municipalities are on the front line of smart growth trying to preserve their community character while responding to new development. The Planning Commission has a lot of resources to help, including our “planning toolbox” which provides eTools covering a wide array of planning topics from natural resources to economic development. Continue Reading →