WEST BRADFORD — Two massive properties in Chester County, both once home to state hospitals, are readying to be placed in the hands of their respective townships.
If everything goes according to plan, 96 acres at Pennhurst State Hospital will be given to East Vincent to be used for recreation, and 200 acres at Embreeville Center will be acquired by West Bradford, some for open space and recreation, and some to be developed by the township.
"It is a win situation for everyone," said state Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-19th, of West Whiteland.
At Embreeville Center, 120 acres are to be used for passive and active recreation, including land used by West Bradford Youth Athletics. The remaining 80 acres are planned to be developed by the township, which had considered building a continuing care-retirement community, along with office and retail space.
A retirement community is no longer a viable option, said Jack Hines, township manager, noting that other such communities have growing vacancy rates as seniors, who would like to move in, have difficulties selling their homes in the ongoing sour economy.
"We've not determined what it will be," Hines said, "but we have to redevelop it to pay for it. We want to do something that will complement the community and not impact the school district."
In the commercial center, Hines said there is thought to put doctor or dentist's offices, or perhaps neighborhood shops.
The buildings, previously used by the state, contain asbestos, among other problems, and will be torn down since remediating them would be prohibitively expensive, he said.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Embreeville was best known as the site of the county poorhouse and the Chester County Asylum for the Insane. It was renamed to a more politically correct Embreeville State Hospital in 1938, then closed by the state in the 1980s.
It is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services and was operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.
In recent years, some buildings were leased to private agencies. Hines said Vision Quest plans to leave, the Chester County Intermediate Unit's C.A.S.E. program has left and the Pennsylvania Clinical Schools will either build a new facility or leave.
In its storied past, two cemeteries were established on Embreeville's grounds. The cemetery for the hospital's residents is on county park land on Route 162 and the cemetery for the poor house is on Leeds Road and already taken care of by the township, Hines said.
"It is a matter of respect," Dinniman said. He added that even though the markers are without names, it is important to protect the historic grave sites.
The original 1,200-acre Pennhurst property was divided and sold into a number of parcels over the years for several different uses, said Mary E. Flagg, East Vincent township manager.
Flagg said the township will initially get 79 acres and will receive the balance of the property once the housing that is now part of Pennsylvania's Southeastern Veterans Center housing is replaced by new housing being planned in another location.
The steep slopes, wetlands and woods will remain natural, to be used for passive recreation such as hiking. The flat land that borders densely populated Spring City will be a park with ball fields and other active recreation, Flagg said.
The township has a recreation area behind the township building but it is such a distance from Spring City that children have to be driven there.
Flagg said Spring City's Borough Council members have shown a lot of interest in the project.
Like Embreeville, Pennhurst has a cemetery on its grounds. Flagg said she is hopeful that a young person, such as an Eagle Scout candidate, would take on the cemetery's restoration and ongoing care.
East Vincent, which is further along in the process than West Bradford, has spent $16,000 in legal, survey and other document fees. Because the land will be given to to the township, it is willing to pay the fees, Flagg said.
Dinniman said East Vincent will be given the land because it has provided free fire and police services to the property for a number of years.
Being state-owned properties, both need to be conveyed to the townships through land transfer legislation. The legislation for Pennhurst, introduced by Dinniman, was passed by the state Senate last month. The legislation will next be taken up by the State Government Committee in the House and then brought to the floor of the House for a vote. State Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-26th, of North Coventry, will handle it there.
Finally, it goes to Gov. Ed Rendell's desk to be signed.
Dinniman expressed confidence that would happen because Rendell's administration, in the form of the Department of General Services, has already endorsed the idea.
Dinniman said he is currently preparing similar legislation for Embreeville and will introduce it to the state Senate at the next session, which begins today.
At the same time, state Rep. Chris Ross, R-158th, of East Marlborough, will introduce similar legislation in the state House..
"It is key that the townships are involved in the uses of these sites," Ross said. "They have to approve the use anyway."
Having the townships involved means that nearby residents will have a voice in the land use from "very, very early on in the process," Ross said.
The representative said in the case of Embreeville, he wants to make sure the township is not saddled with environmental problems when the land is turned over to it.
"I don't want any surprises," he said. "I want to make darn sure before we go forward. I don't want to rush."
Putting the land in the township's hands will ensure that future uses will fit into the community property, and at the same time eliminate the financial bleeding at the state level, Ross said.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Pennhurst Land To Be Given To East Vincent
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)