Kardon Ponds Still Advancing Despite Litigation

The effort to create a green built, mixed use housing community with public park within walking distance of Main Street is still progressing despite more litigation initiated by neighbor Ann Feldman and her pro bono attorney. In June Judge Nagle ruled that the conditional use approval granted by E. Caln township for The Millrace located in East Caln township off Norwood road could proceed. Ms. Feldman who is also a member of Borough Council is appealing that decision in Commonwealth Court. Oral arguments are expected by year end. The developers believe the case will be dismissed and are proceeding with plans to begin construction in late Spring 2012 on this phase.  The Millrace will consist of 70 townhomes and single level homes which the developers say will cater to seniors, empty nesters and first time homebuyers.  For more on The Millrace visit kardonponds.com

The balance of the project on land in Downingtown Borough which is west of the Kardon Park trails area is still being litigated in Commonwealth Court. The delay has resulted in the State canceling a $1 million clean up grant. On top of that losee, the developers have recently asked Borough Council for a reduction in the purchase price due to more than $1 million in unanticipated costs due to litigation.  Borough Council has voted to rebid the entire project first to see if there are any other developers out there willing to pay a higher price. The current developers, Progressive Housing Ventures and J. Loew Associates still hope to develop the project. 

View of proposed homes looking in from Norwood Rd 

You Can Help Downingtown Earn a Main Street Community Designation

Downingtown Main Street Association (DMSA) is an organization that had immense success during its 14-year existence, focusing on main street Development, getting a Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) designation, streetscape improvements and marketing development opportunities. The new Downingtown Main Street Association is planning to pick up where the last one left off with many new members who see the economic potential of Downingtown.

The Downingtown Main Street Association's Vision Statement is listed below.   By leveraging Downingtown's assets DMSA, made up of business owners and residents, pledges to build and expand the Downingtown tax base in a way that will encourage commercial investment in the Borough. 

Downingtown Main Street Association will be applying to the State to have Downingtown designated as a Pennsylvania Main Street Community. The Pennsylvania Main Street Program provides technical assistance and potential financial support for revitalization efforts. The application for this designation requires a resolution supporting the application from the municipality's elected governing board. 

We are asking for Borough Council’s support for our group and are requesting anyone with an interest in the Borough's future to send a letter requesting Council to vote in favor of DMSA to Borough Hall prior to Council's April 6th meeting when the matter will be addressed.

You can get a sample letter at IDEALdowningtown's Facebook page. Or draft your own stating

"I am writing to express my enthusiastic support of the Downingtown Main Street Association and its application to be designated as a Pennsylvania Main Street Community. Please vote in the affirmative on the resolution to support DMSA's effort to seek this designation at your April 6, 2011 meeting."

Send this letter to 

Borough Council

Borough of Downingtown

4 W. Lancaster Avenue

Downingtown, PA 19355

Thanks for your help.  Working together IDEAL and the Downingtown Main Street Association can energize people who live or work in Downingtown to create a concerted effort towards Downingtown's Revitalization. 

Vision Statement

Downingtown Main Street Association

  

To maximize the vitality of the Downingtown Community and thereby increase sales by existing businesses and thereby encourage new businesses to locate to Downingtown.

Together, the above things will increase property values and broaden the tax base of the Borough.

By maximizing the vitality of the downtown commercial district, the surrounding residential areas will witness an increase in their property values.

We aim to do this with minimum cost to the Borough by securing grants and by encouraging sensible, responsible development.

All along, we wish to make our Downingtown a pleasant place in which to live, work and recreate.

To this community building, we, the Downingtown Main Street Association, dedicate ourselves.

Downingtown and Flooding

Flooding in Downingtown has always been an issue but over the past 20 years or so it seemed to get worse. About 7-8 years ago Eli Kahn Development Co. spent about $130,000 to help the Borough construct a storm water basin at the corner of Whiteland Ave and Lincoln Ave. The borough had received a partial grant from DEP to construct a basin and we kicked in the balance. The need for this basin was partially because so much water was coming North under the train tracks from the Boot Rd. vicinity. The Borough had the Army Corps of Engineers do a study that uncovered this “gaping hole” in the system. This was actually a real hole someone had cut into a pipe on the Norfolk Southern rail bed in E. Caln Township just west of Skelp Level Rd. This hole had been diverting water from a 180 acre drainage area that for decades went west along the tracks directly down to the Brandywine River and now ran into this hole and through several pipes into the heart of downtown Downingtown. How and why this hole was cut became less important than getting it fixed. Over five years and thousands of dollars in legal fees we helped the Borough through negotiating a resolution with Norfolk Southern. In the 6-8 months since the project was completed, this water no longer flows into the Borough, and there has been a decrease in flooding in the low areas in the Borough and further downstream in the residential neighborhoods of Downingtown’s South East side.

Eli Kahn Development is proud of the buildings in Downingtown that we own and have renovated. Our buildings house companies that employ many hundreds of people in and around the borough, pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual school and property taxes and help create demand for retail and restaurants along Rt. 30. We love being a part of the Downingtown Community.

Facts You Should Know About Downingtown's Economy

DID YOU KNOW...

• That Downingtown's tax rate of 6.7 mils has increased 50% over the past four year? The Borough held the line on taxes in 2011 but only by laying off employees. This is an unsustainable model going forward.

• Downingtown needs new revenues, otherwise it will be forced to continuously borrow more money to cover operations. Most debt means increased debt service expense which puts pressure on taxes. 

• New developments and new investments in the Borough bring in more revenues while new residents help should the tax burden. The Kardon Park project alone will generate over $1 million annually in net revenues - to the Borough, the School District, the County and East Whiteland Township.

• Most of the Borough's budget are fixed expenses and not discretionary. The only place to really cut expenditures and lower Borough costs is by reducing the debt and there the debt service. Debt service is currently about $860,000 per year or 35% of annual tax collections.

• The Kardon Ponds project will generate net cash to the Borough of more than $9 million. The entire debt of the Borough is about $8.6 million.

• The cost of cleaning up the Kardon Park site is about $1.5 million. If Borough taxpayers had to clean up the site without a private developer, that amount would represent 25% of the total current $6 million budget. State grants that do not demonstrate an economic development benefit are almost impossible to obtain.

• The opposition to the Kardon Ponds development have already cost Downingtown taxpayers $1,600 per taxpayer.

Great event Thursday night! Thank you to nearly 70 who braved the cold and ice to enjoy good food and beer courtsey of Victory Brewing to share a vision of a vibrant and thriving Downingtown. The discussion was lively and brought together both new and long-time residents to meet each other and hear about the need to help the Borough flourish. A special thanks to Minquas Fire Company for making their social hall available and helping to set up.

Bill Covaleski urged the audience to work hard and not let much-needed projects be derailed by people who fear change. He shared the story of how hard it was for Victory Brewing to get their original approvals to start in Downingtown and the opposition they faced, yet they have now become a boon to Downingtown’s economy and a favorite destination restaurant for many residents. Maurie Kring, owner of the newly expanded and refurbished Chester County Paint and Design on Pennsylvania Avenue, spoke passionately from the perspective of a Downingtown enterprise looking to grow. “The Kardon Park project will bring in new residents to Downingtown which is key to making businesses grown,” he said. “It simply has to happen.”

The group heard an update on the Kardon Ponds project in E. Caln and Downingtown Borough. An analysis released by the developer and shared at the event calculates that the opposition's delays has already cost $1,600 per taxpayer.

Cara DeStefano who founded IDEAL Downingtown after learning that key new projects such as Kardon Park and the Minquas Fire Station/Molly Maguires restaurant were being threatened by opposition, expressed excitement at how quickly the group has already grown into several hundred strong and how pleased she was to see so many like-minded people involved. She stressed how important it is to be vocal and active in attending Borough Council meetings, to voice concerns to elected representatives, and to write letters and on-line comments to the Daily Local News. She noted that Borough Council elections this year are vital to ensuring a continued positive direction for Downingtown.

SPREAD THE WORD

If you have friends who want to see new restaurants and businesses come to Downingtown and want to expand the tax base and property values which will keep the Borough growing and thriving, please send their name, address and email to IdealDowningtown@gmail.com. We need your support by following IDEAL on facebook and adding your comments there, by writing a letter to the Daily Local, attending Borough Council meetings, and paying attention to our emails. Thank you!

Come in from the Cold

And Warm up with Good Cheer

Join Supporters of I.D.E.A.L. Downingtown*

Thursday, February 3

7-9 pm

Minquas Fire Hall

202 E. Lancaster Ave

Upstairs, Front Room

Enter door on front
Parking in adjacent lot or on street

Fun, Food and Drink...

Admission is free

Get an update on the revitalization projects in the Borough.

Meet others who share a common goal for Downingtown's prosperity.

Find out how you can help move Downingtown forward.

RSVP to IDEALDowningtown@gmail.com

Ideal stand for Invigorate Downingtowns's Economy and Lifestyle