Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan

YOONA AHN | YEXIN DING | MICHAEL HONGBRETT PEANASKY | BROOKE WIECZOREK | CHI ZHANG

MAY 2014

COATESVILLEURBAN STRATEGIC PLAN

2 Introduction

CUSP EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Forty-five miles west of Philadelphia, in a picturesque valley once considered the agricultural and industrial powerhouse of Chester County, live over 13,000 residents divided into four neighborhoods who are transforming a declining city into a growing, vibrant place.

Cusp : noun \ˈkəsp\: a point of transition (as from one historical period to the next): turning point; also: edge, verge (as, on the verge of success)

Coatesville is at a crossroads in its trajectory. The city’s rich historical past has become obsolete or irrelevant in the context of current quality of life concerns. Yet the many projects and partnerships now unfolding in the city prove that residents are actively working to create a sense of community and a public realm that is diverse and dynamic. These initiatives could be strengthened with the support of the city government. The municipality continues to struggle with raising enough revenue to meet the needs of residents, and is increasingly disconnected from its constituents’ concerns. With many divisions of class, race, income, educational attainment, and interests, Coatesville is on the cusp of either becoming another dying Rust Belt city or reinventing itself as the cultural and economic center of Chester County.

This plan was born in collaboration, the product of focused and critical thinking about the interests and concerns of all stakeholders who want to see a better Coatesville. By studying the city’s demographic and socioeconomic conditions, completing scenario planning, establishing goals, researching precedents and best practices, and presenting strategic actions, the Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan—or CUSP—represents one vision for the city. This plan acknowledges challenges that the city and its residents face, and proposes concrete solutions for overcoming them.

This plan is divided into seven chapters: Context & History, Existing Conditions, SDOC Analysis, Goals & Objectives, Strategic Actions, Implementation, and an Appendix containing scenarios and sources. The plan identities specific actions and names the persons and organizations that, if they support this vision, can follow through with the implementation steps. This is a living document, and the city should revisit and update if often to regularly ensure that the goals and priorities listed here continue to match the interests of Coatesville’s residents.

Coatesville exists on the cusp—a rare moment in its history. This document is intended to act as a vehicle and forum to help the city’s residents define what a successful Coatesville looks like and to pursue it.

3Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan

The planning team produced this plan in fulfillment of the requirements of the CPLN 600 Planmaking Workshop course at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design in Spring 2014. The team did not consult with Coatesville’s elected leaders, city staff, or residents to create this plan. The authors would like to thank our instructor, Danae Mobley, for her continued guidance and encouragement.

Context & History 04

12

32

38

44

86

90

Existing Conditions

SDOC Analysis

Goals & Objectives

Strategic Actions

Implementation

Appendix

CONTENTS

4 Chapter 1 : Context & History

CONTEXT & HISTORYCoatesville has experienced an era of decline and disinvestment similar to that of many American industrial towns. Yet this betrays a prosperous history dating to the 1700s. Beginning as a rural village, Coatesville grew into a dense industrial city and reached peak population in the 1930s. Much of the city’s development is connected to the Lukens Steel Company, once the largest employer in Chester County.

Formerly the midway stop on the route to Lancaster, Coatesville has been bypassed by the postwar spread of metropolitan Philadelphia. The twenty-first century presents new opportunities for this sturdily-constructed city with a dense street grid. Investment in Coatesville’s Amtrak station will provide momentum for stabilization and revitalization. This is the time for Coatesville to reinvest, reconnect, and reactivate.


Source: Chester County 2009

FIGURE 1-1. IN THE LIVABLE LANDSCAPES MAP, CHESTER COUNTY IDENTIFIES COATESVILLE AS ONE OF SEVERAL URBAN AREAS (RED). THE CITY IS SURROUNDED BY THE SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE (TAN), INTERSPERSED WITH SEVERAL SUBURBAN CENTERS (TEAL). REGIONAL CONTEXT

A Multi-modal Suburban Corridor

Coatesville has the distinction of being Chester County’s only incorporated city. The city’s location along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) and the Amtrak Keystone Service makes it relatively well-connected to Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Harrisburg. However, Coatesville’s location has also made it vulnerable to sprawling development patterns.

Coatesville finds itself increasingly surrounded by edgeless development spreading westward from metropolitan Philadelphia. The areas around the city are characterized by large-lot single family residential subdivisions and cul-de-sacs. A number of places between Coatesville and Philadelphia, such as the boroughs of Downingtown and Malvern, as well as Census-Designated Places (CDP) Exton, Paoli, and Thorndale, have become suburban centers of commercial activity. Exton, for example, is a veritable “edge city,” complete with a highway interchange and shopping mall.

These development patterns have significantly impacted Coatesville. Roughly six miles to the west of downtown, a Walmart-anchored strip mall has developed, and there is another big-box commercial retail strip four miles to the east. A new hotel sits at the city’s northern reach, near an exit on the Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass, and the city has assembled the surrounding land in hopes of creating an office park.

Coatesville’s residents do not seem to receive much benefit from the city’s connections to Philadelphia and Lancaster. According to the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate, 84.6% of Coatesville’s workers commute

to locations within Chester County. While Keystone Service ridership grew by 3.2% between 2012 and 2013, and a number of stations posted records in 2013 (e.g. 578,731 in Lancaster), only 16,626 persons passed through Coatesville’s station (Amtrak 2013). SEPTA regional rail service does not extend to Coatesville: the closest station is in Thorndale, three miles to the east.

The city also has also not captured regional employment growth. While the city of Coatesville has the highest population of the six nodes along the corridor between Lancaster and Philadelphia, it has only the third most jobs. Recent employment trends show that Coatesville’s residents are increasingly employed in educational and social services, or “eds and meds.” However, as the city itself has few such institutions, this means that these persons are working elsewhere in Chester County (such as the nearby VA Medical Center, Immaculata University in Exton, or the Main Line Health campus in Paoli) or perhaps as far afield as Lancaster’s General Hospital and Franklin & Marshall College.

Chester County’s Comprehensive Policy Plan expects continued suburban growth throughout the county. According to this plan, Coatesville will continued to be surrounded by the “suburban landscape” abong the Lincoln Highway, peppered with several “suburban centers” (Chester County 2009, See Figure 1). While the plan hopes that these areas will “incorporate Smart Growth principles to replace sprawling development” (Chester County 2009, 30), there seems little indication that the county’s rural and suburban development patterns will change dramatically.

Nearly 88% of Coatesville’s workers commute to locations

outside the city.


COATESVILLE

PHILADELPHIA44 miles

(50-75 min.)

LANCASTER30 miles

(25-45 min.)

30

PARKESBURG

DOWNINGTOWN

EXTON

PAOLI

ARDMORE

Coatesville is one of six nodes along the U.S. Route 30/Amtrak Keystone corridor between Lancaster and Philadelphia. While Coatesville has the largest population of these places, it has only the third most jobs and, by a large margin, the lowest Amtrak ridership.

Amtrak Ridership (2013)

Source: Amtrak

Coatesville: 16,626

Ardmore: 67,942

Downingtown: 68,918

Paoli: 175,299

Exton: 113,499

Parkesburg: 55,290

Employment (2011)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Coatesville: 10,385

Ardmore: 5,082

Downingtown: 12,300

Paoli: 7,155

Exton: 28,033

Parkesburg: 2,100

Population (2010)


Coatesville: 13,100Ardmore: 12,455

Downingtown: 7,891

Paoli: 5,575Exton: 4,842

Parkesburg: 3,593


HISTORY FIGURE 1-2. THE BRANDYWINE IRON WORKS AND NAIL FACTORY FIGURE 1-3. SEAL OF THE CITY OF COATESVILLE

1810

Pennock purchased 110.5 acres of Coates’ farm along the Brandywine Creek and converted its sawmill into the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory, which exported products nationally. At this time, the area was known as “Coates’ Villa.”

1834

The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad established a station on the west side of the Brandywine. Because of its location at the halfway point between the two terminals, the station was designated as “Midway.”

1865

The Coatesville train station was built at 3rd Avenue and Fleetwood Street. In 1867, the villages of Coatesville and Midway joined to form the Borough of Coatesville.

1911

Zachariah Walker, a black man accused of killing a white mill policeman, was dragged from a hospital and burned to death in front of hundreds of Coatesville citizens. The lynching—the last in Pennsylvania—stained the city’s reputation and prompted the NAACP to call for an end to lynching nationwide.

1915

A majority vote of Coatesville’s citizens made it the first and only incorporated city in Chester County.

1932

By 1900, the population was 6,000. The school system and religious community also expanded: in 1932 Coatesville was home to 22 churches and Chester County’s only synagogue.

1945

After World War II, the steel industry began a long decline and Lukens Steel was sold for the first of many times, forcing workplace reductions to 5,000 and eventually to 2,000.

1714

The first settlement in this spot along the Brandywine Creek was an Indian village, which became a market for fur trapping. Records indicate land holdings as early as 1714 by William Fleming, a native of Scotland.

1787

Moses Coates, a prosperous farmer and the area’s first postmaster, purchased land which now comprises the city’s center. Meanwhile, a few miles south, Isaac Pennock formulated plans for his Federal Slitting Mill. The mill was operating by 1793 and furnished much-needed iron products for the growing region.

1794

Rural life in the valley changed with the construction of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, now U.S. Route 30. It was America’s first privately-funded, paved road.

A rich past divergent from the present

Source: Greystone Society Source: City of Coatesville


FIGURE 1-4. A RECENTLY-PAINTED COMMUNITY MURAL FIGURE 1-5. A STRING OF ARSONS DESTROYED DOZENS OF HOMES FIGURE 1-6. A VISION FOR RAIL IN PENNSYLVANIA

1980s

Coatesville began an ambitious redevelopment project, which included tearing down abandoned public housing structures and building new single-family and townhouse developments, a regional recreation center, and a mixed-use project that would include retail, office, and condominiums.

1997

SEPTA discontinued regional rail service to Coatesville.

2005

Controversy around the city’s redevelopment plans, which included eminent domain in a neighboring township, led to the ousting of four incumbent city councilpersons in November 2005.

2007-2009

A fire on the 300 block of Fleetwood Street burned 17 rowhomes, causing $2 million in damage and leaving dozens homeless. By March 2009, police had arrested six suspects, but have solved only 20 of the nearly 70 arsons that occurred in a two-year span.

2009

The city began a HOPE VI funded Revitalization Plan. The first project involved 47 rental units. Downtown Revival, the second phase, featured 22 apartments over six downtown commercial spaces. The final phase consisted of 84 new, detached, for-sale homes on the former Oak Street public housing site.

2010

Ten steel columns, forged by Lukens Steel in 1969, were returned from the World Trade Center in New York City, having survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The columns are slated to be the centerpieces of a proposed National Iron and Steel Heritage museum.

2011

Federal and state agencies committed $20 million in funding to build a new Amtrak station as part of a larger effort by PennDOT to improve service along the Keystone corridor. Chester County committed over $700,000 in 2013.

2012

A new Marriott hotel was built along Route 82 on the outskirts of Coatesville. The project received more than $10 million in state funding, $5 million in county funds, and $2.4 million in financing from the city and school district. The hotel is the first phase in a private developer’s overall project, which is expected to include an 80,000 square-foot office building and a restaurant. In total, the campus is expected to bring 330 jobs to the city.

2013

Residents ousted a school board member after learning about racist and sexist test message exchanges between the resigned superintendent and athletic director. The scandal led to public outcry over personnel management in the school district.

Source: Coatesville Times, November 15, 2013 Source: Coatesville Times, November 15, 2013 Source: Plan the Keystone, 2012


Recent Uncoordinated Initiatives

PAST & PRESENT PLANS FIGURE 1-7. TOWER INVESTMENTS’ PLAN FOR THE FLATS FIGURE 1-8. THE LANDSCAPES 2 PLAN

Coatesville has not updated its comprehensive plan since 1986. However, the city has been affected by a number of recent public and private planning initiatives. These include the Chester County Comprehensive Policy Plan, a proposal for a national velodrome facility, the Department of Justice’s Weed and Seed Program, a privately-led mixed-used redevelopment proposal, and the Amtrak-led train station renovation and transit-oriented development. While this document does not specifically endorse these efforts or adopt any of their recommendations, these initiatives informed the analysis of Coatesville’s present conditions and the challenges the city faces.

Chester County Comprehensive Policy Plan (2009)

Coatesville is the only incorporated city in the wealthiest county in the state of Pennsylvania. Under Chester County’s principle goals of creating livable and sustainable development patterns, protecting the environment, maintaining a diverse economy, supporting an efficient multi-modal transportation system, and enhancing the quality of life for all residents, the county’s comprehensive policy plan specifically promotes smart growth, innovative design practices, and recycling of brownfield sites for urban areas such as Coatesville.

Both growth management and resource protection are priorities for the county. A majority of the county remains rural, yet the planning commission expects continued suburban growth (Chester County 2009). Chester County asserts that greenfield development will be balanced with retrofitted commercial and industrial development, made possible through public and private partnerships. The plan points out that regulatory flexibility within local jurisdictions will promote business attraction and development, supported by strategic investment of the Chester County workforce investment board (Chester County 2009). The county hopes to connect jobs, workforce housing and education.

As part of a designated growth area, Coatesville’s historic street grid and mixed-use character make it well-positioned to benefit from Chester County’s vision.

Tower Investments (2003)

In 2003, Coatesville gave Tower Investments, owned by Philadelphia-based developer Bart Blatstein, exclusive rights to develop a 25-acre site along Route 82 and Lincoln Highway known as the Flats (Lowe 2006). Originally owned by Lukens Steel, the site is one of the largest cleared and consolidated parcels in the city. It is ripe for development, and forms the downtown core of the city’s long-planned $600 million revitalization efforts (Lowe 2006).

Blatstein partnered with Erdy McHenry Architects to propose a development with 750 apartments, 550,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, and 40,000 square feet of entertainment facilities, phased over 10 to 15 years. However, Blatstein failed to produce a comprehensive plan. Residents generally disapproved of the project, voicing their fear of Coatesville becoming “the next Manayunk,” far from the family-oriented and working class culture that defines the city. The Coatesville Redevelopment Authority and Tower Investments never came to an agreement, and Blatstein’s exclusive development rights have expired (Lowe 2006). The Flats remains a vacant site.

Source: Erdy McHenry Architecture Source: Chester County Planning Commission


FIGURE 1-9. THE COATESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT FIGURE 1-10. A PERSPECTIVE OF THE NATIONAL VELODROME CENTER FIGURE 1-11. THE CURRENT COATESVILLE AMTRAK STATION

Weed & Seed Coatesville (2010)

Crime is a particularly acute challenge for Coatesville. In 2010, the Department of Justice (DOJ) provided a grant to Coatesville to implement a national crime-prevention program known as “Weed and Seed”. The four strategic aims of the program are community policing; law enforcement; neighborhood restoration; and promotion of crime prevention, intervention and treatment (City of Coatesville 2010). The Weed and Seed program empowers urban communities with tough crime problems to lead revitalization efforts based upon the authority designated by the community’s council.

In Coatesville, the Police Department has partnered with social and religious organizations to develop award-winning interventions, such as the Coatesville Youth Initiative (CYI) and Coatesville PAL. These programs serve over 700 children and teenagers in the city through leadership in the CYI Game Changers and enhanced mentoring through PAL Badges for Baseball (City of Coatesville 2010). Additionally, evidence-based adult and family mentoring initiatives have been implemented with Weed and Seed Funding (City of Coatesville 2010). None of these interventions existed as recently in 2009, and the city plans to expand them in 2014.

National Velodrome and Events Center (2013)

In late 2013, the Velodrome Management Group released a feasibility study for a new indoor cycling track on a site adjacent to the steel mill, between Lincoln Highway and the High Bridge. Although the velodrome and a comprehensive cycling program will anchor the facility, the building is designed for multiple uses, including concerts, other sporting events, and community activities. If the facility is constructed, it will be the only indoor velodrome on the East Coast, and is therefore projected to give Coatesville, Chester County, and the Philadelphia area a unique and visionary economic asset (Conventions, Sports and Leisure 2013)

The feasibility study, which included case studies of comparable velodromes and reviews of cycling participation and industry trends, showed that the necessary $27.5 million in financing will need to come from sources such as developer equity, fundraising, grants, and economic development funds (Conventions, Sports and Leisure 2013). Developers expect the velodrome to create nearly 100 new full- and part-time jobs in Coatesville and believe that $25 to $35 million will be pumped into the local economy by some 50,000 annual out of town visitors each year. However, the study also demonstrated that even with non-cycling events and retail space revenue, the facility would not be able to pay for its debt service and real estate taxes or establish a capital reserve, and would largely rely on city subsidies.

Amtrak’s Promise (2010-present)

While the Coatesville Amtrak station receives little traffic, it rests roughly halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster on the Keystone Service. The station has therefore received much attention as a possible catalyst for redevelopment.

In 2003, Coatesville completed a train station parking and improvements study. This study explored the feasibility of a three-level parking facility, along with other aesthetic, structural, and accessibility improvements. None of these improvements were made, however. Other studies have been conducted over the years, but none have progressed past the planning phase.

Currently, Amtrak is leading the effort to implement a station revitalization plan. The plan’s overall purposes include streetscape beautification, connections to multimodal transit, and privately-driven investment in the neighboring blocks. After federal and state agencies committed $20 million to station reconstruction, Chester County committed $700,000 for community development and leveraged additional public and private funding (Plan the Keystone 2012). The “Plan the Keystone” team worked with Coatesville and Chester County to assess existing conditions around the station and led a series of meetings with community stakeholders in July 2010 and a four-day community design charrette in August 2010 (Plan the Keystone 2012). The train station relocation project obtained federal environmental clearance in March 2012, and the Coatesville Redevelopment Authority has cleared the surrounding blocks through eminent domain. In the intervening years, Amtrak has not published next steps or a detailed design for the site.

Source: City of Coatesville Source: City of Coatesville Redevelopment Authority

12 Chapter 2 : Existing Conditions


EXISTING CONDITIONSDramatic growth in Chester County has made it the wealthiest in the state of Pennsylvania, yet Coatesville—the county’s only city—has not shared in this prosperity. Coatesville’s 13,000 residents are sharply divided along racial and socioeconomic lines, and they struggle with rising unemployment, income inequality, and educational disparity. The historical housing stock does not meet residents’ needs. Recent challenges with crime have engendered public perceptions that mask the community’s vibrant culture.

At the same time, Coatesville is blessed with a number of assets. Its downtown is a National Landmark Historic District, and many employment sectors have grown since 2000. Coatesville’s resilient residents remain the city’s greatest strength, and the city has the opportunity to channel their power.


Population, Age, and Race

DEMOGRAPHICS

2 %

4 %

6 %

8 %

10 %

12 %

14 %

16 %

18 %

25-345-90-4 35-4410-14 45-5415-17 55-6418-24 65-74 75-84 85+

CoatesvilleChester CountyPennsylvania

Coatesville has higher proportions of residents younger than 35.

Coatesville has lower proportions of residents older than 35.

+ 40%

+ 26%+ 16%+ 26%

+ 16% African American

+ 26% African American

+ 40% White

+ 26% White

47%43% White

African American

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2008-2012

16% of Coatesville’s residents arebetween 25 and 34 years old.

Coatesville’s current residents have much different needs than those of its industrial past. The city’s population has steadily increased in recent years, growing from 10,838 in the 2000 Census to 13,100 in the 2010 Census. The population is organized into slightly more than 4,500 households, yielding an average household size of approximately 2.9 persons.

The city’s residents are rather young compared to those of Chester County and Pennsylvania (See Figure 2-1). Whereas the greatest proportion of persons in the county and state are 45 to 54 years old, the largest age cohort in Coatesville is 25 to 34 years old. Coatesville has comparatively higher proportions of residents below the age of 35, and comparatively lower proportions of residents above the age of 35. According to the 2012 American Community Survey 5-year estimate, Coatesville has maintained an equal proportion of women and men as its population has grown.

Coatesville is rather spatially segregated. About 90 percent of the total population identifies as either African American or white (U.S. Census Bureau). Of the four Census tracts within Coatesville, two have a significantly higher proportion of white residents and the other two have significantly more African American residents (U.S. Census Bureau). The northwest part of Coatesville can be defined as mostly white, while the southeast part of the city can be characterized as mostly African American.

FIGURE 2-1. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS


Income and Poverty

2009 2010 2011 2012

Coatesville$48,486

$53,344

$113,161

Philadelphia

Chester County

Less than $10,000 11.3% 14.3%

9.9%

9.7%

9.7%

$20,000 to $24,999

$75,000 to $99,999

2009 2012

Median$36,434 Median

$34,603

9%

12%

2000

2012

As might be expected for a post-industrial city, Coatesville’s residents earn comparatively low incomes and a greater proportion of them experience poverty. According to the 2012 American Community Survey 5-year estimate, the average household in Coatesville earns approximately two-fifths of its counterpart in Chester County (See Figure 2-3). However, the average income of a Coatesville household earns only 10% less than the average Philadelphia household, demonstrating the significant economic inequality present in Chester County and metropolitan Philadelphia.

Focusing on average income, however, obscures the severe reality of economic inequality within Coatesville. In both the 2009 and 2012 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the largest share of Coatesville’s households earned less than $10,000, and this proportion increased from 11.3% to 14.3% (See Figure 2-4). However, the second largest proportion of Coatesville’s households in these surveys, 9.7% and 9.9% respectively, earned $75,000 to $99,999. In addition, the 2009 survey showed that 9.7% of Coatesville’s residents earned between $20,000 and $24,999; by 2012, this proportion had decreased significantly. Together, these figures suggest that the middle class is disappearing from Coatesville, and that income inequality amongst its residents continues to worsen.

Similarly, Coatesville’s residents are increasingly living below the poverty line, and poverty is much more pronounced in the city than in Chester County. In 2000, only 9% of Coatesville’s population lived below the poverty line, but by 2012 this figure had increased to 12% (Social Explorer, U.S. Census Bureau). Children are particularly affected by poverty in Coatesville: the amount of the population under 18 years of age living in poverty increased by 80% during this period. In contrast, the number of children living in poverty in Chester County increased by only 36% during this period. On a positive note, the number of Coatesville’s residents 65 or older living in poverty declined by 9% from 2000 to 2012, less than the 28% increase in Chester County (Social Explorer, U.S. Census Bureau). These trends, however, suggest that Coatesville’s most dependent residents—its children—are bearing the consequences of the city’s economic decline.

FIGURE 2-2. POPULATION LIVING IN POVERTY, 2000-2012

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimatesSource: U.S. Census Bureau, Social Explorer

FIGURE 2-3. AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES, 2009-2012

FIGURE 2-4. COATESVILLE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES, 2009-2012


ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

2000 2012

4.8%

8.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Social Explorer

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, mining Construction

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade

Retail trade

Transportation, warehousing, utilities

Finance, insurance, real estate

Professional, scientific, management,administrative, and waste services

Educational services, health care, social assistance

Arts, entertainment, recreation,accommodation and food services

Other services, except public administration

Public administration

+64%

-15%-11%

+53%+44%

+5%

+27%

+5%

+19%+23%

+51%

+9%

+51%

Information

Employment and Retail

FIGURE 2-5. INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT

FIGURE 2-6. COATESVILLE EMPLOYMENT CHANGE BY SECTOR, 2000 TO 2012

Coatesville faces greater economic challenges in comparison to Chester County. The Great Recession has had a more pronounced impact on the civilian workforce in Coatesville than in Chester County. In 2000, the unemployment rate in Coatesville was 4.8%, but by 2012 the unemployment rate had nearly doubled to 8.2% (see Figure 2-5), compared to 6.1% in Chester County (Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau).

During this period, there was considerable change in Coatesville’s employment mix (See Figure 2-6). There were two notable declines. Employment in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector decreased by 11%, and the information sector experienced the most significant loss of 15%. However, this latter decrease seems less severe within context of a 21% decrease in Chester County.

There are several sectors that experienced growth. The educational services, health care, and social assistance sector, or “eds and meds,’ experienced the greatest growth (64%), increasing its share of the workforce from 22% to 27% (See Figure 3). Employment in eds and meds in Coatesville grew faster compared to the county, which experienced a significantly lower growth rate of 33% (Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau). The second highest growth sector in Coatesville was professional, scientific, management, and administrative & waste management services, growing by 53% and increasing its share of the workforce from 10% to 11%. The third highest growth sector was retail trade, growing by 44% and increasing its share of the workforce from 11% to 12%. While other sectors had increases in their employment base, they generally maintained their respective shares of the workforce. (Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau).

The commercial corridor of Coatesville runs along Lincoln Highway from approximately 1st Avenue to 4th Avenue, roughly in the geographic center of the city. The corridor includes small grocery and convenience stores, hair salons, furniture stores, and several churches. This is one of the only pedestrian-friendly areas of Coatesville, with a connection to the Amtrak station via 3rd Avenue.

A local retail analysis conveys an overall lack of quality in retail options that do not meet the needs of the community. Residents largely turn to local convenience stores to meet their daily shopping needs, which are undersupplied in the city. While there is an excess supply of grocery, clothing, and electronics stores; bars; and car service stations, they are qualitatively insufficient prompting residents to seek alternatives outside of the city. There is also insufficient supply of delicatessens, drugstores, and discount stores. Coatesville’s residents are largely dependent on limited options of convenience stores and tend to go shop outside of Coatesville to meet other retail needs.

The educational services, health care, and social assistance

sector grew by

from 2000-2012.64%


No high school diploma

High school graduate

Some college, no degree

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Graduate/professional degree

29.5%Bachelor’s Degree

21.2%No HS Diploma

18.8%Grad./Prof. Degree

41.9%High School Graduate

Coatesville

Chester County

United States

1353

Student-Faculty Ratio Expenditure per Student Average SAT Score

13.2

14.4 $20,976

$14,500

1353

1395

1500

Coatesville Chester County

Sources: PA Department of Education 2012, News and Reporter 2012

Providing a high-quality education is a challenge that many American cities face, and Coatesville is no exception. Relative to Chester County and Pennsylvania, the Coatesville Area School District (CASD) performs comparatively poorly, and on the whole, Coatesville’s residents have completed lower levels of education. According to the 2012 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, slightly less than four-fifths of Coatesville’s residents have graduated from high school, almost fifteen percent less than the proportion in Chester County (See Figure 2-7). The percentage of Coatesville’s residents who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher is even more skewed: 14.7% compared to 48.3% for Chester County. Holders of graduate or professional degrees are nearly absent from Coatesville, making up only 3% of the population. There are two higher educational institutions serving the city: a satellite campus of Lincoln University near downtown, and the Chester County Area Vocational Technical School.

It seems that Coatesville’s educational challenges, however, begin at the elementary level. CASD has the tremendous task of educating students in a 75-square mile catchment area, nearly 40 times the size of the city. Within the district, there are six elementary schools, three middles schools, and a massive senior high school campus, located just east of the city boundary. Of these, only one building—Scott Middle School—is actually located in Coatesville.

Simply put, CASD’s inputs are not translating into positive results. While CASD has a lower student-faculty ratio than the Chester County average and spends nearly a third more per student (See Figure 2-8), students perform lower than the state average on math and reading proficiency tests (PA

Education

Department of Education 2012). In 2011, CASD students’ average SAT scores (1353) were below those of Chester County (1395) and the national average of 1500 (News and Reporter 2012). School funding is also an issue: in its most recent audit, the CASD General Fund reported a negative balance of $4.2 million (CASD Audit Report 2012). This perhaps explains the substantial increases in property taxes recently levied on residents within the catchment area.

Recent scandals have compounded these struggles. Last year, two school officials resigned after they were found

exchanging racist and sexist text messages (Saltzman 2013). Some parents have also alleged that teachers and staff treat low-income minority children and children with disabilities unfairly, and that the recent closing of the Graystone Academy Charter School was racially motivated (Bond 2013). The public has also raised objections over the millions of dollars in legal fees collected by the CASD district solicitor (Scala 2013). An overall lack of transparency has inflamed tensions and created an environment that distracts attention from students’ needs.

FIGURE 2-7. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT (POPULATION 25 YEARS AND OVER)

FIGURE 2-8. COATESVILLE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 ACS 5-year estimates


Housing

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FIGURE 2-10. DUPLEXES NEAR THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

FIGURE 2-11. CONDEMNED ATTACHED SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSES

FIGURE 2-12. NEW MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN

FIGURE 2-13. APARTMENTS IN A HISTORIC STABLE ON THIRD AVENUE

Source: Social Explorer

Percent of Renters > 30% Burden

Percent of Owners > 30%Burden

53%

40%

21%

40%

2000 2012

Downtown Coatesville is relatively dense, yet most of the city’s dwelling units are detached, single-family homes. Attached single-family homes were the housing type that experienced the greatest growth from 2000 to 2012, increasing by 51%. This housing type’s share of the city’s housing stock grew from 20% to 23%. All other housing types either slightly decreased or relatively maintained their shares. The second largest growth was experienced by single-family detached homes, with an increase of 29%, but its share actually decreased from 60% to 59%. The attached and detached single-family homes comprised of over 80% of housing growth in the city. The increase of multi-family

FIGURE 2-9. BURDENED RENTERS AND OWNERS, 2000-2012

units was limited to 24% (Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau). Despite the lower growth rate of multi-family units, the growth experienced in both housing types indicates a healthy demand for housing.

Coatesville’s residents are increasingly burdened by their housing costs as median home values and rents increase. The percentage of owners with mortgages consuming 30% or more of their household incomes grew by 93% between 2000 and 2012. The percentage of renters with gross rents that account for 30% or more of their household incomes increased by 46% during this period (See Figure 2-9). Chester County had lower growth rates for both of these metrics—81% and 30%, respectively. Over half of Coatesville’s renters are burdened, and the average monthly rent increased by $202, or 25%, from 2000 to 2012.

The number of owners with mortgages that

required more than 30% of their incomes grew by from 2000 to 2012.93%

From 2000 to 2012, there was a 30% increase in occupied units, largely driven by the growth in owner-occupied, single-family homes (Social Explorer, U.S. Census Bureau). The increases in owner- and renter-occupied units were relatively in line with the increases in occupied units, 30% and 28% respectively (Social Explorer, U.S. Census Bureau). The majority of Coatesville’s housing units (70%) are owner-occupied; 23% are renter-occupied. While only 7% of Coatesville’s housing units are vacant, the number increased by 70% from 2000 to 2012. In comparison, the vacancy growth in Chester County was noticeably lower, at 44%. There was also a 20% increase in mobile homes in Coatesville, which is significantly greater Chester County’s 5% increase. These trends collectively indicate that newer housing stock may be unattainable for many of Coatesville’s residents and that older housing stock is not sufficiently meeting the needs of lower income residents.


Municipal Budget and Finances

9.905 12.915

3.699 4.163 25.700

32.000

2006 2014+80%in property taxes

since 2006

Coatesville Area School District

Chester County

Coatesville

Source: Daily Local News 2014

In recent years, Coatesville has faced challenges in balancing its budget. The city has largely depended on the Reserve Trust Fund, increased real estate taxes, and steep cuts to cover annual budget gaps. Unfortunately, this means that Coatesville’s residents have been asked to pay more money for fewer services.

Coatesville created the Reserve Trust Fund in 2000, when it sold the municipal water authority to Pennsylvania Water Company for $36 million (Daily Local News 2014). By the end of 2013, the fund was nearly depleted to $6 million; the city had used the funds to pay debts, fulfill pension obligations, and meet other annual budgetary needs. By law, the city is required to replenish the Reserve Trust Fund. In order to meet this obligation, Coatesville City Council has substantially increased the real estate tax rate, up 175% from 5.368 mills in 2004 to 9.415 mills in 2013. In order to balance the 2014 budget, the city increased the millage rate again, to 12.915 mills (Daily Local News 2014).

The burden on Coatesville’s residents is also compounded by continual property tax increases from Chester County and the Coatesville Area School District (See Figure 2-14). A millage rate of 32 is a tax of 3.2% per $100,000 in value. Thus in 2014, the median homeowner in Coatesville will pay $4,422 in property taxes.

Despite these increases, the accompanied revenue growth has been modest. Kirby Hudson, Coatesville’s City Manager, has attributed slow revenue growth to three factors. The first is a stagnant construction market. This has been compointed by broader economic issues and the lack of available land

for new construction. Secondly, there has been an uptick in property assessment appeals and a decline in deed transfer tax revenue because of a lack of home sales. Finally, revenue growth has been by impeded by stagnant incomes, the city’s largest source of tax revenue (City Council 2012).

As would be expected given these trends, Coatesville has made deep cuts to expenditures. The cuts in the adopted 2012 budget, compared to the 2011 budget, totaled $1.7 million. Eleven line items were reduced, five were maintained, and five were modestly increased. The largest reduction was in Culture and Recreation, with the allocation for Camps reduced by 66%. Community and Economic Development was the second largest cut, slashed by 54%. Next was General Government, with a 35% cut to Council expenses, followed by Protection to Persons and Property, with a 31% reduction in the Police allocation (City Council, 2012). In general, these cuts were achieved through reductions in personnel, salaries, and benefits. Unfortunately, Coatesville continues to spend less on services important to residents in spite of rising taxes.

66% Camps54% Community Center35% Council31% Police 20% Legal11% Building & Plant10% Administration 10% Parks5% Code Enforcement4% Finance 1% Redevelopment

11% Public Works 7% Fire 4% HR 3% Pools 3% Insurance

Budget Cuts

Budget Increases

FIGURE 2-14. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASES, 2006-2014


FIGURE 2-15. COATESVILLE’S ROAD NETWORK AND TRAFFIC VOLUME

Source: US 30 Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass Traffic Study

FIGURE 2-16. COATESVILLE WORKERS’ COMMUTE LOCATIONS

72.5%

12.1%13.8%

Elsewhere in Chester County

Outside of Chester County

In Coatesville

Outside of Pennsylvania

Source: 2010 ACS 5-year estimate

TRANSPORTATION

The city of Coatesville has ample transportation connections to surrounding localities, Philadelphia, and Lancaster. Unfortunately, the roads that run through and near Coatesville are generally used to carry passengers away from, or around, the city. The Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass (U.S. Route 30, built in the 1960s) and Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30B) are Coatesville’s main vehicle traffic corridors. During peak travel hours, the bypass brings 400 vehicles per hour towards the city and takes 800 vehicles per hour away from the city (US 30 Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass Traffic Study; See Figure 2-15).

Given this traffic pattern, it is not surprising that most of Coatesville’s residents have jobs outside of the city. Only 12.1% work within Coatesville. While 13.8% of Coatesville’s residents work beyond Chester County, the greatest proportion (72.5%) work outside of the city but within Chester County (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 ACS 5-year estimate; See Figure 2-16). These statistics, coupled with the travel patterns on major highways, suggest that Most of Coatesville’s residents travel to employment centers located in other points along the Highway 30 corridor, such as Exton and Downingtown.

A City of Long-Distance Commuters

Only of Coatesville’s workers

commute to jobs within the city limits.

Coatesville’s residents are largely dependent on their cars when they commute (See Figure 2-18). The substantial majority of Coatesville’s commuters (86.2%) travel to and from work in private vehicles, and only 8.2% use public transit (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 ACS 5-year estimate). It should be noted, however, that while 87.5% of Coatesville’s families have at least one car, this is lower than the proportion of families in Chester County that own at least one car (95%). Concomitantly, car commuting is less common in Coatesville (86.2%) than in Chester County (88.1%). Coatesville residents are also three times as likely as Chester County residents to commute by bus or train.

12%


FIGURE 2-17. COATESVILLE’S TRANSIT ROUTES

N

Coatesville

VA Hospital

Brandywine Hospital

BrandywineYMCA

Regency Park

Highlands Corporate Center

Airport Plaza Shopping

Parkesburg

West Sadsbury Commons Shopping Cener

OaklandsExton Square

Exton

West CHester

Coatesville Link (TMACC)

Line A (Krapf’s Coaches)

Amtrak Keystone Service

FIGURE 2-18. CAR OWNERSHIP

87.5%At Least One Vehicle

12.5%No Vehicle

5%

At Least One Vehicle

95%At Least One Vehicle

FIGURE 2-19. COMMUTING MODE SHARE

Coatesville Chester County

Source: Chester County Planning Commission 2012



Coatesville

Chester County 88.1% 2.7% 2.5% 0.2% 0.8% 5.7%

86.2% 8.2% 2.5% 1.4% 0.5% 1.3%

Relative to Chester County, a greater proportion of Coatesville’s residents are dependent upon transit options. The near-perfect match between the proportion of residents that do not own a car (12.5%) and those that work within the city (12.1%) suggests that employment opportunities are controlled by car ownership and, conversely, transit accessibility. However, transit options are relatively limited.

The Amtrak Keystone Service is the most prominent transit route available to Coatesville’s residents. The Amtrak station is located on North 3rd Avenue, between Coates Street and Fleetwood Street. However, the station lacks any Amtrak staff, does not offer ticketing and baggage services, and is in severe disrepair. As previously mentioned, Coatesville has by far the lowest train ridership of the six Keystone stops between Lancaster and Philadelphia, with only 16,626 passengers in 2013 (See infra, page 7). Simply put, very few of Coatesville’s commuters are traveling by train.

Bus transit seems a more viable option for Coatesville’s commuters. Two privately-owned bus lines service the city. Line A, operated by Krapf’s Coaches, connects Coatesville to West Chester, via Downingtown and Exton. The service operates from 5:30am to 11:00pm, with more than 1,200 passengers per day. A second bus service, Coatesville Link, is provided by the Transportation Management Association of Chester County. This service seeks to provide access to nearby shopping centers, medical facilities, and employment opportunities. A limited evening route also connects Coatesville residents to service and hospitality jobs in Exton (Chester County Planning Commission 2012).

Transit Options


FIGURE 2-20. THE UNUSED AND DILAPIDATED AMTRAK STATION

FIGURE 2-21. COATESVILLE’S MAIN STREETS ARE PLAGUED BY TRUCKS

FIGURE 2-22. MANY STREETS ARE NOT PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY

Source: Greystone Society

Related Plans and Issues

Amtrak Station

The Amtrak station on 3rd Avenue has been the focus of a number of studies since the early 2000s. The current plan, the Coatesville Train Station (CTS) project, is a joint effort by PennDOT, Amtrak, Chester County, the City of Coatesville, the Coatesville Redevelopment Authority, and the Chester County Economic Development Council (Plan the Keystone 2012). The focus of the CTS project is the construction of new ADA-accessible station approximately 300 feet to the east of its present location. The new station will include improved lighting, an overhead canopy, elevators, a passenger connection for crossing the tracks, and approximately 100 parking spaces. The CTS vision includes complementary improvements to the surrounding area, such as rehabilitation of the existing station for a new use and streetscape improvements on Third Avenue between the station and Coatesville’s commercial corridor (DVRPC, n.d.). Properties have already been acquired and demolished to make way for these improvements.

TRANSPORTATION

Truck Traffic

Coatesville’s main streets are subjected to high volumes of truck traffic. This problem is especially intrusive at the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Route 82, at the western edge of the historic district. Many of the trucks that travel on Route 82/1st Avenue are transporting large loads of scrap to the steel mill. Trucks traveling on this road have damaged the mast arms supporting overhead traffic signals and make pedestrian access to the historic sites west of 1st Avenue more difficult. While not all freight companies have access to the rail lines running to the steel mill, Coatesville’s residents have expressed a desire to see more scrap transported via rail rather than truck. (Knight Foundation 2004).

The Pedestrian Environment

Historic downtown Coatesville and the immediately adjacent residential neighborhoods are generally built in a pedestrian-friendly manner. The gridded street network, adequate sidewalks, and attractive architecture of these areas create a pleasant walking experience. The newer residential neighborhoods, while rather hilly, also have adequate sidewalks (although they appear to be infrequently used). Beyond these neighborhoods, many of Coatesville’s streets are not conducive to walking. Just under five percent of Coatesville’s land is vacant. Unoccupied parcels are often surrounded by chain-link fences and littered with debris. Moreover, these areas lack safe sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to walk in the roadway. This problem is particularly glaring in the areas surrounding the Amtrak station.

PennDOT expects the new Amtrak station to serve as an anchor for transit-oriented development in Coatesville’s center.


Coatesville Land Use (2010)

$0 0.25 0.5 0.75 Miles

Walkability and Bikeability

Pedestrian Friendly

Bike Lane

Not Pedestrian FriendlyHigh Truck Traffic

Problem Intersection

Coatesville’s streets generally cater to the car over the pedestrian. Lincoln Highway runs through the center of Coatesville, and many trucks travel on First Avenue between the steel mill and the U.S. Route 30 bypass north of the city. There are a number of intersections with severe conflicts between truck traffic, car traffic, and pedestrians. A token effort has been made to accomodate bicyclists, with a marked bike lane on Lincoln Highway from 1st Avenue to the city’s eastern edge.


FIGURE 2-23. COATESVILLE LAND USE (1,183 ACRES

Source: DVRPC 2010

Transportation/Utility

33%

19.6%Wooded Area

14.5%SF Residential

8.8%Commercial

7.4%Industrial/Mining

Agriculture

34.6%

26.3%Wooded Area

18.9%SF Residential

8.5%Transportation/

Utility

AgricultureTransportation/UtilityWoodedSF ResidentialCommercialIndustrial/Mining

Community/RecreationMF ResidentialVacantWaterOther

LAND USE

The City of Coatesville encompasses 1,183 acres (DVRPC 2010). Transportation and utility facilities consume the greatest proportion (390), followed by woodlands (232), single-family residential (171), commercial (104), industrial and mining (88), community facilities and recreation (75), multi-family housing (56), vacant land (54), and water (13) (DVRPC 2010, See Figure 2-23).

Coatesville has a significantly different land use pattern than Chester County. Of the county’s 485,463 acres, agriculture consumes the most (168,174), followed by woodlands (127,551), single-family residential (91,926), transportation/utility (41,140), community/recreation (14,610), vacant land (14,433), commercial (10,350), multi-family residential (6,426), water (5,000 acres), industrial and mining (3,248), and other uses, (2,605) (DVRPC 2010, See Figure 2-24).

As would be expected, the city is much more densely populated than Chester County: Coatesville has 7,081 persons per sq. mi., compared to 658 for the County; and 4.2 dwelling units per acre, compared to 0.40 for the County.

Coatesville does not have a current land use plan. The Chester County Comprehensive Policy Plan, Landscapes 2, identifies Coatesville as part of the “urban” landscape, with a desired density of five or more dwelling units per acre. The plan states that in these areas of “highest development intensity,” the focus will be on redevelopment, revitalization, and the preservation and reuse of historic sites and structures (Chester County 2009). The plan expects municipalities such as Coatesville to update their comprehensive land use plans, with a particular focus on developing neighborhood parks and community facilities.

FIGURE 2-24. CHESTER COUNTY LAND USE (485,463 ACRES)

FIGURE 2-25. DUPLEXES AND HOME OFFICES LINING CHESTNUT STREET

FIGURE 2-26. HIGH BRIDGE, A TRANSPORTATION LANDMARK

FIGURE 2-27. A DILAPIDATED, BUT STILL USED, STORAGE BUILDING


Commercial

Community Facilities

Manufacturing (Heavy Industrial)

Parking

Recreation

Residential: Multi-FamilyResidential: Row Home

Residential: Single-Family Detached

Transportation/Utility

Water

Wooded

Vacant

Coatesville Land Use (2010)Coatesville is a small city—roughly 1.85 square miles. The city’s historic core consists of relatively dense, multi-story commercial and residential buildings. However, this density decreases away from Lincoln Highway, the main street. In total, more than three times as much land is devoted to single-family homes as multi-family buildings. Most of the comparatively new housing units, built into the wooded hills framing the city, are single-family, detached dwellings.


Source: DVRPC 2010.

Figure 5. Coatesville Aggregate Land Use

68.4%Developed

31.6%Undeveloped

(including vacantland and water)

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Resources in Need of Protection

The EPA has identified Brandywine Creek an impaired

watercourse under section 303(d) of

the Clean Water Act.

Unfortunately, Coatesville’s development has encroached upon its valuable natural areas. Because Coatesville’s industrial core was powered by the Brandywine Creek, much of the land near the watercourse is intensely developed and vulnerable to flooding. The districts within Coatesville’s borders through which the creek runs are zoned for heavy industrial and commercial uses. In recent decades, low- and medium-density residential uses have climbed into the wooded hills at the city’s northern and southern edges. These neighborhoods are zoned as “residential conservation” districts, with the purpose to “[r]etain meaningful open space…protect local resources and to provide for various recreational or leisure activities” (City of Coatesville, 2014). This designation provides the city the opportunity to establish more stringent requirements for site design, lot coverage and building bulk. Coatesville’s zoning ordinance also contains Floodplain Conservation, Natural Resource Protection, and Hilltop Neighborhood Development overlay

districts, with boundaries set according to state and federal resource mapping (City of Coatesville, 2014).

The Brandywine Creek is part of the Christina River watershed, which flows into the Delaware River wand empties into the Delaware Bay. The stretch of the Brandywine Creek that runs through Coatesville is listed by the EPA as an impaired watercourse under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. The creek is heavily polluted with organic nutrients, pesticides, siltation, suspended solids, polychlorinated biphenyls (coolants, lubricants, and sealants), and other pollutants (EPA 2006). While much of this pollution comes from upstream agricultural activities, activities in Coatesville certainly contribute to this poor water quality.

While Coatesville does not have a natural resources plan, the city is included in a number of broader environmental planning initiatives. The Brandywine Creek Greenway, a project of the Brandywine Conservancy, has developed a vision of resource protection for an area encompassing twenty-four municipalities. The concept plan includes multi-functional destination points and 230 miles of trails along the Brandywine Creek (Brandywine Creek Greenway, 2013). Chester County’s Landscapes 2 plan includes significant areas of Coatesville in a natural resource overlay. In these areas, the plan encourages the protection of natural resources through multi-municipal resource plans and integrated land use decisions, with a particular focus on protecting surface and groundwater sources. The plan notes that, because the county contains over 1,300 miles of streams, integrated water and wastewater planning is a “pressing issue” (Chester County 2009, 60).

Coatesville contains a significant amount of wooded area and eight distinct community open spaces, including the Coatesville Community Center and playing fields, Chester Ash Memorial Park (9.3 acres), Valley View Park (5 acres), and Fairview Cemetery. However, most of the city’s land is dedicated to intensive uses, and more than two-thirds is currently developed (See Figure 2-28). This number serves as a useful proxy for the amount of pervious surface in Coatesville. The city’s current zoning provides a useful foundation for more rigorous development suitability analyses to protect its resources and improve water quality.

FIGURE 2-29. COATESVILLE AGGREGATED LAND USE


Flood Plain

Rivers and Streams

Hydric Soils

Wetlands

Forests

County Natural Resources Overlay

Natural Resources

Open Space

$0 0.25 0.5 0.75 Miles

Nestled in the Brandywine Valley, Coatesville boasts abundant natural features that contributed to the city’s historical development. The hills, forests, and streams of Coatesville, particularly to the north and south, provide a pleasant backdrop for the city. Environmental resources are often cited as critical factors to creating a high quality of life: in recent surveys, Chester County residents highlighted natural beauty, woodlands, and historic scenery as the elements that make the county a “special place” to live.


PUBLIC REALM FIGURE 2-30. HALF OF COATESVILLE’S 22 PLACES OF WORSHIP ARE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND ARE GENERALLY WELL-MAINTAINED

FIGURE 2-31. THE SIDEWALKS AND STREET FURNITURE ON COATESVILLE’S MAIN STREET ARE IN NEED OF MAINTENANCE

FIGURE 2-32. A COLUMN FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THE START OF THE NATIONAL IRON & STEEL HERITAGE MUSEUM

Commercial and Cultural Corridor

The heart of Coatesville contains a number of commercially and culturally important buildings, many of which are within easy walking distance of the Amtrak station. While parts of this area have experienced decline and vacancy, vital institutions remain.

Coatesville’s primary commercial corridor runs along Lincoln Highway from 1st Avenue to approximately 4th Avenue. This stretch generally consists of convenience stores, delis, hair salons, and other locally-oriented retail establishments. Although a few of these stores are vacant—including the Lipkin furniture store, after 114 years of operation—this corridor is the city’s most active in terms of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The street is lined with bicycle lanes, parking, and planters, and the heights of the buildings (two to four stories) make it one of the most welcoming in the city. However, the planters and sidewalks are in need of maintenance.

A number of important cultural and civic institutions are also located along Lincoln Highway. These include the historic National Bank of Chester Valley building, the public library, the Coatesville Savings Bank, and the Coatesville Cultural Society. The Coatesville Cultural Society, one of the only artistic and cultural outlets for Coatesville’s residents, hosts holiday celebrations and theatrical performances.

Notably, most of the commercial and cultural activity centers are located on the east side of Brandywine Creek. The creek and the formidably sized industrial site serve to separate the City’s western, primarily residential section from its eastern, mixed-use section.

Historic District and Industrial Heritage Sites

Coatesville’s National Historic District encompasses the commercial and cultural corridor and a portion of the residential area between 5th and 6th Avenues. For a city of its size, Coatesville has a significant number of places of worship—twenty-two in all. Approximately half of these structures are sited within the historic district. Some of them have attached community service centers or social assistance providers, suggesting that Coatesville’s religious institutions are filling the void created by the city’s budgetary shortfalls and providing much-needed services to residents.

Coatesville’s prominent industrial heritage sites are located outside of the historic district, to the west of 1st Avenue. The stately brick building that once served as the administrative offices for the Lukens Steel Company is now the home of the Graystone Society, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the region’s importance to the American steel industry (The Graystone Society, Inc. 2012). Behind this building, the beginnings of the National Iron & Steel Heritage Museum have been constructed around a prominently displayed steel column. This column, forged at the steel mill in the 1960s, survived the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and was returned to Coatesville in 2010.

Recreational Facilities

Although Coatesville is situated in the picturesque Brandywine Valley, the city has not taken much advantage of its position. The industrial site and 1st Avenue separate the creek from the city’s residents, and there are no formal access points for recreational purposes. However, there are approximately 75 acres of community and recreational spaces in the city. These include the community center in the northeast part of the town (offering sports lessons for children and other community events), eight parks and playgrounds, and two large cemeteries. However, these facilities are generally cut off from many of Coatesville’s residents by streets that lack pedestrian infrastructure.

There are places of worship in

Coatesville.

22

29Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan$0 0.25 0.5 0.75 Miles

Amtrak Station

Water Area

Open Space

Commercial Corridor

Historic Distrct

Industrial Site

Worship Place

Cultural Center

Grocery

Public RealmFor a city of its size, Coatesville has an impressive number of cultural and historic buildings and public open spaces. A significant portion of the city’s downtown is designated as a National Historic Landmark District. The Coatesville Cultural Society and Greystone Society host several community events throughout the year. Various groups, such as the Coatesville Farmers Market, the Boy Scouts, and the city’s numerous churches, host events in the Coatesville’s nine parks.


PEOPLE & PERCEPTIONS

Community Culture

Sources: Coatesville Cultural Society, Americantowns, Coatesville Bible Fellowship, Episcopal Church of the Trinity, Coatesville, The Bridge Academy & Community Center

Coatesville Library Events

Coatesville Cultural Society, Theatrical Performances

Coatesville Cultural Society, Live Music Venues

Church Events

Vacation Bible School

Coatesville Cultural Society, Poetry Readings

Pope John Paul II Catholic Elementary School, Spring Outgrown Sale

Bridge Academy Events

January 2013S M T W R F S

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

February March April

May June July August

September October November December

January 2014S M T W R F S

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

February March April

Source: Brandywine Health Foundation, 2013

FIGURE 2-33. COATESVILLE COMMUNITY CALENDAR, 2013-2014

In addition to Coatesville’s twenty-two places of worship and its library, the city has two major nonprofit organizations—the Coatesville Cultural Society and the Bridge Academy—that host community events throughout the year (See Figure 2-32). The Cultural Society, for example, seeks to bring the arts to Coatesville’s residents through theatrical performances, live music, and poetry readings.

Events that bring the entire community together, however, are rare. Outside of a few charity runs, there is little to engender connections among the residents of Coatesville’s spatially separated neighborhoods. Although the main commercial street runs through the heart of the city, downtown Coatesville seems to lack a sense of energy. This is largely due to a dearth of pedestrian activity and a relatively high amount of storefront vacancy. It also appears that the few high-quality retailers that remain on this street struggle to attract customers.

FIGURE 2-34. THE 4TH ANNUAL COATESVILLE 5K RUN & WALK


FIGURE 2-35. THE COATESVILLE 2007-2009 ARSON WAVE

Source: Shea 2009

522

West Chester

Avondale

Christiana

Honey Brook

Atglen

Parkesburg

Downigtown

South Coatesville

Coatesville 522294

171

275

134

57

272

24

12

FIGURE 2-36. CRIME PER 100,000 RESIDENTS (2011)

Source: CItyData 2012

FIGURE 2-37. TOTAL CRIME BY TYPE (2011)

Coatesville South Coatesville

Violent crimeProperty crime

637

360

80

438

Source: CItyData 2012

There are indications that Coatesville’s important public institutions are failing. In addition to the previously discussed controversies surrounding the CASD board, the Coatesville Police Department has been marred by a recent embezzlement scandal (Shea 2009). The most visible recent event, however, is the wave of arsons that ripped through the city from 2007 to 2009, causing millions of dollars in damage and displacing hundreds of residents. Some 80 fires during that span were attributed to arson (See Figure 2-34). Only 20 of these cases have been solved, and one of the identified perpetrators was a volunteer firefighter (Shea 2009).

Given these conditions, it is not surprising that Coatesville has a rather high crime rate. In 2011, Coatesville experienced 522 crimes per 100,000 residents, far outpacing the rates of neighboring Chester County municipalities (CityData 2012; See Figure 2-35). Particularly disheartening is the fact that Coatesville’s 2011 crime rate was 78% higher than that of South Coatesville, its immediate neighbor. However, a greater share of crime in Coatesville is classified as property crime (See Figure 2-36), suggesting that Coatesville’s challenges here are linked to the relatively high rate of vacant and abandoned properties.

Local news outlets have often reported these events to a broader audience, such that Coatesville is generally perceived by non-residents as a dangerous and unwelcoming place (Shea 2009). A lack of political transparency has compounded Coateville’s difficulties. Simply put, the city’s political and cultural climate have created a situation in which the city struggles to meet the needs of current residents and attract new residents and businesses.

Public Perceptions

32 Chapter 3: SDOC Analysis


SDOC ANALYSISAfter studying Coatesville’s context and existing conditions, the planning team sought to look beneath the data and trends and critically examine the city’s status. This analysis is organized according to strengths, internal attributes upon which Coatesville can build; deficiencies, characteristics that Coatesville could seek to correct; opportunities, externally-driven potential on which Coatesville can capitalize; and constraints, external limits that Coatesville can strive to overcome (SDOC).

The outcomes if this analysis established a foundation for the goals and objectives discussed in the next chapter. While Coatesville’s challenges are many, its assets are plentiful.


Coatesville has a unique opportunity to maximize its strengths and provide a high quality of life for its growing population. The median age in Coatesville is under 30, meaning that the city’s growth is driven by young families. Employment in a number of modern industrial sectors is growing, supplementing the city’s historic foundation of manufacturing jobs.

Coatesville’s natural and built environment has certainly contributed to these positive demographic and economic trends. The Brandywine Creek and the many historic structures associated with the Lukens family provide important sources of community wealth. The city’s character-defining architecture serves as a reminder of Coatesville’s prosperous two-hundred year history. A walkable and historic downtown makes the city a relatively accessible and easily navigable place. These qualities, which promoted Coatesville’s early growth, are the type of amenities that many city dwellers are seeking in the twenty-first century.

FIGURE 3-1. THE HISTORIC GREYSTONE MANSION

FIGURE 3-2. A WORLD TRADE CENTER COLUMN, FORGED IN COATESVILLE

FIGURE 3-3. THE BRANDYWINE CREEK RUNS UNDER THE HIGH BRIDGE

· A growing, young, and diverse population · A wealth of natural assets, such as the Brandywine

Creek and forested topography, that can serve as green infrastructure and recreational opportunities

· A national Historic District and dozens of landmarks

· Increasing employment in construction, retail, professional services, public administration, and “eds and meds”

· A range of social institutions, including the Coatesville Cultural Society and twenty-two places of worship

· A pedestrian-scaled downtown

STRENGTHS


Coatesville struggles with a number of issues which ultimately impact the residents’ quality of life and make the city relatively unattractive to private investment. Specifically, these deficiencies fall into four categories: housing, public resources, education, and crime and safety.

Recent property tax increases have hiked up the cost of living in Coatesville, leading to substantial increases in the number of cost-burdened renters and homeowners. High property taxes may also be contributing to the high vacancy rate on the commercial corridor. The concentration of new housing in remote locations, beyond walking distance to downtown, has worsened the socioeconomic and racial segregation. This new residential development has made Coatesville’s residents even more car-dependent.

A dwindling municipal budget has forced the city to cut back on important community services. This, coupled with high property taxes, makes Coatesville an unattractive place for privately-funded residential and commercial development. Relative to the residents of Chester County, Coatesville residents have lower median household incomes and a significantly higher poverty rate. The absence of a planning department also inhibits the city’s ability to meet the needs of its residents.

Rather negative public perceptions of Coatesville, particularly in regards to education and crime, compound these difficulties. Recent incidents, such as city council resignations and an administrative scandal in the Coatesville Area School District, have generated distrust between the city’s residents and their elected leaders. Adults in the

Coatesville have comparatively low academic achievement, and standardized test scores for Coatesville’s students demonstrate that the prospects for future generations are not strong. A wave of arson and violent crimes has led to a conception of an unsafe public realm. Although Coatesville has received funding to create programs that combat crime, particularly aimed at teenagers, their results have not been assessed.

FIGURE 3-4. NORTH BRANDYWINE MIDDLE SCHOOL, PART OF THE CASD

FIGURE 3-5. VACANT HOMES DAMAGED BY FIRE FIGURE 3-6. THE LIPKIN FURNITURE STORE, CLOSED AFTER 114 YEARS

DEFICIENCIES

· Relatively low educational quality and attainment · Comparatively high rates of vacancy and crime · Regional and citywide inequality and segregation · High property taxes make housing less affordable

· Poor intermodal transit connections · Lack of high-quality, relevant retail establishments · Residential neighborhoods lack connections to downtown · Residential density too low to support increased transit


Recent investment in Coatesville provides a plethora of opportunities that the city can harness for equitable development. Planned improvements to 3rd Avenue, the focal point of Amtrak’s station redevelopment, can connect the new station to Coatesville’s walkable commercial corridor. Coatesville can further leverage this investment by creating specialized districts and new commuting paths.

In addition, Coatesville’s heritage and ample historic sites have provided the seeds of a nationally-focused museum. As a population center along the Brandywine Creek, Coatesville can both benefit from and contribute to the Brandywine Creek Greenway, a regional effort to link communities into a contiguous network of natural and historic resources.

Coatesville has plenty of vacant parcels and unoccupied structures in prime locations. These sites can be brought into higher uses while providing affordable, senior, and family-oriented housing. Providing quality retail establishments and affordable housing can spark a stronger real estate market and attract private investment. Redevelopment of these sites can help the city better meet the needs of current and new residents. A renewed planning ethos in Coatesville will allow the city to make a stronger case for public grants.

FIGURE 3-7. THIRD AVENUE CONNECTS THE TRAIN STATION TO LINCOLN HIGHWAY

FIGURE 3-8. A VACANT WAREHOUSE NEAR DOWNTOWN FIGURE 3-9. THE PARKING AREA NORTH OF THE CURRENT TRAIN STATION

OPPORTUNITIES · $20 million in federal and state funding for the Amtrak

station redesign and construction · A range of centrally-located sites available for mixed-use

infill development · Improving transit connection to neighboring municipalities

· Renewed market demand for attractive, walkable downtown neighborhoods

· The Brandywine Creek Greenway, a regional network of twenty-four municipalities

· Status as the only incorporated city in a wealth county


Any plan which moves forward in Coatesville must overcome the constraints which currently hinder revitalization. These include barriers to private development, concentrated low-income communities, and negative perceptions.

While Coatesville has a number of vacant and historic properties available for development, many regulatory and financial hurdles must be overcome to make these sites productive once again. A slow real estate market acts as a barrier for private investors who are looking to make a return on investment. With little interest from private dollars, Coatesville may remain stagnant and plagued by its existing deficiencies.

The municipalities surrounding Coatesville have benefited from rapid residential and commercial growth, drawing private capital away from the city. The lack of middle-income groups in Coatesville has led to a concentration of impoverished individuals in the only city in a very wealthy county. Low-income households have less disposable income to spend in Coatesville’s retail establishments, providing further impetus for decline.

From the outside, Coatesville has a particularly negative image. Recent tumultuous turnovers in the City Council and school board, as well as the overhaul of Police Department staff, have left many Coatesville residents skeptical that their city is in capable hands. Establishing a transparent and open conversation about the direction of Coatesville—potentially from a regional perspective—is needed to overcome the current political distrust and disengagement.

FIGURE 3-10. THE REMAINS OF PREVIOUS REDVELOPMENT EFFORTS FIGURE 3-11. A PLEA TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS DOWNTOWN

CONSTRAINTS

· Diminished market for private investment · Continued competition from neighboring suburban

municipalities for economic development · Perceptions about safety and educational quality

· Concentration of low-income families · Regional dominance of single-family housing · Historic buildings expensive to restore · Recent political tensions and lack of transparency

38 Chapter 5: Goals & Objectives


GOALS & OBJECTIVESThis plan—and Coatesville—must now turn its eyes to the future. The present moment is the time for Coatesville to overcome its challenges and transform itself into a stable, vital, connected, and livable city. The components of revitalization are present, and this plan offers a vision to unite and leverage them in two stages: stabilization (1-4 years) and growth (5-8 years).

This plan asserts that Coatesville should set aggressive goals and strive to become a place defined by a high quality of life and boundless opportunities for its residents. These goals are far-reaching yet pragmatic, ambitious yet grounded in reality.

a. Decrease the violent crime rate to the state level.

b. Decrease the percentage of burdened homeowners and renters to pre-recession levels.

c. Decrease the foreclosure rate to the county level.

d. Decrease the housing vacancy rate to the county level.

GOAL 1: Provide a sense of stability as a cornerstone of residents’ quality of life.

To lay a foundation for progress, this plan’s first goal seeks to ensure that Coatesville residents feel safe in their communities and supported by their local government and neighbors. A lack of stability and security can undermine a sense of community, public trust, and identity. The purpose of this goal is therefore to create both a reality and a perception that the city is supporting its residents. This goal responds directly to the need to reverse Coatesville’s high crime rate, comparatively low educational outcomes, and increasing cost of living. This goal is the most important, as it defines a baseline expectation for Coatesville’s positive future.

b. Decrease the commercial property vacancy rate.

a. Ensure that all city policies and ordinances attract— rather than discourage—private investment.

c. Increase residents’ earning potential through job training and support for small businesses.

GOAL 2: Make Coatesville an attractive place to do business and earn a living.

A significant majority of Coatesville residents leave the city for employment and shopping opportunities and shopping amenities. This fact, coupled with dramatic vacancy on Lincoln Highway, demonstrates a need to promote economic development within the city. This goal aims to benefit residents, by expanding their skillsets and supporting entrepreneurs; local businesses, by establishing new commercial corridors and incentives; and the city, by increasing tax revenue. This goal also has implications for political and administrative changes. Because economic development is closely tied to affordability and employment in Coatesville, this goal supports the first.

a. Prioritize municipal investments in identified commercial and cultural corridors.

b. Make Coatesville’s main corridors walkable, bikeable, and universally accessible.

c. Increase the public transit mode share.

d. Provide residents with access to a high-quality natural environment.

GOAL 3: Bridge disconnected neighborhoods and improve residents’ access to the region.

This goal promotes the availability of transportation options to better connect Coatesville residents to regional amenities. It is based on the planning team’s findings that residents rely on the region for employment, shopping, and recreation. More importantly, accessibility to other residents within Coatesville is critical to sustaining the quality of life and economic development improvements made under the first two goals. Creating a unified and easily navigable physical environment may generate stronger human and social capital connections that will support of the first two goals. Thus this goal speaks to both physical and social strategies for a more networked city.

c. Unify existing resources to create a new identity as an attractive place to live.

a. Find new, viable uses for vacant buildings in the historic district.

GOAL 4: Leverage Coatesville’s social, cultural, and historic resources to meet residents’ needs.

Coatesville has a rich past, yet current residents may not identity with it or benefit from it. To create a renewed sense of place and connect the city’s history with current and incoming residents’ identities, this goal aims to find ways to transform these assets into meaningful amenities and experiences—rather than just relics. This goal will build on improvements that result from the previous three goals by fortifying underlining architectural, natural, and social networks. Coatesville’s history and people are its greatest source of strength and will provide an anchor to sustain investments and capacity building proposed in this plan.

b. Find new, viable uses for vacant buildings in the historic district.

44 Chapter 5: Strategic Actions


STRATEGIC ACTIONSInformed by these goals and objectives, Coatesville can take affirmative steps to overcome its constraints and deficiencies and maximize its strengths and opportunities. Specifically, this plan proposes that Coatesville promote transit-oriented development, create a public amenities and open space corridor, renew citizen engagement, create alternative education pathways, engender transparency and participation in municipal decisions, and revitalize the Lincoln Highway commercial corridor.

This plan directs its proposals to a range of agents. Ultimately, it seeks to put the power of planning in the hands of Coatesville’s residents, with the government as a partner in creating their future.


Promote transit-oriented development around the rebuilt Amtrak station.

The multi-million-dollar investments by Amtrak and PennDOT into the relocation and reconstruction of the Coatesville Amtrak station represent a tremendous opportunity for the city to attract residents and businesses to a centrally-located area presently marked by vacancy and deterioration. This investment of public funds also serves as a signal that external entities see Coatesville as a city with the potential to become a population center. Real estate studies continually show that even modest public investment in transportation infrastructure, particularly fixed-guideway rail transit, attracts private investment of much greater value (Leinberger 2009).

The beauty of this strategic action is that it requires little additional investment of funds by Coatesville. Instead, the city’s task is to channel the public and private investment around the Amtrak station. Up to now, Coatesville’s role in the redevelopment of the area around the new Amtrak station has largely been limited to condemning and demolishing structures located in the area. This plan proposes that Coatesville take targeted and proactive steps to ensure that the new station and the development it attracts will be as advantageous to the city and its residents as possible.

The thrust of this strategic action is intensifying development around the new Amtrak station. Along with increased density, these proposals seek to ensure that the new development is attractive and accommodates all modes of transportation, especially pedestrians and bicyclists. While some of these

proposals are similar to those mentioned in later strategic actions, they are calibrated so that the Lincoln Highway commercial corridor remains the primary location for commercial development. Thus these strategies are geared more towards the creation of a regulatory environment conducive to development, rather than directly promoting new development. By designing these strategic actions in this way, this plan seeks to ensure that the transit-oriented development complements, rather than competes with, the revitalization of Coatesville’s main street.

a. Establish a TOD overlay zoning district (short-term)

Coatesville must ensure that the parcels around the new Amtrak station are appropriately zoned to attract private development. A TOD zoning overlay district is a necessary first step. Unfortunately, the present station area plan dedicates much of the prime parcels around the new train station to surface parking, an indication that the entities involved in its creation are more concerned with attracting commuters from outside of the city limits than making this area beneficial to Coatesville residents. This plan proposes a modified site plan that includes more public space, framed by taller buildings, while still accommodating some additional parking.

The TOD overlay zoning district should encompass Fleetwood Street, 3rd Avenue, Diamond Street, and 4th Avenue (See Figure 5-1). By including 3rd and 4th Avenues, this overlay seeks to connect the blocks around the Amtrak

station to the Lincoln Highway commercial corridor. The area north of the tracks should not be included in the TOD overlay, as the steep terrain makes intense development both undesirable and impracticable. Within this mixed-use district, maximum building height should be increased to four or five stories on streets nearest the train station (Fleetwood and Lumber) and two to three stories on streets further from the station (Chestnut and Diamond). Furthermore, within this district, new buildings will be designed to promote pedestrian activity through techniques such as zero lot lines, fenestration, and compatible signage.

The creation of a TOD overlay presents minimal costs to the city, requiring little more than time dedicated by the City Council and city staff. However, to support related studies and development, Coatesville should apply for a Transportation and Community Development Initiative grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). This program provides planning grants to local governments so that municipalities may “create plans that link transportation improvements with land use strategies, enhance established communities, and build upon existing public and private assets…to create more vital and livable neighborhoods in the region’s core cities and disadvantaged communities” (DVRPC 2014). The redevelopment of the Coatesville Amtrak station makes the city a prime candidate for this program, which provides grants for up to $100,000 to support projects like those proposed here.

TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 5-1. TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ZONING OVERLAY DISTRICT


FIGURE 5-2. TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT TARGET AREA FIGURE 5-3. AFTER COMPLETION OF TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

b. Coordinate bus service to the new Amtrak station and institute annual service evaluations (short-term)

Amtrak anticipates that a new train station in Coatesville will attract more riders. The challenge for the city is providing the opportunity for these riders to arrive to, and depart from, the station without using their cars. This will certainly be supported by the creation of the complete streets network discussed later in this plan. The city should also seek to provide bus service directly to the train station to supplement existing bus routes. The timing of this route’s arrivals and departures should be coordinated around the train schedules to provide train travelers with an incentive to travel by bus to reach their final destination in or near Coatesville.

A number of entities currently run bus routes through Coatesville, thus this action requires that the city work closely with these entities to establish where and when this new route will run and how it will be financed. Because these organizations already operate several bus routes, the increased costs associated with this new route are marginal. Moreover, once this partnership has been established, Coatesville should work with the other entities to annually assess bus ridership and service levels and set coordinated standards for service. These annual assessments will allow

the contributing organizations to identify priorities, eliminate redundancies, and make accurate demand projections.

The city could defray the costs associated with this effort by applying for a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, under the Bus Efficiency Enhancements Research and Demonstrations program, which supports local efforts to improve the efficiency of bus transit (USDOT 2013). Through this coordinated effort, Coatesville can ensure that it is providing adequate bus service as efficiently as possible, thereby reducing operating costs.

c. Conduct a feasibility study for the return of SEPTA regional rail service (long-term)

SEPTA discontinued regional rail service to Coatesville in 1997, as it deemed demand was insufficient. The most westward SEPTA station is now at Downingtown, and it is clear that Coatesville has missed out on residential and commercial growth that has been directed to other suburban centers in Chester County, such as Downingtown, Thorndale, Paoli, and Exton. While the presence of a SEPTA regional rail stop in these localities is not the only reason for their growth, the existence of rail transit has certainly been a contributing factor.

This plan posits that the reconstruction of the Coatesville train station, coupled with the focused investments in downtown revitalization, will both stabilize the city and make it an attractive place to live and work. In five to eight years, Coatesville will be a place where commuters both arrive and depart. The Amtrak Keystone line provides a certain level of service between the city and regional economic centers such as Lancaster and Philadelphia. However, commuting increasingly occurs between suburbs, not necessarily between outer towns and these major cities. In fact, the data presented in this plan shows that the overwhelming majority of Coatesville’s workers work outside of the city but within Chester County, demonstrating a need for alternative modes of intercity commuting within the county.

Thus Coatesville will have a strong case to make to SEPTA that the authority should reestablish regional rail service to the city. This proposal would require minimal capital outlays, as SEPTA regional rail service travels on the same tracks as the Amtrak Keystone service. With a new train station funded by federal and state sources, SEPTA would only be required to cover the costs of operating the service. These costs may be defrayed by the increased ridership at the Coatesville station.

Objectives achieved: 2(b), 3(a), 3(b), 3(c)


Lincoln Highway4th Avenue

3rd Avenue

E Chestnut Street

Fleetwood Street


3rd Avenue

E Chestnut Street

Fleetwood Street


3rd Avenue

E Chestnut Street

Fleetwood Street

Current location of the Amtrak station.

A number of underutilized parking lots exist near the site of the new station.

A presently vacant lot at 3rd Avenue and Lincoln Highway, a prime location.

The city has cleared the station’s new location through eminent domain.



3rd Avenue

E Chestnut Street

Fleetwood Street

Fleetwood Street


3rd Avenue

E Chestnut Street

Fleetwood Street

Location of the new Amtrak station.

The proposed site design for the new station includes much parking.

Streetscaping on 3rd Avenue attracts pedestrians to Lincoln Highway.

New shelters along the bus routes.

SEPTA has a reason to restart service.

New mid-rise, mixed-use buildings frame a new public space.


THIRD AVENUE

0 ft 50 ft

7’8’

walking walkingparking parking

13’13’ 8’7’

Section

FIGURE 5-4. EXISTING CONDITIONS ON 3RD AVENUE 3rd Avenue serves as an important connector between the existing and new train station and Lincoln Highway, Coatesville’s commercial corridor. However this street is currently not equipped with enough pedestrian-friendly infrastructure to encourage activity. The travel lanes are wide and the sidewalks are narrow, and many of the buildings along the avenue are vacant.

Infill development in the TOD district must be coupled with street renovations to mitigate these issues and provide a better atmosphere for pedestrians and commuters. Narrower travel lanes will slow vehicular traffic, vegetative strips will separate sidewalks from the road, and trees will provide shade and visual interest for pedestrians.


0 ft 50 ft

Parking

8’7’ 2’

Parking

11’ 11’ 7’8’ 2’

New Train Station Lincoln HwySection

0 ft 50 ft

Parking

8’7’ 2’

Parking

11’ 11’ 7’8’ 2’

New Train Station Lincoln HwySection

FIGURE 5-5. PROPOSED STREET IMPROVEMENTS ON THIRD AVENUE


The multi-million-dollar investments into the relocation and reconstruction of the Coatesville Amtrak station represent a tremendous opportunity for the city to attract residents and businesses to a centrally-located area presently marked by vacancy and deterioration. This plan proposes that Coatesville take targeted and proactive steps to ensure that the new station and the development it attracts will be as advantageous to the city and its residents as possible.


Coatesville is blessed with a unique forested topography that provides an attractive backdrop for the city. Even more importantly, the Brandywine Creek runs through the middle of the city. Unfortunately, the creek serves more as a divider than a connecter, and Coatesville has turned its back on it. The ArcelorMittal steel mill and the historic Lukens administration building are situated within the 1% floodplain. The other portions of the creek that run through Coatesville are lined by roads and vacant land. These conditions have contributed to significant pollution, and the EPA has listed the Brandywine Creek as an impaired watercourse.

This plan proposes that Coatesville turn its attention towards the Brandywine Creek and treat it as an amenity. The purpose of this Strategic Action is not to prevent development in this central area of Coatesville, but rather to make resource protection and recreation priorities here. By treating the creek as a productive asset, Coatesville can use it as the seed of a citywide network of green infrastructure, which often proves to be a catalyst for economic development when carefully planned.

This effort starts with the completion of a trail along the river, which will eventually extend to connect the city’s existing and proposed open spaces, all the way to Ash Park. This network will serve to provide a direct pedestrian and bicycle link between residents on the East and West sides of the creek, between residents and important historical sites, and between Coatesville and other

regional municipalities. The new green spaces will provide opportunities for community interaction and incentivize alternative modes of transportation.

Coatesville is beginning to recognize the value of the Brandywine Creek. The city has constructed a quarter-mile public trail segment on the creek’s west side, from Lincoln Highway to Glencrest Road, near the intersection with First Avenue. Here the city has also installed gazebos donated by the Rotary Club (City of Coatesville 2014a). There is therefore some evidence that the construction of this green infrastructure network could be partially financed by public funds and private donations.

As discussed in detail below, the construction of a green infrastructure network through Coatesville could receive political and financial support from the city’s neighbors. Coatesville should also apply for a grant, for up to $250,000, under the Pennsylvania Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program. This program allocates funds for the “planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks and

Establish a public amenities and open space corridor along and across the Brandywine Creek.

PUBLIC AMENITIES AND OPEN SPACE

FIGURE 5-6. EXISTING OPEN SPAGES ARE NOT CONNECTED

beautification projects” (PA 2014a). This Strategic Action will also be supported by a number of initiatives discussed under other strategic actions, particularly the establishment of a community land trust that could accept private donations of land along the creek. Interestingly, the City of Coatesville and the Redevelopment Authority already own most of the land along the Brandywine Creek, thus in many instances the city would not be required to acquire land, the most costly element of a green infrastructure network.

a. Establish a conservation overlay zoning district (short-term)

To support the establishment of the Brandywine Creek trail, and to enhance and protect the quality of the creek, Coatesville should establish a conservation overlay district. Parcels within this district will be required to comply with a number of “low-impact” restrictions. First, all new development within 100 feet of the Brandywine Creek should be prohibited. Secondly, new development should be prohibited on slopes greater than 30%, and only single-family homes should be permitted on slopes greater than


15% (Duany, Speck, and Lydon 2010, 4.5). All construction within the district should be required to comply with strict soil disturbance controls (e.g. minimal grading, construction fences and buffers), and construction activities should preserve on-site trees, or where preservation is not possible, replant the trees when construction is complete (Ibid., 4.3). Finally, new development within the district should be limited to 75% impervious surface coverage to minimize stormwater runoff.

The creation of a conservation overlay zoning district requires no investment of city resources outside of the time needed to draft and approve the ordinance. In fact, this action will likely be revenue-positive, as the creation of this overlay presents the city with the opportunity to levy impact fees on new development within this district. The revenues generated from these fees will be used to construct trail elements, create bicycle lanes, and create new park areas.

b. Join the Brandywine Creek Greenway (short-term)

Coatesville should also support the development of the Coatesville should also support the development of the Brandywine Creek trail within its borders by joining the Brandywine Creek Greenway, or BCG (See Sidebar 1). While joining the BCG will not directly support the construction of the trail network within Coatesville’s borders, this action will contribute to the creation of a regional vision. BCG notes that its Strategic Action Plan, to be developed this year, will “outline entities responsible for each project, and

calculate funding required to complete each project” (BCG 2013). Coatesville should seek to be directly involved in the creation of this plan in order to leverage the power of this regional effort to support green infrastructure development. Regional coordination will make construction of green infrastructure within Coatesville more politically realistic, increase public support, and make the portions of the trail within Coatesville more attractive to funding from county, state, and federal sources.

The public has already voiced its support for similar efforts, such as “The Mill Trail,” proposed at a Coatesville City Council meeting in 2013 by representatives of South Coatesville and Modena, the boroughs immediately south of the city. This idea focused on connecting the existing cultural institutions south of Lincoln Highway with “context sensitive design elements” that would promote economic and community development (City of Coatesville 2014a). In addition, the City Council has voted to endorse the BCG Concept Plan (City of Coatesville 2014a). Joining the BCG requires no financial resources from Coatesville, and the only administrative cost is the identification of a city representative to join the planning effort.

c. Identify spaces available for community activities and programs (short-term)

Making the public amenities and open space corridor a useful space for Coatesville’s residents requires more than allocating land and constructing trails and bike lanes. In

conjunction with these efforts, the city should seek to identify existing spaces throughout the city, but particularly in this corridor, where public events can occur. This should include a comprehensive inventory of publicly-accessible meeting areas, such as the Coatesville Area School District facilities, the numerous parks and playgrounds throughout the city, the Lincoln University campus, and the historic Greystone Society mansion. Relatedly, the city should develop programming for these spaces to ensure that they are continually used and maintained.

Similar to the other steps within this Strategic Action, this proposal does not require any funds from the city, only staff time. Fortunately, this activity could be supported—or even completely carried out—by the social capital networks created under the third strategic action presented here. Residents and business leaders could help generate the inventory, create programming, and identify parties responsible for maintaining the sites. These activities could even support efforts to attract private capital and develop a renewed sense of pride, as “a process of assessing the community’s assets can go a long way toward showing just how substantial local resources are” (Daniels 2007, 342).

d. Approach ArcelorMittal to explore opportunities to acquire easements or land for public use ( long-term)

Finally, it should be noted that there is a large obstacle to the development and implementation of a long-term vision of connecting Coatesville via the Brandywine Creek: the


Short-Term

The Brandywine Creek Greenway (BCG) is a network of twenty-four municipalities supported by the Brandywine Conservancy (a land trust in Chadds Ford) and funded by the William Penn Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Chester County. The Brandywine Creek runs through much of Chester County and portions of Delaware County before eventually emptying into the Delaware Bay. The creek is therefore part of an important regional watershed that encompasses a number of culturally important sites, including the location of the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777.

BCG seeks to unify the various landmarks, state parks, and trails along the Creek to protect them from encroaching exurban and rural development. BCG’s goals include protecting natural resources, providing recreational opportunities, mitigating flooding, and fostering economic development. In 2013, BCG developed a “Concept Plan” that identified six primary destination points, eight points of public functions, eighteen “gateways,” and 230 miles of trails. In April, BCG completed a Strategic Action Plan that included “To Do” packets for each municipality in the network. By joining the BCG, Coatesville can ensure that its important historic assets will be included in, and protected by, this regional plan.

Source: Brandywine Creek Greenway, 2013.

Sidebar 1: Brandywine Creek Greenway


Long-Term

Short-Term

presence of an enormous, active manufacturing facility in the heart of the city. ArcelorMittal is an important source of employment and tax revenue for the city, and this plan does not propose any changes or restrictions on its continued operation. Rather, this plan proposes that the city should initiate negotiations with ArcelorMittal with the goal of putting some of the company’s land holdings to public use.

At its peak, the steel mill employed thousands of persons. However, it presently has less than 1000 employees. While the mill’s personnel has downsized, its land holdings have not. Thus much of the land owned by ArcelorMittal, particularly on the eastern bank of the Creek, is not fully utilized. The city should therefore work with ArcelorMittal to determine how much of its land it presently uses, and how much it predicts it will need into the future. If this study determines that the company could meet its operational needs with less land than it presently owns, the city should propose using the extra land to contribute to the creation of the regional green infrastructure network.

To use land presently owned by ArcelorMittal for public purposes, the city of Coatesville would be required to purchase an easement or outright title to the land. These costs could be included in the city’s long-range capital improvements program. However, if these alternatives prove too costly for Coatesville, then it could perhaps encourage ArcelorMittal to donate a public-use easement on portions of its land in exchange for property tax abatement.

Any necessary environmental remediation could be costly, as well. However, there are a number of federal and state grants available to support brownfields remediation and redevelopment, including EPA Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, and Cleanup Grants (USEPA 2012). With funding from these federal sources, as well as support from the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program, Coatesville could create a green infrastructure network that knits together disparate parts of the city.

Objectives achieved: 3(d), 4(a), 4(b), 4(c)


OLIVE STREET

Olive Street

Kersey Street

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Parking8’

ParkingVacant Land Vacant Land14’ 8’ 5’

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FIGURE 5-7. OLIVE STREET IS CURRENTLY INTERRUPTED BY A SMALL BLOCK Currently, Olive Street is interrupted by a small block (See Figure 5-7). Thus the only potential connector between the two educational buildings in Coatesville is bifurcated. Presently, this area contains parking lots and vacant sites that discourage walking within a largely residential neighborhood. The lack of carefully designed streets in this part of Coatesville makes residents’ lifestyles even more auto-oriented.

Providing new street frontage for these underutilized lots makes them potential sites for mixed-use development and a new public park. Streetscaping and narrow travel lanes will attract pedestrians to this new street. More “eyes on the street” will support efforts to reduce the high crime rate of this neighborhood, and residents will have easier access to cultural institutions and open spaces at opposite ends of the city.


A New Extension of Olive Street

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Parking Mixed Use Building10’4’

ParkingA New Public Park14’ 10’ 4’

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A New Extension of Olive Street

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Parking Mixed Use Building10’4’

ParkingA New Public Park14’ 10’ 4’

Section

FIGURE 5-8. RECONNECTING OLIVE STREET, INCLUDING A NEW PARK AND MIXED-USE BUILDING


A new green infrastructure network will provide spaces for community interaction and incentivize alternative modes of transportation in an auto-oriented city. Such amenities will support efforts to attract private capital and develop a renewed sense of civic pride. Over the long term, Coatesville has the opportunity to create crucial links between neighborhoods and with regional municipalities.


CITY COUNCIL

RESIDENTS

appoints and is advised by gives direction to

ASST. CITY MANAGER

BOARDS

COMMITTEES

COMMISSIONS

DEPARTMENTS

CODES

PUBLIC WORKS

REDEVELOPMENT

HUMAN RESOURCES

FINANCE

POLICE

REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

CITY MANAGER

RENEWED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Provide a framework for renewed civic engagement and the creation of public social capital.

This plan rests on the premise that the stabilization and revitalization of Coatesville must be driven by its residents. Only through a process of “public making,” in which citizens consciously deliberate about the challenges their community faces and how best they can solve them can the city gain the essential consensus necessary to implement the solutions this plan proposes (Matthews 2002). Coatesville presently does not have a setting in which such deliberations can occur. There are many organizations in that provide social assistance and host events throughout the year, including the Coatesville Cultural Society, Hearts of Harmony, Coatesville Area Partners for Progress, the Boys Scouts, and dozens of religious congregations. However, these institutions seem to lack a level of coordination and cohesion such that there is no place where Coatesville residents can go to learn about available services, acquire information about projects and changes happening in the city, and discuss their interests with one another.

Perhaps because of the lack of a deliberative forum, Coatesville residents generally feel removed from—and perhaps even defeated by—the city’s power structure. This has led to a lack of trust between residents and the City Council, CASD Board, Police Department, and city officials who make decisions, and has engendered a certain level of apathy amongst Coatesville residents. Every single authority, board, committee and commission (the entities which advice the City Council) presently has vacant seats (City of Coatesville 2014b; See Figure 5-11). The city has struggled to find volunteers for these positions, and recently considered

opening the positions to persons who are not residents of the city (City of Coatesville 2014a). This lethargy has even infected the City Council: In 2013, one councilperson was reappointed to the position from which he had resigned, as the city received no letters of interest for the vacant position. When another councilman was recently asked why he did not run for a second term, he replied he had “lost passion, lost fire” (City of Coatesville 2014a).

Thus Coatesville residents are absent from the critical decisions that directly impact their lives, such as how to best meet the city’s fiscal demands, how to provide a safe and secure environment, how the schools should operate, and what the city should do with its many vacant and underutilized parcels. The city’s top-down approach to governing has generated recent public displays of discontent. In November and December of last year, a number of residents voiced opposition to the city’s 2014 budget, which included a 37% increase in residential property taxes (City

of Coatesville 2014a). In January, the Council asked one resident to leave the meeting after he continued to ask the Police Chief questions about the details surrounding an “officer related shooting” (Ibid.)

It is clear that Coatesville’s residents need and want the ability to take ownership of their city. In fact, at a City Council meeting in February, a religious leader argued that “Too many times in the City of Coatesville, we have seen the County or the State hire engineers or architects who write up the plans and ultimately hire developers to build the projects without addressing key community concerns” (City of Coatesville 2014a). He called for a “community forum” to be held in the cafeteria of the Lincoln University Coatesville Campus to “giv[e] the citizens a say and an opportunity to improve their neighborhoods and livelihoods” (Ibid.)

The planning team believes that the resiliency of Coatesville’s residents through recent decades of economic

FIGURE 5-9. STRUCTURE OF COATESVILLE’S CITY GOVERNMENT


VACANT

CITY COUNCILappoints and is advised by gives direction to

ASST. CITY MANAGER

BOARDS

COMMITTEES

COMMISSIONS

DEPARTMENTS

CODES

PUBLIC WORKS

REDEVELOPMENT

HUMAN RESOURCES

FINANCE

POLICE

REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

CITY MANAGER

decline is the city’s greatest asset. This strategic action and the complementary implementation tools therefore seek to provide the residents and the city with opportunities to appreciate and understand their assets and establish a foundation for economic and community development (Daubon and Saunders 2002). In essence, these actions seek to put the power of planning in the residents’ hands, with city government as a partner in creating their future.

a. Establish a Coatesville citizens’ association (short-term)

A formal citizens’ association will provide the essential forum for deliberative dialogue. The main purpose of this entity is to elucidate residents’ interests and concerns about their community, define and frame the problems that the community faces, generate consensus around creative solutions, and explore means of implementing those solutions. Potential topics of work for the citizens’ association, based on the planning team’s research into

present conditions, include crime reduction, school district visioning and strategic planning, municipal budgeting, open space planning and programming, community programming, adaptive reuse of vacant buildings and parcels, and grant identification and writing. Establishing a citizens’ association should be the first action Coatesville takes, as this group will become a critical source of support for more advanced strategic actions.

The citizens’ association must exist outside of the formal government structure, and must be independent from any single cultural organization to avoid bias and favoritism (although these institutions could provide administrative and financial support as well as physical space to house the association’s meetings). In lieu of initiation by a small group of residents, the City Manager could establish a date time and place for the first few meetings and serve as a facilitator. Once the citizens’ association has the capacity to run itself, the city government should have little oversight

FIGURE 5-10. COATESVILLE’S GOVERNMENT HAS MANY VACANCIES

or involvement. The cost to the city is therefore minimal, consisting of minor administrative costs of starting the group and potentially providing meeting space.

b. Hire a municipal staff person tasked with connecting residents to resources that can help them meet their basic needs (short-term)

While establishing a citizens’ association is paramount, the city does have a role in providing essential services to its residents and connecting them to important services that the city cannot provide. These services include assistance to families who are burdened by their rental or homeownership costs (i.e. spend more than 30% of household income on rent/mortgage and insurance) or are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Other possibilities include subsidies (such as LIHEAP) to cover crucial heating and electricity costs, low-cost medical services, and information about preventative healthcare and healthy lifestyles. By providing residents with direct access to these services, Coatesville can encourage its citizens to lead healthier and more stable lives.

Unfortunately, there is currently no municipal office charged with providing these services. We therefore propose that the city hire a full-time staff person, preferably with education and experience in social work, to identify and manage the provision of these services. Specifically, this person would be tasked with conducting surveys of residents’ needs, targeting residents who are most in


Historical Asset Holders & Advocates

Chester County Redevelopment

Authority


Superintendent

Coatesville Police Department

Coatesville City Council

Business Owners

Medical Institutionswhich serve Coatesville.

Residents

Students

Parents

Prospective Parents and

Students

Unemployed Adults

Teachers

School District Administration (School Board)

ChurchesLincoln University

Immigrant Families

Teenagers

Surrounding Townships

Amtrak

SEPTA

Developers

NGOs

InterestsGoal 1: StabilityGoal 2: Economic DevelopmentGoal 3: ConnectivityGoal 4: Leverage Resources

Stakeholder and Interest Mapping for Social Capital


Superintendent



Business Owners

Residents

Parents


Students

Teachers

Teenagers

Amtrak

SEPTA

Developers

Nonpro�ts & NGOs

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2013. The Brandywine Foundation, 2014. The Times of Chester County, 2013

need of services, inventorying external services (such as governmental grants, regional healthcare institutions, and social service providers), conducting informational fairs in the community and producing and distributing informational pamphlets, maintaining a dedicated page on the Coatesville website, and establishing a resident hotline, similar to the “SaveYourHomePhilly Hotline” (OHCD 2014), which connects residents to bilingual housing counseling agencies that provide free services on foreclosure prevention, money management, and home maintenance.

While the cost of hiring a full-time employee is significant, it represents a much lower cost than directly providing these services. Also, this cost may be defrayed through sources such as a Community Services Block Grant for nonprofits and local governments that “work to lessen poverty in disadvantaged and low-income communities across Pennsylvania” or the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which provides funding for programs in communities severely impacted by the foreclosure crisis (PA 2014a).

c. Continue to develop proactive and innovative policing methods and continually assess their effectiveness (short-term)

The citizens’ association also has an important role to play in engendering a safe and comfortable urban environment.

FIGURE 5-11. STAKEHOLDER AND INTEREST MAPPING FOR SOCIAL CAPITAL FIGURE 5-12. STAKEHOLDER MAPPING FOR CRIME REDUCTION



Superintendent



Business Owners

Residents

Parents


Students

Teachers

Teenagers

Amtrak

SEPTA

Developers

Nonpro�ts & NGOs



Superintendent



Business Owners

Residents

Parents


Students

Teachers

Teenagers

Amtrak

SEPTA

Developers

Nonpro�ts & NGOs


Weed and Seed is a national program that promotes proactive crime reduction by empowering cities to coordinate the efforts of elected leaders, police departments, and community organizations. Weed and Seed has a track record of success in distressed cities such as Erie, Chester, and Norristown. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice (DOJ) identified Coatesville as a Weed and Seed site in 2009; DOJ and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency funded the city’s programs through 2011.

Coatesville’s Weed and Seed strategic aims were community policing; law enforcement; neighborhood restoration; and prevention, intervention, and treatment. Partners used Weed and Seed funds to start programs such as the Coatesville Youth Initiative (CYI) and Coatesville PAL, which have provided activities and leadership opportunities for over 700 teenagers and young adults. CYI and PAL included baseball leagues, adult mentoring, family education, and a police-led community policing committee. Unfortunately, federal and state funding for Coatesville’s programs has ended. Since 2011, the steering committee has searched for new partners. CYI, for example, received recognition for its success and has benefited from new external funding.

Sources: City of Coatesville 2011. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2013. The Brandywine Foundation, 2014. The Times of Chester County, 2013.

Sidebar 2: Weed and Seed

This requires supporting the work of the Police Department, supporting and identifying innovative means of community policing, and conducting an assessment of existing community policing efforts (or hiring a third party to conduct such assessment). Coatesville recognizes the severity of the city’s high crime rate. The Police Department has recently instituted a number of programs, including a smartphone app that allows residents to contribute anonymous tips and receive crime alerts via text message, a web-based tip form, a community policing division focused on “Neighborhood Watch and Community Beautification,” and a 9:00pm curfew for persons under the age of eighteen (City of Coatesville 2014c). The city also has a Weed and Seed program, administered and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice (See Sidebar 2). However, the effectiveness of these existing programs should be questioned, as the violent crime rate in the city remains particularly high.

Working with the Police Department and City Council, the citizens’ association should commission an analysis of existing programs, determine the gaps that exist, and identify new solutions to problems that are not sufficiently addressed. Technological solutions for reducing crime may include the installation of surveillance cameras at main intersections and crime “hot spots” as well as improved street lighting. These technologies can decrease crime by increasing the chance that potential offenders are apprehended, providing

critical information to the Police Department about where crimes occur and how to better respond to them, collecting evidence to aid in prosecutions, and encouraging greater use of public spaces by law-abiding citizens (La Vigne et al 2011). To be most effective, the siting of cameras and lights must be guided by residents’ input, and residents must work with the Police Department to establish and disseminate transparent policies for the appropriate use of gathered footage (Ibid.).

The work of the citizens’ association in the sphere of crime prevention and reduction represents no additional cost to the city. However, any technological interventions or changes to the Police Department’s operations will require funding. Potential funding sources for community policing and personnel enhancements include a number of grants from the Department of Justice, such as the COPS Hiring Program Grant, which Coatesville received in 2013 (City of Coatesville 2014a). There may also be grants and subsidies available for the installation of cameras and street lights. It is important to recognize as well that these policing innovations may minimize the need for the city to hire additional police officers, thus offsetting the costs required for their implementation.

Objectives achieved: 1(a), 1(c), and 4(c)

FIGURE 5-14. A YOUTH-ORIENTED PROGRAM FOR CRIME REDUCTIONFIGURE 5-13. A SMARTPHONE APP FOR CRIME AWARENESS AND SAFETY

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2013 Source: The Times of Chester County, 2013


The creation of a Coatesville citizens’ association will go far in establishing public social capital in Coatesville. Such capital, in conjunction with innovative and monitored policing, will contribute to reduction in violent crimes in the city. Yet to promote long-term and sustainable crime reduction, Coatesville must seek solutions to one of the principal causes of violent crime: economic and social instability. Therefore this plan proposes that Coatesville take affirmative steps to create new educational and employment opportunities for residents, providing them with the capability to support themselves and contribute to the city’s economic development.

The data presented in this plan demonstrates a mismatch between employment opportunities and residents’ education. Since 2000, employment in certain industry sectors in Coatesville has grown, particularly in “eds and meds”. Yet there is little indication that Coatesville residents are the individuals who are filling these new jobs. In fact, unemployment in Coatesville has nearly doubled in the past decade. Unsurprisingly, the family and individual poverty rates have also climbed. The city is certainly not unique in this regard: a relatively high unemployment rate has plagued the nation since the housing and financial crashes of 2007-2008, and as the national economy has shifted from one of manufacturing to one of service and knowledge in recent decades, many industrial cities like Coatesville have struggled to adapt.

Coatesville can, however, seek to counteract these macroeconomic trends by helping to ensure that citizens are

able to take advantage of new employment opportunities as former opportunities are foreclosed. Current rates of educational attainment are much lower in Coatesville than in Chester County. Thus improving residents’ ability to participate in the knowledge and service-based economy will require alternative education, job training, and job retraining. Coatesville must find ways to encourage educational achievement by individuals who perhaps have not been adequately accommodated in the current educational system, namely high-school dropouts and unemployed adults. A slate of new educational programs would provide flexibility to enable Coatesville’s residents to continue their professional development.

While this plan asserts that the city government should take the lead in creating alternative education and employment opportunities, this hardly means that it will be alone in these efforts. The social capital networks created in the previous strategic action will be vital to these efforts, as will a range of external funding sources. Ultimately, the city should view these programs as investments in itself and its residents that will lead to economic stabilization and growth—an outcome well worth potential costs.

a. Complete a study of existing institutional capacity (short-term)

Before seeking to create entirely new programs, the city should complete an analysis of existing educational and social intuitions and the services they provide. For example,

an organization called “Career Link” offers free accelerated GED classes, and Lincoln University offers a range of Associates degrees. However, it is unclear whether these opportunities are attractive or accessible to residents. The city should work with these institutions to determine if they are meeting the educational and professional needs of the city’s residents, and if not, what programs the city might create to fill the gaps.

Other community institutions, such as the Coatesville Area School District (CASD), YMCA, places of worship, and the Greystone Society, may be able to help gather information from residents and business leaders about the gaps between the skills and knowledge residents have and the skills and knowledge that employers are demanding. Once residents’ and employers’ needs have been determined, the city and these institutions can develop alternative education and job training opportunities to meet them. Programs could be housed in existing facilities such as the CASD campus, Lincoln University buildings, and the YMCA, or could be independently established.

There are a number of external sources of funding and support for alternative education, job training, and retraining. The most prominent is the Job Corps program of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). At campuses across the country chosen through a “competitive contracting process,” Job Corps provides individualized career training for 16-to-24 year-olds, teaching them the skills

Develop alternative education pathways for adults.

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PATHWAYS

FIGURE 5-15. LINCOLN UNIVERSITY’S COATESVILLE CAMPUS FIGURE 5-16. LINCOLN UNIVERSITY’S COATESVILLE CAMPUS


they need to become economically independent and then placing them in meaningful, long-term careers (USDOL 2013). Coatesville should first explore the possibility of bringing a Job Corps campus to the city. In addition, the city should seek support from other federal and state programs. Another federal source of support includes EPA Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grants to “recruit, train, and place, unemployed and under-employed, including low-income and minority, residents…in full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field” (USEPA 2014). Closer to home, the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Program offers Conservation Corps grants for “projects related to recreation, conservation and historical preservation” and Learn and Serve grants to support “programs that link community service and education” (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania n.d.). Coatesville’s applications for these funding sources would be fortified by the completed gap analyses and established community support. These programs, in addition to providing residents with employment opportunities, would also help make Coatesville a more attractive living environment.

b. Establish a Coatesville business association (short-term)

Coatesville’s businesses also have an important role to play in promoting greater educational attainment. This plan therefore proposes the creation of a business association that provides business leaders with opportunities to discuss common needs, contribute

to coordinated educational and economic efforts, and craft proposals for City Council actions. (The economic activities of the business association, which could serve as a first step in the formation of a Business Improvement District, are discussed in more detail under this plan’s final strategic action). Specifically, a business association would contribute to the previously discussed gap analyses and lead additional efforts to develop the next generation of business leaders in the city.

A business association will be tremendously valuable in supporting entrepreneurial activities. For example, a business association could help startups develop business plans, apply for loans from local banks, and navigate the application process for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. In addition, a business association serves as an important step for attracting private capital. For example, the business association could lead an effort to bring the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program to Chester County. With an established outpost in Philadelphia, this national program provides successful applicants with professional business education, access to loans, and support once the business is up and running (Goldman Sachs 2014).

The creation of a business association requires no funding from the city government. Coatesville’s City Council and staff should, however, initiate its creation and provide administrative support.

c. Establish a Coatesville Community Development Corporation (long-term)

Over the long-term, Coatesville should seek to establish a formal community development corporation (CDC). While many of the programs and projects discussed here can be started without CDC, such an institution will be crucial to sustaining these efforts over time. Moreover, a CDC would bring much-needed community planning and project implementation capacity to the city.

The CDC would have a slightly different function than the citizens’ and business associations discussed previously. Whereas those organizations would primarily serve as social capital networks, the CDC will seek to transform the energy, consensus, and ideas provided by these networks into real projects and programs. Moreover, a formal CDC will likely have more success in identifying, applying for, and receiving external grants that it could then channel into educational and job training programs, residential services, and physical improvements.

The CDC will be funded by a combination of city funds, private donations, and external grants. By identifying the creation of a CDC as a “long-term” action, this plan affords the Coatesville City Council ample time to identify appropriate funding sources.

Objectives achieved: 1(c) and 2(c)

FIGURE 5-17. CHANNELING NEW ORGANIZATIONS INTO ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PATHWAYS

Source : Helping and Worker by Juan Pablo Bravo, and Puzzle by Benni fro

communitycollaboration

communityprogramming


As previously noted, Coatesville’s citizens are not especially engaged with the City Council’s decision making processes, and some have publicly voiced their opposition to recent decisions. This is most notable in regards to the municipal budget. Recently, Coatesville’s residents have questioned not only the validity of a significant increase in residential property taxes, but also the ability of the City Council and City Manager to control the city’s finances. In June of last year, the City Council authorized the withdrawal of up to $1,431,200 of the City Reserve Trust Fund to cover “emergency needs,” and the 2014 budget anticipates further withdrawal of up to $1,800,000 (City of Coatesville 2014a). The continued use of these “emergency” funds to cover operating expenses is potentially unlawful, leading to the Council President’s recent statement that the “Council needs to be more responsible and keep the City administration more accountable” (Ibid.).

Coatesville would therefore benefit from a clearer understanding of the sources of municipal revenues and a clearer direction for how the available resources should be spent. Collaborative decision making informed by sound evidence and planning would go a long way in overcoming residents’ frustrations and ensuring that property taxes are not increased without need.

a. Complete studies to inform budgeting and land use decisions (short-term)

The Coatesville City Council and staff are clearly facing challenges in meeting the city’s fiscal demands. The

solutions to this point have been to increase revenues from residential property taxes and borrow money from the city’s Reserve Trust Fund. Another way that the city has sought to increase revenue is by supporting the construction of a hotel and office complex at the city’s northernmost reach, near the U.S. 30 interchange. While this might provide short-term jobs and tax revenues, its value as land use strategy is questionable. Over the long-term, such stop-gap measures are not sustainable and threaten the city’s ability to support economic development.

The real challenge, however, may not be one of dollars-and-cents, but of perceptions. Faced with a budget shortfall, the natural response of a political leader is to cut services, increase taxes, or both—when more proactive and creative alternatives might exist. Therefore, this plan proposes that the city initiate a comprehensive effort to analyze the sources of its revenues and liabilities. These studies will provide clear, objective information so that the City Council and staff may make more reasonable and justifiable fiscal and land use decisions.

First, Coatesville should complete a Cost of Community Services Study (COCS). According to the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (2014), a COCS “assist[s] municipal officials and citizens in understanding the income and costs related to different land use categories within their jurisdiction.” For each land use category, the city calculates the costs of providing municipal services to the site (e.g. roads, sewers, water, schools, police and fire) and the real estate taxes

generated by that use. These two figures are then used to calculate a ratio that compares the expenses to the revenue (Ibid.). These ratios often lead to surprising results that may overturn previously-held notions that single-family homes, box-box stores, and strip commercial development are the “highest and best uses of land” (See Figure 5-18). For example, a study in Sarasota County, Florida of annual property tax revenue per acre demonstrated that a single-family home on county land generated on average of $3,651, an exurban Walmart supercenter generated $8,347, a centrally-located two-story mixed-use building constructed in the 1920s generated $91,472, and a downtown high-rise generated nearly $1.2 million (Katz 2010). Several municipalities in Pennsylvania that are more comparable to Coatesville, such as Shrewsbury Township in neighboring York County, have successfully completed COCSs to inform land use planning (Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, 2014). The message of these studies is clear: developing centrally-located sites with mixed-use properties generates more tax revenue and keeps service costs low, thereby allowing the city to keep property taxes low.

To promote the development of downtown sites, particularly vacant parcels, Coatesville should also explore the feasibility of a land-value tax (See Sidebar 3). Studies have demonstrated that by taxing the land instead of improvements, a land-value tax promotes the development of vacant land and maintenance of existing structures (Center for the Study of Economics, n.d.). Land-value taxation has been proven to be feasible in numerous small- and mid-sized post-industrial Northeastern cities such as Coatesville, where vacant land is

Increase the transparency and rationality of, and level of citizen participation in, municipal decisions.

TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION IN MUNICIPAL DECISIONS


A land-value tax (LVT) splits the real estate tax by the value of the land and the value of improvements (buildings). The city increases the tax rate on the land while decreasing the tax rate on the building. This makes vacant land more attractive, as its price approaches true market value. Developers also have an incentive to build to the fullest allowable extent: under a LVT, owners pay roughly the same amount in property tax whether the parcel is occupied by nothing, a parking lot, or a four-story mixed-use structure. A city can institute a LVT over time, to afford developers time to adjust.

A land-value tax is a much more equitable and sustainable means of promoting development than temporary tax abatement, an oft-chosen policy. In addition, the LVT does not reduce the amount of tax revenues the city receives. For example, one study demonstrated that by implementing universal tax abatements (taxing the land, not the improvement) over three years according to land use type, Reading, Pennsylvania could make its property tax fairer, promote home maintenance, and create the most development-friendly property tax in the region—all while maintaining annual property tax revenue to the cent. In cities such as Coatesville, a LVT makes housing more affordable for low-income families, incentivizes building upkeep, and promotes mixed-use infill development.

Sources: Center for the Study of Economics, n.d. and 2009.

Sidebar 3: Land-Value Taxation

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FIGURE 5-18. A COCS STUDY WOULD HELP COATESVILLE DETERMINE WHICH LAND USE TYPES ARE MOST EXPENSIVE TO SERVICE

plentiful. Importantly, these studies have demonstrated that a land-value tax, when correctly designed and implemented, does not reduce municipal revenues (Ibid.).

Completing these studies would require little funds from Coatesville; the principal costs would be staff time required to gather and interpret the data. To complete a COCS, for example, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (2014) provides a step-by-step guide and asserts that all that is required to complete the survey is a “very basic knowledge of municipal finance” and “[s]everal hours to a few days of time.” The city could also seek to partner with Chester County and CASD to complete a more comprehensive study of cumulative property taxes for Coatesville residents and share the costs of completing them. If Coatesville would

prefer to hire an objective consultant to complete these studies, a number of nonprofit organizations such as the American Farmland Trust and the Philadelphia-based Center for the Study of Economics will complete these studies for modest fees. These studies promise to save the city much money over the long-term, as City Council and staff will be able to make more informed decisions about how to efficiently provide city services to residents.

It should also be noted here that the Council’s stated goal to make the city government more efficient and accountable may require some restructuring of the city’s authorities, boards, commissions, committees, and departments. This plan assumes that the city’s administrative structure will remain the same and proposes few specific changes.


However, the planning team recognizes that many of the proposed strategic actions would perhaps be best implemented by a person or entity that does not presently exist. For example, this plan proposes the creation of a CDC, and many of the studies and actions would be best implemented by a department staffed by individuals with education and experience in city planning. Moreover, if the City Council and city staff take the recommendations of this plan to heart and begin to implement some of these strategic actions, it may discover, by acquiring new information, that certain structural changes will allow the city to operate more efficiently and effectively.

b. Institute a participatory municipal budgeting process (short-term)

Equipped with the knowledge provided by these studies, Coatesville’s leaders will perhaps be in a position to make more informed fiscal decisions. However, this does not solve the city’s fundamental challenge: its opaque, top-down process of creating the municipal budget frustrates and confounds residents (See Figure 5-19). Presently, the City Manager presents a draft budget to the City Council, and the City Council then presents it for comment at a public meeting. However, this puts the City Manager and City Council in the unenviable position of defending their decisions against the onslaught of residents’ questions, concerns, and fury. Furthermore, the Council is not obligated to change the budget based on residents’ comments, thus the public comment meeting is nothing more than a formality before the Council adopts the annual budget.

Conversely, a process in which the city develops the annual budget in conjunction with residents will engender an environment of mutual accountability and trust: the city will be better able to anticipate the consequences of fiscal decisions, and residents will be better able to appreciate the government’s need to make difficult choices in a revenue-strained environment. Furthermore, a more transparent budgeting process may help to demonstrate stability and responsibility in decision making, thus making the city more attractive to outside investors and private developers.

In practical terms, the participatory budget process would still be overseen by the Council, and the City manager would still have the responsibility of ensuring that the budget allows the city to meet its fiscal obligations. The difference, however, is that this process treats citizens as equal players, rather than subjects of the Council’s financial decisions. The citizens’ association and business association discussed above should lead the effort to identify appropriate stakeholders, convene meetings to discuss their concerns, determine what they think the city’s priorities and policies should be, and distill their ideas into a statement of guidelines for budgetary decisions. Concurrently, the City Manager would collect information from city staff and the aforementioned studies to develop a statement of projected costs and revenues. Representatives from these two groups (the residents and the city staff) would then participate in facilitated sessions to produce a draft budget. City Council, city staff, and the full group of resident stakeholders would then review the draft, and if all three approved, the City

Council would adopt it. If one of these three groups rejects the draft budget with comments, then it would be returned to the residents and city staff for further refinement through facilitated work sessions. Once the City Council approves the budget, a citizens committee would be responsible for continual oversight.

The financial costs of this process are not necessarily any greater than those associated with the city’s current budgetary process. There might be marginal costs associated with providing meeting space and materials and hiring a capable facilitator. In addition, the implementation of this process might require a change in the city’s laws. The most worrisome obstacle, however, is a potential lack of political will. City staff and the City Council are likely to resist a process that diminishes their control over Coatesville’s municipal budget. However, there are indications that the city’s leaders are willing to accept a greater level of citizen involvement. Last year, the City Council created an “AD Hoc Finance Budget Review Commission,” composed of the city finance director, a city council member, and four Coatesville residents “with financial experience” (City of Coatesville 2014a). However, this group meets only on an “as needed basis” and its only function is to provide “non-binding advice to the City Council” (Ibid.). By contrast, this proposed action presents a much more direct and proactive means of citizen engagement that is sure to reduce the amount of friction between the City Council and Coatesville residents.

Objectives achieved: 1(b) and 2(a)

Community Selects Delegates

Brainstorming Community Meetings

for Project Ideas

Delegates Form Committees to Create

`Proposals from ProjectsProject Expo Final Proposals &

Community VoteImplementation &

Monitoring

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

FIGURE 5-19. A PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING PROCESS

Source: Participatory Budgeting Project of New York City


City Council

City Budget

City Budget

Citizens

City Council Data Issue Centered

Citizen Engagement

Mutual AccountabilityData Driven

Decisionmaking

Document by Matt Saling, Meeting by Matthew Hawdon, People by Benjamin Harlow, Institution by Phil Buchanan from The Noun Project

City Council

City Budget

City C

ounc

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udge

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?FIGURE 5-20. THE STATUS QUO, A TOP-DOWN AND OPAQUE PROCESS

Source: Document by Matt Saling, Meeting by Matthew Hawdon, People by Benjamin Harlow, Institution by Phil Buchanan from The Noun Project.

FIGURE 5-21. A PROPOSAL FOR AN INCLUSIVE, TRANSPARENT PROCESS


Revitalize the Lincoln Highway commercial and cultural corridor.

COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION

FIGURE 5-22. CBD ZONING OVERLAY DISTRICT AND COMPLETE STREETS NETWORK

Lincoln Highway is Coatesville’s Main Street: a symbol of the city’s prosperous past, its recent economic challenges, and its present and future opportunities. Along the Lincoln Highway are a number of valuable institutions such as Coatesville Area Public Library, the Coatesville Cultural Society, and the Coatesville Savings Bank. At the same time, the street is defined by commercial distress. Vacant lots exist along the Highway, including at 3rd Avenue, perhaps the city’s most prominent intersection. Many buildings along the highway are vacant, and a majority of those that are not house uses such as laundromats, take-out restaurants, and convenience stores. At times, such as the stretch between 1st and 3rd avenues where there are few vacant buildings and the city has installed benches and planters, the street invites pedestrian traffic. In many other stretches, however, such as east of 8th Avenue where the street is dominated by drive-thrus and gas stations, the Highway is overtly hostile to walkers. It is clear that few private developers see Coatesville’s main street as an attractive place for investment.

This strategic action seeks to reverse these conditions by building upon the success of the preceding five. Renewed civic engagement, coordinated business and education efforts, and transformed tax policies will form an essential foundation for economic and cultural development in this corridor. The benefits of main street revitalization are numerous: new commercial and retail uses enhance the city’s tax base, increased activity provides more “eyes on the street” to discourage crime, and an attractive and lively environment offers a source of pride for Coatesville residents.

Successful revitalization of Coatesville’s downtown will require a comprehensive and sustained effort. The city and its residents must recognize that there is no “quick fix” for unemployment and declining municipal revenues—sustainable economic development requires capable leadership, natural assets, community consensus around a carefully considered plan, and a long-term vision (Daniels et al 2007, 337-342). By focusing the city’s financial resources and planning energy on the Lincoln Highway corridor, Coatesville has the opportunity to improve residents’ quality of life and make the city an attractive place to live and work.

a. Establish a central business overlay zoning district (short-term)

The first step in revitalizing the corridor is ensuring that Coatesville’s land use regulations and development ordinances allow for the type and form of development that it wishes to promote on its Main Street. Perhaps the simplest way to achieve this is the creation of a central business overlay zoning district that encompasses the desired revitalization area, from 1st Avenue to 11th Avenue (See Figure 5-22). This

overlay district will not determine the use of each parcel (the underlying zoning is mixed-use commercial) but rather will provide additional form-based regulations that engender a pedestrian-friendly street environment, such as zero lot lines, windows and fenestration, and relatively consistent building heights in proportion to the street (Duany, Speck, and Lydon 2010). This overlay district should also provide “incentive zoning,” through which the developer earns extra building density in exchange for good building design, open space, and other pedestrian amenities (Daniels et al 2007, 221). By focusing on buildings’ design elements, this overlay district will also make the existing drive-thrus and gas stations “nonconforming uses” and will ensure that no more automobile-oriented uses are constructed in this important corridor.

Once Coatesville has established this overlay zoning district, it must ensure that its land development regulations promote, rather than impede, development within this district. The city should therefore establish a streamlined permitting process for proposed projects within this district that meet all zoning requirements. If the proposed project


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Lincoln Hwy

FIGURE 5-23. CURRENT CONDITION OF THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

meets all of the applicable criteria, it should be placed on a fast-track approval process and considered for the incentives discussed below (Duany, Speck, and Lydon 2010, 2.9). Because the Lincoln Highway corridor is the most important area for revitalization in the city, approval for projects within this district should take precedence over projects in other areas of Coatesville.

Creating a zoning overlay district and removing regulatory impediments to attractive development require no capital outlays. These actions are also less politically contentious and time consuming than rezoning, thus the city can take them more quickly. The only cost here is investment of time by the City Council, Planning Commission, and city staff in writing and approving the required ordinances. Moreover, a streamlined development process in this district will decrease administrative costs to the city, as staff can spend less time reviewing development proposals and more time devoting attention to other revitalization programs.

b. Create a Lincoln Highway Business Improvement District (long-term)

Once the city has established the Lincoln Highway corridor as a priority reinvestment area, it should turn its attention to supporting the creation and growth of businesses in this district. To do this, Coatesville should establish a Main Street Business Improvement District, or BID. The BID would initially be supported by the Coatesville business association discussed above. However, the BID will be more localized and should therefore be established as an independent organization. Once formed, the BID should also seek to work cooperatively with the Coatesville CDC to carry out the business development strategies discussed below.

The BID would serve three primary functions: work the City Council and city staff to manage, implement, and monitor the district’s zoning ordinance and development processes, identify gaps in city services that the BID could provide,

and support the development of locally-owned businesses within the district. The BID would also serve the broader function of uniting the businesses, nonprofits, and cultural institutions on Lincoln Highway to craft and implement a collective vision for mixed-use development on this corridor.

The establishment of a BID will require some financial support from the city. There are a number of grants available from such sources as the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the HUD CDBG program. However, once the BID is established, it will operate independently of the city and can assume management for district-based programs such as street improvements and maintenance, business development, façade improvements, and additional security patrolling. The BID will be independently financed through a nominal tax assessment on properties located within the zoning overlay district. Thus, over the long-term, the BID will help the Coatesville government lower its operating costs.


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FIGURE 5-24. WEST LINCOLN HIGHWAY BEFORE INFILL DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 5-25. WEST LINCOLN HIGHWAY AFTER INFILL DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 5-26. WEST LINCOLN HIGHWAY

Existing Building Infill Building Vegetation Parking

LINCOLN HIGHWAY INFILL


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FIGURE 5-27. EAST LINCOLN HIGHWAY BEFORE INFILL DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 5-28. EAST LINCOLN HIGHWAY AFTER INFILL DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 5-29. EAST LINCOLN HIGHWAY

Existing Building Infill Building Vegetation Parking


analysis (e.g. offices space, high-quality grocery stores, and clothing stores). Businesses that receive tax credits should also be required to hire a certain percentage of Coatesville residents as employees.

Coatesville should also establish two low-interest loan funds to finance downtown development. The first would support maintenance and renovation of existing buildings to encouraging business owners to locate in centrally-located properties instead of building a new structure outside of the city. Thus the amount of the loans must be sufficiently high, and the interest rate sufficiently low, to make renovations and upgrades more financially attractive than new construction. The purpose of the second loan fund is to promote business creation and relocation on Lincoln Highway. In conjunction with the Coatesville business association, the city should seek to match entrepreneurs with potential office or storefront space and also support existing businesses that are at risk of closing.

The principal challenge in implementing these actions is acquiring funding. Nearly all successful economic development programs are funded by grants, thus Coatesville must be aggressive in pursuing state and federal financing (Daniels et al 2007, 342). The city should consider hiring a full-time grant writer to find and apply for funding sources such as HUD Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Discovered and Developed in Pennsylvania Program (D2PA), and Pennsylvania Growing Greener II—Main Street and Downtown Redevelopment Grants. If Coatesville feels as though it cannot afford to hire this person, then it should

c. Provide tax incentives and financial support for business creation and relocation to increase retail diversity and provide local employment opportunities (long-term)

In addition to establishing a supportive regulatory environment through zoning and property taxes, Coatesville must take affirmative steps to promote redevelopment of the Lincoln Highway corridor. Specifically, Coatesville should establish tax incentives for developers who seek to build mixed-use projects within the district, develop a low-interest loan fund to support local business startups and relocations, and create a source of capital for building improvements and maintenance.

Commercial tax incentives attempt to make centrally-located infill sites more attractive to developers than suburban greenfield sites by offering short-term property tax abatements or other mechanisms for reducing property taxes generated by the development. The state of Pennsylvania has recently created a number of tax-based programs designed to promote redevelopment in post-industrial cities such as Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Allentown (See Sidebar 4). However, these programs are currently limited to the specific cities identified by the legislature, and a similar program in Coatesville would require state legislative action. Coatesville should either seek to work with its representatives in Harrisburg to create similar legislation for Coatesville or design its own program similar to these models. Coatesville should consider setting eligibility guidelines that promote only commercial development that is most needed according to a retail

work closely with the Coatesville business association, BID, and CDC to perform this function. In addition, funds to support the creation of the loan pools can be generated by BID revenues.

There is some evidence that Coatesville is beginning to consider similar ways to promote downtown redevelopment. In 2013, the city attempted to establish a “Coatesville Main Street Remediation” program and a “Coatesville Revitalization District” (City of Coatesville 2014a) but the current status of these programs is unclear. Additionally, in early 2014 the City Council voted to dedicate $100,000 for exterior façade improvements “in the downtown business district,” $100,000 to “promote business start incentives to encourage new business growth” in the district, and $50,000 to hire a grant writing consultant to support the redevelopment of both the Downtown Revitalization District and the “Flats,” a large vacant site across the Brandywine Creek. This demonstrates that the City Council, in lieu of external financing sources, is willing to dedicate operating funds for downtown redevelopment.

d. Provide direct support for desirable development proposals (short-term)

The city’s investments into the Lincoln Highway Financial corridor will only be successful if they are multiplied by the investment of private capital. Therefore in addition to removing regulatory barriers, Coatesville should take steps to support desirable development in this crucial corridor by ensuring that developers are aware of all development

FIGURE 5-30. LINCOLN HIGHWAY, FACING EAST


Regional Planning Commission and Chester County Planning Commission to acquire and assemble the necessary data. While city staff would also be required to dedicate time to shepherding proposals through the financing application and approval processes, these functions are already accounted for in their existing job descriptions and require no additional funding.

e. Conduct feasibility studies for adaptive reuse of centrally-located buildings (short-term)

While a number of the parcels along Lincoln Highway are vacant, a majority of them are not. Rather, there are a number of unoccupied structures along and near this main street, such as the brick building that formerly housed the Amtrak station, the Lipkin furniture warehouse, and the Lipkin furniture store, which recently closed after 114 years of operation. Many of these vacant structures were sturdily built and have historical and cultural value. To ensure that these centrally-located structures avoid further disrepair and eventual demolition, this plan proposes that the city take steps to install viable present and future uses.

City staff should first complete a study to identify these buildings, determine whether they are historically important according to reasonably established objective criteria, and classify them according to their degree of physical maintenance. Once the structures have been analyzed, the city should work with the owners of these properties to identify possible future uses and connect the owners to

opportunities and requirements and supporting their applications for external financing.

City staff should first develop a concise and legible handbook to be distributed to private developers. This handbook will present properties within the district that are available for development. The details for each listed property will include the applicable city policies, zoning, and design regulations as well as any city-supported incentives that apply to that specific property based on its location. This handbook should be updated at least annually, perhaps semi-annually, as the city implements other programs and policies under this strategic action.

Secondly, city staff should work to make developers aware of tax credits offered by other levels of government, such as the state programs discussed above and federal programs such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, and Historic Preservation Tax Credits. As developers propose projects that rely on these external financing mechanisms, city staff should actively provide the necessary information to support their applications. These city-led efforts will increase the attractiveness of presently vacant sites on the Lincoln Highway corridor.

Minimal funds are required to support these actions. Essentially, the city’s necessary investments are limited to the costs of drafting, printing and distributing the handbook, which could be minimized if completed electronically. These costs could easily be accommodated in the city’s operating budget, and the city could work with the Delaware Valley

external sources of capital, including tax credits. These uses need not be permanent to be successful; for example, a private developer recently hosted a temporary art gallery in the Lipkin warehouse.

By creating these studies, the city can make these important buildings more attractive to public and private development. For instance, Amtrak’s new station plan garnered $1.3 million in federal funds to support the adaptive reuse of the old station, demonstrating that plans can be leveraged to secure project financing. If the studies discover no viable uses—and the structures are not otherwise considered culturally or historically significant—then the city should consider adding them to a list of vacant properties to be cleared and redeveloped.

These studies could be initiated and overseen by Coatesville’s Redevelopment Authority, Redevelopment Department, Historical Commission, and Vacant Property Review Committee. The city should identify a specific person on staff to oversee these studies and serve as a point person for owners of historic properties. No specific funding is required if these studies are completed by city staff and expert volunteers. However, these studies may require public funds if the city determines that a private consultant is necessary. However, as noted elsewhere in this plan, the City Council has recently voted to dedicate operating funds to support the creation of property redevelopment proposals, and it seems that any costs associated with these studies could be included in the operating budget.

FIGURE 5-31. LINCOLN HIGHWAY, FACING WEST


FIRST AVENUE

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Lincoln Hwy

1st Ave.

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Lincoln Hwy

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FIGURE 5-32. CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE INTERSECTION OF 1ST AVENUE AND LINCOLN HIGHWAYThe intersection of 1st Avenue and Lincoln Highway is the primary gateway to the city of Coatesville. However, this area does not currently serve this function well. Vacant lots, the railroad crossing, and the wide streets—often used by trucks carrying scrap metal—make this intersection both unattractive and dangerous for pedestrians. While bike lanes exist on Lincoln Highway, they are rarely used.

As part of a complete streets network, this intersection can provide safety and visual interest for pedestrians. Narrower traffic lanes and vegetative buffers will slow vehicular traffic. A new park in the intersection’s southeastern corner, highlighted by one of the columns from the World Trade Center, makes this intersection a cultural focal point and a true entry for Coatesville.


8’ 4’ 4’ 4’ 4’8’ 8’ 8’ 8’

Section

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Bike PathNew Public Area

Lincoln Hwy

1st Ave.

8’ 4’ 4’ 4’ 4’8’ 8’ 8’ 8’

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Bike PathNew Public Area

Lincoln Hwy

1st Ave.

FIGURE 5-33. PROPOSAL FOR THE INTERSECTION OF 1ST AVENUE AND LINCOLN HIGHWAY


f. Install bus shelters and signage at all bus stops (short-term)

The densification and business development that will result from these actions will attract more residents and employees to Main Street. It will be important to ensure that these persons have alternative means of transportation, so that Lincoln Highway and side streets are not choked with traffic and parked cars. Presently, three bus routes operate on the commercial corridor. However, they do not appear to be widely used by Coatesville residents, who mostly travel by car. The fact that the bus stops are not marked and their schedules are not posted is certainly a contributing factor in this low ridership.

To increase the use of bus transit in the corridor, this plan proposes the installation of clear signage, maps, benches, shelters, and trashcans at each bus stop, regardless of which bus line services it. Posted signs, maps, and schedules will make the services more accessible and user-friendly. Shelters will provide refuge from inclement weather and make the stops more comfortable for elderly and differently-abled passengers.

The installation and maintenance of signs, benches, and shelters will require city funds. However, the amount of money that the city must provide could be minimized if it partners with the transit agencies that operate the bus lines. These entities would benefit from the increased ridership afforded by these amenities, thus they have an incentive to cooperatively install and maintain them. In addition this project is certainly eligible for funds from a number of outside sources. Possible funding sources include the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank, which provides loans to local governments with a 1.625% interest rate (PennDOT n.d.), and the PennDOT Public Transportation Transit Research & Demonstration Program, which offers successful applicants grants for up to 80% of project costs (PennDOT n.d.).

g. Create a complete streets network (long-term)

The revitalization of the Lincoln Highway corridor is only The revitalization of the Lincoln Highway corridor is only one, albeit the largest, set of interventions that this plan proposes. To unite the investments around the new Amtrak station,

the new public open spaces in the center of the city, and the redevelopment of the mixed-use commercial corridor, Coatesville should construct a complete streets network to include Lincoln Highway, 1st Avenue, 3rd Avenue, and Olive Street. A complete streets network will also support increased ridership on existing and new bus routes, thereby reducing the car-dependency of the city’s residents. Some of Coatesville’s streets already have a foundation to become “complete”: for example, several bus routes travel on Lincoln Highway, and a bike lane runs in both directions from 1st Avenue to the city’s eastern edge. However, these bike lanes are not used much. Moreover, creating a complete street requires more than just buses and bike lanes.

A complete street is one that accommodates all modes of travel: walking, biking, public transit, and private car. The emphasis of complete street design is to slow down vehicular traffic and focus on the pedestrian experience, so that the street functions not only as a travel thoroughfare but as an arena of public life—a place where Coatesville’s residents can be comfortable interacting with one another. Thus while the creation of a complete street largely consists of ground-level changes (narrowing travel lanes, widening sidewalks, providing on-street parking, installing benches and lighting) it also requires efforts to make the street more attractive for walking, such as continuous tree cover and supportive façade design (Duany, Speck and Lydon 2010, 8.1). A truly complete street, when appropriately designed, supports economic development by attracting customers to storefronts.

Creating a network of complete streets requires patience and continual investment. The zoning overlays discussed above will help ensure that buildings are appropriately designed to invite pedestrian activity. This means that private developers will have a role to play in providing a pedestrian-oriented street environment. The city, however, will be required to bear the brunt of the costs for the required street improvements. Fortunately, there are a number of external grants available to support the creation of complete streets. If the city includes complete street design as part of other revitalization plans, these improvements could be financed through grants discussed elsewhere in this chapter, including Pennsylvania’s Greenways, Trails, and Recreation, Growing Green II, and Infrastructure Development

The state of Pennsylvania has recently created a slate of programs designed to promote economic development in distressed communities, particularly urban centers. Since 1999, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCEC) has managed the Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) program. Within KOZs—which encompass over 46,000 acres of developable land in rural and urban communities—the state eliminates specific state and local taxes for companies that establish new businesses, create jobs, and build facilities. Local communities apply to the state for KOZ designation.

In 2009, the state legislature created the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), within the city of Allentown. Inside the Allentown NIZ, which is managed by the Allentown NIZ Development Authority, developers can use city tax revenues to pay off municipal bonds and state loans. This means that buildings are much less expensive to construct, and owners can charge rents that are up to 25% lower than those for comparable suburban office space. More than 600,000 square feet of office and retail space has been constructed in the NIZ, and there are plans for a new hotel and hockey arena.

The state has recently employed a similar strategy for third-class cities with at least 30,000 residents by creating City Reinvestment and Improvement Zones (CRIZ). In Lancaster, a 130-acre area has been designated as a CRIZ, where developers can use state and local taxes to pay debt service for new construction, infrastructure improvements, renovations and reconstruction. The Lancaster CRIZ Authority oversees development, and the funds are not available to developers of residential or civic projects. Importantly, the law requires new businesses that relocate within the CRIZ to hire local residents.

State legislation created all of these programs. Thus to bring their benefits to Coatesville, the City Council would need to either prepare and submit a KOZ application to DCED or work with its state representative and senator to pass legislation similar to that which created the Allentown NIZ and the CRIZs.

Sources: PA 2012, 2014b. Hurdle 2014. Element Environmental Solutions, 2014.

Sidebar 4: Urban Revitalization Zones


FIGURE 5-34. A VACANT LOT AT A PRIME SPOT ON LINCOLN HIGHWAY

proposes that Coatesville create a community land trust in two steps.

Coatesville should first create a comprehensive and continually updated database of all parcels within the city. This database would state the owner of the parcel, the present use of the parcel, and the occupation status of the parcel. The city will then use this information to create a map of vacant land and unoccupied structures. While the creation of this database requires no financial capital, it does require significant investments of staff time. The Coatesville Redevelopment Authority already partially completes this function, and in 2006 RDA published a map identifying the parcels that it and the city owned. However, this map is now eight years old, and it only includes parcels owned by these two entities. It seems that the RDA should have the capacity to acquire updated information and assemble the database proposed here. In addition, the RDA could work with other public entities, such as the Chester County Planning Commission and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, to acquire the necessary data.

With this information in hand, the city should then establish a non-profit community land trust to manage the database. By understanding which parcels are vacant, underutilized, or abandoned (and who owns them), the land trust can determine the feasibility of acquiring these properties through fee simple purchase, tax delinquency proceedings, or even donations. Assembling vacant properties under one ownership structure makes them more attractive to private

developers by streamlining the acquisition process, settling tax liens, and making them available through sale. Placing properties in the hands of private entities increases the probability that they will be put to higher use, whether this means commercial mixed-use infill, affordable housing, or public open space. To achieve this result, the community land trust must create a transparent and timely process for acquiring vacant and abandoned properties, particularly along the Lincoln Highway corridor.

A community land trust has the power to hold vacant parcels until it can determine their most appropriate uses, and potentially even retain ownership by leasing the properties for use by other private entities. As a non-profit organization, the land trust will be supported by multiple sources, including public and private grants, city funds, tax credits, and private donations (of both money and land). Thus while the city creates the aforementioned database, it can begin integrating the costs of establishing a community land trust into its operating budget and capital improvements program. Over time, the land trust may become revenue-positive for the city, as its investments are matched, or even exceeded by, new tax revenues generated by formerly vacant properties.

Objectives achieved: 1(a), 1(d), 2(a), 2(b), 2(c), 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 4(a), 4(b), 4(c)

Programs. Fortunately, Coatesville has proven successful at acquiring grants for street improvements, such as the $3 million federal grant the city received to improve 3rd Avenue in conjunction with the Amtrak station project. With a complete street vision in hand, the city will be an even more attractive investment for public and private funders.

h. Create a community land trust (long-term)

Redeveloping vacant urban land is a tremendous challenge. Particularly in a city like Coatesville, where cycles of urban development have carried on for over two centuries, fragmented land ownership presents an often insurmountable obstacle to redevelopment. Many post-industrial cities are therefore exploring creative means of cataloguing vacant or underutilized parcels, acquiring them, and then packaging them so as to prevent undesirable development from occurring in certain areas and to promote desirable development in other areas. Many communities of all sizes have chosen to pursue a community land trust, and this plan posits that Coatesville should use this tool as well to promote the redevelopment of vacant land and the creation of affordable housing and community open spaces.

This plan identifies the creation of a community land trust as a long-term strategy because such a program requires a significant amount of funding and political and public support. While a community land trust can be tremendously powerful tool for promoting land development, it is also one of the most difficult to implement. Therefore this plan


Successful revitalization of Coatesville’s downtown will require a comprehensive and sustained effort, capable leadership, community consensus, and a long-term vision. By focusing financial resources and planning energy on the Lincoln Highway corridor, Coatesville has the opportunity to improve residents’ quality of life and make the city an attractive place to live and work.

The strategic actions proposed here are specifically tailored to Coatesville. To ensure success, the named stakeholders should pursue these steps in an integrated way. The stabilization and growth contemplated in this plan will require a sustained effort, supported by capable public leaders and a firm communal vision.

This plan proposes discrete, actionable steps and identifies the agents with the capability and responsibility for following through. Each action is carefully designed to provide a foundation for the next. Thus this plan presents the city and its residents with useful benchmarks on their path towards revitalization.

IMPLEMENTATION

88 Chapter 6: Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION

Strategic Actions Implementation Tools Funding SourcesResponsible Agents

Increase transparency, rationality, and citizen participation in municipal decisions.Goals achieved: 1 and 2

Operating budget (staff time)

Cost of community services study, land value tax feasibility study, participatory

budgeting process

City Council, Citizens’ Assocation, Business Association

Promote Transit-oriented development around the rebuilt Amtrak station.Goals achieved: 2 and 3

Operating budget (staff time), US DOT grants

TOD overlay zoning, bus service coordination and evaluation, SEPTA

regional rail feasibility Study

City Council, Redevelopment Authority, regional transportation

agencies

Develop alternative education pathways for adults.Goals achieved: 1 and 2

Business Association, Citizen’s Assocation, Coatesville Area

School District, Lincoln University

Institutional capacity study, business association, community development

corporation

Private donations, operating budget, US Department of Labor,

PA Conservation Corps

Revitalize the Lincoln Highway commercial and cultural corridor. Goals: 1, 2, 3, and 4

CBD overlay zoning, BID formation, business relocation, streamlined permitting,

adaptive reuse, complete streets, bus shelters and signage

City Council, Redvelopment Authority, Business Association, regional transportation agencies

State grants (DCED, PennDOT), BID

revenues, RDA funds, operating budget

Provide a framework for renewed civic engagement and the creation of public social capital.Goals achieved: 1 and 4

Operating budget (staff time), US DOJ, Community Services

Block Grants

City Council, Citizens’ Assocation, Police Department

Citizens’ association, innovative policing and monitoring, new municipal support

staff

Establish a public amenities and open space corridor along and across the Brandywine CreekGoals achieved: 3 and 4

Conservation overlay zoning, Brandywine Creek Greenway, partnership with

ArcelorMittal

City Council, Citizens’ Assocation, ArcelorMittal

Private donations, operating budget (staff

time), municipal CIP, impact fees, US EPA


TIMELINE

TOOLS AND TIMELINE

1. Establish a Coatesville citizens’ association

3. Continue to develop proactive and innovative policing methods

Implementation Tools Timeline

1. Complete a study of exisiting institutional capacity2. Establish a Coatesville Business Association3. Establish a Coatesville Community Development Corporation

1. Complete studies to inform budgeting and land use decisions2. Institute a participatory municipal budgeting process

1. Establish a central business overlay zoning district2. Create a Lincoln Highway Business Improvement District (BID)

4. Provide direct support for desirable development proposals5. Conduct feasibility studies for adaptive reuse of centrally-located buildings6. Install bus shelters and signage at all stops7. Create complete streets network, inlcuding bicycle loops8. Create a community Land Trust

1. Establish a TOD zoning overlay district2. Coordinate bus service to new Amtrak station with annual service evaluations3. Conduct a Feasibility study for the retun of SEPTA regional rail service

1. Establish a conservation overlay zoning district2. Join the Brandywine Creek Greenway3. Identify spaces available for community activities and programs4. Approach ArcelorMittal to explore easements of land for public use

Goal 1: Stability Goal 2: Economic Development

Goal 3: Connectivity

Goal 4: Leverage

1. Establish a Coatesville citizens’ association2. Hire a municipal staff person tasked with connecting residents to resources3. Continue to develop and assess proactive and innovative policing methods

Strategic Action 3: Provide a framework for renewed civic engagement1. Establish a Coatesville citizens’ association











Goal 4: Leverage

1. Complete a study of existing institutional capacity2. Establish a Coatesville business association3. Establish a Coatesville community development corporation

Strategic Action 4: Create alternative education pathways for adults












Goal 4: Leverage


Strategic Action 5: Increase transparency and participation in decisions












Goal 4: Leverage

1. Establish a central business overlay zoning district2. Create a Lincoln Highway Business Improvement District (BID)3. Provide tax and financial support for retail diversity and employment growth4. Provide direct support for desirable development proposals5. Conduct feasibility studies for adaptive reuse of centrally located buildings6. Install bus shelters and signage at all stops7. Create a complete streets network, including bicycle loops8. Create a community land trust

Strategic Action 6: Revitalize the Lincoln Highway commerical corridor












Goal 4: Leverage


Strategic Action 2: Establish a public amenities and open space corridor












Goal 4: Leverage

1. Establish a TOD zoning overlay district2. Coordinate bus service to new Amtrak station with annual service evaluations3. Conduct a feasibility study for the return of SEPTA regional rail service

Strategic Action 1: Promote TOD around the rebuilt Amtrak station.

Goal 1: Stability Goal 2: Development Goal 3: Connectivity Goal 4: Livability

90 Chapter 7: Appendix


APPENDIXThe planning team researched a wide range of precedents and best practices. This research built upon the team’s analyses, informed the goals, and provided ideas that the team contextually applied.

Scenario planning served as a crucial step in formulating this plan’s strategic actions. The planning team extrapolated observed trends—both positive and negative—to push the boundaries of the possible and test this plan’s goals. These scenarios posed difficult questions about energy security, economic dependency, and residential stability. Ultimately, these results of these scenarios demonstrate that, through the continuation and creation of transformative initiatives, Coatesville has the opportunity to stabilize and revitalize.


Scenario A considers the impacts associated with a dramatic increase in the prices of fossil-fuel energy. Under this scenario, gasoline prices double, the price of electricity increases by one-quarter, and natural gas prices rise by 30%. This situation amplifies Coatesville’s present deficiencies and severely impacts Coatesville residents’ quality of life while businesses’ struggle to survive. However, this scenario also provides the impetus for the city to meet the needs of its most vulnerable residents, explore alternative energy sources, and focus investments and planning efforts on revitalizing its urban core.

If the energy crisis scenario unfolded, Coatesville’s residents would face even stiffer challenges in meeting their basic needs as cost of living rises. As discussed in Chapter 2, residents earn comparatively low incomes; in fact, 14% of Coatesville households earn less than $10,000 per year. Furthermore, 53% of renters and 40% of homeowners in the city are already burdened by their housing costs. The doubling of gasoline prices will encourage the 88% of workers who commute outside the city to seek alternative commute methods, quit their jobs, attempt to find work closer to home, or leave Coatesville entirely for new employment opportunities. Manufacturing facilities in the city may be forced to lay off employees if they cannot afford to operate at full capacity. As residents’ disposable incomes decline, they will have less to spend at Coatesville’s retailers.

An energy crisis would exacerbate Coatesville’s existing deficiencies in the city’s physical infrastructure. As businesses close or relocate to stronger trade areas,

vacancy along Coatesville’s main streets will continue to increase. The automobile-oriented uses at the city’s fringes will become obsolete. Residents of the city’s isolated neighborhoods may be cut off from other parts of the city as automobile travel becomes infeasible. Relatedly, Coatesville’s ample green spaces and natural amenities are not necessarily accessible to all residents, and would become less so in this scenario. The limited transit options (Amtrak rail and two privately-operated bus lines) could become overburdened and more costly. Finally, the lack of pedestrian infrastructure on many of Coatesville’s streets would further inhibit accessibility.

There are a number of interrelated interventions that Coatesville could pursue to meet the challenges posed by increased energy prices. First, the municipal government of Coatesville could provide income-based subsidies to residents to ensure they meet their heating and electricity needs. The municipal government could also provide subsidies, low-interest loans, or tax incentives for energy-efficient retrofits of homes and business, or assist residents and business owners in obtaining financing from other sources. The city could also change the zoning code could to allow for more mixed-use, medium-density development, particularly along the main commercial corridor, while inhibiting the development of automobile-oriented uses. While large-scale alternative energy may not be feasible in Coatesville, the municipal government could ensure that the zoning and land development ordinances allow for on-site energy generation and identify potential sites where citywide renewable energy projects could be constructed.

Through this scenario, Coatesville has a unique opportunity to revitalize its downtown. The city could offer a range of financial incentives, including low-interest loans and tax credits, to encourage businesses to locate in current and future vacant properties along Lincoln Highway, thus providing accessible retail and employment opportunities. These efforts could be supplemented by county, state, and federal main street revitalization and historic preservation programs. The city could also seek a partnership with SEPTA to reinstate regional rail service to the city. Improving infrastructure, including sidewalks, benches, street lighting, bus shelters, and selected bike lanes would help alleviate accessibility issues. Finally, the city could begin to develop a green infrastructure network by joining the Brandywine Creek Greenway, a partnership to develop a regional trail network along the Brandywine Creek.

While high energy prices could strain municipal resources and aggravate existing problems such as economic inequality and vacancy, this scenario also presents numerous opportunities for Coatesville. The city’s walkable street grid, historic main street, regional transportation connections, and natural features are amenities that would be even more attractive in an economy less reliant on fossil fuels. To plan for a more sustainable future, Coatesville can take steps now to transform itself into a more vibrant, resilient, and attractive place to live. If implemented, the strategies mentioned here would contribute to the attainment of the first, second, and third goals of this plan.

SCENARIO A: ENERGYCOSTS RISE DRASTICALLY

FIGURe 7-1. THe ReTURN OF SePTA ReGIONAL RAIL TO COATeSVILLe WOULD PROVIDe A MUCH-NeeDeD TRANSPORTATION ALTeRNATIVe

93Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan0 0.25 Miles

2

1

$

2

3

3

2

Sources: Mike Szilagyi. Hidden City Philadelphia; Buildings” by Claire Jones, “Hammer” by Andrew Fortnum, “DNA” by Mister Pixel, and “Street Sign” by Amos Meron from The Noun Project.

Under this scenario, Coatesville has a unique opportunity to revitalize its downtown. Homeowner and renter subsidies for energy-efficient retrofits and on-site energy production will help meet Goal 1 of this plan. Zoning code adjustments to promote dense infill development, coupled with incentives for business relocation, will contribute to Goal 2. New pedestrian infrastructure and signage will highlight transportation alternatives such as biking, walking, bus service, and regional rail. Green infrastructure such as the Brandywine Creek Greenway would create physical linkages through and beyond the city , satisfying Goal 3.


Source: CrimeReports 2014

HIGHCRIMe RATe

LOW

Source: US Census Bureau

SCENARIO B: THREATENED STATE TAKEOVER

FIGURe 7-2. (L) RATe OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATe OR HIGHeR DeGRee. (R) CRIMe RATe (PeR 100,000)

FIGURe 7-3. CRIMe DeNSITY MAP

Coatesville Coatesville

78.8%

522

Chester County

Chester County

92.7%294

Scenario B considers the impacts of a potential state takeover, wherein the state of Pennsylvania threatens to supersede the municipal government’s autonomy unless Coatesville addresses its relatively high crime rate and relatively low educational attainment levels. Under this scenario, the quality of life in Coatesville has continued to deteriorate to the point that the state government feels aggressive action is necessary.

This scenario focuses on two particularly important aspects of stability in Coatesville: safety and education. As discussed in Chapter 2, Coatesville is already afflicted with a high crime rate. Plentiful vacant lots and decrepit buildings discourage walking and attract criminal activity. The city’s response has been to bolster its police force and funnel increasing amounts of taxpayer dollars towards policing. However, there has been little improvement in real or perceived safety: the crime rate continues to be rather high for a city of Coatesville’s size. In addition, this approach requires the city to continue to deplete its Reserve Trust Fund, threatening the government’s ability to provide services.

The situation is equally as dire with regards to the Coatesville Area School District. A clear lack of leadership exists, and the recent resignations of top school officials after a situation involving racist and sexist messages have ignited resident outrage. Property taxes continue to rise to cover school district costs, but educational outcomes do not match these high expenditures. As noted in Chapter 2, only 79% of Coatesville’s residents have a high school diploma or higher degree, much lower than the proportion of Chester County residents (See Figure 7-2). Because the educational

attainment outcomes are so low, residents have lost faith in the public education system, and frustration is their common ground.

To prevent a state takeover, the city government should establish partnerships with local stakeholder and institutions to provide new educational opportunities for residents, especially young adults. Historical, religious, and cultural institutions could have a larger presence in Coatesville and could build a sense of identity that would promote crime reduction and higher educational attainment. Currently, some religious and cultural institutions run community-oriented programming to build morale and neighborliness, including races, art shows, and clubs focused on crime prevention strategies. The municipal government can look for ways to grow these programs and provide skill training.

Coatesville can also address crime through physical interventions. The city could equip streets with better lighting. Wide and separated bicycle and pedestrian lanes would encourage outdoor activity and promote a sense

of safety: more eyes on the streets and new activity hubs would create a sense of security and community. The police department could patrol crime hot spots more strategically if informed by data and resident input (See Figure 7-3). Residents could also take part in community policing through enhanced neighborhood watches and crime prevention workshops. The city could also reestablish Olive Street, an important yet disrupted thoroughfare, to connect Scott Middle School to public spaces in the middle and west of the city.

This scenario unveils a need for residents to feel safe, involved, and valued. Businesses, cultural institutions, museum, churches, and schools can use the threat of a state takeover as an opportunity to have meaningful conversations and form connections that otherwise may take years, if at all. Coatesville can begin to transition to a more networked city, where citizens and non-governmental organizations step into larger roles to improve residents’ quality of life. The proposed interventions therefore contribute to the achievement of this plan’s first and fourth goals.

FIGURe 7-4. PHYSICAL IMPROVeMeNTS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIeS ATTRACT NeW eYeS TO COATeSVILLe’S STReeTS


5th Ave

OLIVE ST. EXTENSION

historical building

commercial business

school

cultural institutions

church

parks and trails

Historical, religious, and

cultural institutions have a larger

presence.

Source: Brandywine Foundation

1 4

Under this scenario, the city government, businesses, cultural institutions, churches, and schools have an opportunity to form new connections. By creating a forum for groups already working towards crime reduction and educational achievement, Coatesville can become a more transparent and cohesive place. Historical, religious, and cultural institutions will have a larger presence, contributing to the achievement of Goal 4. A complete street grid with lighting can provide an easily navigable environment that can induce a sense of safety. Reconnecting Olive Street and would therefore help achieve Goals 1 and 4.


FIGURe 7-5. A VACATeD INDUSTRIAL BUILDING PROVIDeS OPPORTUNITIeS FOR MIXeD-USe DeVeLOPMeNT IN THe CeNTeR OF COATeSVILLeSCENARIO C: CLOSURE OF ARCELORMITTAL

Scenario C considers the impacts of the ArcelorMittal steel mill closing its doors after 200 years of operation. Because the mill is the largest employer and one of the most prominent landowners in the city, residents, businesses and the municipal government are sensitive to any change in its operation, let alone its complete closure.

In this scenario, unemployed mill workers push the unemployment rate higher than the 8.2% level of 2012, worsening the poverty rate and destroying residents’ morale and self-confidence. Financially strained households will seek employment and affordable housing opportunities elsewhere, although the city is encapsulated by the wealthiest (and therefore relatively expensive) county in the state. Local businesses that depended on revenues generated by the mill employees’ spending will be forced to reevaluate their residency in the city. Many businesses will relocate to other trade areas closer to healthier consumer bases, leaving remaining Coatesville residents with even fewer shopping options than they already have. A huge swath of industrial land will sit vacant in the middle of the Coatesville street grid, keeping the city’s eastern and western poles apart while creating an eyesore and hindrance to investment.

Under this scenario, Coatesville has an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent its downtown. The municipality can partner with Amtrak to accelerate its $16 million investment into the new Coatesville station and surrounding area to

spur economic activity. Amtrak would not only be investing in infrastructure, but also in jobs for local residents.

After transportation access is enhanced, the municipality can create tax incentives for business investment and provide support for local businesses through transparent licensing and development processes. A brochure of available properties and their proposed uses could be circulated to entice investment. The former ArcelorMittal steel mill could be redeveloped into a mixed-use complex with commercial, retail, and residential tenants. Integrating green infrastructure along the Brandywine Creek would increase public outdoor space and provide connectivity for disparate city amenities. The history and character of the city’s past could remain intact through the mill site redevelopment, reinforcing the city’s identity and bridging the rich historical past with current residents’ needs.

The scenario impacts Coatesville’s commercial corridors. Vacant commercial and industrial properties, as well as vacant lots, especially along 3rd Avenue and Lincoln Highway, are prime locations for investment. The rezoning of vacant properties for their highest and best use would lessen barriers for investment, making Coatesville an easier choice for developers. The municipal government can provide legal mechanisms to incentivize and guide economic activity along these major corridors. Heeding current business owners’ input and advice would allow the city to better understand the city’s true business needs. Permitting processes could also be expedited to

incentivize businesses to relocate to these commercial corridors sooner, enhanced by tax abatements and efficient marketing.

To take inventory of available sites and expedite the development process, the city could explore the creation of a land bank. The inventory of vacant land enables the combination of parcels to reduce disjointedness and encourage private acquisition. A land bank is critical in a city like Coatesville so that the municipal government ensure that equitable development raises the quality of life for current residents. Some vacant lots which are not ready for investment could be used for temporary pop-up businesses to increase productivity on underutilized land. These sites would also act as small business incubators to create opportunities within the city of Coatesville for existing residents and students.

Despite initial negative impacts, proposed interventions to remediate these economic challenges bring opportunity to the city’s residents, employees, and business owners. The implementations of these initiatives could be funded by tax increment financing, and state, federal, and small business grants—putting Coatesville back on the map through strategic partnerships and collaborative planning. If implemented, the strategies mentioned here would contribute to the attainment of the second, third, and fourth goals of this plan.


4 22

3 2

Source: The Noun Project

KeY INTeRSeCTION

OPPORTUNITY SITe

Under this scenario, Coatesville has an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent its downtown and bring opportunities to the city’s residents, employees, and business owners. The areas on the map in red would be ripe for strategic investment to support the town’s most important commercial corridor—Lincoln Highway. Adaptive reuse of the mill site can spur economic development while leveraging historic and cultural resources, thus achieving Goals 2 and 4. Creating new linkages across the site would bridge the and west sides of Coatesville and promote connectivity, achieving Goal 3.


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YOONA AHN | YEXIN DING | MICHAEL HONGBRETT PEANASKY | BROOKE WIECZOREK | CHI ZHANGMAY 2014

Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan

Economy & Finance

Transcript of Coatesville Urban Strategic Plan