Industry and Population Shifts | Deteriorating Infrastructure | Advancing Technology |
Land Development Limitations | Challenges for Agriculture | Workforce Development Issues |
Planning and Coordination
Land Development Limitations
The successful land and open space preservation efforts, established under Landscapes, and the rezoning and redevelopment of formerly commercial and industrially-zoned land, have created the unintended consequence of limiting land that is available for the creation or expansion of business and industry.
Open space preservation has been a priority in Chester County under Landscapes, and will continue to be moving forward. At the same time, the high quality of life that results from the County’s preserved open space and scenic resources continues to draw residents and drive growth. Preserved land is removed from available developable acreage. Economic growth is also a critical component to sustaining the community over the long term. However, the strong residential market has created a steep increase in land costs, and has also created demand for land such that many commercial and industrially-zoned parcels have been rezoned for residential use. This practice reduces the supply of land available for commercial and industrial development or redevelopment, and in turn increases costs.
The lengthy and complicated land development process in many Chester County communities has become a significant obstacle to the development and expansion of businesses.
The land development approval process in many Chester County municipalities can be lengthy, difficult, and expensive. Requirements for permitting have become complicated and costly. Local impact fees have also contributed to higher development costs. All of this, combined with high land costs and limited available land, can effectively discourage or prevent the growth or expansion of business.
The decline in durable goods manufacturing in recent decades has left acres of abandoned and under-utilized facilities that are in need of environmental remediation.
In Chester County, many abandoned industrial facilities are considered to be “brownfield” sites. Brownfields are abandoned, idle, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment may be complicated by environmental contaminations. There are brownfield sites located throughout the County. Some have been targeted for redevelopment through various funding programs and mechanisms. Others, however, continue to sit abandoned and idle, a blight on the local community. There is great potential within many of these sites for economic development, but there are limited resources and very limited expertise to address these issues at the municipal level.
Industry and Population Shifts | Deteriorating Infrastructure | Advancing Technology |
Land Development Limitations | Challenges for Agriculture | Workforce Development Issues |
Planning and Coordination
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