Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 156, No. 37
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
$1.00
Nature trail system expected to open in 2023
New Garden unveils two-phase plan for Saint Anthony’s By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer New Garden Township recently introduced a two-phase proposal for the development of Saint Anthony’s in the Hills Park that spells out a vision for the 137-acre property that the township purchased in 2018. The plans, expected to be rolled out over the next two years, were introduced to
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Landenberg Life
Author will sign copies of new book...4A
the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 6 by Mike Buck, the township’s Parks and Open Space Superintendent. Phase I of the project, located at the southernmost parcel of the park near the former soccer fields, will create a trail system that is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2023. The area will include a caretaker house, several kiosks, pedestrian barriers, signage and parking spaces.
Buck estimated the cost of Phase I will be in the range of $50,000, and that grant opportunities will soon be available to fund the project. “This checks off the box of the number one item that respondents to [Saint Anthony’s] master plan survey said they wanted at the park,” Buck said. “People want trails and access to nature, and this is something we can deliver on that will get people to the park.”
Penn Township officials discuss the opening of new Avon Grove High School
Phase II, located in the northwest corner of the park, is projected to open in the summer of 2024 and will include the installation of a playground, gazebos and an open-air gymnasium. Buck said that in addition to developing both phases over the next two years, the project will also include a rebranding of Saint Anthony’s in the Hills Park; developing a mission statement for the park; constructing a gateway
to the park from its primary entrance on Route 7; creating a consistent graphic identity and theme; naming roads; and continuing to develop partnerships with potential businesses that may wish to develop business plans at the park in the future. Buck’s presentation served in some ways as a response to a presentation he gave at the board’s Aug. 15 meeting, at which he and former township manager Ramsey
Reiner were criticized by the board for their perception that the development of the park was being done in small increments, rather than as part of a larger vision. Throughout the Aug. 15 presentation, the board called for a more “phased in approach.” “I think it’s critical that we consider all of the opportunities in the park for the present and the future,” Buck told Continued on page 2A
Celebrating in the Mushroom Capital of the World
By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer The opening of the new Avon Grove High School was one of the discussion topics at the Penn Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 7. The township has granted a temporary occupancy permit to the school even though there is still work in progress on the building. There are also a number of concerns about traffic and road access at the site. PennDOT has granted a highway access permit for Waltman Way, but the road has not been completed. Without that additional access, traffic has been very congested now that the new school is open. “Once Waltman Way is open, and that’s months away, that will alleviate a lot of it (congestion),” supervisor Victor Mantegna said. In the meantime, he encourages families to use the school buses rather than parents dropping off and picking up students or letting students drive to school. Continued on page 3A
Photo by Chris Barber
At the 37th annual Mushroom Festival held in Kennett Square last weekend, children greeted the character “Fun Gus,” who was roaming the festival and bringing cheer to visitors. The event once again attracted tens of thousands of people to Kennett Square. Please see Page 1B for the story and more photos.
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Township OKs $478K to stabilize, demolish Spar Hill Farm structures By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer In a 3-0 vote, the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors agreed at their Sept. 7 meeting to authorize the township to prepare and present request for proposals (RFPs) for the demolition, remediation and historic preservation of 27 structures at Spar Hill Farm. The township purchased the 137-acre farm in 2018 for $3.2 million, of which $1 million of the purchase cost came from a grant from the Mt. Cuba Center.
Historical Commission that spelled out the findings and recommendations of a May 9 report it received from Matthew Roberson, president of West Chester-based Restoration Carpentry, Inc. “In the analysis of each building, we looked at what would be the minimum [effort required] to stabilize the structure to preserve it from further deterioration,” Roberson told the board on Aug. 17. “For a variety of structures, there are recommended upgrades to the scope of work that would enhance each in some way.” “We are asking that
the board consider their recommendations for preservation techniques as a package,” said Historical Commission Chairperson Karen Marshall. “Together, they will provide enough physical evidence of the historic Spar Hill Farm to tell a cohesive story about the three major periods of agriculture that we are focusing on preserving.” Based on Roberson’s report and the Commission’s recommendations, the following structures have been deemed “not worthy of preservation” at the site and will be demolished:
a carriage house, a barn, four sheds, a concrete silo, a loafing barn, a turkey slaughter house, two tenant houses, a wood fence and a garage. The following structures will be stabilized or retained “as is”: a smoke house, the main residence, a metal silo, a silo base, a stone wall, three small sheds, a pony barn, a metal fence, a spring house, a wood bridge and concrete livestock ramps. Spar Hill Farm, originally owned by William Penn, has had several incarnations Continued on page 3A
The Apple Festival tradition continues By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
In total, the township is projected to spend approximately $335,584 – or 70 percent of the total estimated cost of $478,210 – to demolish 13 structures at the site. The remaining 30 percent of the estimated cost -- $142,626 – will be spent to stabilize seven structures, as well as retain an additional six structures in their current state. As part of the overhaul of the historic site, the township will also spend $18,000 on overall clean-up. The decision served as a follow-up to an Aug. 17 presentation by the township’s
The Apple Festival tradition continues when the popular event in Oxford returns on September 24. The co-chairs for the event this year are Neeley Spotts and Bethany Atkinson. “Bethany and I are really excited to be back at the helm for this year’s festival after a two-year break,”
Neeley explained. “Though the festival was originally started in 1989 as a fundraiser to rebuild our church after the fire, over the years it has become so much more—bringing together not only our church family, but the entire Oxford community, for a day of fun and fellowship. As the world emerges from the isolation created by the pandemic, it is more important than ever to embrace these opportuni-
ties to reconnect with our neighbors in meaningful ways.” The fire left the church congregation and several community groups without a home for an extended period of time. Those agencies, whose focus is on helping others, have used the festival as a time to show this community just how they provide help. Courtesy photo And make no mistake, the Enjoy the Apple Festival and get educated in the proContinued on page 4A
cess. Admission is free.