The Penn Township Board of Supervisors authorized the release of the final payment of $78,125 for work on the Intersection of Route 796 and Baltimore Pike, alongside the Red Rose Inn, at the township meeting on March 4. No funds are being retained, but there is still a maintenance bond in place to take care of any problems that arise in the first year after the work was completed.

At the Red Rose Inn, plans will be looked at soon for landscaping at the site. Supervisors are also considering the possibility of adding a town clock on the property.

Friends of Penn Township last month submitted an application for a Mushroom Festival Grant on behalf of the Township Historical Commission. If received, the funding will be used to purchase technology to display the oral histories the Historical Commission has collected. Ultimately, the material would be part of an historical display at the Red Rose Inn.

The township has also applied to the Chester County Open Space Municipal Grant Program, requesting $250,000 toward construction of the residents’ portion of the township’s new sports park. This would include the environmental education area, parking areas, playground, and pickle ball courts. Other grants will be sought to use as matching funds and for development of playing fields at the new park.

A brief update on plans for the new Avon Grove High School indicated that a letter has been received from the Chester County Conservation District, with a list of items that it wants to see addressed.

The school plan is expected to come back to the board for final approval later this month but addressing the conditions may need to come first. “That letter is very intense. I don’t know how you put in a final plan without addressing all that stuff in there,” supervisor Victor Mantegna said.

Supervisors are asking residents to support Chester Water Authority’s efforts to avoid a forced sale of the water system.

“Share as much information as can on social media to get the word out to more and more people. We have posted video on our website that is worth watching,” township Director of Operations Karen Versuk said. “There have been decisions in Harrisburg involving Chester Water that are alarming.”

In other business, the supervisors read a proclamation recognizing Dylan Myers-DeMarco for his Eagle Scout project. Myers-DeMarco built teepees for the playground at the Township Park.

PA State Police Lt. Nicole Palmer spoke to the board and the audience, providing a report on crime statistics in 2019 as compared to 2018. Palmer has been station commander at the Avondale Barracks since October.  

She reported that traffic citations are up from 744 in 2018 to over 1000 last year. There was a sharp drop in DUI crashes, dropping from 7 in 2018 to just one last year, while DUI arrests have gone up.  Drug arrests are also down.

“Deaths have gone down. I didn’t see any deaths - drug deaths really bother us,” she said.

Palmer reminded the public that the State Police will do house checks if requested. “If you are going on vacation this summer and want us to check your house, we do that,” she said. “Just call in.”

Mantegna asked if there was any reason why tractor trailer traffic has increased on Route 896. There were also complaints about speeding in the township, particularly along Ewing Road.

 

SLUG: Penn Township meeting