Spencer criticizes library’s name change
By John Gondol, Correspondent, The Times
As construction winds down on Magnolia Place, Kennett Square officials are looking at an application for a project nearby on Saw Mill Road.
KENNETT SQUARE – Borough Council decided to leave the record open regarding the conditional use hearing for a multiple use development located in both the borough and township, Tuesday night.
Cannery Row Properties LP Attorney J. Charles Gerbon stood before the Borough Council Tuesday night seeking approval for two lots including a three-story development located off of South Mill Road in the borough, and a 2-story development located on Cypress Street in Kennett Township.
After last week’s approval of an intergovernmental cooperative ordinance with Kennett Township, Cannery Row Properties LP was granted the ability to develop each individual lot as a unified development. This is the second inter-municipal cooperation agreement in Chester County and first between both Kennett Square and Kennett Township according to Michael Pia, the project manager for Cannery Row Properties.
The agreement allows both borough and township to view the plan using a single engineer instead of their separate designated engineers.
“We wanted to develop this comprehensively instead of breaking it down into two separate small projects, and the inter-municipal agreement allowed us to do that,” said Michael Pia.
Kennett Square’s 3-story building located off of South Mill Road includes retail, office, restaurant, and apartment capabilities in the development plans.
The development for the lot in Kennett Township off of Cypress Street includes a 2-story building that entails a commercial office building, parking, and storm water management facilities.
Kennett Square’s Solicitor Julie Von Spreckelsen ruled that the record remain open so that the council would have the opportunity to review the newly submitted documents in regards to granting conditional use to Cannery Row Properties. The continuation of the hearing is set for March 2nd, 2015; the next scheduled Kennett Square Borough Council Meeting.
In the president’s report Council President Leon Spencer Jr. expresses his disappointment in the soon to be former Bayard Taylor Library Board to rename the library Kennett Area Library, in anticipation of moving out of the borough, after hearing the complaints of many residents in regards to a banner on State Street illustrating the letter “K” with a light blue background.
“When you dig in that a little bit what you discover is that’s the new logo for the library in town- a library that for years assumed the name Bayard Taylor Memorial Library” said council president Spencer.
Spencer goes on to mention, “I will only say to you as a person, as a borough official and I do not say this on behalf of any council people we have not discussed this, but I am disappointed also that such a change would be made without ever consulting the members of this council or the mayor- I think that was an inappropriate thing to do.”
Spencer reminded the audience of the council’s support for all of the organizations in the community and emphasized the importance of involving the council before making causal decisions such as the one by the Bayard Taylor Library Board.
