A bridge replacement near Downingtown will stretch into next year, prompting a call to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration about the extended closure’s impact on traffic flow through the borough and the sequencing of other projects — including another bridge replacement.
The elongated timeline is, in part, thanks to a change in the foundation design. After the original bridge was demolished, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation found a different type of rock from what was anticipated, which required a new design, said Helen Reinbrecht, community relations coordinator for the department.
The department expedited a redesign, which was completed in June. Construction is anticipated to be a bit slow into early August, as PennDot awaits proprietary materials, Reinbrecht said.
Deuso said in a news release Tuesday that the public was prepared for a one-year closure of the Boot Road bridge, but that the extended timeline is “a serious failure with real consequences for everyone forced through Downingtown each day.”
“Our roads, intersections, emergency routes, business district, and residents are paying the price,” she said.
She requested a review of whether additional crews, work shifts, equipment, and engineering support could make up for the lost time, and asked for help addressing traffic signal adjustments, detour enforcement, pavement and bridge condition monitoring, emergency-response planning, “and assistance with extraordinary local public safety and infrastructure costs.”
Following Deuso’s letter, PennDot press secretary Alexis Campbell said that the department “understands how vital the Boot Road Bridge is to the community and is expeditiously working to reopen the bridge as soon as possible.”
“The Department expedited the new design of the bridge and is working with the contractor to accelerate construction by adding additional crews and working through the winter so long as the weather permits,” she said.
That will not get underway until the detours from Boot Road and another effort — relocating the Downingtown train station half a mile to the east, where the Keystone Corridor crosses U.S. Route 322 — are completed, borough officials said. Deuso was concerned the Boot Road delays would also hamper the train station relocation.
The Boot Road bridge replacement is a $13.3 million project that replaces the 193-foot three-span bridge with a 105-foot single-span structure. It carried roughly 12,000 vehicles a day before its closure, officials said.
The full closure of the road, between Quarry Road and Southwind Lane, began in late September 2025. Motorists are being detoured to U.S. Route 322, Business U.S. Route 30, and Quarry Road. That is expected to continue until the work is fully completed next spring.
The bridge was structurally deficient, Reinbrecht said.
“I know it can be frustrating and time-consuming to have to use the detours. But this really will be safer and more efficient when the construction is completed,” she said.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
There’s the potential for a future owner to add housing to St. Peter’s Village. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Nearly two months out from an auction that will see the quaint St. Peter’s Village go to the highest bidder, some local business owners are excited, if a little apprehensive, about the prospect.
“There is this rural charm there, and that is part of what the village has built its reputation on over the years,” said Doug Reeser, who owns Excursion Ciders at the Snug. “So, if development could be done with an eye towards preservation and minimal impact, I think that would be great.”
There are several high- and lower-density housing developments on the table that could bolster it into a tiny town, but not without its challenges.
Top Dog Cocktails is also opening a listening room in Fishtown. Courtesy of Ken Smukler
Top Dog Cocktails is expanding its offerings in Kennett Square, with plans to add a Japanese-inspired vinyl listening room and bar.
The ready-to-drink cocktail brand, which already has distilling operations at 110 E. State St., has hundreds of albums to spin, with a goal of offering “a quieter, safer, more sophisticated space to consume alcohol and listen to really good music,” founder Ken Smukler said.
Top Dog also has plans to partner with nearby music venue Kennett Flash.
The county is investing over $1.7 million in park improvements and open space preservation through eight grants, the largest of which will add a 55-acre easement in West Bradford Township.
The construction site at Chase Road Park in Tredyffrin Township.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Tredyffrin Township residents are expressing concern after work to convert the dilapidated Chase Road Park has swelled from $725,000 in the first year to $1.7 million this fiscal year. Here’s what to know.
Work on the 1.5 million-square-foot data center at an East Whiteland Township Superfund site resumed last week after a temporary order halting work.
A 20-year-old Coatesville man, Kevin Reza-Gonzales, has been arrested and charged with first- and third- degree murder, as well as strangulation, in the death of his girlfriend.
Oxford’s borough council voted last week to pursue joining the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department amid rising costs. At a special meeting Monday night, New Garden Township’s board of supervisors agreed to move forward with negotiations for Oxford to join the regional police department.
Caln Township’s board of commissioners approved E. Khan Development Corp.’s proposal to build a 97-townhome community on a roughly 29-acre parcel at 4109 Lincoln Highway.
Developer D.R. Horton is looking to build a 130-townhome community known as Meadowview at the nearly 30-acre site at 200 N. Church St. in Parkesburg. The borough will hold a zoning hearing tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Imaging Associates, LLC, along with Toll Brothers, is looking to build an age-restricted community on a nearly 119-acre site at 500 Hibernia Rd. in Coatesville. Plans call for 163 single-family homes and 74 twin homes. West Brandywine Township will hold a conditional use hearing for the project tonight at 7 p.m.
Speaking of Toll Brothers, the homebuilder recently opened Regency at Valley Creek, a 317-home 55-and-over community in Exton.
The Hot Spot, a pottery painting, candle-making, and mosaic concept, has opened at 34 S. Main St. in Phoenixville.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Coatesville Area School District’s board voted last week to approve a bond resolution of up to $100 million, funding that will support the yearslong North Brandywine Middle School construction project.
The tracks at both Downingtown Area School District high schools are closed for renovations for several weeks. The Downingtown East track is expected to reopen Sept. 7, with the Downingtown West track to follow on Sept. 21.
🍽️ On our Plate
Cutter and Cannon Spirits opened its new location at 104 E. Gay St. in West Chester over the weekend. The distillery’s new spot has a tasting room and bottle shop.
🎳 Things to Do
🎆 Phoenixville First Responders Appreciation Night: Rescheduled from the Fourth of July, the event includes water ice, pizza, and a fireworks show. ⏰ Thursday, Aug. 6, 6 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Friendship Field, Phoenixville
🚴 Tour-de-Trike: See teams of adults compete in tricycle races. ⏰ Friday, Aug. 7, 3:30-6 p.m. (rain date: Aug. 8) 💵 Free 📍 Gay Street, West Chester
🎻 Old Fiddler’s Picnic: Now in its 97th year, the festival brings together performers for free concerts. There will also be food trucks, vendors, and yard games. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (rain date: Aug. 9) 💵 Free 📍 Hibernia County Park, Coatesville
🥕 Phoenixville VegFest: Check out all things vegan at this festival, complete with food trucks and a beer garden. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 8, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (rain date: Aug. 9) 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Reeves Park, Phoenixville
✈️ 2026 Festival of Flight: See acrobatic flight displays, a drone show, and fireworks at this two-day event. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 8, 2-10 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 💵 $13.57-$47.02 📍 New Garden Flying Field, Toughkenamon
The home also has a detached garage.Courtesy of Alex Whitt/Keller Williams Elite
Built in 1900, this farmhouse has been renovated to bring it into the 21st century while retaining its historic-looking exterior. The first floor has an open-concept living and dining area that opens onto a kitchen, plus two bedrooms. There are two additional bedrooms upstairs, including a primary suite with a sleek, updated bathroom. The property also has a large detached garage with room for additional living space.
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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
A new vinyl listening room and bar concept is coming to Kennett Square and Fishtown this fall, seeking to help people connect in person around music and over cocktails.
Top Dog Cocktails, a ready-to-drink 12.5% ABV cocktail brand with a distillery based in Kennett Square, will open its first two brick-and-mortar locations in the coming months, embracing the Japanese jazz kissa model — a music cafe or bar that’s focused on listening to vinyl records.
“It’s all to drive this analog feel in a digital world,” said founder Ken Smukler, a longtime political strategist who dipped his toe into the alcohol space roughly a decade ago. “It’s all about the community, listening and respecting music, and enjoying the cocktails at the same time.”
With his distillery location in Kennett Square already tied to music, and a teeny space in Fishtown in a former ATM calling for some creative reimagining, Smukler saw opportunity.
The locations will look a little different from each other, but the heart of both will be similar. There will be a small retail component, a bar that will double as recipe development for the brand, and, of course, an expansive catalog of music on rotation.
Top Dog Cocktails is “designed for a more sophisticated consumer” who “recognizes what a craft cocktail is in a can,” he said.
That vibe applies to these locations; Smukler envisions their demographic as cocktail appreciators, who want to unplug from their phones or TVs.
“This is a quieter, safer, more sophisticated space to consume alcohol and listen to really good music,” he said.
Smukler, a former political operative for then-U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, was first drawn to ready-to-drink cocktails in 2015, and began raising capital to launch his own brand. That early effort dissolved in 2019, when he went to federal prison for campaign finance law infractions.
But while in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantined without much to do other than chat, he learned his cellmate’s brother worked in the alcohol industry. On his way out of prison, Smukler called his friends and family — and his former cellmate’s brother.
“There’s literally a straight line from there into launching Top Dog,” he said.
He reconstituted the investor group, and the brand launched in 2022. They’ve sold nearly 1.5 million cans, Smukler said, with distribution in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.
Options include a few variations of the margarita, an espresso martini, a vodka and grapefruit Greyhound, and a whiskey lemonade.
The brand’s distillery operation is in Kennett Square, near Kennett Flash, a live entertainment venue. He first picked the spot, at 110 E. State St., because he felt there could be “synergy” between Top Dog’s tasting room and live music. The roughly 750-square-foot space will be the bigger of the two listening rooms.
Smukler plans to work with the Kennett Flash in a joint venture; the nonprofit will be able to use the venue as a green room for performers, a space for music classes, or however they see fit. They’ll also get a cut from the retail sales.
He’s looking to do something similar with the Fishtown location, but is still seeking a partner, he said. The location, at 2012 Frankford Ave., may be the smallest bar in Fishtown, at 350 square feet. It’ll have a 15-seat bar, a two-turntable DJ station, and a retail component.
Fishtown feels like “ground zero” for the demographic they’re trying to reach, Smukler said. As for Kennett Square, he just happens to love it.
“I just think it’s a gem, and I think if we can do something with the Kennett Flash … and for the community, that’ll pay back in spades for us,” he said.
They’ll be able to test new drinks through the outposts, Smukler said. They’ve never had a gin or a rum product, for instance, and this will give them a chance for some R&D.
As for music, they’ve amassed more than 500 albums ready to spin. Smukler’s creative director is planning themed nights to let them shine. Though the Japanese kissa model is usually jazz-forward, there will be a cross section of what gets played, he said.
Moving the business into physical locations has been a creative challenge, but an exciting one, he added.
“If you ask me, what is the most fun part of my job? It’s not trying to figure out how to sell more cases in Florida. I guarantee you, it is designing a kissa concept in Fishtown or working with a nonprofit in Kennett,” he said. “That’s the fun part.”
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Doug Reeser first came to St. Peter’s Village as a youngster, running along the rocks at French Creek, like so many locals and tourists still do. As an adult, the charm of the quirky little village drew him and his partners to open a branch of their cidery business there three years ago.
He’s one of many wondering what could change when the village goes up for auction in September, with more than a hundred home lots and a smattering of businesses available to the highest bidder.
“There’s lots of positive energy around what’s happening, so I think generally everybody would love to be able to see that continue,” said Reeser, owner of Excursion Ciders at the Snug. “I know personally we’d love to stay there. We anticipate some changes with new ownership. We hope that we can absorb them, but obviously, it’s not unlimited change that we can handle.”
The auction, scheduled for Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. at the Desmond Hotel Malvern, will put up for sale roughly 83 acres of the historic 19th-century village that sprung up in the Gilded Age, thanks to its rich mineral resources and its proximity to the creek. It became a recreational destination, one that people are still drawn to because of its scenic location. Visitors are able to take a dip, hike the nearby trails, and enjoy the artsy downtown.
Nestled in Warwick Township — which has a population of roughly 2,600, according to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau — the small village could see a bump in residences, if initial development visions are seen through. The land, zoned for residential and neighborhood business, offers 121 subdivided home lots for development. A commercial core — which boasts dining and retail — is composed of both privately owned businesses and leased storefronts that will be picked up by the new owner. Thirteen commercial buildings, totaling about 43,500 square feet, are included in the auction, according to the site.
The auction site teases mixed-land use development potential “suitable for major builders, venture capitalists, historic preservationists, and entrepreneurs.” The auctioneer, Douglas Clemens, said previously they had seen thousands of messages of interest — but who ultimately purchases the property remains to be seen.
And concepts of high- and low-density housing from the previous owner — the Piazza family, which runs the Piazza Management Co. and owns multiple Main Line car dealerships, is listed on associated parcels — haven’t exactly come to fruition, and the site could be a challenge for new owners given its rural location.
Reeser is among the renters who would love to see current businesses stay, and some rehabilitation of the historic buildings that have suffered some neglect in recent years, he said. He doesn’t think anyone would be opposed to more foot traffic in town, but too much could tip the scales.
“There is this rural charm there, and that is part of what the village has built its reputation on over the years,” he said. “So, if development could be done with an eye towards preservation and minimal impact, I think that would be great.”
The 83-acre St. Peter’s Village — a historic destination in Chester County will be sold at an absolute public auction to the highest bidder in September. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
What could residential development look like?
The property offers an opportunity for someone to develop housing to the north and east on the available land, said Matt Edmond, executive director of the Chester County Planning Commission.
Land development plans available through the auction site previously have laid a densely populated housing development near the commercial core on roughly 36 acres. Generally, that’s a good thing, Edmond said.
“Our villages are kind of like small towns, and when they have a walkable commercial core, you want more dense housing in and around there to support those businesses to increase foot traffic,” he said of Chester County.
An aerial view of one proposed development — which the current owner envisioned as a densely populated townhouse, twin, and single-family neighborhood — shows several completed homes.
Eight buildings are unfinished, Clemens said. One finished building is occupied, and the lease would move over to the new owner.
In the county’s comprehensive plan, there are areas called “rural centers,” built around larger villages, Edmond said. There are similarities among those places: a commercial corridor on a main road, with streets fanning out for walkable neighborhoods. St. Peter’s could become a rural center, if the previous vision was fulfilled. The growth would be somewhat akin to Marshallton or Unionville, other Chester County villages that people enjoy visiting.
St. Peter’s scenic, rural location offers a bit of a unique problem. Though the village isn’t far from Elverson or Pottstown, it’s still a bit out of the way. Reeser, the business owner, has found the village to be seasonal, with business bolstered by an occasional social media post. In the winter, the cidery, open on Saturdays and Sundays, is frequented by locals.
The 83-acre Saint Peter’s Village, a historic destination in Chester County, will be sold at an absolute public auction to the highest bidder in September.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
“The whole village, by and large, is somewhat off the beaten path. It’s not really near a highway. It’s certainly not near transit. There isn’t a whole lot around it,” Edmond said. “That’s probably one reason why the current owners couldn’t quite make it work, because the market just wasn’t quite there yet to do that sort of thing in that sort of place.”
But just because the village has had challenges with finding footing for residential development, that doesn’t mean it’s ripe for other types of development — such as a data center, other industrial sites, or even a major shopping center.
The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which doesn’t necessarily safeguard it from demolition. But it provides some protections, particularly if government funds are being used.
Plus, its current zoning would have to be changed, and the infrastructure and conservation easements don’t “lend itself towards intense development,” Edmond added.
“I think a lot of people are worried about that because they do see other parts of the county developing more intensely,” he said. “Every community is different, and Warwick Township is still very rural, and so it wouldn’t be surprising if a new owner tried to develop consistent with the character and the nature of Warwick, and certainly Warwick leaders would be looking for that type of development within their boundaries as well.”
The 83-acre St. Peter’s Village, July 2026. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Rich in natural resources
The auction site notes the property’s “valuable subterranean mineral rights, including documented iron ore deposits, adding a rare investment dimension.” Those materials once bolstered the village’s economy, transporting its iron to Philadelphia. But it also became a place of leisure: a getaway for city workers, a majestic retreat to a scenic place.
The village is surrounded by outdoor recreation, with state game lands adjacent to the property. French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust holds easements on a portion of the land. The easements are perpetual, and must be honored.
Karl Russek, conservation director at French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, anticipates the organization will be in conversation with the prospective bidders, working closely with future owners “to help them understand those limitations, and [we] are open to seeing what they have to offer and how the conservation value of the property might be improved.”
But “much remains to be seen” for what could come to the land, he said.
“St. Peter’s Village, and the area around it, is a very special place and has been a very special place for generations of families in this area. I took my kids down there when they were little. My peers remember spending time there when they were younger,” Russek said. “It’s a community hub in many ways, and so obviously many folks in the area are very invested in what ultimately happens, as are we as an organization.”
Reeser hopes to see a purchaser who understands all of what makes it beloved — its natural beauty, its historic buildings, and its unique setting.
“Change is inevitable, most likely, in this situation,” he said. “But if we could keep sort of what’s made it special alive, I think that would be great.”
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Pennsylvania officials on Monday released a new interactive tool where parents can look up vaccination rates at their children’s schools for the 2025-26 academic year.
“At a time when misinformation and conspiracy theories are sowing distrust in longstanding medical guidance, and reversing decades of science-backed progress, it’s more important than ever that [the state health department] provide Pennsylvanians with as much accurate information as possible,” state officials said in a statement.
The tool was launched amid an ongoing measles outbreak in Pennsylvania. So far this year, the state has seen 176 measles cases in 14 counties, with 35 new cases reported in the last week. Nearly three dozen people have been hospitalized. None were fully vaccinated against the highly contagious virus, which can infect 9 in 10 unvaccinated people exposed to it.
In all of 2025, the state reported 16 measles cases.
Philadelphia-area vaccination rates
The latest data on measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination coverage in the Philadelphia area show that vaccination rates for kindergartners dropped slightly, by less than 1%, in Philadelphia and three of four suburban counties between the 2024 and 2025 school years.
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On the county level, no Philadelphia-area counties reported vaccination rates at or above 95% for kindergartners.
That is the “herd immunity” threshold, the rate scientists say is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.
Bucks County had the lowest MMR vaccination rate for kindergartners, at 93.7%, down from 94.3% the year before.
In Chester County, vaccination rates for kindergartners held steady at 94.5% for both 2024 and 2025. Chester has confirmed 20 measles cases this year and is the only Philadelphia-area county to report cases in the current outbreak, which began in April.
Some counties saw slight rises in vaccination rates for seventh or 12th graders, but Delaware County saw slight drops in vaccination rates across grade levels.
The newly released data also show more parents are using exemptions to opt out of vaccination. Pennsylvania has among the most permissive vaccination exemption provisions in the country; parents can opt not to vaccinate for religious, philosophical, or medical reasons.
Medical exemptions decreased by 7% in the Philadelphia region between 2024 and 2025, but religious exemptions jumped by 14% and philosophical exemptions increased by 19%.
Statewide vaccination rates
Schools are required by state law to report their vaccination rates for kindergarten, seventh, and 12th grades; more than 90% of schools complied, state officials said.
According to the new dashboard, schools reported vaccination data from 5,943 grades. The dashboard obscures data from grades with enrollment below 20 students to protect privacy.
Statewide, more than half of reporting kindergartens had MMR vaccination rates above the herd immunity threshold, state officials said.
Seventh- and 12th-grade classes were more likely to report vaccination rates at or above 95%, with 74% of seventh-grade classes and 83% of 12th-grade classes reaching herd immunity, officials said.
Staff writer Sarah Gantz contributed to this article.
Elected officials in Tredyffrin Township are moving ahead on turning an eyesore property into a park featuring tennis and pickleball, fulfilling a campaign promise of the chairperson’s. But some residents are worried the costs have soared too high.
What started as a project this year rehabbing the dilapidated Chase Road Park for roughly $725,000 in its first year, with more funding to come in later years, instead grew to $1.7 million this fiscal year. All said and done, it is likely to exceed $2 million, officials have said.
The jump in cost came with sticker shock for some residents, who have worried the township is sinking too much money into the park, and is doing so without sufficient public involvement.
“In my opinion, they should go back to the drawing board, because this whole thing is a way greater cost and scope than had ever been contemplated,” said Mike Heaberg, a resident who previously served as a board member.
Township officials argue it’s an investment for community amenities that flush reserves can cover.
“[The] $1.7 million to get a full five-acre park with all the courts and bathrooms and a big barn, … it’s not a bad deal if you think objectively about what we’re doing there,” said board chairperson David Miller.
The land
Located in Chesterbrook, Chase Road Park had a former life as a private swim club, with tennis courts and a popular parking lot basketball hoop that drew a crowd after hours. Almost a decade ago, its owner sold the park to a developer, who wanted to reimagine the five-acre parcel into housing. That wasn’t a popular plan, however, and the township rejected the request to change the zoning.
Miller said the community was “overwhelmingly supportive” of the decision; he recalls meetings about the prospect being standing room only, with a majority in favor of the board’s decision.
The township’s eminent domain is still in the courts, where it could play out for years. The final price tag could be higher than that initial down payment, depending on a judge’s ruling.
The plan
Early into acquiring the property, the township discussed turning it into a long-requested racquet sports center, for which it was already outfitted. The park’s future surfaced at a series of Parks and Recreation board meetings in 2025 and 2026, and some tweaks were made along the way.
Under the current project plan, the park will offer four tennis courts, six pickleball courts, a bathroom building, and a storage barn. There will be a pavilion and a grassy area for community use.
Further down the line — and currently tabled while the board mulls it over — will be a basketball court, most likely a half court. The board is also considering adding a path and bridge to connect this park with nearby Wilson Park. Those would come with additional costs.
Construction site at Chase Road Park in Tredyffrin Township. The park has been sitting vacant and deteriorating for roughly a decade in Chesterbrook, Pa., on Friday, July 31, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Township staff found that it was more cost effective to do a bulk of the work in one year, Miller said, so they decided to speed up the process, hence that initial jump.
Then, at their May meeting, the board added a late agenda item to green light spending about $1.7 million to fix up the park — including the courts, fencing, the parking lot, constructing the barn and restroom facilities, a pavilion, and other “miscellaneous” work.
In total, the township estimates it will spend at least $2.3 million on the park, including the initial $625,000 to take it by eminent domain, and the upgrades.
That increase boiled down to a variety of reasons, Miller said. The condition of the courts was “not what we expected,” and they needed to be completely redone. The township decided to install a better fence, with sound-dampening material to snuff out the bouncing of pickleballs, which needed to be installed deeper into the ground than the previous posts. The bathroom building was “vandalized pretty heavily,” so they decided to knock it down and start over. Plus, “prices are higher” for materials like asphalt, he said.
“There’s a bunch of things like that that get it to creep,” he said.
Miller said the park will be paid for out of the regular operating budget; whatever doesn’t come out of normal tax revenue will come out of the general fund, which sits at about $18 million, he said.
The concerns
Heaberg, the former supervisor, told the board his “jaw was hanging open” when saw them approve the budget change for more than $1.7 million with no discussion.
“It blows my mind, really,” he said.
Speaking to the board in July, resident Carol Clarke didn’t “know how you can, in a meeting, go past the budget by more than a million dollars.”
“I think you owe it to the taxpayers to acknowledge what you’re doing, and maybe the taxpayers might have said, ‘Whoa, is this an appropriate use of our funds? Could we be doing something else?’” she told them. “I support the park, but maybe it would have been an idea of, ‘Well, let’s get the funding in place, etc., and then we can add on to the park.’ … There’s good things that are being done, but is that a wise use of our funds?”
Plus, the township’s use of the COSTARS, a program that allows local governments to purchase supplies and services through state-managed contracts, seemed problematic to resident Ray Clarke, who argued the project should have been competitively bid, citing the township’s charter.
“All projects must be competitively bid, with exception of a few things into which this does not fall,” he told the board, noting that “all the sudden” a list was given by the same contractor who worked on nearby Wilson Farm Park, which was renovated in 2025 and 2026.
“Which may well be the lowest cost — who knows, we have no idea,” he said.
Miller disputed that reading, saying the township was within its rights to use the COSTARS program rather than request bids.
The pushback from residents has led to some charged moments in recent months.
Board member Carlotta Johnston-Pugh said she understood “the public is having a hissy fit because they don’t feel like they were involved. I understand that.”
“Because yes, if a million dollars or a $1.2 or $2 million is coming out of a general fund or a piggy bank, yes, everybody in this township should have a say in it. What do you want us to do? Do you want us to stop the project completely, go back to the drawing board?” she said. “… I’m getting a headache. I’m actually getting a headache.”
The park on Chase Road in Tredyffrin Township will offer tennis and pickleball courts, plus a bathroom building, pavilion and grassy recreation space. Construction is underway in Chesterbrook, Pa., on Friday, July 31, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The flip side
The project isn’t without its supporters, however, arguing the board had been clear about the timeline and the scope.
“We went through 10 years of a derelict property in our neighborhood and we are grateful” the work isn’t being phased in, like previous plans discussed, said Joanna Fisher, of the Chesterbrook Civic Association.
Tim Connor, who lives near the park, said the alternative was dozens of townhouses, which would have been a negative for the community.
“Yes, it’s an investment right now, but long-term, those 50 townhouses would have had so many kids in the schools. It was a long-term loser. I think [this is a] better alternative,” he said.
And for Miller, the park has been a personal goal: He campaigned on it. The township is working with Miller, separately, for naming rights of the park which he’d purchase for $625,000 — the initial cost to purchase the land. (It would not be named for Miller himself, he said.)
Miller abstained from an initial vote in June OK’ing the township to draw up an agreement with the solicitor for naming rights. Miller said if someone else wanted to donate, he’d drop his bid, but he had the “capacity and willingness, and it’s important to me.”
“When I ran this time, I said I was going to get this park built. I got over 8,000 votes,” he said later. “It seemed like something I should do since I told people I’d get it done.”
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Work has resumed on a 1.5 million-square-foot data center in East Whiteland after developers were told to stop early construction this month while the township reviewed its soil and health safety plans.
Township officials issued a permit that includes “many conditions related to soil monitoring and reporting, dust control, and protection of the remedy for the Superfund site,” they said in a statement Wednesday.
Development began again on Wednesday, said Lou Colagreco, an attorney representing the developers, Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers.
Earlier this month, township officials told the developer to stop work “until greater clarity is provided with respect to the ongoing review” of the soil and health and safety plans. The stoppage came amid increased scrutiny from residents, who have fears about the impact of the data center being built upon the former Cyprus Foote Mineral Co., which contaminated the land with chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium.
On Wednesday, the township said in a statement posted online that it had issued a permit regarding erosion and sedimentation control.
“The Township and its inspectors will also be maintaining a regular presence at the site to oversee implementation of the permit conditions,” the township’s statement said.
The permit allows for “earth-moving activities.” The developers will still need to secure construction permits for things like pouring concrete for footings, or foundations. But they can move dirt and dig via these permits, East Whiteland Township Manager Steve Brown said.
The developers came back before the township this month, intending to change the design again, saying the revised proposal would use less water. It could also possibly scale down the overall footprint of the data center, from 1.5 million square feet to a total of 536,000 square feet.
The township’s three elected officials ultimately tabled the matter at their July 8 meeting, saying they needed more information. The board’s next scheduled meeting is Aug. 19.
“The only issue before the Supervisors is whether the data center will use air chilled coolers to conserve water or whether water chilled units will be utilized,” Colagreco said in an email. “In either event, Sentinel is proceeding with development.”
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Tyler Humphreys, 24, pleaded guilty in March to rape, corruption of minors, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, and related crimes in connection with the assaults, which took place between 2014 and 2022.
The sentence was handed down by Chester County Court Judge Annalisa Sondergaard during a lengthy hearing Wednesday evening. As a condition of his sentence, Humphreys, of Malvern, is barred from contacting any of the victims or their families.
His attorney, Elliot Marc Cohen, did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
During the hearing, the mother of one of the victims described how Humphreys betrayed the trust afforded him as a public servant and had torn their family apart.
Humphreys was hired as a Sharon Hill police officer in September 2023, three months before he was arrested.
The borough fired Humphreys shortly after the charges were filed by prosecutors in Chester County. During his brief stint with the department, Humphreys worked as a school resource officer, but Sharon Hill officials have said there were no allegations that he had committed any crimes during his tenure with the department.
Investigators said they received a report in November 2023 about the rape, which occurred the previous December at a home in Charlestown Township, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Humphreys’ arrest.
The victim, then 15, told police Humphreys served her alcohol until she was drunk, then carried her to a bedroom and raped her as she was “in and out of consciousness, the affidavit said. Humphreys was 20 at the time.
Another victim later told police about a second incident that also occurred in December 2022.
The woman, then 19, told police she woke up next to Humphreys in bed, and felt sharp pain in her genitals, according to the affidavit. Earlier, she said, Humphreys had urged her to take over-the-counter medication in a dosage that far exceeded what was recommended. When she confronted him about the pain she felt, he denied any wrongdoing, the affidavit said.
She also told investigators that Humphreys sexually assaulted her, groped her and exposed himself a number of times between 2014 and 2018, starting when she was 11 and he was 12, according to the affidavit.
Humphreys was also charged with — and admitted to — the sexual assault of a 9-year-old boy that took place when Humphreys was 12.
A developer is looking to build a data center on a Superfund site. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Like the plumes of dust rising from the site of what soon could become a data center in East Whiteland Township, concern rose in Malvern Hunt resident Kelly Donia as construction vehicles moved about it last month.
While the township has issued a stop-work order to assess the safety of the former Cyprus Foote Mineral Co. property, now a Superfund site, neighbors continue to express concern over the potential environmental impacts.
A 37-year-old Chester County man pleaded guilty last week to human trafficking and involuntary servitude after forcing two teenagers to work on a Kennett Square mushroom farm without pay. The Inquirer’s Vinny Vella has the details.
Expect detours and delays on certain roads as projects continue or get underway. Notable closures this week include parts of Route 1 (presumably for Task filming), a monthslong project in East Bradford Township, and stream bank stabilization in Malvern.
Oxford’s borough council is hosting a special meeting tonight at 7 p.m. to continue discussions about the future of its police department, with a possible vote on the table. The meeting will also be live streamed.
Franklin Township’s board of supervisors is holding a meeting Monday at 7 p.m. to discuss the future planned merger of the Avondale and West Grove Fire Companies, including their combined budget and interim governance agreement. Virtual attendees can also join via Zoom.
The Coatesville VA Medical Center will undergo a number of updates after receiving funds from Veterans Health Administration, including renovations to two buildings and a new roof on another.
East Goshen Township is launching a five-month composting pilot program in August for 50 households.
Penn Township is hosting a ribbon cutting today from 10 a.m. to noon for its new fitness court at Penn Township Park.
Phoenixville women’s boutique Refinery has expanded to a second location at 117 E. King St. in Malvern.
Ducklings Early Learning Center is expanding to Elverson, with its new location set to debut Monday. There’s a sneak peek event today from 4 to 7 p.m. Located at 4987 N. Twin Valley Rd., Ducklings Early Learning Center offers daycare and preschool programming.
🏫 Schools Briefing
West Chester Area School District had a 28% participation rate for student athletics during the 2024-25 school year, putting it among the highest in the region. Along with the Phoenixville Area School District, it spent over $1,100 per high school student on athletics, The Inquirer’s Maddie Hanna reports.
Coatesville Area School District has named Jennifer Becker assistant principal of Rainbow Elementary School.
Octorara Area School District has named Angela Regrut principal of Octorara Primary Learning Center.
The West Chester school district has appointed a supervisor of strategic initiatives and district partnerships. Katie Walker will begin in the newly created role in August.
🍽️ On our Plate
Goodness Bowls, which serves smoothies, bowls, juices, salads, and wraps, opened its newest location last week at 5 Paoli Plaza in Paoli.
A new ramen and Hawaiian barbecue spot opened recently in West Chester. Located at 124 E. Market St., Momoyama also serves fried noodles and rice, steamed buns, and dumplings.
Origami Asian Fusion recently opened in Exton. The BYOB serves sushi and Chinese dishes.
🎳 Things to Do
🎙️ Sound of Summer Free Concert Series: Wide-ranging cover band The Late Ambitions, which plays everything from the ‘50s to today, will perform. ⏰ Wednesday, July 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Anson B. Nixon Park, Kennett Square
🛍️ Phoenixville Vintage Fest: Browse vintage goods and listen to live music at this two-day event. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 1 and Sunday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Main and Bridge Streets parking lot, Phoenixville
🎆 Uwchlan Township Community Day: This celebration includes live music, food trucks, and kids activities followed by fireworks. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 1, 4-9 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Lionville Park, Exton
🎀 Legally Blonde The Musical: See a musical adaptation of the iconic Reese Witherspoon movie. ⏰ Thursday, July 30-Saturday, Aug. 1, times vary 💵 $20-$28 📍 Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester
🇺🇸 Drone Show: Catch a patriotic drone show over West Chester. ⏰ Sunday, Aug. 2, 9 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Downtown West Chester
An aerial view of the home, which has a pool, spa, and detached garage.David Ocenas | Courtesy of Michael and Maribeth McConnell/Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors
Thanks to a classic design, this stone estate looks historic but has all the trappings of a modern home. Some of its features include a kitchen with high-end appliances and an oversized island, a butler’s pantry, and a family room with vaulted ceilings. The home has six bedrooms, including a primary suite with a fireplace and two walk-in closets. There’s also plenty of outdoor living space thanks to a three-season room, a large deck with a fireplace, and a pool and spa. There’s an open house tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m.
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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
“This ruling supports the long-term health of our industry” in Pennsylvania, said CJ Ciarrochi, CEO and fourth-generation owner of Modern Mushroom Farms in Toughkenamon, Chester County, part of the Fresh Mushrooms Fair Trade Coalition supporting the case against the Canadians.
But one of the largest area growers called the decision a protectionist move that would enable aging U.S. farms to avoid upgrades and leave consumers with fewer choices.
“We sell our Canadian-grown mushrooms in the U.S. at a higher price than our U.S.-produced mushrooms — the polar opposite” of dumping, said Lewis Macleod, Kennett Square-based CEO of South Mill Champs mushrooms, which also has operations in Canada and Mexico.
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Final decisions in September could impose penalties that boost U.S. grocery stores’ cost to buy Canadian mushrooms. The Commerce Department’s calculations suggest anti-dumping and countervailing-duties penalties, if adopted, could add 10 to 15 cents per $1 to the price of Canadian mushrooms exported by Champs, owned by Eos Partners of New York; Highline Mushrooms, owned by Japan-based Sumitomo Corp.; and Windmill Mushrooms, owned by Toronto-based Instar Asset Management.
That would ease import competition for Pennsylvania growers, who produce more than two-thirds of the U.S. mushroom crop, mostlyin clusters of climate-controlled sheds in northern Berks County and southern Chester County.
At Modern Mushroom Farms, on Newark Road, Toughkenamon, Chester County, in 2020.Bob Williams For The inquirer
The Department of Commerce’s finding “is a win for fairness, competition and the future of American mushroom farming” and for “everyone to play by the same rules,” said Mark Currie, CEO of 99-year-old Giorgio Cos.’ food division, the largest of the coalition members.
Giorgio employs over 2,300 in Berks and Chester Counties and also buys from other growers such as Modern. Its corporate parent, Giorgi Global Holdings, is an international bottle and can maker with $5 billion in yearly sales.
While Champs’ Macleod predicted the Commerce Department’s final probes would find no dumping, Currie said he expects the review of sales records would find more evidence.
“We know the private-equity playbook: ‘Let’s drive the mom-and-pops out, jack prices, and then flip our companies” to outside investors and global companies, Currie said. “We called them on it. Enough’s enough.”
Sales to U.S. buyers peaked at around 1 billion pounds in 2019 but have since declined, according to the Mushroom Council,a national organization that promotes the crop. Canadian farms are gaining larger sales in a smaller U.S. market.
U.S. production peaked in 2015 at 811 million pounds and has fallen each year since, to 631 million pounds in 2025.
Fresh mushroom imports, mostly from Canada, have grown steadily since 2012, more than doubling to 208 million pounds in 2025.
The trade coalition says at least 10 U.S. mushroom farms have closed since 2022, including five in ChesterCounty and one in Berks County.
In its investigation, the Commerce Department compared the prices of premium-grade U.S. mushrooms to lesser-grade Canadian mushrooms and discounted low-priced U.S. mushrooms, Macleod said.
Canadian exports are winning U.S. customers not because Canadians are selling unfairly cheap but because Canadian farmstend to be new and efficient and grow an attractive product, he said.
Commerce began the investigation of alleged dumping and subsidies in January. The department’s latest finding follows its May “preliminary affirmative determination” that some Canadian mushroom farms were operating with an effective Canadian government subsidy of up to 5%.
South Mill Champs built an additional plant in 2023 in Chester County’s Elk Township, near the Maryland border, and now directly employs around 400 in the county, according to Macleod.
A worker is watering Crimini Mushrooms being grown at The Woodlands at Phillips Mushroom Farm in Kennett Square in 2022.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The company also has added mushroom production near Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is building in Mexico’s Guanajuato state. It has a processing plant in Cambridge, Md., and has diversified into mushroom-based snacks and fruit storage and distribution.
Rival Giorgio has a joint-venture plant in Saltillo, northern Mexico, which has been selling to Mexican and U.S. buyers since the 1990s.
Many of Chester County’s Mexican mushroom workers are from Guanajuato. Thousands gained legal resident status and a path to citizenship in President Ronald Reagan’s 1980s amnesty program. Many have raised families and started businesses in the county. Nearly half Kennett Square’s population is Latino, according to the U.S. Census’ 2025 estimates.
Mario Gomez, of West Grove, cooks white mushrooms in butter, garlic, and salt to give out as free samples during the annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square in 2023.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
In recent years, growers have had more difficulty obtaining U.S. work permits for workers from other countries.
Miguel Morales, a Guatemalan labor contractor who served as employer of record for nearby Chester County mushroom growers from his base at an Oxford convenience store, was convicted in federal court in Philadelphia last year of hiring unauthorized workers and failing to collect and pay taxes for some of them. He was sentenced to a year in prison, plus $8 million in restitution to the IRS. The growers were not charged.
South Mill Champs’ Macleod said he and his neighbors, though they differ on trade and sanctions, all support efforts by the American Mushroom Institute to expand legal status for immigrant farm laborers.
But with government restrictions on labor growing instead of easing, he said, “we have had to limit our expansion in the U.S., owing to challenges with labor availability.”
Macleod says the key to the U.S. mushroom industry’s survival and growth is automation.
The “distraction” of the trade dispute has delayed South Mill Champs’ proposed investment in a new, fully automated mushroom farm at its Oxford facility, where there’s room to triple the size of the current facility, he said.
