Kennett Greenway Connectors: Birch Street and Magnolia Underpass A joint municipal initiative to advance connectivity and accessibility in Kennett Square Borough and Kennett Township
Kennett Greenway Overview
Goals and Features Connect to everyday destinations, nature, residences, schools, social services, • parks, shops, restaurants, historical and cultural assets Enhance our community while preserving and healing our natural resources • Promote health, safety, environmental stewardship and community • Inclusive and equitable design, operation and programming • Offering physical protection from cars and easy to cross intersections • Designed to meet accessibility standards • Encourage exploration and freedom for all ages •
Kennett Greenway Connectors The inter-municipal Kennett Greenway Connectors Project is aimed at addressing two significant and complementary segments of the greenway through the creation of a “complete street” along Birch Street in the Borough of Kennett Square, and the construction of a railroad underpass, known as the Magnolia Underpass, in Kennett Township.
Birch Street Existing Issues • Poor, degraded and fragmented sidewalk infrastructure • No cyclist facilities • Stormwater management issues • Pronounced crown in the road Recommended Improvements • Complete roadway reconstruction • Streetscape, stormwater best management practices, pedestrian and cyclist facilities • Cohesive sidewalk network, street lighting, trees and traffic calming Greenway Connection • Safe route for Borough high school students and local residents • Provides accessible connection to Greenway loop in Borough
Magnolia Underpass Existing Issues • East Penn Railroad is a physical barrier to community; divides Borough and Kennett Township’s open space investments • No walkable connection to Pennock Park from the Borough • Railroad used as walking path to every-day destinations • People crossing at grade is current safety issue Recommended Improvements • Culvert underpass beneath the railway Greenway Connection • Underpass will help safely connect residents to New Garden Shopping Center and several trails and other amenities in the Borough and Township
Proposed Culvert Underpass Location
Project Benefits • Repairing and improving decaying infrastructure • Creating safe, multimodal transportation for all residents • Opportunity to collaborate with Kennett Township on a project benefitting Borough residents, while also enhancing application competitiveness due to inter-municipal cooperation • Building on and allowing Borough residents to enjoy ongoing investments in the Kennett Greenway, including Township trail improvements from Pennock Park to Chandler Mill Bridge, providing inclusive access to green space for all Borough residents • Leveraging existing funding commitments (i.e., CRP grant funding for stormwater on Birch St.) to minimize Borough funding requirements
Project Funding Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) • Grants to improve public transportation assets that enhance communities, pedestrian safety and transit revitalization. • Maximum request of $3 million. Requires local match of 30%. More competitive scoring provided for higher than the minimum match. Grant Request: $1,953,085 Grant Match: $1,260,000 • Kennett Square Borough - $500,000 Chester County Community Revitalization Program (CRP) grant plus $210,000 allocated for Birch Street in 2020 budget • Kennett Township - $300,000 (minimum match for $1 million underpass scope) • Square Roots Collective – Up to $250,000 to account for funding shortfalls in the projects, if such amount is sufficient to complete both projects
Project Cost and Priorities Estimated Cost Priority #1 - Birch Street Site Prep & Management $47,500.00 Roadway Reconstruction $584,309.50 Stormwater Management $494,496.00 Pedestrian Facilities $486,645.00 Priority #2 - Magnolia Underpass $1,000,000.00* Construction Subtotal $2,612,950.50 Contingency (5%) $130,647.53 Engineering (7%) $182,906.54 Admin/Legal (1.4%) $36,581.31 Total Project Budget $2,963,085.87 MTF Request $1,953,085.00 35% match increases Total Match $1,260,000.00 competitiveness * Estimate subject to refinement pursuant to engineering work in progress
Next Steps • At a future meeting, Council of the Borough of Kennett Square to consider Resolution to Apply and serve as MTF grantee • Kennett Township Board of Supervisors to consider Resolution supporting joint project • MTF application development and submission (due September 30, 2020) • Cooperation agreement between the Borough and Township, if awarded funding
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