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Voters OK open-space efforts

Voters OK open-space efforts
Two Chesco towns said yes to programs to save land. Similar efforts won in Bucks County as well.
By Jonathan Gelb Inquirer Suburban Staff

Referendums in North Coventry, West Vincent and East Vincent in Chester County and Wrightstown in Bucks County asked voters if they would agree to small increases in either the property tax or the earned-income tax to preserve open space.

In West Vincent, with all precincts reporting, voters approved the referendum by a 3-2 ratio. In East Vincent, with all precincts reporting, it was a 4-1 ratio. In North Coventry, with three of four precincts reporting, the ratio of approval was 3-1.

"This gives us an opportunity to save land without increasing density," said Clare Quinn, a West Vincent supervisor. "I hope this brings us together as a community."

In Wrightstown, voters approved a small earned-income tax increase and a $1.5 million debt authorization.

And in Upper Southampton, Bucks County, voters approved a $2 million debt authorization for farmland conservation, early results show.

In Chester County, part of the money raised from the tax increases will go to a local matching-grant program that combines county and municipal money to buy development rights to farmland. The rest will be used for local programs that identify at-risk farms and protect them.

Communities in northern Chester County face significant development pressure, especially with the Vanguard Group's long-term plan to build a large corporate campus in Uwchlan. Last year, Vanguard declined the county's request for $5 million for the grant program, saying it was being asked to pay more than its share.