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Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 153, No. 14
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Zoning Hearing Board rejects several motions in its cell tower decision By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer On an issue that has gripped both sides of a conversation that has been heard in Landenberg for more than two years, it took all of 20 minutes on March 24 for the New Garden Township Zoning Hearing Board to move the concept of constructing a proposed cell tower in Landenberg back several steps. At its hearing to render a decision on the application of Eco-Site, Inc., to construct a cellular communications tower in the township, the board supported the township’s ordinances regarding the application of Eco-Sites, Inc., and its co-applicant T-Mobile Northeast, LLC in their attempt to prove that the township’s laws regarding the use and function of wireless communications facilities in the township are invalid and unconstitutional. In motion after motion, the Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) supported the laws contained in Section 200119, which establishes uniform standards for the siting, design, permitting, maintenance, and use of wireless communications facilities in the township. The ordinance states that “while the township recognizes the importance of wireless communications facilities in providing
high-quality communications service to its residents and businesses, the township also recognizes that it has an obligation to protect the public safety and to minimize the adverse visual effects of such facilities through the standards set forth” in several dozen provisions. The hearing was chaired by Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor Winifred Sebastian, Esq., and also included members Fred Clemens, Richard Zimny and Pete Scilla. The board denied a motion submitted by the co-applicants stating that several sections of the New Garden Township Zoning Ordinance (Sec. 200-119. B12 and 200-19C) are de facto exclusionary and by reason of its establishment of tower height limitations is invalid and unconstitutional. The board also rejected a motion that stated that the co-applicants had met their burden of showing that the township zoning ordinance is de facto exclusionary regarding personal wireless service facilities, by reason of the single-use restriction in sections 200-14 and 200-18. The board turned back a motion by the co-applicants who claimed that the zoning ordinance is de facto exclusionary, invalid and Continued on Page 2A
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Turning back time in Chadds Ford
An exhibit focusing on on Lenape Park and Chadds Peak opens at the Chadds Ford Historical Society on April 5. See story on Page 1B.
Braffman to resign from Kennett Square Borough Council By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer The changes on Kennett Square Borough Council continue. Council member Wayne Braffman recently announced his intention to resign from borough council. He plans to resign at borough council’s next meeting on Monday, April 15. Braffman’s decision to resign comes just weeks after LaToya Myers stepped aside as council president and Ethan Cramer stepped aside as council vice president. Both cited new regulations that were
implemented regarding how borough council conducts its meetings as the reason for leaving the leadership posts. Specifically, Myers and Cramer did not agree with new rules regarding public comment. Myers and Cramer both remained on borough council. Braffman is leaving borough council eight months early for a good reason—he will be traveling a lot in the latter part of the year, and won’t be available for a majority of the council meetings. Braffman said that he did not want to leave his fellow council members shorthanded for the rest of the year. Braffman’s term on borough
The Avon Grove School District is in the process of designing a new, state-ofthe-art high school that will be built on the Sunnyside Road site. The state recently announced that Avon Grove will receive more than $1.3 million in fundStrong pitching leads ing to construct the LEED Courtesy of the Avon Grove School District website Unionville to a win...9A Gold-certified building. This is an architectural rendering of the new Avon Grove High School. The Avon State Sen. Andrew Grove School District recently learned that it would be receiving more than $1.3 Dinniman, who serves as million in funding from the state for the construction of the state-of-the-art and the minority chair of the LEED-certified high school.
Opinion.......................7A Obituaries...................2B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
State Senate Education Committee, announced the funding last week. The funds are administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s High-Performance Building Program. The Commonwealth Finance Authority approved the funds on March 26. Dinniman said, “Environmentally friendly and sustainable school buildings are better for Continued on Page 3A
Local Primary Election races take shape By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
Calendar of Events.....3B Classifieds.................4B
To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty. com.
Avon Grove receives $1.3 million in state funding for new high school project By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
INDEX
council expires at the end of 2019, and he already announced that he was not seeking reelection. New council President Doug Doerfler said that if Braffman submits his resignation on April 15, “the intention of council is to accept the resignation” that same evening. Once the resignation is accepted, Doerfler said, the borough will begin to collect applications and letters of interest from residents who are interested in filling the vacancy.
The Pennsylvania Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, May 21, and some of the local races are starting to take shape as candidates file for positions on the ballot. The list of candidates is still unofficial, but here’s a look at some of the people who have filed
to run in the 2019 Primary Election: Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan is seeking reelection and is the only Republican on the Primary ballot. Deb Ryan is running as a Democrat. Chester County Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh is not seeking reelection so there is a pretty crowded field to replace her. Four Democrats
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are seeking the nomination, including Joe Lunsford of East Fallowfield Township, Fredda Maddox of Birmingham Township, Mike Sarro of West Bradford Township, and Dan Boyle of Pennsbury Township. On the Republican side, Jim Fitzgerald is seeking the nomination. Republican Matt Holliday of West Chester Borough is
the incumbent prothonotary, and he is seeking reelection. On the Democratic side, Debbie Bookman of Coatesville Borough and Joe Heffern of East Fallowfield Township have filed. Terri Clark, the incumbent Chester County Register of Wills, is seeking reelection and is the lone Republican on the ballot. Lisa Longo
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and Michele Vaughn will be vying for the Democratic nomination. With no incumbent running for the county Recorder of Deeds position, Amber Little-Turner, a Republican from Coatesville Borough, and Chris Pielli, a Democrat from West Goshen Township, have filed for the Primary Election.
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