Kennett Square Borough officials are looking to address two recurring—and sometimes intertwined—issues by establishing a Streetscape Committee.

At the Sept. 21 borough council meeting, two council members, Geoff Bosley and Dan Maffei, led the discussion about the Streetscape Committee. Both men offered to serve on the committee, which would include a wide range of community members and public servants.

Bosley explained that most of the commissions at work in Kennett Square make recommendations to borough council, and it's then up to borough council to act on those recommendations or not. However, the borough's Shade Tree Commission is different in that decisions by this commission are not appealed to borough council. If a resident wants to appeal a decision by the Shade Tree Commission, the next step is the county's Court of Common Pleas.

Maffei talked about the borough's need to have a borough-wide plan for where shade trees are appropriate.

There is also a need for a borough-wide plan for sidewalks. There are some instances where sidewalks simply aren't appropriate for a particular location. Borough council listens to requests for sidewalk waivers, sometimes requiring property owners to make a payment in lieu of installing sidewalks so that that money can be designated for another area of the borough that needs sidewalks.

There are times, council president Leon Spencer noted, when the issues of sidewalks and trees intertwine—for example some kinds of trees are known to buckle sidewalks if they are too close, creating a safety concern.

The goal of the Streetscape Commission will be to work through all the issues that arise pertaining to sidewalks and trees, and to develop an overall plan for where trees and sidewalks are appropriate in town.

The borough will be looking for people who are interested in serving on the Streetscape Committee.