Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 151, No. 28
INSIDE
60 Cents
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Kennett Library to move forward on building project on its own Plans for the Kennett Library and Kennett Square Borough to work together on a multipurpose municipal building have been halted. The Kennett Library still wants to build a new library on the Weinstein lot in the borough By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
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The Kennett Library is now moving forward on building a new library on its own rather than collaborating with the borough on a larger municipal building project that would have included a new borough administration building, a new library, a police station, an auditorium, and parking. Thomas Swett, the president of the Kennett Library Board of Trustees,
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the project, but ultimately “the obstacles got the better of us.” Swett explained that at the onset of the collaboration, library officials and borough leaders agreed that the plan would have to be beneficial to both parties in order for the project to move forward. But as they explored the project in more detail, it became clear that the library and the borough have different needs and different priorities. The two parties are also work-
ing on different timetables, which would have presented additional challenges moving forward. Constructing a new library, or a new administration building, or a new police station can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor. Working out the details on a municipal building that contains all three only increases the challenges. Ultimately, the Kennett Library Board decided it was best to move forward
with plans to build a new library on its own. “Our key advisors and many of our stakeholders recommended that we proceed alone,” Swett explained. He assured council members that the Kennett Library Board is committed to building the new library in Kennett Square, and even offered five reasons why the borough should consider a new library a major asset to have in its downtown. Continued on Page 2A
Marijuana facility Kennett Township launches denied by East small business seminar series Marlborough supervisors By John Chambless Staff Writer
Kennett Square restaurant expands to Glen Mills...1B
announced the decision at the July 3 Kennett Square Borough Council meeting. Swett thanked the Borough of Kennett Square for the invitation to explore the possibility of collaborating on a project, and also thanked borough officials for the work that they put into the effort. “We all tried earnestly and in good faith to make this idea work for everyone,” Swett said. He emphasized that the two sides worked collegially on
A proposed medical marijuana growing and processing facility will not be built in East Marlborough Township after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on July 12 to reject the proposal. The supervisors had heard detailed plans for the facility in May. Enrico Avello, Sr., and his son, Enrico Avello, Jr., had sought zoning approval for the warehouselike facility, to be built on a vacant lot at 532 N. Walnut Rd. While growing and processing medical marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania, the supervisors had reservations about extensive home construction that is in the works on land near the proposed facility, as well as access to the building in case of a fire. A document outlining their reasons for turning down the proposal was given to Avello, Jr., and his attorney. They left without comment after the facility was voted down. Another proposal that has long been in the works was approved, however. Planning Commission chair-
man Cuyler Walker has made several presentations to the board about a regional commission to oversee EMS services, and the board took a vote on July 12. Walker summarized the plan, saying that the commission will coordinate fire and ambulance services from the three local companies for six municipalities. There have been issues with overlapping territories for the fire companies, and the commission would regulate the allocation of services more accurately. The board voted unanimously to approve the new Kennett Regulatory Fire and EMS Commission, and voted unanimously to appoint Walker as a representative to the commission. Board chairman Richard Hannum, Jr., thanked Walker. “It would be a disservice if you weren’t representing East Marlborough on this,” Hannum said. “We would like to thank you for all your hard work.” The board got an update about the new Kennett Library facility from library board secretary Margaret Egli, who thanked the supervisors for the financial Continued on Page 3A
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Kennett Township Economic Development Director Patricia Muller and township Supervisor Whitney Hoffman have created Office Hours-Kennett, a series of seminars targeted to local small business owners and entrepreneurs.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Business, at least in the traditional depiction of a brick and mortar, shingle on a post and nine-to-five regularity, remains fully alive and well, but since the dawn of the new media age, there’s a new kid in town, and he or she is fighting for the lion’s share of the spotlight. They are in home offices. They are in cafes, laptops open and coffee in hand. They are on line and on the Cloud, with shared computer processing resources and data. They are connected by networks, servers, storage, applications and servers. And yet, when it comes
Intersection improvement project to close lanes on Route 41 By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
to talking with other small business owners like them, they are largely alone. Tying together Kennett Township’s broad-based economic plan with the need to open business-tobusiness doors in the area, the township’s economic development office have created a four-part seminar series tailored for local small business owners and entrepreneurs. Office Hours – Kennett, presented by the township and co-sponsored by the law form of MacElree Harvey and Fulton Bank, is a series of intimate talks by local business professionals tailored for the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs. Each seminar is held
from 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., at The Creamery in Kennett Square. “Part of the mission that the township created was to put focus on economic development for the township, and the broader region of the borough and nearby townships, as well,” said Patricia Muller, the township’s economic development director. “Given that economic development was part of the charge, we wondered what we can do in the short term that would be fun and not so global, but would provide for cross-pollination between business to business and be more personal and intimate. It would encompass the 1099 Continued on Page 6A
Loan for current expenses is a cowardly act By Uncle Irvin
Just as every rose has its thorn, with every road construction project comes some nagging inconveniences before it is completed. As part of its intersection improvement project at the intersection of Gap Newport Pike (Route 41) and Newark Road in New Garden Township, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has issued lane restrictions for drivers who use the intersection, which are scheduled to occur July 14-17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in order to accommodate the installation of pipes along the road. Those using the intersec-
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has issued lane restrictions for the intersection of Gap Newport Pike (Route 41) and Newark Road in New Garden Township, from July 14-17, to accommodate the installation of pipes along the intersection.
tion are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work area because backups and delays may occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.
Under this intersection improvement project, PennDOT will widen the travel lanes; resurface the intersection; add left turn lanes; remove right turn Continued on Page 3A
The idea that the Pennsylvania State General Assembly and Governor Tom Wolf are even considering borrowing billions of dollars at a 4-to-5-percent interest rate to pay for last year’s budget shortfall and to help fund this year’s budget is fiscal insanity of the first degree. You don’t need to have an MBA to know that government borrowing, in lieu of raising taxes or cutting spending, costs taxpayers, damages the state’s financial ratings and inhibits job growth and a sound economy. Neither the Governor nor General Assembly even discussed reducing the government employees and teacher pension funding and converting the whole program to a 401(k), which would save billions in property taxes for homeowners. The Governor and General Assembly don’t care if they do financially stupid things as long as they can tell their constituents that they didn’t raise taxes – and run unopposed for re-election and all those state goodies, year after year. (Uncle Irvin’s column is his opinion only, and is not a news story.)