Board or Supervisors and Township Manager had a busy month
By Rick Marts, Staff Writer, The Times
KENNETT — At its monthly public meeting on April 16, the Township Board of Supervisors accepted two proposals related to land conservancy: one came from the a member of the township’s Land Conservancy Advisory Committee, Tom Comitta, and the other from the Brandywine Conservancy.
Comitta, who has recently been appointed the township’s landscape architect, offered a proposal to create a Heritage Resource Overlay District in the township. The purpose of such a district is to promote the general welfare, education, and recreational pleasure of the public through the perpetuation of those areas or structures that have been designated by the municipality as having historic, architectural, or cultural significance.
To create this overlay district, Comitta plans to provide information and assistance to update and strengthen, as needed, the township’s relevant zoning ordinances to reflect today’s desired conservation outcomes for the township’s natural resources.
In addition to Comitta’s proposal, Township Manager Lisa Moore presented a proposal on behalf of the Brandywine Conservancy. In this proposal, the Conservancy proposes to update all of the township’s land conservancy and easement maps.
Comitta said, “The Heritage Resource Overlay District is an opportunity to weave together the many different conservancy resources in Kennett and create a new overlay map, which could result in new conservation priorities.” He priced his proposal at between $15,000 and $18,000.
Addressing the board, he said, “You’ve already done a good job and you now have an opportunity to do a great job of conserving your natural resources.”
Supervisor Richard Leff moved to accept both proposals, and the motion passed unanimously.
In her Manager’s report, Moore listed many significant actions addressed by the BOS over the last month:
• BOS toured and became knowledgeable about the operations and history of the Underground Railroad in the Kennett Township area.
• Maintained a close watch on the now-bankrupt Stephens Gardens, located near Rts. 52 and 1. The property is now a lethal safety hazard and the owners are in the process of demolishing the buildings, but they have not fully completed the process. Moore said, “Cleanup needs to be done by tomorrow or the township will begin to get quotes for cleaning up the site under our property maintenance code.”
• The township will post a draft of the new rental housing ordinance on its website, and the public is welcome to make comments on the proposed law.
• During a public meeting, the BOS discussed an appropriate basis for amending the township’s firearm discharge ordinance. The amended ordinance will soon be posted on-line for public comment.
• BOS, with public input, determined a way forward on Ways Lane: millings will be put in the potholes after they dry out from recent rains. Meanwhile, township officials met with the residents to discuss options for rehabbing the deteriorated road. The township engineer is developing options to reclaim the road and they will be presented to the owners next month.
• Progress on Chandler Mill Bridge: a public meeting will be held on April 30 at the Kennett Fire Company’s Red Clay Room to discuss the bridge’s future, including cost estimates to rehab it, rehabbing impacts on safety and land use, grant money availability, road widening, legal implications of ownership, and input from emergency service and school transportation providers.
• The Storm Water management ordinance is getting closer to being completed.
