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West Chester Weekly News Roundup

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It’s Friday, Aug. 23, 2024: We are back and rested and ready for school. Ok, not so much on that last one but getting there. Know who wasn’t resting? West Chester. West Goshen supervisors announced plans to reverse themselves and allow Wawa to build at the Parkway Shopping Center. West Chester Borough debated Airbnbs (again.) West Chester Off-Campus Housing opened a new apartment building ahead of move-in weekend (happening now). DK Diner has new, but familiar, ownership, and Turks Head Wines is putting a high-glass shine on their glasses ahead of the opening of their new Wine Lounge and Tasting Room next weekend.  

It’s Friday, people - and it’s gorgeous out.

Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.

Reader notes: Ok, two things for you this week.

1) I am working on an article on the 2024 Gay Street closure experience. If you’ve been down this summer, send me your thoughts/experiences at [email protected]. (Thank you to those who already shared!)

2) I am planning to upgrade to a new email platform next week. It will (should) allow me to provide some cool new subscriber benefits but I am anticipating a learning curve so be patient - and communicative. If don’t receive an issue for any reason please reach out. Email’s above.

Thanks!

Cara

Why can’t the Borough come to terms with Airbnbs?

For nearly two years now, West Chester Borough Council has been circling the same problem - what to do about Airbnbs,or short-term rentals in the Borough. Should they ban them outright? Should they allow them with conditions? If so, what should those conditions be? It seems no one can decide.

Some council members support allowing units throughout the Borough, while others would prefer none at all. There was discussion of allowing them in the Town Center as well as in the neighborhood districts with parking restrictions, then Town Center only without parking restrictions, then not at all, then Town Center again with parking restrictions and not within a 1000-ft of another short-term rental. Frankly, it’s hard to keep up with.

The topic was supposed to be decided once and for all at a public hearing held on Wednesday night. Spoiler alert: it was not. The matter has instead been referred back to the Borough’s Planning Commission and is set to come before Borough Council for what will hopefully be the last time next month.

As it currently stands the ordinance would allow short-term rentals by conditional use (aka with Borough Council approval) in the Town Center. Rentals located within a residential parking area would need to provide at least one off-street parking space per bedroom. Rentals must also be standalone units - you can’t just rent a single room in your house and a new short-term rental cannot be within 1000 ft of an existing short-term rental.

Airbnb opponents worry about noise, strangers in their neighborhoods, and absentee landlords purchasing up valuable West Chester real estate and turning it into permanent Airbnb rentals. Proponents question much of this.

“No one here is a big conglomerate. We’re all nearby,” says Dr. Krupa Daniel, who runs an Airbnb on E. Union St. and has been in this fight from the beginning. While the units are handy for parents visiting kids at WCU or those seeking mid-range lodging, she doubts the market would sustain a big buyout.

“I’m not getting crazy bookings anyway,” she told me this week.

Does your child want to make new friends locally? Do they want to meet kids from around the world? If so, we invite your family to learn more about CISV! CISV Brandywine Valley is the local chapter of CISV International, a global organization dedicated to educating about and inspiring peace through building intercultural friendship, cooperation, and understanding. Founded in 1950, CISV now has over 200 chapters in more than 60 countries throughout the world.   In addition to our monthly meetings (held the first Thursday of each month at Fugett Middle School in West Chester), we offer international summer camps for children 11–17 years old. Our exciting blend of innovative, fun, non-formal, “learning by doing” programs help build leadership and communication skills while encouraging friendship and understanding. To learn more, visit brandywine.cisvusa.org or contact us at [email protected].

***This is a sponsored post***

The Warnings.

This is about the love, not the hate. While I was gone, an awful thing happened, and apparently, not for the first time. The livestock manager at FamerJawn Agriculture at E. Street Rd. found an 8-foot Swastika spray painted on the floor of the property’s barn. However, this wasn’t the first time the black-owned business was targeted. In April, a shed was broken into, tools were stolen and vandals attacked the retail store. In May, the barn was vandalized with racial and antisemitic slurs, and now this.

Westtown East Goshen Police are investigating the incident and have increased area patrols. However, FarmerJawn Owner Christa Barfield is not waiting for arrests.

“Our team, made up of amazing people from diverse backgrounds, deserves to feel safe and respected. We’re taking immediate action to stand against this hate alongside key partners and community members,” she wrote in an email to subscribers days after the incident.

In response to the vitriol, FarmerJawn is hosting an “Only Love Grows Here Popup” event at the farm this Saturday. The team will be on-site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to answer questions about who they are and what they’re doing - and like any good gathering of friends - there will be food. If you can stop by and show your support, do. Hopefully, as we’ve seen in the past, the voices of hate may be loud, but they are also few.  

Missing mail. New details emerged last week from Congresswoman Chrissy Houlihan’s office about the fire at the Airport Rd Post Office. According to the update, the building’s structure suffered severe damage and will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Gay St. is your alternate. We also learned there was definitely mail destroyed or left stranded in the building.

“Because the fire was serious and caused significant structural and internal environmental damage, there’s no way to recover mail that was being processed or held at the Airport Road facility right now,” the statement reads.

If you think you are missing a bill or other mail, you’ll need to contact the company and ask them to resend the invoice (or Grandma for the birthday card). You can find the full update from your congresswoman here.

Call before you dig. This week the West Chester Borough Fire Department responded to a gas leak in the 900 block of Conner Rd in East Bradford. The leak occurred after a contractor struck a four-inch gas main in the street during construction.

Prove that you are human. This week West Chester Borough Council voted unanimously to change the intake process for right-to-know requests. The changes are being made to eliminate anonymous and bot-made requests. West Goshen is planning to make a similar change.  

County parking costs are going up. West Chester Borough will continue to allow Chester County to lease space in the Gay Street Lot- so long as it pays market rate for it. Under the terms of the new agreement, the County will have access to 79 spots at a rate of $95 per space/per month. This represents a monthly increase of $2765 or $28,440 for the year.

School buses are back on the road starting Monday. Please, plan accordingly.  

Warning, this might have you feeling good about the community in which you live and nostalgic for mid-summer nights.  

The Accolades.

As the season winds down, I wanted to give a little shoutout to West Chester’s summer music scene. Two years ago at this time, I chatted with local musician Nikki DiGiorgio as she prepared to launch the first-ever Look Around Festival. Her vision for the end-of-summer festival was in part to give local talent a stage.

“The abundance of talent that lives in this town is astonishing,” she told me at the time.

She was not the only one to notice.

Earlier that same year, Downtown West Chester brought us Fete de la Musique, now known simply as World Music Day, and the West Chester Green Team introduced us to a little idea called, Porchfest. In its first year, Porchfest welcomed 53 performers on 31 porches. This year the festival staged 103 performers across eight Borough Streets. Then last year, Uptown Theater partnered with Taylor Music to put their own spin on exposure, introducing Taylor-Made at Uptown, a singer-songwriter competition for local musicians.

Add this to the already existing Turks Head Music Festival, which saw a resurgence after changing dates to early June, the concerts in the parks (West Chester, West Goshen, and East Bradford), Music at Marshall, and various Gay Street performances, and summers in West Chester have been rockin’.

Unfortunately, the rest of the year still has some work to do.    

“Seeing the attendance at each of these amazing events is evidence enough of what our mission was trying to achieve,” said Nikki. “I am happy- but there is still room for improvement and we are diligently working year-round to cultivate this scene.”

The Look Around Festival returns Saturday to the grounds of the Elk Lodge on W. Washington St. There will be a full visual production with large-scale decorations, live actors, art installations, projections, vendors, food trucks, a cash bar, and more. The concert opens at noon with a performance by Elise Acoustic and continues until 2 a.m. “The first 2 years were about building a foundation,” said Nikki. “[This year], we had more time and energy to dedicate and nurture a theme from the inside out.”

(In case you were curious, that theme is “Egyptian space oasis” and there will be a costume contest. Also, here are some valuable tips on parking, kids, under 12 are free, and outside beverages - they are not allowed.).

And here are a few other things we are celebrating this week:

Lemonade stands. This summer, the campers at Chesterbrook Academy Preschools worked together to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Campers sold lemonade and various treats to their fellow campers, families, staff, and teachers to raise money for the foundation.

Summer sports. Olympians weren’t the only ones out competing this summer. Rustin senior midfielder Jordyn Krafchick was named to the U18 USA Select National Lacrosse Team. Keep an eye on her - might be a name to know in four years. Plus, YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) sent 76 local swimmers to the USA Jr. Nationals in Ocala, FL, including West Chester’s Ellie McNamara, who placed third in the 1500 freestyle and sixth in the 400 freestyle. The Gymcats, the YGBW’s competitive gymnastics team which trains at the Oscar Lasko facility on Chestnut St, also competed this summer. They had three athletes - Madeline Kruzek, Kendall Mullen, and Anya Kraatz - earn all-around titles at the YMCA Nationals Gymnastics Invitational. Good job girls!

New chapters. Mae’s, the farm-to-table BYOB on Gay St., is hoping to soon drop the BYO from their description. In anticipation of this, they recently renovated their cozy quarters to add a bar. “Phase 1 of our rebrand is ready to go. We have a few touches left but we are so excited to show you what we have been working on!” they shared in an Instagram post. There is no liquor license yet, but you are welcome to belly up to the bar for one of their amazing breakfast sandwiches.

Anniversaries. Congratulations to Saloon 151 on nine years in the Borough. Click here to see a picture of the way they were. If you get a chance (or a space), stop by this weekend and toast to their continued success.  

Hello.

Just in time for move-in weekend, West Chester is saying hello to some new student housing. While not part of that promised Master Housing plan, the 12-unit complex now open at 746 S. Franklin Street does provide shelter for up to 48 additional students.

The new building replaces the original University Court Apartments which were destroyed in a 2021 fire. The sleek three-story building was completed in near record time by West Chester’s Hazley Builders.  

“A project of this magnitude typically takes 12-24 months to complete,” said Hazely Builder’s Blayne Connolly. “We finished the project for West Chester Off-Campus Housing in eight months,”

Each unit has four bedrooms, two baths, and its own washer and dryer. And just for fun, here’s what student housing built in 1973 looked like.

Also, it’s hello again to a potential Wawa superstation on High St. After originally denying the convenience store’s special use application to open a new location at the entryway of the Parkway Shopping Center on High St, West Goshen Township is reconsidering its position. According to a statement read by Chair Ashley Gagné at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, the board is worried a reversal by the court would leave the township with limited say in the property’s final design. Here is a portion of the transcribed statement:  

“Although the board denied the special use application, the board was concerned the court would find we did not have a significant legal basis to deny the special use and would therefore overturn the denial and allow the convenience store without any conditions being imposed. Given the uncertainty of the outcome on appeal, the board thought it was appropriate to negotiate with the property owner to allow the convenience store with the revised lot layout and specific conditions to mitigate the impact of the use on the neighbors.”

The board is still in the process of negotiating with the owner. However, they are hoping to have a decision at a Sept. 3 meeting.

As a refresher, the local convenience mega-chain wants to replace its 2 E. Rhoads Ave store with a new “convenience store with the retail sale of gasoline.” Before being denied, the plans called for a 5,330 sq ft retail store and 16 gas pumps. The location, if approved, is also expected to offer beer and wine sales and possibly EV charging.

Residents have raised several concerns, especially around increased traffic and its potential safety implications.  

Goodbye.

Goodbye 9 to 5, hello, 4 to 10 pm. The transition from co-working to space to an elegant tasting room is nearly complete. The new Turks Head Wines Tasting Room and Wine Lounge on N Church Street is now accepting reservations for next week’s opening.

Enter the tasting lounge and the first thing you’ll notice is the large oval bar centered in the middle of the atrium in what used to be the Church Street Market House. Flanked on either end by faux trees, the marble-topped bar is surrounded by grouped seating areas. The walls have gone from bright white to rich gray an effect that is immediately soothing. In a traditional restaurant, which this is not as there is no commercial kitchen, here would go your diners. Instead, these areas are used for larger parties looking to enjoy a glass or three while snacking on a cheese plate or some crudites likely killing time pre- or post- dinner.

Behind the bar is the future two-story private CRU club. Here wine aficionados will meet to compare trips to the Sonoma Valley and geek out over all things grape. For the remainder of the year, this gorgeously outfitted space (it really is) will be open to anyone. After that, you will need to pony up for the annual membership. (We don’t what that price is yet, but I can tell you it will be a lot more than this annual membership. Although, I’m guessing they are similar levels of fun.)

Fun fact: Upstairs in the CRU club is the refurbished ‘Turks Head Tavern’ sign. It’s not the original; that’s at the Chester County History Center. However, those supporting the West Chester bar scene circa 2000 will recognize it as the sign that hung outside the ‘Turks Head Inn’ (now Barnaby’s) before it closed.

There are also private tasting rooms, event space (there’s a potential collab with Spence Cafe for dinner and wine-pairing events and already one with Chef Christopher Curtinat Eclat), and a fully functioning classroom suitable for teaching everything from wine appreciation to sommelier certification classes.

The Turks Head Tasting Room & Wine Lounge is located at 120 N. Church St. and opens at 4 p.m. on Aug. 29. They will be open weekly Thursday through Sunday with reservations available from 4 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; and noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Guests of all ages are welcome until 4 p.m. After that, you must be 21 to enter.

Also, this week, several West Whiteland residents and their West Chester neighbors are hoping to say goodbye to a proposed development project that would nab just a little more of the county’s dwindling green space.

“We're trying to spread the word on our efforts to stop a storage unit facility from decimating more green space and disrupting the local ecosystem,” shared West Whiteland resident Erin Knapp, who along with her neighbors, is trying to stop the lot at 451 Spackman Lane from being developed.

The property in question is a vacant 13.1 acre lot near East Bradford last purchased in 1983 for $10,000. The wedge-shaped property is zoned residential but the variance application argues that due to its shape and proximity to a railroad track and a floodplain, it would be a hardship to use it for that purpose.

“While it may be possible to design a residential development for this property, the constraints imposed by the shape, the floodplain area, and the location and length of available street frontage suggest that the resulting lots will also be highly constrained, have unconventional shapes, and be challenging building sites,” the application reads.

“The Board should also consider the more subjective issue of whether any residential use is appropriate for this property, given the floodplain area and abutting rail line,” it continues.

Neighbors seemingly agree with that latter sentiment, but ask, should it be developed at all?

“I know there is so much building going on in the county and this may seem like such a little area, but it matters a lot to our little community,” said Erin.

The West Whiteland Zoning Hearing Board is expected to hear the application at its Aug. 29 meeting. The Zoning Board meets at 7 p.m. at the West Whiteland Township Building. Attendance is in-person or via Zoom.  

Speaking of things that are out, here are a couple of quick goodbyes floating around the web-i-verse:

The Hershey’s Mill Golf Club is for sale. According to an article in the Philadephia Business Journal last Friday, the 45-year-old Hershey’s Mill Golf Club on Chandler Dr is on the market for a cool $9.9 million. This purchase price will get you a private “high-end” 18-hole golf course and a 22,000 sq. ft. “sports and entertainment building,” aka, the clubhouse located within the gated Hershey’s Mill Community. According to the real estate listing, it also “includes landscaping and snowplowing business.” What it doesn’t include is the land. The Hershey’s Mill homeowner association owns that but the club’s existing lease on the land is good through June of 2079.

The DK Diner is in new hands. According to an update shared by their title company last month, owner  Vince Mackay sold the DK Diner. However, don’t fret. The West Chester institution, 72 years and counting, is not closing. Rather, it’s a “pass the torch to the next generation” moment. The Gay St. diner was purchased by the A & R Real Estate Group - the management team behind the Ram Diner on High St. Special thanks to the eagle eyes at West Goshen Sunshine for catching this deeply buried piece of West Chester news.

Finally, goodbye summer. Soak it up. Soak. It. All. Up. For most of the school-attending public and their parents, Monday marks the end of summer break. For those who live in the Borough, especially the southwest and southeast quadrants, the days of ample parking, car-free roads, and reservationless dining are probably grinding to a halt as we speak. West Chester University began its student move-in on Wednesday with the arrival of the first first-year students. Move-in continues through the weekend with upperclassmen arriving on Saturday.  

WCU expects to welcome just over 17,000 graduate and undergraduate students this year.

Pay It Forward.

Westtown and Natural Lands are hoping West Chester residents will step up and join the ultimate pay-it-forward to save the remaining Crebilly Farmland.

I thought that was already preserved?

Me too, but, apparently, there’s more to it than just agreeing to preserve the land. There’s paying for it and that’s where things can get complicated. So far, Natural Lands, the nonprofit organization helping Westtown preserve the 308-acre farm, has managed to protect one-third of the property via a permanent conservation easement.

Now, they are trying to secure the final 206 acres which will be used as a passive public park. According to a recent article in the Daily Local, more than $20 million in open space tax revenues have already been committed by Westtown Township (In 2022, 66 percent of residents voted in favor of a ballot measure agreeing to the increases), but the group remains about 10 percent short of its goal with the fundraising deadline quickly approaching.

“We are within reach of being able to take the final step to secure a new 206-acre passive-use park—with trails through meadows, across streams, and over rolling hills—for generations to experience, enjoy, and love. It’s the chance of a lifetime. But our fundraising deadline is October 31,” they shared via a “Help Save Crebilly” webpage.

The first 100 people to donate $50 or more will receive a complimentary ticket to Brandywine in White this Saturday at, you guessed it, Crebilly Farms. Thanks to a couple of generous donors, all fundraising gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2 million. Interested in helping to save Crebilly? You can do that here. Think of it as your one-time admission fee to this amazing new park.

Plus, a few more ways to give back this week:  

Get rid of those excess back-to-school supplies. Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police and nonprofit Gaudenzia are collecting school supplies for seven first and second-graders whose families have been affected by drug and alcohol dependency or mental illness. They are looking for backpacks, glue sticks, scissors, two-pocket folders, pencils, crayons, erasers, composition books, markers, and fabric pencil cases. If you can help with any of that, drop your supplies off at 1041 Wilmington Pike, but hurry, they need them by today.  

Sign up to the lace up for some good causes. Community Volunteers in Medicine is hosting a 5K Run and Family Fun Day on Sept. 7. Proceeds from the race will go to an endowment fund to ensure the organization can continue its lifesaving work now and into the future. Roslyn Swim Club is hosting its first-ever 2-mile fun run on Aug. 31. The 9/11 Heroes Run is being held at Rustin on Sept 10 and Unite For Her has its annual 5K scheduled for Sept. 28.

Click yes to the grocery store roundup. Roundup funds collected by Acme from Aug. 1 through Aug. 30  will support the West Chester Area School District’s meal distribution programs in the form of grocery store gift cards.

Get your car washed. The Henderson boys’ soccer team will be washing cars in the Crash Champions parking lot on E. Market St from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.on Sunday. All proceeds go to support the soccer team.  

The Freakin’ Weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? We are meeting friends out for drinks at Serum. I’m hoping to catch a peek of the view from their new rooftop dining area. Then on Saturday, the fall sports running begins. Summer, it’s been fun.

If you’re around this weekend, remember the WCU students and their parents are too. Make reservations if you are heading out - and you should, it’s supposed to be gorgeous. It’s grape and green bean season at the Grower’s Market (plus, late-season peaches and early-season apples!). Saturday is the Look Around Festival, Sunday, The Social and Bar Avalon are hosting Dueling Pianos on Gay St. - that should be fun - and on Monday, Uptown’s $5 Movie Monday begins a back-to-school theme I’m excited for. Up first? Rudy.

And finally, special thanks to this week’s Community Sponsor Mitten Systems! Mitten Systems is an operations consulting firm focused on helping small businesses and nonprofits find more efficient ways to work. What small business couldn’t use that? Check out their website to learn how they can help your business do more with less!

Mitten Systems

Mitten Systems partners with non-profit organizations and small businesses to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. Our tailored solutions in system development, process optimization, and technology integration drive meaningful change, empowering your team to lead with confidence. Visit us at www.amitten.com to learn more.

View a list of all our amazing Community Sponsors here.

Business leaders: Want exclusive access to this amazing community? Of course, you do! Limited September openings available.  Send me an email if you are interested. Placements are filled first come- first served.

Readers: Thank you to all who have already joined as full subscribers. You are the best! For those who haven’t yet, please pay for your subscription at the link below or via Venmo. Early bird rates end with the month! If you are unsure which category you are in send me an email ([email protected]) and I’ll look it up for you.

Just $12/Year. Pay Now!

Mark your calendars:

Aug. 24 - West Chester Growers Market, Corner of Church and Chestnut, 9 a.m. - 1 pm.

Aug. 24 - Yoga in the Street, Gay St. in front of the Post Office, 9 - 10 a.m. Take an outdoor yoga class with Triple Threat Fitness. Bring $5 and a mat.

Aug. 24 - Look Around Festival, Moose Lodge #908 – 401 W. Washington Street. 12 – 9 p.m. Enjoy live musical performances, local art installations, a variety of local craft vendors, food trucks, beer sales, and more.

Aug. 25 - Summer Picnic Train Ride, West Chester Railroad, 230 E. Market St. 12 - 1:30 p.m. Tickets: $25/adult: $20/kids 2-12

Aug. 28- West Chester Taps, Downtown West Chester, 5 - 7 p.m. Join various downtown restaurants each Wednesday for a townwide Happy Hour. Drink and food specials available.

Aug. 28 - Dark Skies & Fireflies Celebration, West Chester Friends School, 415 N. High St., 5-7 p.m. Including featured speakers, live music, kids' crafts and a picnic dinner. Tickets: $18/adults, $10/kids.

Aug. 31 - West Chester Growers Market, Corner of Church and Chestnut, 9 a.m. - 1 pm.

Aug. 31 - Roslyn 2 mi. Fun Run/Walk, Roslyn Swim Club, 383 Spruce Ave., 11 a.m. Challenge yourself with a run through the hilly Roslyn neighborhood. Race fee: $30 includes t-shirt. Runners are invited for a post race swim and hang. $10 entrance fee for non-members.

Aug. 31 - Back to School Jam, Jack's Corner at 44 West, 12 to 5 p.m. Stop by for dance challenges, hula hoop contests, hip hop trivia, line dances and more. This is a free event.

Aug. 31 - Small Act Art Show, Corner Art Collective, 2 - 8 p.m. This exhibition features artwork of all small sizes, limited up to 12x12”, showcasing the intricate detail and charm of smaller creations.

Looking for more event ideas? Fall Event Guide coming soon! In the meantime, view the full calendar here.

Reader tip: I have been deep in the tech trying to upgrade the subscriber experience and I came across this tip. If you have trouble with these emails going to spam or promotions, reply to this email. Nothing particular, even a random letter will do, but that should keep them coming to the inbox.

That’s it. Thanks to everyone who helped make this week’s issue possible. Stay safe. Stay happy and I’ll see you next week!

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