PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of July 9 through July 16. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones.
Route 52 will be closed and detoured between Creek and Pocopson roads in Pocopson Township from 6 p.m. on Friday, July 8, until 6 a.m. on Monday, July 11, for resurfacing, work planned in advance of the additional traffic that segment will receive when the Route 926 Bridge closes in February for six months.
Crews will be patching on Route 322 in both directions from Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 15. The work, which will require lane closures, is scheduled between Route 1 and 1-95 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Patching is also scheduled on I-95 between Philadelphia County and the Delaware state line. Intermittent lane closures will be needed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 15.
Work is continuing on the project to widen Route 202, which is scheduled for completion in August 2016. Motorists should expect delays for traffic pattern shifts in Tredyffrin and East Whiteland townships.
The Westtown School has closed Westtown Road between Oak Lane and Westtown Way for a bridge replacement through Friday, July 22. Detours are posted.
Route 1 in Concord Township will be the site of utility installation through Sept. 1. Lane shifts will be needed on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Mainline Health Care project between Brinton Lake Road and Applied Card Way. In addition, lane closures will occur between State Farm and Evergreen drives in both directions for concrete median removal, work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that has been extended through Friday, July 15.
Work will continue on the Speakman Covered Bridge in East Fallowfield and West Marlborough townships. Frog Hollow Road between Concord Bridge and Strasburg roads will be closed and detoured until the estimated completion date of Sept. 20.
Green Valley Road in Newlin Township is closed and detoured between Powell and Brandywine Creek roads due to structural deficiencies at the Green Valley Road Bridge. No repair date has been scheduled.
Burnt Mill Road in Kennett Township remains closed and detoured between Norway and Spring Mill roads while advance work continues on repairs to the Burnt Mill Bridge, which was closed on April 24, 2014.
Work is continuing on the Birmingham Road Bridge in Birmingham Township, which was closed in September due to structural damage. Posted 24-hour detours will be in effect between Lambourne Road and Stoney Run Drive. The completion date has been extended to Sept. 20.
Daylong lane closures will be in place on Route 100 in Uwchlan and West Whiteland townships from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 15, for construction. The work covers an area between Swedesford Road and Sheree Boulevard.
If you want to report potholes and other roadway maintenance concerns on state roads, call 610-566-0972 in Delaware County or 484-340-3200 in Chester County, or visit www.dot.state.pa.us and click on “submit feedback.”
An artist’s rendering of the future headquarters building for Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union now Being built in the Chadds Ford Business Campus.
Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union is moving its corporate headquarters to Chadds Ford. The credit union has had its sights on the empty lot 11 on Hillman Drive across from Evergreen Place in the Chadds Ford Business Campus. And now it’s a done deal.
According to Bryan Brockson, the credit union’s assistant vice president for facilities and procurement, the credit union’s Broomall headquarters served the company well for 20 years, but company growth led to a search for a larger facility.
During those 20 years, FMFCU has grown from $130 million in assets and 34,000 members to $1 billion in assets and 82,000 members. The company will need 52,000 square feet of space by 2021.
There are 179 employees working out of the Broomall office, but that number is expected to jump to 240 by the end of 2021, as estimated by the credit union’s five-year plan.
“The board, management and staff are very excited about the possibilities in Chadds Ford. The facility will feature modern amenities, lighting and technology. This will assist with employee recruiting, retention and engagement,” Brockson said in an email.
FMFCU spent more than a year looking at 16 different locations throughout Delaware County, but settled on the Chadds Ford Business Campus, which is owned by The Henderson Group.
“The Henderson Property Group was aggressive in pursuing FMFCU as a tenant,” said FMFCU President and CEO John D. Unangst. “I especially appreciated their receptiveness to our desire for a two-story, glass-enclosed café with grand staircase. The opening of two floors will produce tremendous work flow, communication, and camaraderie among employees.”
He added that while he takes pride in FMFCU being the largest credit union headquartered in Delaware County, it was important to remember its roots.
“Although the FMFCU branch network has expanded throughout the greater Philadelphia region, including Philadelphia and Wilmington, our hub and roots remain in Delaware County,” Unangst said.
Among the advantages of the new location are the ability to recruit from a wider area and more options for the staff regarding amenities such as restaurants, shopping and medical care. It will be a modern, energy-efficient building and the layout can be customized to fit changing needs, Unangst said.
The lot was approved for a three-story office building years ago, but no further action was taken. The YMCA expressed interest in building a facility there in 2013, but residents — mostly from Painters Crossing Condominiums and The Estates at Chadds Ford — balked. Township supervisors gave no encouragement to the Y to pursue the idea, and the Y eventually decided against moving into Chadds Ford.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
Despite the abundance of bees in Kennett Township's new pollinator garden, officials are certain that it's not the source of a mystery buzzing sound that has been plaguing some residents.
Noise, some of it figurative, dominated a nearly three-hour meeting of the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, July 6 – ranging from fictitious bombs to real gun discharge and concluding with audio of a high-pitched, mystery buzzing.
Kennett Township Supervisors Whitney S. Hoffman (from left), Richard L. Leff, and Scudder G. Stevens react to the camera at their meeting on Wednesday, July 6.
In between, the supervisors fielded concerns about arsenic-tainted soil; voted to join Kennett Square Borough in celebrating National Night Out, a community-policing event; reinforced the township’s commitment to open space as well as the Chandler Mill Bridge rehabilitation; and voted reluctantly to approve the release of escrow funds for the Granite Ridge subdivision.
Township Manager Lisa M. Moore explained that the bogus explosions were part of a recent multi-agency, tabletop training exercise held at the township that began with a bomb threat at Kennett High during the Mushroom Festival and escalated with explosions at Exelon and in the borough.
“It was a very successful exercise,” she said, adding that gathering representatives from businesses, the county, and other municipalities ensures better preparation in the event of an actual emergency.
Moore also reported that the supervisors held an executive session to discuss the acquisition of real estate. Citing his proximity to the tract, Supervisors’ Chairman Scudder G. Stevens recused himself from a unanimous vote by Supervisors Whitney S. Hoffman and Richard L. Leff to commit $588,450 toward 60 percent of the cost of a 30-acre parcel. Moore said a conservation buyer was purchasing the other 43 acres.
She explained that the location could not be divulged until the negotiations, contingent upon appraisals and grants, were finalized. Once the property is acquired, it would be open to the public and connect to existing trails.
In response to a resident’s question, Hoffman said the township has preserved about 18 percent of its land with a goal of attaining 30 percent.
“The issue of trying to protect what we have has become a very important mission. Many of us are deeply committed to that process,” Stevens said.
He cited the recent news that Toll Brothers has an agreement of sale to purchase the historic, 330-acre Crebilly Farm in Westtown Township as an example of the urgency. That prompted resident Joe Duffy to call Crebilly “the Hope Diamond of Chester County.”
Another conservation-related issue involved the Chandler Mill Bridge. Moore said the township did not receive money in the last round of grants but was committed to trying again and hoped to put the design out for bid and begin work in the fall. She estimated the cost to rehabilitate the bridge for use by bicyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles at approximately $450,000, $100,000 of which would be covered by a donation.
Gwen Lacey, executive director of The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC), thanked the supervisors for their work to keep the bridge on the National Historic Register. Stevens responded that the partnership between the township and the conservancy benefited everyone.
The supervisors also discussed a letter TLC sent to the board reiterating concerns about the proposed Bentley Homes development on the Plankinton property, located at 912 S. Union St. The conservancy urged the township to conduct an independent soil analysis to determine the best course for arsenic remediation, to collaborate with its expert on stormwater runoff, and to consider adopting a soil ordinance.
Resident Dave Lewis echoed some of the conservancy’s fears, pointing out that an error in containing the carcinogen could result in its entry into the water system, where it could easily “destroy the whole ecosystem.”
The supervisors agreed to do some research on soil ordinances and the protection they might afford, and they also agreed to consult with the conservancy’s experts on interpreting the developer’s soil report, stopping short of commissioning their own study.
After a lengthy discussion, the board also agreed to do additional research on its gun ordinance after Solicitor David J. Sander outlined its options. Sander explained that the township withdrew the ordinance after a federal law gave organizations like the National Rifle Association the right to sue local municipalities over gun restrictions.
Since then, that provision was shot down by an appellate court. Sander said the township could reenact its ordinance, mindful that the state might institute a similar provision and necessitate “re-repealing it,” but he deemed that possibility unlikely.
Police Chief Lydell Nolt said the township experiences about 20 documented incidents per year of shots fired. He recommended that the language in the former township ordinance regarding backstops be clarified, and the supervisors agreed to reconsider the issue at their July 20 meeting.
Nolt also received a vote of approval to change the status of Police Officer Johnathan Ortiz from probationary to permanent, and he said the township would participate in the National Night Out celebration with the borough on Aug. 2.
“It’s another example of the borough and township working toward a common goal,” Stevens said.
In other business, the supervisors voted to release $245,633.97 in escrow funds for Phase 1 of the Granite Ridge subdivision. Unresolved problems with stormwater runoff in Phase Two of the project prompted a delay in releasing the money, but Moore said the township had no legal standing to continue to withhold it since it is not tied to the current problem.
She said that the developer is working with the township and conservancy to resolve the drainage problems and that the township, which already has $99,000 in escrow for Phase Two, could require an increase in that amount if needed.
Finally, the board spent considerable time discussing an ongoing nighttime noise complaint that has mystified a handful of residents as well as township officials. Moore, who played a recording of the sound, said that not only does it not violate the township’s noise ordinance, but it also can’t be traced to a specific location.
Moore said the group of residents requested that the supervisors conduct a noise audit at a cost of $4,000 to determine the source.
But Solicitor David J. Sander said that even if the source were identified, the township has no recourse. “Legally this is what’s called a private nuisance,” he said. “I’m hesitant to recommend that the township get involved.”
Stevens noted that Moore and other township officials had exhausted what they could do to help. “We’ve done a lot to try and solve the problem,” Stevens said. “Those who are hearing it and annoyed by it have to take the burden.”
Area residents have one more day to swelter, according to the National Weather Service.
These summer flowers at Longwood Gardens respond well to the heat, as long as they get plenty of water.
A day after national officials declared the hottest-ever June on record in the U.S., NWS issued an excessive heat warning for the I-95 corridor until 6 p.m. on Friday, July 8.
Forecasters said the warning includes a risk for severe thunderstorms, strong winds and localized flooding – as well as excessive heat. The prime period for thunderstorms will be from mid-afternoon through late this evening.
Although Saturday, July 9, promises more hot weather, the heat index will be lower, officials said. Saturday’s outlook calls for a high of 86, mostly cloudy skies and a low around 73. The chance of precipitation is 60 percent with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except in areas where thunderstorms may pop up, mainly after 8 a.m.
Craft beer fans have extra incentive to visit Longwood Gardens on Friday, July 8. The “Gardens On Tap: Meet the Brewer” event is returning to the Beer Garden, a collaboration between Longwood and Victory Brewing Company, starting at 7 p.m.
‘Gardens on Tap: Meet the Brewer’ will be held on Friday, July 8, beginning at 7 p.m. at Longwood Gardens.
Guests will have an opportunity to learn about the brewing process and discover what ingredients were grown at Longwood to craft its new summer signature brew, Longwood Seasons: Grapefruit Solstice. The event will occur adjacent to the Beer Garden, a structure created from sequoia trees that fell on the property.
A panel discussion will feature experts from Longwood Gardens and Victory Brewing Company. Questions will be answered during an audience Q&A, and guests ages 21 years and older will even have the opportunity to sample Longwood Seasons: Grapefruit Solstice.
Last year’s signature brews were Autumn Wheat, which used Longwood-harvested honey and was available in the fall, and Summer Zest, a saison flavored with Longwood-grown lemons, which has returned to this summer’s lineup.
Longwood Gardens, the former estate of industrialist Pierre S. du Pont on Route 1 near Kennett Square, is open daily, including holidays. Admission is $20 for adults; $17 for seniors (age 62+); $10 for students (ages 5–18) or with valid student ID) and free ages 4 and under. Group rates are also available.
Do your supervisors understand how to promote life work balance?
Employee productivity is a critical component of business success. In the most fundamental way, the work performance of your employees directly impacts your ability to deliver the products and services to your customers. This reality often motivates supervisors to set unrealistic expectations on employees that over time evolve into a culture that is opposite of the culture leadership envisioned for life work balance.
What often happens is an organization’s desire for life work balance is in direct contradiction with the actions and behaviors of the management team, more specifically the supervisors. For example, unknown to leadership, a supervisor may have set expectations directly or through their actions that it is inappropriate for a staff member to call out sick because the work is more important than their health. This can manifest over time by employees being verbally reprimanded or spoken down to negatively by the supervisor when they experience a personal situation that requires they call off from work. Over time the expectation of the organization alters to be the expectations of the supervisor over a particular group of employees, and these employees become disengaged from the employer as they are unable to experience life work balance as they were led to believe by leadership.
Another example, and this happens all too often in workplaces, is the need for an employee to leave the place of business during the workday to handle personal matters that may arise. Supervisors often prioritize the needs of the business over the needs of their workers, ignoring the life work balance efforts of the organization. The result – an employee at 2 p.m. notifies the supervisor he or she has to leave work to take care of a personal matter, and the unfortunate result – the supervisor tells the employee no, they may not leave. This is not appropriate, as it is the responsibility of the organization to use available resources to perform necessary work. An employee who leaves during the scheduled workday is no longer an available resource, it is that simple. The employee is made to feel they cannot leave, and that is not the case. They may certainly leave at any time if they wish, and in the situation of the prior example, they can decide whether or not they even come to work.
Now I am not implying that there are no consequences for the actions of the employee, I am focusing on the philosophical issue of whether or not an employer has the right to tell an employee whether or not they have to come to work, or that they have to stay at work. If there is a goal to have a culture of life work balance, then your workforce should never believe they are slaves of the business and that they cannot choose to leave when necessary, or that if their life throws them obstacles that demand their time they cannot miss work.
The employer can have policies and practices that hold the employee accountable, such as performance management that requires dependability and regular attendance. The point being made here, for both employees and employers, is that the employer cannot force you to come to work, and cannot force you to stay at work. There is no slavery in the workforce. Consequences for not being at work, sure, you could lose your job, you could receive disciplinary or corrective action, you may lose compensation (be mindful of FLSA laws), but you do not have to be at work or stay there. That is a choice the employee has.
* The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to: editor@chaddsfordlive.com
Warren is the President and co-founder of SymbianceHR and provides strategic oversight for service delivery, business operations, and technical guidance on consulting engagements. He is a human resources subject matter expert with over 25 years of experience as a strategic human resources business partner, project manager, and people leader across private and public sectors organizations.
Warren is responsible for the strategic planning of all client consulting engagements from initial needs assessment and compliance review through delivery of customized strategic solutions that meet the client’s business goals. He has a proven track record of providing executive coaching and guidance to business leaders and human resource professionals at all levels including the C-Suite of Fortune 100 companies.
Warren is also the Chief Talent Officer and cofounder of SymbianceHiRe, a Symbiance company dedicated to providing direct placement talent acquisition services and temporary and contract staffing solutions to the business community.
Warren holds a B.S. in Human Resource Management, an MBA in Project Management, and a M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Warren is the author of “Applicant Interview Preparation – Practical Coaching for Today.”
