Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 51
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
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‘Climate change is a global problem with local impacts’
Environmental group partners with Penn State on township’s greenhouse emission report By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Making up a total area of 15.1 miles and home to a little more than 9,000 residents, Kennett Township forms a mere speck in the widening spectrum of the world’s global environment, but in many ways, it is a smallish representation of a larger conversation, concern and problem that the entire world has been forced to
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recognize. In recognition of the impact of climate change on the environment, Kennett Township’s Environmental Advisory Council sponsored a presentation by Penn State University on Dec. 17 that measured greenhouse gas emissions in the township during 2023. The presentation was a collaboration between the Council, Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI),
the Local Climate Action Program at Penn State University (LCAP) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Moderated by Alison Bucher-Rubilar, an undergraduate student studying energy and sustainability policy at Penn State and a resident of Chester County, the presentation delivered the findings of data tracker software inventory in the township and opened up
discussion about possible measures to reduce emissions in the future. Continued on Page 2A Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Alison Bucher-Rubilar, an undergraduate student studying energy and sustainability policy at Penn State University and a resident of Chester County, moderated a presentation at Kennett Township on Dec. 17 that measured greenhouse gas emissions in the township during 2023.
Second in a series: Chester County faces the climate crisis
‘Everybody has to take action’ By Gabbie Burton Contributing Writer Even as rain and the first snowfall of the winter season recently graced southern Chester County with their presence, the county continues to remain under drought Santa Train brings watch status, while the conversation about climate Christmas cheer...1B change in the county continues as well. In recent interviews with the Chester County Press,
six local stakeholders in various roles and expertise shared their insights, fears, facts, opinions and advice on the climate crisis. While the true definition of a “climate disaster” may not be happening in Chester County yet, that doesn’t mean their impact isn’t felt or seen locally. Flora Cardoni, deputy director at PennEnvironment – an environmental advocacy nonprofit – explained how
those disasters elsewhere can still impact the region. “We might not be experiencing wildfires to the extent that they happen out west where it’s drier, but we all experienced the orange skies because of the Canadian wildfires two summers ago and the air alerts when we weren’t supposed to go outside,” Cardoni said. Additionally, Cardoni shared that it shouldn’t take a local disaster to recognize Courtesy image
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The big drop
climate change occurring in the region. “I would say we are experiencing the impacts in Pennsylvania, even though they’re a little bit more acute,” she said. “Every extreme hot summer or winter without snow should be a reminder that climate change is here, and we shouldn’t
wait until we’re experiencing even worse impacts here just because we’re a little more insulated.” Storms, flooding, erosion How much longer Chester County can remain insulated is unclear, but projections Continued on Page 4A
Oxford Borough’s costs of being an urban center in a growing area By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
Photo by Chris Barber
The traditional mushroom drop will again be the highlight of this year’s Midnight in the Square celebration in Kennett Square on Dec. 31. Beginning at 7 p.m., State Street will be humming with music and entertainment featuring live stage performances and a laser show provided by Lehigh Valley Events & Productions, LLC.
Residents oppose luxury high-rise proposal for former NVF site By Ashley Elizabeth Miller Contributing Writer On a Thursday night, six days before Christmas, more than 100 Yorklyn residents packed inside the auditorium at the Center for Creative Arts for what turned out to be a contentious public meeting held by Chatham Bay Construction, a Greenville-based real estate company, about its plans to develop the former
National Vulcanized Fibre Co. site on Yorklyn Road in nearby Yorklyn, Del. As attendees settled into their seats, for those able to snag one, Patrick McDuffy, one of two Chatham officials moderating the event, said he planned to give a 30-minute debrief on their proposal to build a 151-unit housing complex, with multiple floors, on nearly eight acres of land at the NVF site. Then he’d open the floor up to questions from the audience.
But his plan was almost immediately thwarted by attendees who said they did not want “to be lectured by another developer.” Most people had already seen the physical slides outlining the project, displayed around the room. These included image renderings of their vision—which some attendees found gaudy and unrealistic. “They looked like something from Carmel in Continued on Page 2A
A recent Oxford Borough Council meeting brought up a question from the public regarding a warehouse structure behind the Post House in East Nottingham Township. Rumblings about a warehouse, possibly an Amazon warehouse, have long been discussed in that community. Why would a large warehouse in East Nottingham Township be of concern to the Borough of Oxford? The borough is an urban center and as such, everything going through the borough does affect the residents and the budget of the town. For those traveling along Route 1 near the Route 10 exit, their view on either side of the highway is obstructed by signs announcing a number of developments being planned in the area. The truth is, the development of Oxford Borough is imminent, and it promises to have a major impact on local schools and businesses. As an urban center, many businesses are either located in Oxford or travelers will pass through the borough to their destinations outside of town. Route 10, Route 472
and Old Baltimore Pike intersect in the borough. Truckers need to know that there will be a turning radius to accommodate them as they travel to their destination, no matter what direction they are going. The borough needs to make sure that truck traffic, and the wear-and-tear it brings to a town’s streets are being considered. Streets and roads need to be maintained to keep them safe, and there is a cost with that. In Oxford Borough, as is the case with most Pennsylvania boroughs, some of the roads are owned and maintained by PennDOT, while the remainder are owned and maintained by the borough. The borough has seen a great increase in traffic, whether it’s trucks or passenger vehicles. With developments springing up everywhere, traffic will undoubtedly increase on neighboring municipalities. For example, one municipality, Lower Oxford Township, has numerous developments planned for the future, as the township’s secretary/treasurer Deborah Kinney recently outlined. She explained that the BK Campbell Enterprises - Pine Continued on Page 4A