One of the principals heading the economic development study of the Kennett region urged an audience of about 100 on Thursday, Feb. 11, to attend the next session, scheduled for April 7 – and bring friends and neighbors.
“The recommendations we come up with have to have community buy-in,” said Todd Poole, the founder of 4ward Planning.
Poole and Mark Keener, the director of urban design for the RBA Group, were hired last year by Historic Kennett Square, the Borough of Kennett Square, Kennett Township, Chester County, Genesis HealthCare and Longwood Gardens to help set priorities for where and how the region grows while protecting the area’s natural, rural, cultural and historic heritage.
If residents’ feedback is important, why not set up an online survey, one attendee asked, explaining that not everyone can attend meetings. Poole agreed and said that it would be available “well in advance of April 7,” probably within the next week.
Thursday night’s program was introduced by Tom Sausen, vice-president of Historic Kennett Square and chairman of the Economic Development Task Force. He explained that discussions a year ago about smart growth prompted the task force and a need to enlist professionals to provide “a template to help guide us.”
He said the group applied for and received a Vision Partnership Program Grant from the county. Administered by the Chester County Planning Commission, it is funding $35,000 of the $60,000 study. The collaborators are sharing the rest: Kennett Township, Kennett Square Borough, Historic Kennett Square, Genesis HealthCare, and Longwood Gardens.
“We want a product that has everyone’s engagement,” Sausen said.
The Feb. 11 meeting offered an overview of the study – its concept, its team members, and its goals. In addition to Poole, the speakers included Keener and Jonas Maciunas, also from the RBA Group.
Poole described the second meeting as more workshop-oriented, designed to offer area residents, task force members, and other stakeholders an opportunity to provide input. The public conversation would provide the consultants with a clearer picture of the communities’ needs and preferences, he said. A third and final meeting, likely in late May or early June, would be a presentation of the final plan, including a fiscal impact analysis, he said.
Poole, Keener and their teams have been focusing on seven geographic areas: the State Street corridor; the Cypress Street corridor; Birch Street from Walnut to Broad streets; the area known as Millers Hill, on the eastern border between the borough and the township; the Ways Lane area in Kennett Township; the former NVF property, a nearly 24-acre vacant industrial site in the borough; and the area on the west side of Mill Road in the township.
Keener pointed out that each of the areas offers substantial opportunities for growth, both in new construction and repurposing. “That’s an awful lot happening here; are we ready for it? he asked.
The speakers pointed out that Kennett could benefit from the demise of suburbia as millennials eschew sprawl and aging Baby Boomers opt for downsizing in walkable communities. Making sure the area has a mix of housing at different price points will keep the area viable, they said.
Factoring in demographics, such as the rise in telecommuting and professions like health care and social assistance, will also help position the Kennett area to maximize its potential, Poole said. He said 53 percent of the borough’s businesses employ four or fewer workers, and 50 percent of the borough’s occupants are renters, a number that is twice as high as the surrounding region.
The median household income in the borough is $60,000, a number that has been rising, Poole said. In contrast, the median income for the surrounding area, defined as within 20 minutes’ travel, is $90,000, he said, pointing out that businesses draw from that wider area.
Contrary to popular belief, only one in seven American retirees relocates to a Sunbelt state, Poole said. Instead, they stay within an hour and a half of their previous residence. “They want to be near their networks” of friends and relatives, Poole said. “They’re going to look at places like Kennett Square because of its attractiveness.”
Maciunas said that it’s important to make sure that zoning regulations are in synch with what development will position Kennett to maintain its value to business and residents. Focusing on the future will ensure “an even better version of Kennett than we have today,” he said.
Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square (HKS), said the time and location for the meeting on April 7 have not been tied down yet. She said that the dissemination of the online survey would be up to the consultants.
“I am sure HKS will help get the survey out to the public via Facebook, newsletters, website, but we don’t have those details in place yet,” she said.
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