By Eliza Mohler, Staff Writer, The Times
Real estate developer John Lynch (standing, far left) and Kennett Township Chief of Police Lydell Nolt (seated, far right) discuss plans for the Sinclair Springs development with residents.
KENNETT – The Board of Supervisors looked to the future during Wednesday night’s meeting as they agreed to move forward with some initiatives to enhance life in the township.
Chief of Police Lydell Nolt presented a proposal to the board that would make the township police department the first accredited law enforcement agency in Southern Chester County. He said that going through the accreditation process “will ensure the public is being served by a police agency with the highest professional standards currently and long after my tenure has passed.”
Nolt explained that the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, which was introduced by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association in 2001, would work with the township police force to review their standards and evaluate their procedures. Once all of the criteria are met, the department would be awarded an accreditation that would require approval for renewal on an annual basis. Of the approximately 1,200 law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, only 111 are currently accredited.
Nolt concluded his proposal by listing the benefits of accreditation, which include enhanced planning and innovation opportunities, greater agency accountability to the public, and improved methods for providing service to the community. The board approved the request unanimously. Chairman Scudder Stevens congratulated and thanked Nolt, who replied that he appreciates the support and that the end product is beneficial to everyone.
The board also approved a request by Township Manager Lisa Moore to proceed with a proposed indoor agriculture feasibility study, which will cost $13,980 and will help determine if the township is the right area to establish an indoor agricultural center that would be modeled in part on the success of the local mushroom industry.
Moore said the project is something that the board’s indoor ag committee has been looking into for awhile.
“We’ve met with several very universities who are interested in coming together and creating a partnership to create an indoor ag educational center in the township,” she said. “Before we do that, we feel it’s important that we have a feasibility study done to even determine if this area desires an indoor ag center, if it is suitable for an indoor ag center, if this is one of the needs of the community.”
She added that there are individuals and companies who would be interested in helping defray the cost of the study.
Two grant authorizations were also approved: one for a community-based open land stewardship plan grant in the amount of $152,250, with the township contributing 25%; and one for a waste water management plan grant for $67,000, with the township and the Borough of Kennett Square equally sharing the match cost.
In other news, the developers of the Sinclair Springs project on West Hillendale Road intended to present their final plans for the board’s approval at the meeting, but they have been delayed by an outstanding permit and feedback from AECOM and will make their presentation in June. Several residents came to the meeting with questions regarding the lighting plan for the development, which they are concerned about because of the number of lights and the resulting brightness.
“I think we all moved out to the township to get away from the Borough lights and for the ruralness of the area, and that’s why we don’t like the lights,” one resident said.
Developer John Lynch addressed some of the residents’ questions, and he said that the current plan is a compromise between what he wanted and what the township wanted. Lynch agreed to bring the project’s lighting consultant to the next board meeting on Wednesday, June 7 to answer additional questions.
