West Chester, Pa (October 22, 2024) – Fifteen local municipalities throughout Chester County were awarded state grant funding for projects that support public safety, revitalize historic downtowns, improve stormwater and wastewater management, install new bridges and sidewalks, and invest in renewable energy, members of the Chester County State Legislative Delegation announced.
The twenty-two projects that were awarded funding are represented by state Senator Carolyn Comitta and State Representatives Christina Sappey, Chris Pielli, Dan Williams, Danielle Friel Otten, Melissa Shusterman, and Kristine Howard. In total, they amount to a $7.4 million state investment in Chester County municipalities and local communities.
“As a former mayor, I know just how important these investments are to local communities and municipalities. In the state Senate, I continue to work to secure funds that directly benefit the health, safety, prosperity and quality of life of residents, workers, and families throughout Chester County,” said Comitta.
“I am pleased to work alongside Senator Comitta to support funding for these projects that invest in the longevity of our infrastructure and keep our communities safe and up to date,” Sappey said. “It is the direct result of strong state and local partnerships that work to combine resources and address needs.”
“I am thrilled and extremely grateful that the work Senator Comitta and I are doing in Harrisburg has helped to deliver to our District this important funding improving the health, safety, and welfare of our community,” Pielli said.
“I’m very proud we’ve secured this funding to strengthen our first responders. The new equipment this funding provides will enable them to come to our aid more quickly in times of crisis. We can all feel safer knowing that they have the tools to ensure our safety and welfare,” said Williams.
“Flooding is a significant concern in Downingtown Borough, and this state funding will help borough officials mitigate impacts to residents and promote public safety,” Otten said. “I am pleased to help bring funding dollars back to the district for these essential projects, and I applaud the Borough for their proactive efforts to protect residents and prepare for future storms and flooding events.”
“Willistown’s aging sewer system is under increasing strain as our community grows. These grants will help modernize the existing wastewater management system so it can continue to serve residents and enable new ones to be connected,” said Shusterman.
“Investments in safe, walkable streets will improve the economic, cultural, and physical health of our neighborhoods. This grant will encourage everyone to get out for a walk, stop by a local business, or meet up with a friend. It’s an investment in people,” Shusterman added.
“This is a tremendous boon to the district,” Howard said. “From revitalization efforts to solar power installation to flood mitigation, these grant dollars will ensure that Chester County remains among the best places to live in Pennsylvania.”
The funds, which come through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Local Share Account Program, were approved today by the Commonwealth Financing Authority.
They are as follows:
Public Safety and Emergency Services:
- $675,000 for the City of Coatesville to purchase two new pieces of fire equipment: a Seagrave Pumper Fire Engine, and a Seagrave Tractor-Drawn Aerial Apparatus Ladder Truck (Comitta, Williams).
- $550,000 for East Goshen Township to purchase a new fire truck pumper for Goshen Fire Company (Comitta, Pielli).
- $495,000 for Malvern Borough to purchase a new, larger 3,000-gallon pumper-tanker truck (Comitta, Howard).
- $451,000 for Modena Borough to support the purchase of two 2024 Ford F-550 diesel ambulances for Modena Fire Company 1 (Comitta, Williams).
- $93,000 for Modena Borough to purchase medical and safety equipment for emergency medical service first responders at Modena Fire Company 1 (Comitta, Williams).
- $57,000 for South Coatesville Borough to replace aging computers and purchase a license plate reader for its police department (Comitta, Williams).
Stormwater, Sewer, and Wastewater Management:
- $25,000 for Downingtown Borough to purchase and install new flood monitoring equipment along the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek as part of an upgraded system to alert and notify residents during flood events (Comitta, Otten).
- $500,000 for East Caln Township to construct stormwater inlets and roadway swales along Downing Road and Downing Circle (Comitta, Howard).
- $500,000 for West Bradford Township for upgrades to the Dupont Wastewater Treatment Plant (Comitta, Sappey).
- $750,000 for West Chester Borough to upgrade the Goose Creek Sanitary Sewer with larger pipes (Comitta, Pielli).
- $600,000 for Willistown Township to replace aging equipment at Pump Station 3 and evaluate the condition of its sewer system by cleaning and televising the sewers, which date back to the 1970s (Comitta, Shusterman).
- $175,000 for Willistown Township to connect 13 properties on West Chester Pike to public sewers (Comitta, Shusterman).
Bridges and Sidewalks:
- $505,000 for Easttown Township to complete a streets initiative focused on the Route 30 corridor in the Village of Berwyn (Comitta, Shusterman).
- $350,000 for East Bradford Township to stabilize a bridge and streambank along Ravine Road (Comitta, Pielli).
- $250,000 for East Fallowfield Township to replace a failing underground culvert pipe located at a stream crossing underneath Saw Mill Road (Comitta, Sappey).
- $85,000 for West Goshen Township to install approximately 350 feet of sidewalk along the south side of West Rosedale Avenue (Comitta, Pielli).
Community Revitalization:
- $50,000 for Malvern Borough to prepare a revitalization plan for the nine-block-long King Street business district (Comitta, Howard).
Municipal Upgrades:
- $685,000 for South Coatesville Borough to restore the administration building, which was significantly damaged by flooding from Hurricane Ida in 2002 (Comitta, Williams).
- $50,000 for Valley Township to install security fencing and automated gates at the Valley Township municipal complex and public works garage (Comitta, Williams).
- $500,000 for West Whiteland Township to construct an on-site solar array at its public works facility to support the goal of running the facility and garage completely on clean, renewable energy (Comitta, Howard).
- $44,000 for West Whiteland Township to install a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array on the grounds of Boot Road Park to power the park’s exterior lighting and public recreational facility. The solar array is expected to save the township $1,400 and reduce emissions by one metric ton of CO2 annually (Comitta, Howard).
The Local Share Account program is designed to distribute funds derived from gaming revenue to support community and economic development projects.
Eligible applicants include counties, municipalities, municipal authorities, economic development agencies, redevelopment authorities, land banks, and councils of government. Eligible projects must improve the quality of life of citizens in the community and must be owned and maintained by an eligible applicant or a nonprofit organization.
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