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Growing Pains in Northern Chester County

NORTH COVENTRY — As neighboring townships pave open spaces with growing frequency, officials in this largely rural area of Chester County are trying their best to strike a balance.

The challenge is how to capitalize on economic growth without eroding the scenic nature of the township and becoming another dot on Pennsylvania's map of suburban sprawl.

In the words of North Coventry Supervisor Bud Jenschke Jr., "Let's not screw up what we already have."

Area planners gathered with a handful of residents last Monday for a kickoff to the beginning of a six-month study, which will result in a Northern Chester County Gateway Master Plan.

Hired consultants will analyze development trends and transportation patterns in the area being called the gateway of Chester County. The focus area is Cedarville Road between Laurelwood Road and South Hanover Street; and the Route 100 corridor between Cedarville and Hoffecker roads.

John Meisel, a consultant for WRT Planning & Design in Philadelphia, emphasized the importance of hearing comments from the public as the project moves forward. His first question to the audience that gathered Monday was, "What does a gateway mean to you?"

Jenschke said residents place a high priority on quality of living. It is important to keep traffic confined to Route 100 and off township roads as much as possible, limit noise and light pollution, and ensure that new development is visually appealing, he said.

The supervisor wants consistent landscaping and signage, or what he phrased, "consistent curb appeal."

Supervisor Andy Paravis said, "My greatest fear is that we become a MacArthur Boulevard in Allentown. I've railed against strip malls for years."

King of Prussia and Limerick were also named as municipalities North Coventry does not want to emulate.

Jay Wissler, a resident and owner of Coventry Motors, described Limerick's recent development as "atomic growth."

He said a study like this one should have been completed 30 years ago, but it's not too late to start. A proactive approach is better than a "knee-jerk reaction" to the impulse to grow and expand, according to Wissler.

"Not doing anything is not an answer (to growth)," he said during the meeting.

Pat Washburn sits on the North Coventry planning commission. She recommended caution when it comes to building storefronts and said it's easy to become a town of empty shop windows. Isolationism isn't the answer either, Washburn said.

"We need to be aware of everything around us. (North Coventry) won't remain rural if everything around deteriorates," she said.

Washburn commented on the need for more medical facilities — perhaps a community health clinic — in North Coventry.

Representatives of West Mont Christian Academy spoke in favor of more civic and community-related opportunities, not just commercial.

Many in the audience boarded a bus after the meeting to tour the study area. Stops included the intersection of Cedarville Road and Route 100, where a senior living center is in the early planning stages. The bus also stopped at the Suburbia Shopping Center in North Coventry.

Coming Tuesday: A look at commercial projects being planned in North Coventry.