Chester County Press 09-19-2018 Edition

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Chester CountyPRESS

www.chestercounty.com

Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas

Volume 152, No. 38

INSIDE

60 Cents

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Regional Police hosts Outdoor facilities groundbreaking ceremony plan presented to for new facility U-CF School Board By John Chambless Staff Writer

Pusey honored for his history of service...4A

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

As Deputy Chief Michael King looks on, Southern Chester County Regional Police Department Chief Gerald Simpson, center, is joined by the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors in a groundbreaking for the department’s new facility on Sept. 12. From left to right: Randy Geouque, Pat Little, Richard Ayotte, Steve Allaband and Michael Loftus.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Colors of autumn display...1B

on

On Sept. 12, in front of their former headquarters that was permanently shut down because of excessive mold, and adjacent to the former site of linked trailer units that served as their temporary facility, the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department announced a bold new chapter in their young history. Before dignitaries and elected officials, the department held a ground-

Get ready for next month’s Brewfest...3B

INDEX Opinion........................7A Calendar of Events......2B

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

an hour-long before the New Classifieds..................8B Garden Township Board of Supervisors on Sept. 17, Nicholas DeSanctis, a principal with Vedic Holdings, a Bryn Mawr-based commercial real estate company, spoke about the advantages of establishing a medical marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facility in Landenberg, during a conditional use hearing at the

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“As we moved forward in this venture, it became quite evident that we needed a new home for our police, as soon as possible,” Geouque said. “This building reflects our commitment to support the Southern Chester Country Regional Police department, and to provide our officers with the best tools to do their job, which is united to serve our communities with excellence. “We feel that the department is well positioned to expand into the foreseeable future. Once complete, Continued on Page 2A

Continued on Page 2A

Board hears appeal to bring medical marijuana facility to New Garden During

Obituaries...................4B appeal

© 2007 The Chester County Press

breaking ceremony for its’ new headquarters, an 11,716-square-foot, single-story, L-shaped facility located at 8934 Gap-Newport Pike in Landenberg, and expected to be completed in 2019. During his remarks, New Garden Township Board Chairman Randy Geouque reflected on the significant progress the township had made in recent years, that led to the formation of the regional police in 2016, a decision that joined the West Grove and New Garden units.

A study of possible improvements to outdoor facilities at UnionvilleChadds Ford schools took up the bulk of a marathon meeting of the school board on Sept. 17. The study, by K&W Associates, outlines a long list of possible projects, ranging from relatively simple and inexpensive fixes to new buildings that would cost upwards of $1.5 million. As word of the study has spread throughout the community over the summer, some residents have expressed concerns about the possible costs of implementing the changes, and several spoke at the beginning of the meeting. Former school board member Holly Manzone said the outdoor facility study “is essentially a sales pitch. Sometimes you need to buy things, but I hope that when you are evaluating this proposal, that you’ll bear in mind that there are dollar signs on these things.” Referring to the controversy over the costs of the high school construction, Manzone said, “I think what came out of that is balancing

wants versus needs. You did have a survey a couple of months ago that pretty convincingly showed that most of the stuff on this outdoor facility plan is not needed for education. This gets paid for by the taxpayers, who keep getting increases every year.” Mark Stookey, a resident who has been vocal about his opposition to the proposal, told the board, “As you think about this, keep these points in mind. First, resources are limited, and money spent on sports fields is not available for other purposes. Taxpayers in this district are tapped out. Looking at the program that’s in front of you, I can say that taxpayers will not respond favorably to at least three aspects of it. One, using taxpayer dollars to subsidize outside groups. Our facilitites are being overused by outside groups, so do we need to improve them or build new ones? That will not be well received. Second, demolishing six perfectly functional tennis courts so you can build eight new ones elsewhere will be very difficult to sell to taxpayers. And spending millions of dollars on artificial turf fields will

township building. Representing DeSanctis and David Tuttleman, the owner of Matrix NV, a Nevada-based medical marijuana-growing company, MacElree Harvey attorney Charles Gerbron, Jr. introduced the intent of 380 Starr Road, LP to open the facility on 380 Starr Road in Landenberg, a 107,000-square-foot building that sits on 12 acres. Because the current occupant of the building has verbally indicated to him that it may not renew its lease

when it expires in 2020, DeSanctis told the board that he has begun researching what type of industries could be best served at 380 Starr Road, and the rapid rise of the cannabis industry stood out to him. “It’s been one of the fastest-growing industries from a technical and pharma side that I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” he said. “It’s not just big in the U.S., but around the world, and making headway in research and Continued on Page 6A

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Real estate developer Nicholas DeSanctis addressed an audience at the New Garden Township Building on Sept. 17, during a conditional use hearing that will help determine whether a medical marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facility will be permitted to open in Landenberg.

Oxford School Board set to fill vacancy By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer The Oxford School Board is looking to fill the vacancy that was created when school board member David Severino resigned in August. At the Sept. 11 work session, the school board interviewed Dr. Eric Owens, a candidate to fill the vacancy in Region 1 that includes Upper Oxford,

Lower Oxford East, and Oxford Borough East. Brian Cooney, the district’s business administrator, asked Owens a series of questions that were compiled by the eight school board members. One question was about why the candidate was interested in serving on the school board. Owens, an associate professor at West Chester University, talked about his

professional background as a licensed professional counselor. He has worked as a counselor in private practice, as well as at the collegiate and secondary school settings. Owens explained that he has presented on issues related to trauma and trauma treatment. He served as a professional school counselor, and has also taught many teachers and administrators about crisis

Ideas shared at economic development open house By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer As part of the continued outgrowth of the 2016 Kennett Area Economic Development Study, a working document that paints the big picture of what the Kennett Township and Kennett Borough will look like in the future, its major players turned the crystal ball over last week to a new set of architects – local business owners and residents, who shared their ideas and preferences. Continued on Page 3A

intervention. Owens said that he has two children in the district, and that the decisions that get made by the school board can impact them, their friends, and classmates. “I feel like I have something to contribute to this board and this school district,” he said. Another question was about the skills that Owens possesses that might be assets for the

school board. “I’m hardworking and dedicated,” Owens said. “If I take something on, I try to see it through.” Another question pertained to Owens’ view on public education. The candidate explained that he is a product of public education. His parents also emphasized the importance of public Continued on Page 6A

Waiting for a court order By Uncle Irvin

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

Experts in town planning met with local residents and business owners at the Economic Development Workshop on Sept. 13, a joint venture by Historic Kennett Square and Kennett Township to elicit ideas and preferences that may impact the future growth of the borough.

I read recently that real estate reassessment in neighboring Delaware County is progressing. Delaware County was forced into reassessing by a court order, not by their County Commissioners. Delaware County and Chester County had not reassessed in more than 20 years. A new homeowner who was unhappy with the assessment on his home sued Delaware County and was granted relief by the courts. No one has yet sued the Chester County Commissioners and they have not acted on their own volition to correct the obvious inequities that have occurred in the last 20 years. Continued on Page 3A


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