February 4, 2015

Imagine strolling across the Brandywine Creek at the bridge near Fairville Road and stopping to view the Jamie Wyeth retrospective before sauntering on to dine, shop, or visit another museum or art gallery in the rest of Chadds Ford.

Such a vision could eventually become feasible through Walkable Chadds Ford, an initiative aimed at connecting the village’s myriad offerings by adding pedestrian-friendly walkways, creating a sense of community, and beckoning prospective visitors.

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Steering Committee for Walkable Chadds Ford held its third meeting and received an update on the proposal’s progress from Peter Simone, a landscape architect with Simone Collins and a consultant for the project.

Simone said having a walkway along the south side of Route 1 from Ring Road to Fairville Road would provide many opportunities for pedestrians to access various attractions in Chadds Ford without jeopardizing their safety. He said PennDOT, which must sign off on any changes to its roadways, is amenable to reducing the width of traffic lanes slightly to add clearly marked shoulders.

Although nothing in the plan is set in cement, Simone suggested that some of the new concrete materials have colors and textures that would add aesthetic appeal to the walkway.

He said a traffic light would likely be needed at the intersection of South Creek Road and Route 1, next to the Post Office; however, he said the light would be timed with the one at Station Way Road so that it would not slow traffic.

What would help accomplish that goal, he said, would be the reduced lane width, medians, and vertical elements along the roadway. During earlier discussions, Simone said PennDOT rejected the creation of a roundabout, a traffic circle that would consume too much money and space. It also excluded chicanes, lane shifts that force drivers to slow down, noting that the stretch of roadway is not long enough to accommodate them.

All three traffic lights in the village area – the other is at Ring Road – would have buttons to assist pedestrians in crossing the street, Simone said. The one at Station Way already has that feature, he said, eliciting shock from some committee members. Simone pointed out that the safety of the intersection would be improved by the other planned changes, such as walkways and medians.

He said it is possible, but not very likely, that PennDOT would agree to reduce Route 1’s 45 mph speed limit. But elements such as a raised median with plantings would also help define the village and serve as a traffic-calming device. The downside is that some established entity, such as the township or the Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art, would have to sign off on maintaining it, he said.

A remark by Simone that Chadds Ford doesn’t have a parking problem drew some spirited objections from several committee members, including Deb Reardon, Chadds Ford’s Open Space Committee chairperson; Joshua Friedberg, the chef/owner of Antica, an Italian BYOB restaurant; and Susan Minarchi, president of the Sanderson Museum.

Simone said he based his analysis on aerial photographs that showed plentiful parking spaces; however, he acknowledged that they might be insufficient in some locations. He suggested that perhaps the Brandywine Conservancy and other businesses would be willing to make their lots available off-hours. Using cooperative solutions would benefit everyone, he said.

Following up on a suggestion from Friedberg, Simone requested a copy of the land development plan for the Post Office to determine whether a parking lot could be added to the rear of that property.

Other ideas that remain on the drawing board are sidewalks on some of the streets that intersect Route 1, a boardwalk that would connect Hank’s Place to the Chadds Ford Historical Society, and reversing the direction of one-way Station Way Road or making it two-way.

The committee will hold one more meeting on March 2 before a draft plan is presented at a public meeting sometime later in March. Sherri Evans-Stanton, director of the Brandywine Conservancy, recommended that the master plan explain that the Chadds Ford initiative came out of the Brandywine Creek Greenway Strategic Action Plan, a conservation initiative that involves 24 municipalities along the east and west branches of the Brandywine Creek.

Simone said he would incorporate Evans-Stanton’s suggestion into the draft. He said he expected its presentation to be followed by a 30-day comment period. A master plan is scheduled to be unveiled to the public on May 20.

Medical marijuana is once again on the radar of Pennsylvania legislators. While Senate Bill 1182 died in the state House last session, SB 3, a similar bill, is now in the Senate’s State Government Committee.

Sen. Mike Folmer, R-48, Lebanon County and parts of York and Dauphin counties, who introduced SB 3, is that committee’s chairman. Committee vice chairman is Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-9, representing parts of Chester and Delaware counties.

Pileggi did not respond to requests for comment, but he did support SB 1182 last session.

Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-19, West Chester, also supported SB 1182, and Sen. Tom McGarrigle, R-26, whose district includes eastern Delaware County and two townships in Chester County, announced last week that he’s signed on as a sponsor of SB 3.

Some members of the state House of Representatives are also anticipating moving forward with medical marijuana. According to an Associated Press report, House Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-62, Indiana County, told members of the Pennsylvania Press Club that he hopes the House will advance a bill that would satisfy the House, the Senate, and Gov. Tom Wolf.

“We’ve got too many kids and too many citizens in general who can potentially benefit from the use of medical marijuana,” Reed said in that AP story.

While Reed favors medical marijuana, he’s not looking for full legalization. He reportedly told the Press Club, “one step at a time.”

Local state Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-160, parts of Delaware and Chester counties, who announced last year that he had changed his mind on the issue, said in an interview that he still supports the concept, but that understanding the details is important.

Barrar said he doesn’t know why SB 1182 died in the House last year, he but thinks it has to do with amendments that House members were looking to get passed along with the body of the bill. One question involves who will be responsible for dispensing the marijuana.

“A lot of people want to see a lot of different restrictions. For me, and a lot of other members, we want to see it dispensed by pharmacists. The problem is, because the federal government has not legalized it, the pharmacists can’t handle it,” Barrar said. “Who is going to be responsible for dispensing medical marijuana if the pharmacists can’t do it?”

Another sticking point centers on what conditions the law will allow to be treated with marijuana. SB 3 does not mention any conditions, and Barrar said amendments would determine what conditions would be treatable.

Acknowledging he hasn’t yet read SB 3, Barrar said he wouldn’t want a system such as the one in California in which “everybody who’s got a fingernail pain is going to their doctor to get a [prescription] for medical marijuana.”

Should SB 3 get to the House, Barrar anticipates many amendments that would add restrictions for dispensing and allowable uses.

According to the text of SB 3 in its current form, a state board would “license not more than 130 medical cannabis dispensers to accept medical cannabis access cards and dispense medical cannabis to a registered patient or patient representative in accordance with the instructions of a health care practitioner.”

Those dispensers would be geographically located to allow for “reasonable access” to all legitimate users.

In addition to the 130 dispensers, the state would also license no more than 65 growers, according to the bill.

The text of SB 3 can be found here.

In a Dec. 3 memo, Folmer said: “Our legislation as previously passed by the Senate would allow patients who have a recommendation from their doctor to purchase and use medical cannabis from centers licensed by a to-be-created State Board of Medical Cannabis Licensing. The entire process would be regulated by licensing:  medical cannabis growers, processors, and dispensers.”

The memo also said the focus was on marijuana with high levels of cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive component of marijuana. CBD has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, the memo said.

Strains used would also be low in the psychoactive cannabinoid THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.

The memo can be found here.