Stenning Hill residents want stop sign to protect children on skate boards
By Rick Marts, Correspondent, The Times
Karen Sherer, Kennett Square Borough secretary, and Borough Council member Dan Maffei display the recognition for the borough receiving an award from the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives for electronics recycling.
The highlight of Monday night’s Borough Council meeting was Council President Leon Spencer’s reported that Kennett Square had received an award citation and an impressive plaque from the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives.
The award recognized the Borough’s “Free Electronics Recycling Collection Event” held on March 2, 2013. Spencer said, “This award is a result of our outstanding commitment to recycling.” During the 4-hour event, surrounding communities in Southern Chester County brought 28 tons of electronics to Kennett Square for pick-up by a collection company.
This event and others like it around the County were stimulated by the state’s Covered Device Recycling Act, enacted in January 2013 and sponsored by State Representative Chris Ross, who resides in East Marlborough Township and who co-signed the citation.
In other business, the Council held a public meeting to hear comments on a proposed ordinance for an Intergovernmental Agreement for Borough use of the New Garden Township Firing Range. One resident asked, “What is the cost to the Borough for using the range?” Borough Secretary Karen Scherer said, “We will experience no cost because we provided ‘in kind’ services when the range was built.”
A Council motion to approve the ordinance carried unanimously and the ordinance was enacted.
Similarly, the Council approved a motion to make payment no. 4 of over $1 million toward installing the Kennett Square Signal System, called the “closed loop project.” While this cost seems high, the state will reimburse the Borough for this cost and all other costs associated with the new signal system, which will be fully installed in October of this year.
The final item of business involved approving a special event application for the North Broad Street Block Party, to occur on August 30. Joe Mulry, the event organizer, said, “We have all of our permits—the party has been approved by the Chief of Police and the Fire Company. No alcohol will be permitted in the street. We expect about 50 or more people to attend this second annual block party.”
A Council motion to approve the application was offered and seconded, and it carried unanimously.
Dozens of parents and kids look on as Leslie Whiteside discusses the need for a 3-way stop sign at the corner of West Worral and South Washington Streets, to slow traffic in the neighborhood and help keep kids safe.
During the public comment period of Monday’s meeting, Robert Whiteside of Wayne Ave. in the Stenning Hill neighborhood of the Borough rose to discuss a safety issue.
Whiteside said that an overdue safety issue—the need for a 3-way stop sign at the corner of West Worral and South Washington Streets—needed to be addressed by the Council. He said, “Kids use their skateboards in the street, cars are not aware of them, and I’m pleading with you on behalf our neighborhood children to please put a stop sign at that corner.”
To help support Whiteside’s request for a stop sign, he referred to the many families, along with their children, who attended the meeting.
Council President Spencer responded by saying, “Chief Zunino strongly supports the stop sign you recommend. In addition, we know that people use your neighborhood as a cut-through to reach Kaolin Road to avoid the high school traffic. Our Public Safety Committee is meeting next week and we should have a solution proposed from them soon thereafter.”
