The Chester County Planning Commission recently wrapped up an 18-month study to determine the feasibility of developing a multi-use trail connecting Chester County’s southern communities to the Circuit – Greater Philadelphia’s existing multi-use trail network.

Major project recommendations included 20 miles of bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Baltimore Pike to create a unified “Baltimore Pike Bikeway,” and two multi-use trails along the US 1 Expressway: one in the in Kennett area, and one in the Oxford area.

Commenting on the trail study, Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline said, “In the 18 months since this study began, we have all come to appreciate, even more, the value of trails, not just for walking, biking and de-stressing, but for alternative methods of transportation.”

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The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) recently announced their new population and employment forecasts for the region through 2050. While not experiencing quite as much growth as forecasted in the past, Chester County continues to grow at a significant rate, leading the region in both number of residents added, as well as percentage growth.

The new forecasts replace DVRPC’s previous 2045 forecasts, and include a population estimate of 645,673 residents by the year 2050 – a growth rate of 25.4%. When it comes to employment in Chester County, the new forecast anticipates 373,664 workers by 2050 – a growth rate of 23.5%. Despite the county’s significant growth rates, the overall region is seeing much slower growth, with an expected population growth of 7.6% and an employment growth rate of 6.9% by 2050.

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Municipal representatives from East Whiteland Township attended the Chester County Planning Commission’s July 2021 Board Meeting to provide an update on current happenings in the northeastern region of Chester County.

They included Chair of East Whiteland’s Board of Supervisors, Scott Lambert, along with the Township’s Director of Planning and Development, Zachary Barner, and Planning and Development Coordinator, Brittany Carosello.

“It’s been a busy couple of years in East Whiteland,” noted Lambert during his opening remarks. “The challenges we face as both individual municipalities and as a county are complex and wide ranging, so it’s really great to know that we have the support of a world-class organization helping to guide us through this period of time,” he commented.

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Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz and Josh Maxwell, along with other county staff, recently toured a local farm to learn how a large-scale solar facility is used to provide the electricity needs on a working mushroom farm.

The tour was led by Tom Brosius of Marlboro Mushrooms in West Grove – the oldest mushroom farm in the nation’s history dating back to 1901. While Marlboro Mushrooms’ solar panels provide energy to run the mushroom operation (and have since 2011), they are classified as an accessory use to the facility.

This initiative helps to support the “Connect” goal in Landscapes3, Chester County’s comprehensive plan, specifically in regards to its recommendation to “support a resilient and clean energy network.”

Furthermore, the county has made various strides to better understand and explore solar energy use through efforts such as the recently revised Draft Climate Action Plan.

To learn more about solar power and clean energy, visit the Chester County Clean Energy webpage at https://www.chescoplanning.org/uandi/CleanEnergy.cfm.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the latest funding cycle for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program (TA), which opened on June 28, 2021. Examples of eligible projects include bicycle or pedestrian facilities, bicycle and pedestrian education, conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails, construction of turnouts, overlooks and viewing areas, outdoor advertising management, historic preservation and rehab of historic transportation facilities, vegetation management, archaeological activities, stormwater management, and wildlife mortality mitigation projects. Learn more.

Have you ever wondered how maps are created? Here at the Chester County Planning Commission, our Design and Technology Division’s GIS Planner, Colin Murtoff, works behind-the-scenes to create maps and other resources that are used throughout the county on a daily basis!

As the Planning Commission’s GIS Planner, Colin handles projects that deal mostly with mapping and spatial analysis – a tool commonly used to report statistics and metrics for plans, reports, and studies. On a typical day, Colin can be found working on projects that range from static maps for municipal comprehensive plans and studies, to interactive maps that add additional levels of user-interaction.

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Judy Lizza, Manager of Chester County’s Thornbury Township, recently attended the Chester County Planning Commission’s Board Meeting to provide an update on some current happenings in the Thornbury area.

Lizza discussed the Township’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan update, in which the Chester County Planning Commission served as the main planning consultant, as well as the township’s full zoning ordinance update in 2020 – further helping to implement the vision of their new plan.

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Taking advantage of the county’s new policy allowing limited volunteer work, staff members from the Chester County Planning Commission recently spent their afternoon helping to remove invasive species at the Rushton Woods Preserve in Willistown Township!

The Rushton Woods Preserve is managed and owned by Willistown Conservation Trust, whose programs and services include: Land Protection; Bird Conservation; Habitat Restoration; Community Farm; Watershed Protection; and Education and Community Outreach.

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Dining “al fresco,” or outdoors, is something that many people look forward to during the warmer months, and sometimes even year round. When it comes to open air dining, Chester County has many great options to choose from – whether it’s in one of our bustling urban centers or a quiet back patio.

Now that people are beginning to feel comfortable heading out to their favorite dining establishments, outdoor dining and food trucks become great options for those who are looking for a more casual outdoor atmosphere with their friends, children, or even their pets!

While outdoor dining typically expands a restaurant’s space by utilizing sidewalks, patios, and parking areas, other types of outdoor dining establishments – such as breweries, wineries, and food  trucks have become increasingly popular as well. In many cases, outdoor dining is a feature of a community event or festival and can help to boost the local economy by attracting more visitors.

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The Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA) is updating the county’s water resources plan and stormwater management plan to ensure that they continue to address Chester County’s evolving water resources needs. A key component of this process is collecting public input. Please complete these two short surveys to help the county better understand your preferences and access to water-based recreational activities, as well as your concerns about water resources:

• Water-based recreational activities survey
• Water resources survey