Fired historical commission strikes out on its own | Inquirer Chester County
Plus, what to know about Oxford disbanding its police department.
Hi, Chester County! 👋
After being fired, all six members of Westtown Township’s historical commission are striking out on their own. Also this week, Oxford will disband its police department, future development at a contaminated Kennett Square site could be on the horizon, plus, what to know about the mysterious drone sightings over Wallace Township.
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All six former members of Westtown Township’s historical commission — who were fired last month amid disagreements with local officials over historic preservation — have formed their own independent society.
Known as the Westtown-Brandywine Historical Society, the group’s mission is to protect local buildings and history, similar to what they did before. “I feel like we’ve continued without missing a beat,” one member said, adding she was crushed when they were dismissed.
In just a few short weeks, the group has already planned several events, including historical tours of Oakbourne Mansion and Park and a discussion about the Darlington Inn. They believe the inn should be preserved, and their stance is why they think they were let go.
The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz explores how the group formed so quickly and what’s ahead for them.
📍 Countywide News
SEPTA is rolling out the first phase of its bus network overhaul Sunday, impacting 30 routes, including along the Lancaster Avenue corridor. Here’s what to know.
Expect more roadwork throughout the county this week as new projects get underway and others continue.
💡 Community News
Oxford’s borough council voted Monday to disband its police department and join the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department and Commission amid budgetary constraints. The change will go into effect next year. The borough will hold a town hall with the regional department’s police chief tomorrow.
Kennett Square’s council moved future development at the defunct National Vulcanized Fiber site one step closer to reality this week despite pushback, agreeing to advertise an ordinance that would allow for housing and businesses at the contaminated 22-acre former industrial property.
With limited housing inventory and a growing population, Kennett Square has decided to cap how many short-term rentals are allowed within the borough. Current units will be grandfathered in.
For the past month or so, the West Brandywine Police Department has been investigating drone sightings in Wallace Township, where one has been spotted repeatedly flying over homes and roads for several hours at night. Inquirer columnist and area resident Sabrina Vourvoulias offers her take.
West Chester’s 12-and-under East Side Little League team has punched its ticket to the Little League World Series, which gets underway today in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The team, representing the Mid-Atlantic region, is slated to compete Friday.
Several Phillies players sported one-of-a-kind cleats for last week’s Field of Dreams game in Iowa, which were created by Downingtown company NXT LVL Customs.
Longtime Phoenixville borough manager E. Jean Krack is planning to retire this coming spring after 18 years in the role. Council is working on plans to hire his successor.
Willistown Township is hosting a meeting tomorrow at 7 p.m. at General Wayne Elementary School to discuss the potential settlement agreement for Rock Hill Farm. A judge recently overturned a township ruling denying the property could be developed into luxury homes.
East Vincent Township’s planning commission is slated to continue discussions tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. about AQ Dev, LLC’s conditional use application to build 53 single-family homes at 446 Stony Run Rd.
West Brandywine Township is holding a conditional use hearing Tuesday at 7 p.m. for Imaging Associates’ and Toll Brothers’ proposed age-restricted community at 500 Hibernia Rd.
Nordstrom Rack is opening tomorrow at Main Street at Exton.
Leaves and Lore, a new fantasy-focused independent bookstore at 118 N. High St. in West Chester, is opening its doors on Saturday.
🍽️ On our Plate
Mark your calendars: Opus, an artsy New American restaurant and cocktail bar adjoining Artelo in Kennett Square, has set Sept. 11 to 13 as its opening weekend.
🎳 Things to Do
🏒 Flyers Community Caravan: Gritty is heading to Exton as part of a multi-stop tour that also includes the team’s in-arena host and Flyers alums. ⏰ Wednesday, Aug. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Miller Park, Exton
🍻 Summer Pop-Up Biergarten: Locust Lane Craft Brewery and Turk’s Head Wines will be pouring drinks, while food trucks Philly Hots! and Cousins Maine Lobster will dish up food. ⏰ Thursday, Aug. 20, 5-8 p.m. 💵 $10 in advance, $15 at the door 📍 Historic Sugartown, Malvern
🎸 Tell Me Lies: The Fleetwood Mac tribute group will perform some of the band’s most iconic hits. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. 💵 $51-$61 📍 Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester
📚 Philadelphia Book Crawl: Several Chesco bookshops — Forage Books in Kennett Square, Wellington Square Bookshop in Exton, and Reads & Company in Phoenixville — are participating in the region-wide event. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 22, times vary 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Locations vary
🏡 On the Market
Built in the 1800s, this stone West Chester estate — known as Fernbank Farm, and already under contract — features a number of original architectural details. Among its most unique is a former ice house that’s been converted into a two-story wine cellar that can hold 1,500 bottles and also has a tasting room. Other features in the six-bedroom home include a library and sunroom, in addition to outdoor living spaces such as covered wraparound porches, gardens, and a heated pool.
See more photos of the property here.
Price: $3.3M | Size: 5,397 SF | Acreage: 6
📈 Chester County market report
Median listing price: $599,900 (down $17,100 from June) 📉
Median sold price: $610,000 (down $18,500 from June) 📉
Median days on the market: 34 (up six days from June) 📈
This Chester County market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for July from realtor.com.
🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:
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