TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING…
Jack Hines, Guest of Honor at Surprise Anniversary Celebration
Two and a half decades ago, when the Township had only 3,000 residents and more farms than housing developments, a local boy made good. Fortunately for us, he was in the right place at the right time. Jack M. Hines, Jr. was appointed Township Manager.
A surprise anniversary celebration was recently held in Jack’s honor by his family, friends, colleagues, and current and former supervisors. He was presented with resolutions from the Township and Commonwealth, and a good array of humorous ancedotes from those gathered.
Jack's many, varied contributions to West Bradford Township are too numerous to be named here. His foresight, knowledge, and concern for our community are unparalleled. This has led to him being noted throughout the County and State. But his heart belongs to West Bradford.
We thank Jack for his contributions to our township - both past and ongoing. We’re hoping for another 25 years out of him, but he says that he has plans on a Caribbean beach in a couple of decades…
DID YOU KNOW?
Which toll road caused the development of Marshallton and Romansville during the Township’s early years?
Answer
“Kings Highway” now known as Lancaster Avenue or Route 30 was the Nation’s first toll road. Strasburg Road became a state road in 1793 and was improved. It was a free road and therefore became the road of choice for many travelers.
This year's leaf collection dates will be on Fridays. Four pick-ups are planned for Township residents only. Leaf bags will be picked up curbside on the following dates:
Friday - October 25
Friday - November 8
Friday - November 22
Friday - December 6
Your bags must be out by 6 a.m. on the scheduled dates. Leaves must be placed in special biodegradable bags purchased from the Township. Bags may be purchased at the Township Administration Building, 1385 Campus Drive, during regular business hours - Monday through Friday - 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For your convenience, this year we will be open two Saturday mornings for leaf bag sales only. The dates are November 2nd and November 16th from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bags are provided to residents at cost: 3 bags for $1. The fees for the actual collection are already factored into your refuse and recycling bill.
Leaves will be picked up only in the special bags sold by the Township. Do not use your toter, recycling bins, other municipality's bags, or any other bag or container. Leaves in other bags, containers, or your toter will not be collected. To avoid damaging the equipment used to compost the leaves, the leaves need to be free of plastic, trash, and other debris. Please do not include grass clippings or other yard waste.
Yard waste and larger brush cannot be placed in your regular trash. Shrubbery and tree trimmings up to 6 inches in diameter may be taken to the Lanchester Landfill in Honey Brook for composting or shredding. There is a charge for this. Please call the landfill at (610) 273-3771 for more information.
You may compost your yard waste yourself instead of placing it out for pick up. We encourage all of our residents to compost or mulch their yard waste if they can. This reduces the amount of waste that has to be collected and helps the environment. Yard waste includes leaves, clippings, grass cuttings, and even food and vegetable scraps and coffee grounds. Compost can be used as fertilizer and mulch around your yard.
If you would like further information on composting, contact the Chester County Health Department - Division of Solid Waste Management at (610) 344-5937 or visit their website (www.chesco.org).
Volunteers Helping to Make the Difference in West Bradford Township
Did you notice this summer how nice the traffic island at the intersection of Poorhouse and Marshallton- Thorndale roads looked? The credit goes to Township resident Joe Deutsch.
Last year, Joe called and volunteered his time and resources to landscape the island. Joe explained that he loved living in West Bradford Township and just wanted to do a little something to beautify the intersection. He planted species of flowers and ornamental grasses that would give the intersection some color while remaining low enough to not interfere with sight distances. Without any fanfare, Joe continues to maintain the site on a regular basis. Several residents have called the Township office and/or stopped in to comment on the beauty of that intersection. Joe’s efforts were recognized this year when the project was nominated for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s “Suburban Greening Award”.
Joe is just one example of the many residents that go out of their way to do those little “extras” that continue to make our community a wonderful place to live. Other recent examples of those who freely gave of their time and resources:
Gerry McKown – adjusting the fence and gates of the tennis courts at Broad Run Park;
Tim McAleese – taking and developing photos of West Bradford Day 2002;
Jeff Stafford – sizing lumber for picnic tables at Broad Run Park;
Nancy Busby – organizing and directing the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony in Marshallton;
Marshallton Cub Scout Pack 152 – constructing and donating birdhouses for Shadyside Park;
Rick & Barbara Gardner of “Distinctive Gardens” – donating hundreds of flowers to beautify our campus;
Chris Massung – constructing and donating a large bat house installed at Montvale Park.
There are many, many more, such as all the members of the Township Commissions, Committees, and Boards (“Agriculture Preservation,” “Building Appeals,” “Historical,” “Planning,” “Recreation,” “Supervisors,” and “Zoning Hearing”); the volunteer firefighters and fire police of West Bradford Fire Company; the directors, coaches, and other volunteers of the West Bradford Youth Association; the officers and members of the various homeowners associations and so many other miscellaneous volunteer positions and organizations. Unfortunately (actually we are very fortunate) there are too many individuals and groups to mention – we’d have to add scores of pages to this newsletter!
On behalf of all the residents of West Bradford Township, we’d like to express our gratitude to all those people mentioned and unmentioned who go out of their way to volunteer their time, talent and resources to enhance the quality of life in our township. “Thanks, and "Keep up the good work!"
PLANNING A HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT?
You'll Want to Determine if a Township Permit is Required
West Bradford Township requires building permits for many types of improvements. Here’s a list of some of the most common building projects that require a Township permit:- Building Decks
- Constructing Additions
- Garage Conversion
- Remodel Bathrooms
- Retaining Walls
- Driveways Enlarged Or Adding Parking
- Installing Attic Fans
- Installing Wood Stoves
- Installing Gas Logs
- Putting In New Heaters
- Central Air Conditioning
- Removing Walls
- Adding Windows (Not Replacing)
- Changing Window Size
- Above And In-Ground Pools When Exceeding 24 Inches In Depth
- Sheds
- Demolition
- Plumbing
- Roofing ONLY If The Plywood Or Rafters Need To Be Replaced
- Sunroom Enclosures
- Attic Stairs
- Most Alterations and Repairs
- Lawn Irrigation Systems
- Replacing Plumbing Fixtures
Also, if you are constructing an addition, patio, deck, or driveway, you need to be aware of your impervious surface area (all surfaces which do not absorb rain). Different percentages of impervious coverage are allowed in each zoning district.
If you know the square footage of your property and the square footage of all existing impervious areas (house, patio, driveway, deck, shed, pool, etc.), you can call the Township Office and find out if your project is allowed in your district.
Before undertaking your project, be sure to check with the Township to see if you need a permit. A little effort beforehand can save you a lot of aggravation and money in the long run. If you have any questions with your project or our codes, please feel free to call a West Bradford Township code official at 610-269-4174 or visit the codes section of our website (www.westbradford.org).
'SUMMER EVENTS 2002' COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL RUN
Another successful season of special events highlighted the summer of 2002 at Broad Run Park. The Recreation Commission put together an ambitious schedule of concerts and movies for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.
The members of the West Bradford Township Recreation Commission would like to express their sincere gratitude to Comcast Communications, PECO Energy Company, Downingtown National Bank, the Creative Financial Group, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and Mr. And Mrs. Jack M. Hines, Jr. for their generous contributions toward our summer concert series. Any business or individual who would like to help sponsor the events for next year, please give us a call.
As many of you remember, the six “Movie Nights” were a huge success. They would not have been possible without the overwhelming generosity of Hugh Richards of “Haverford Systems” and Eileen Richards of “Anteaks of Downingtown”.
We would also like to thank John Vogel of the “Early Bird Restaurant” in Downingtown for providing refreshments for the events this summer. Special thanks go out to the West Bradford Fire Company and Fire Police for all their efforts in ensuring the evenings ran smoothly and safely.
The West Bradford Township Recreation Commission greatly appreciates the continuing support of the West Bradford Township Board of Supervisors as well as the hard work of the entire Township Staff in these endeavors. We would especially like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to the many volunteers who helped to make the “Summer Events 2002” series such an overwhelming success. We would love to hear your comments about the 2002 events and are interested in any suggestions you might have as we begin planning events for summer 2003. Please send us a note, e-mail, or give us a call.
WATERSHED WATCHING IN WEST BRADFORD
Join representatives of the Brandywine Valley Association Watershed Watch on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. at the Township Building. They are continuing their watershed protection efforts. The meeting topic for the night is soils program training. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, West Bradford Township, and the Brandywine Valley Association support this program.
Sedimentation is one of the major pollution problems in the Brandywine Creek and the Broad Run. Much of this is caused by run-off, stream bank erosion and earth-moving during construction. BVA representatives will teach you what major elements of erosion and sediment controls are required on construction sites and what you can do about it. This is something that you as a concerned citizen can report to your township or the Chester County Conservation District; helping prevent additional sedimentation in area streams. We want to be prepared to protect our streams when the rain finally comes and they try to recover.
If you are interested in joining us or would like to join us at later training, please email your name, email address and phone number to watershedwatch@bva-rcva.org or call Robyn or Jane at the Brandywine Valley Association at 610-793-1090.
NEW REFUSE/RECYCLING BILLING PERIOD
To help offset the increased fees being charged to the Township by our landfill and collection contractor, starting January 1, 2003 we will bill for this service only twice a year. Currently each residence is billed $36.00 quarterly.
The new bills will be issued in January and July. The fee for this service will be $72.00 for one toter, $144.00 for 2 toters, etc. This is a billing change only. It does not represent a fee increase, only an increase in the period covered.
The due date for each period will be extended to 45 days from the date of the bill. After 45 days any amount not paid will be charged a 10 percent penalty.
The Township Board of Supervisors is working hard at looking for ways to keep our refuse/recycling costs in check even with collection and disposal cost increases. Any fee increase for future years will be decided by the Board of Supervisors during the yearly budget process.
If you have any questions about the change in billing for this service, please call our accounting office at 610-269-4174.
A new, quarter-mile trail link between Broad Run Park and Beacon Hill Park was completed this summer. The Township, working the Downingtown Area School District, secured an easement over school property and paved the existing, informal stone trail. Paving was also done on the lower, pond trail in Broad Run Park to reduce erosion and improve maintenance.
This link allows for easier access to West Bradford Youth Association overflow parking at the school and contributes towards our goal of enabling Beacon Hill residents to walk to the school and our parks.
This is one component of the Township’s greenways and trails network which is under development. Work has begun on the Township’s Greenways, Trails, and Gateways plan entitled Creating Connections: Country Paths and City Trails. A task force of residents is working with Township staff to develop the plan. It is expected to be completed by next summer. Future newsletter articles will provide updates on the project.
By request of the Township’s Fire Chief, Glenn Allison, a fire emergency has been declared. Due to continuing drought conditions that create a public safety hazard - no person or persons shall set fire to, burn, or cause to be burned out-of-doors any paper, trash, leaves, grass or refuse of any nature or description.
This prohibition is in addition to and runs concurrently with the County-wide burning ban instituted by the Chester County Board of Commissioners. It shall remain in effect until lifted by the West Bradford Township Board of Supervisors.
Violators shall be subject to fines and penalties between $100 and $1,000 and additional court costs. Water is in short supply to control brush and other fires, please respect the ban. The State’s Drought Emergency Water Restrictions are still in effect as well (www.dep.state.pa.us).
We’ve all seen litter scattered alongside a roadway. Do you know how long it will take to decompose to a non-recognizable form?
Styrofoam - Never
Aluminum - 80-100 years
Plastic Containers - 50-80 years
Plastic Bags - 10-20 years
Cigarette Butts - 10-12 years
Plastic Coated Cartons - 5 years
Orange Peels - Up to 6 months
Please discard your trash appropriately.