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Chester County Press

Sept. 13 workshop/open house asking for community input

09/04/2018 01:17PM ● By Richard Gaw
By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

The Borough of Kennett Square and Kennett Township, in partnership with Historic Kennett Square and the Chester County Planning Commission, will ask for input from local residents at a community workshop and open house on Sept. 13, at the American Legion Hall, 208 E. State Street in Kennett Square.

The workshop will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Led by Kennett Area Economic Development Director Nate Echeverria consultant Looney Ricks Kiss, the workshop sessions will be arranged in an open-house style to solicit public feedback and encourage one-on-one/small group discussion. Invitation is open to one or both of the facilitated sessions, as well as the open house. Spanish speakers and interpreters will be available for both sessions and throughout the day. All workshop materials will also be available in both English and Spanish.

These events will hope to tack on ideas to the on-going joint economic development efforts initiated by the Kennett Area Joint Economic Development Study, which was completed in 2016 through a partnership between the borough, the township, Historic Kennett Square, Genesis Healthcare, Longwood Gardens and the Chester County Planning Commission, and was prepared by 4Ward Planning and RBA. The study targets seven focus areas for potential economic growth: the State Street Corridor; the Cypress Street corridor; the Birch Street corridor from Walnut Street to Broad Street; the area known as Millers Hill, which is on the eastern border between the Borough and the Township; the Ways Lane area of the Township; the area on the west side of Mill Road in Kennett Township; and the former NVF site in the Borough.

The completed study also included input from borough and township residents, public officials, local developers, business owners and other pertinent stake holders.

“As we continue  implementing elements of the Joint  Economic Development Study, these ordinance updates/amendments will play an important piece,” Echeverria said. “Because of that, we were able to secure a Vision Partnership Program grant from the Chester County Planning Commission to bring in Looney Ricks Kiss, a nationally recognized consultant, to help us with updating portions of these ordinances.

“Many of the things we will discuss are not new ideas or concepts, but what we are hoping to do is get a little more specific and action-oriented in our various ordinances and zoning.”    

Echeverria said that the community workshop and open house is a key piece of the Vision Partnership Program, which is scheduled to conclude in Summer 2019.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].