February 24, 2015

An update from the Pennsylvania State Police, reassurances about a timber harvest plan, information about several historic initiatives, and complaints about sewer fees were among the issues that surfaced at the Pocopson Township supervisors’ meeting on Monday night, Feb. 23.

State Police Lt. Richard H. D’Ambrosio, commander of the Avondale barracks, said troopers responded to 91 incidents in the township since late November, 12 of which were criminal. He said most of the crimes were thefts that occurred “outside of residences.” Unlocked vehicles remain a primary target, he said.

D’Ambrosio said the average of a single call a day from Pocopson translates to “a very safe community,” adding that township officials are very good about providing the police with information. He said police reviewed the traffic study done for Denton Hollow Road and agreed that the average driver’s speed of 38 in a 25 mph zone was unacceptable.

He said he believed the volume of traffic subsided — perhaps temporarily — after the roundabout opened, ending Denton Hollow’s status as a detour. However, he said troopers plan to step up enforcement when the Pocopson Bridge is closed. Supervisors Barney Leonard and Georgia F. Brutscher voted 2-0 — Ricki Stumpo was absent due to illness — to begin trimming vegetation, purchasing signs, and getting an estimate on guiderail work to improve the road’s safety.

In response to a comment from Leonard that some residents in the Preserve at Chadds Ford had complained about slow 9-1-1 response time, D’Ambrosio had some suggestions. He explained that the barracks covers 14 municipalities full time and nine part time and that many of the troopers are new to the area. Making sure dispatchers receive as much information as possible about a location, such as cross streets and what vehicles are parked around a property, is important, he said.

In addition to high-visibility house numbers, D’Ambrosio recommended that homeowners with security systems confirm that their alarm company has detailed information. He said many security firms provide “horrendous directions” to police.

In other business during the approximately two-hour meeting, the supervisors heard from Jeff Stover, a forester contracted for a timber harvest on a Marlborough Road tract. Stover addressed the bulk of concerns township officials and residents raised during previous meetings. He said that a new access route for the harvest would avoid using any township roads or driveways. In addition, he said removing 178 “overly mature and undesirable trees” would improve the existing ones and promote new saplings.

Stover said he did not know whether the revised logging trail would require a new submission or just an amendment to the Chester County Conservation District, which had approved the existing plan. The supervisors expressed reluctance to give the project a green light until all documents were in order, including the determination of an appropriate consulting fee, based on the township’s costs.

Tom Struble, one of the tract’s owners, challenged that position, pointing out that the township was out of compliance with its own ordinances for dragging out the process. After some discussion, the supervisors authorized Code Enforcement Officer Richard Jensen to approve the harvest once all the paperwork and fees have been finalized.

Karen Marshall, the county’s Heritage Preservation coordinator, addressed the supervisors about an upcoming opportunity for Historic Commission training. She said the township is eligible to send a representative to the Brandywine Conservancy on Saturday, April 25, for a free day of training.

Leonard said the township has embarked on a two-year path to create a Historic Commission, which would serve in an advisory capacity to the supervisors. He said the goal is to assess the township’s historic resources and then craft an appropriate ordinance to protect them. He said he didn’t know if the township would be in a position at this point in the process to take advantage of the training.

The supervisors voted 2-0 to renew the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway Commission Intergovernmental Agreement at a cost of $500 a year. The previous agreement expired after five years. Leonard called it a great way to cooperate with neighboring municipalities in protecting and enhancing Route 52 and Creek Road. The township’s representatives on the commission are George Zacharkiw and Holly Manzone.

The board also voted unanimously to authorize a grant with a $50,000 match to replace doors and windows at the Barnard House, a historic 1800s residence that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. A couple of residents expressed concern about the costs associated with the work so far.

Larissa McNemar, a former supervisor who wrote the grant, said the township has been doing its best since it acquired the building in 2008 to make repairs as economically as possible to stabilize and weatherize the building. Leonard said a special meeting on the project would be held in the spring.

Finally, the supervisors heard from four residents from the Preserve at Chadds Ford subdivision who wanted to know whether the township could assist them in getting an accounting of their astronomical sewer bills. Leonard and Brutscher explained that the township has no role since the treatment plant, operated by the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA), is still owned by Toll Brothers. But even when the development is dedicated, the township plans to sell the plant, probably to DELCORA.

Scott Kirkland, a resident who is president of the Riverside subdivision’s homeowners’ association, said his development had similar problems with Toll, and he agreed to speak with the residents after the meeting. He said sewer fees in his development are $90 a month. The Preserve is charging $125, the residents said.

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