Linking Protected Open Space into a Regional Network | Public Recreational Facilities, Parks,
and Preserves | Restoration Sites and Development Initiated Open Spaces | Open Space
Protected by Non Profit Land Trusts | Open Space Funding, Staffing, and Resources |
Open
Space Restoration, Management, and Access
Public Recreational Facilities, Parks, and Preserves
Active, Passive, Playgrounds, State Game Lands, Forest, Watershed and Historic Preserves
There is a perception that Chester County has been lax in planning for trails and is losing opportunities to create them. There is a concern that the window of opportunity to create trail corridors is fading fast. Unprecedented growth and increasing traffic volumes are complicating efforts to create pedestrian links connecting downtowns and parks to homes, businesses, and places of employment. At the same time, County residents are requesting trail projects like those that have been successful in nearby Montgomery and New Castle Counties. This issue is most pressing in the urbanized areas of eastern Chester County, where there is a concern that the county does not put sufficient emphasis on trails.
The lack of a countywide recreation plan hinders efforts to pursue state and federal funding for the protection of open space for recreational purposes. The absence of a County parks and recreation plan creates a situation that reduces the potential of the county to conduct multi-municipal planning and pursue competitive grants. The lack of a countywide trails plan also makes it difficult for municipalities to identify ways to link the open spaces within their borders to those in nearby municipalities.
Municipal ordinances may not properly address open space recreation issues and are more likely to miss out on opportunities for grant- or developer-based funding. Some municipalities in Chester County do not address recreation planning in sufficient detail. As a result, developers who propose to create recreation-based open spaces have little if any guidance or encouragement. Municipalities that do not address recreation are less likely to receive competitive grants for open space preservation from state and county programs.
State Game lands and forests have not been sufficiently buffered from encroaching development around their borders. There are a number of natural preserves in Chester County such as state forests, state game lands, and properties owned by the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Most of these are located in western Chester County in areas that are less developed than the rest of the county. There is a concern that increasing development will surround these preserves much like development has surrounded Valley Forge National Historic Site. Such isolation could inhibit animal migration, including animals that serve to pollinate plant species, and could lead to inbreeding and lower disease resistance for species within these preserves.
The preservation of open space for water resource protection has not been prominent in Chester County. Only a small portion of Chester County’s open spaces have been protected specifically for the preservation of parcels that surround and drain onto valuable surface water resources. With the growing need for integrated county-wide water resource planning, there is an opportunity to enhance open space protection efforts by placing more focus on water resources. The best example of a water resource-based preserve is adjacent to the Octoraro Creek in Lower Oxford. There are also opportunities for the protection of floodplain areas along the Schuylkill River.
Regional historic resource areas, such as Valley Forge Historic Park, tend to be surrounded by development with little opportunity for expansion. Protected open spaces that preserve historic resources are often located in urban or suburban areas. Unfortunately, the central location of these historic resources means that they are likely to be surrounded by 20th century development, which leaves little buffer between modern buildings and historic context. Historic burial grounds at former church sites, often associated with low-income or minority populations, are especially under threat.
There is a need to better publicize the fact that public recreational open space protection can be a means for addressing the obesity epidemic. The federal government has recognized obesity as an epidemic impacting significant numbers of Americans. Excessive weight gain is affecting children as they spend more time watching television and on computers. Exercise, especially walking, within public open spaces is a key tool for reversing this trend. This link between open space and public health can be used as an impetus for pursuing more open space funding in the future.
Chester County is becoming divided into areas where farm preservation is the main open space funding priority, and areas where recreational facilities are the main funding priority. Municipal parks are still being acquired in some parts in the county. Currently, most park acquisition and construction is taking place in the central part of the county. More densely developed communities, which tend to be to the east, have less open land to use for new parks. These communities are focusing on funding new trails to link existing parks with population centers. As land prices increase, there will be a need to accommodate both more expensive farmland preservation, and construction costs for parks and trails.
The County’s traditional hiking routes are increasingly threatened as development and traffic volumes make it increasingly difficult to hike these non-permanent “social trails.” There are a number of cross-county hiking routes that have been part of Chester County culture for decades. There is strong local support for protecting these routes or turning them into permanent off-road trails. However, there has been no study to evaluate the viability of these alignments. As a result, these route are continually changed, and development and traffic concerns make sections of these routes increasingly difficult for safe hiking.
There has been a lack of consistent coordination between the various state and county agencies who are involved with recreation planning, pedestrian transportation planning, and open space protection. There has been no region-wide interdisciplinary approach to park and trail planning. Recreation land use planning, ordinance updates, and official maps provide only a patchwork of solutions. A lack of proper parks and recreation standards, ownership and management expertise hinders open space preservation. A coordinated County-wide approach would help to more efficiently target County open space funds, and increase the likelihood of receiving state grants.
Linking Protected Open Space into a Regional Network | Public Recreational Facilities, Parks,
and Preserves | Restoration Sites and Development Initiated Open Spaces | Open Space
Protected by Non Profit Land Trusts | Open Space Funding, Staffing, and Resources |
Open
Space Restoration, Management, and Access
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