By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

Members of ten architectural, engineering, legal, traffic and development agencies involved in the proposed residential complex at the former site of the National Vulcanized Fibre Company (NVF) in Kennett Square Borough brought the public up to date about the proposed development at the Kennett Library on Nov. 7. 

In a one-hour presentation, the public was introduced to the plans for the 22-acre site along West Mulberry Street to build 294 “for rent” and “for sale” residential units. The complex will include 246 single-family townhomes: 38 single-family townhomes and 104 stacked townhomes (with two units per townhome), as well as a projected total of 492 parking spaces for residents and visitors. They are projected to be priced between the upper $300,000s for a 1,200 square-foot residence to the low-to-mid $500,000s for a 2,220-square foot residence.

In addition, the complex will offer 48 mixed-income and affordable multifamily residential units that will be accompanied by 149 additional parking spaces. Glen Morgan, a principal of Delaware Valley Development Corporation (DVDC), described the 48 units as “housing for the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker.”

“This is not scary housing,” he said of the proposed one-, two- and three-bedroom units. “This is not public housing. This is not Section 8 [housing]. This is workforce housing. It’s very high-quality design and construction, and it will serve the residents of the borough. We think it will become a great asset to the community.”

Residents of these affordable housing units can expect to pay monthly rent that will start at approximately $300 for a one-bedroom unit and go up to $1,400 for a three-bedroom unit. The complex will be green friendly, constructed under energy star certifications and offer residents a full support of services that will include a clubhouse with professional property management and 24-hour maintenance. 

DVDC has already developed 35 affordable communities in the area that include Granite Ridge in Kennett Township and Red Clay Manor in Kennett Square. 

Jeremy Arnett of the architectural firm of JDavis said the planned development will provide ample room 30,000 to 50,000 square feet of green space that will include shade cover, native plantings, a lawn and outdoor seating areas.

Matt Hammond, an engineer specializing in traffic and transportation, is helping to oversee Traffic Planning and Design, Inc., who has created a comprehensive Transportation Impact Study (TIS) for the proposed development. The report, recently completed, concluded that the overall traffic impact of the area will be minimal, projecting that it would generate 160 new trips during the morning rush hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 186 new trips during the afternoon rush hour, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

There will be five driveways that will service the proposed development -- three access points on Mill Street, one access point on West Mulberry Street and one access point on Cedar Street.

“When we looked at this, we had three priorities: to provide a design that aligned with the existing fabric of Kennett Square that reflects the texture of existing buildings in the borough,” said Chad Atwater of JDavis. “Our second goal was to design the planned development around heritage, community, growth and connection and the social implications of what the project would bring to the borough. The idea was, ‘How do we create a project that has these components in them?’ We want architecture that is going to last that will look timeless and not out of place.

“Our third goal was to design something that fits within the townhome design that creates a cohesive design in terms of landscape and the community. In the end, we’re excited to present something that is cost effective, affordable and obtainable for everyone.”

From history to bankruptcy to clean-up

First opened in the late 1800s, NVF once employed as many as 250 workers and became one of the largest vulcanized fiber factories in the U.S., where it manufactured items ranging from household items to camera parts to circuit boards. In 1966, Victor Posner became the majority shareholder of NVF stock, named himself president and chairman of the board and used NVF as a holding company for other businesses. Many of these companies began to fail, and NVF filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993 and again in 1999. 

In 2007, the company folded and in 2009, the property was purchased by the Delaware Valley Development Company (DVDC). Over the past 15 years – while developing plans for the site -- DVDC has spent approximately $5 million on extensive groundwater and soil remediation that began in 2010 when it entered into Pennsylvania’s voluntary clean-up program administered by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Act 2 statute.

Over time, the clean-up has excavated and removed over 8,000 tons of PCP contaminated soils and over 15,000 tons of low-level PCP impacted soils on the site – all in cooperation with the DEP and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Rich Lake, an environmental consultant, has overseen the clean-up efforts of the site and helped put together a report to the EPA summarizing the remediation work that has been done to date. He said that 95 percent of PCP-laden soil has been remediated from the property, and much of the remaining soil with PCP contamination levels less than one part per million are being consolidated in the southwestern corner of the planned development where parking would be located.  

Lake said that some contaminants still remain on the site – including chlorinated solvents found in groundwater – and are currently being evaluated.

According to the presenters, the new development, once completed, will have a major financial impact on the borough and the Kennett Consolidated School District. DVDC hired economic consultants David Babbitt & Associates to conduct an economic study of the proposed development, who reported that the residential complex is projected to provide a net surplus of $381,858 for the borough and a $830,942 surplus for the school district – a combined income of $1.2 million per net new economic impact per year. 

The presentation served as the first step in what will involve continued meetings and input from area elected and appointed officials, as well as a multi-tiered application process of applying for and receiving zoning, conditional use and land development approvals, which are estimated to take the next four years. The planning of the development will also see additional design and engineering phases and public forums for further comment.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].