Council Approves West Chester Historic Preservation Plan

West Chester Borough Council voted on Wednesday to approve West Chester’s Historic Preservation plan.  The 60-page document records steps the borough has taken in the past to preserve West Chester’s historical character as well as suggestions for the future.

Chief among the plan’s suggestions is education.  For example, there is a 20 percent historic tax credit available to landlords who maintain the architectural integrity of historic buildings.

According to the plan, over half of the rental units in West Chester would qualify for this tax credit.

The plan also suggests that the borough put on preservation workshops for homeowners.  These workshops would help homeowners understand the historical significance of their homes as well as how to preserve their historical quality. 

Another significant push of the plan is to expand parts of the town that fall under the jurisdiction of the Historic Architectural Review Board. 

Currently, HARB oversees just the direct center of town.  Under the plan, people and business outside of the town center could go before HARB to ensure that renovation and addition projects are within the guidelines of the historic preservation plan.

However, any decision made by HARB in the expanded district would only be for advice or education.  They would not tell a person they could or could not build.

The plan also calls for blighted and abandoned properties to be put under the control of the borough, specifically the Redevelopment Authority.

It would then be the responsibility of the Redevelopment Authority to develop the property and to make sure any development adhered to the borough’s historical preservation guidelines.

These are just a couple of the suggestions made in the plan.  Please feel free to read through the .pdf attached to the story.  It contains the entire plan in full.