Dear Lansdowne Neighbors,
Lansdowne Borough Council is excited to report on the continued progress in making improvements in the community, providing excellent services, and hosting community events to continue to build the community.
Community Events:
First of all, I want to thank resident Bob McMahon for submitting the linked essay on the theme of “Black resistance” as established by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History established by C. G. Woodson, the father of Black History.
Lansdowne Borough Council also set out a number of events for the upcoming Spring and encourage residents to join in the planning and enjoyment of the community together for those events.
Please save the dates and be on the lookout for more information:
April 22nd: Earth Day
May 20th: STEAM Festival
June 1st: Pride Flag Raising
June 3rd and 4th: Lansdowne Community Weekend
June 17th and 18th: Juneteenth Events
Economic Development:
Lansdowne Borough Council continues to work with community partners and Lansdowne businesses to build the downtown in Lansdowne. Lansdowne Borough Council voted to extend and expand on the contract with the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation. As a long-time partner of the Borough, the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation works hard to promote Lansdowne.
In the next contract, Lansdowne Borough Council and the LEDC are committed to developing a marketing strategy to advertise the arts community and the many arts assets in the Borough.
On February 18th, Vinyl Revival hosted a ribbon cutting to reopen at their new space at 26 North Lansdowne Avenue. Lansdowne Borough Council and Mayor Magda Byrne were happy to be in attendance to celebrate the continued development in Lansdowne’s downtown.
Lansdowne Borough Council hosted Cinda Boutique at its Council meeting on February 15th. We look forward to hosting Camellia Coffee in March.
Also, the Historic Lansdowne Theater Corporation is moving forward with the marshaling of their resources to begin construction this year. As part of the process, the HLTC was required to create a for profit entity to take advantage of the use of historic tax credits to help with the funding.
Finally, Lansdowne Borough Council is committed to the procurement of funds for the Lansdowne Landing and Veteran’s Park areas to upgrade the parks as a community gathering space and upgrade the parking lots in Lansdowne Borough.
Comprehensive Plan:
The draft Comprehensive Plan is currently in review with the Lansdowne Planning Commission, the Delaware County Planning Commission, and surrounding communities. After the review period has ended, Lansdowne Borough will host a public meeting for all residents to submit comments. Please find the draft Comprehensive Plan here.
Facilities/ Infrastructure:
As reported in January, Lansdowne Borough will continue the housekeeping tasks to improve beautification of facilities and plan for upgrades to facilities in the Borough. Painting has been completed in Borough Hall and the new Borough Lansdowne Flag hanging in Council Chambers. Along with other facilities improvements, Borough Council is investing in the Borough property maintenance.
On March 29th at 7:00, Borough Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the scenarios plan for Facilities upgrades to the Library, Borough Hall, and the Police Department. This meeting will continue the presentation of the scenarios developed by GKO Architects to allow for potential upgrades to Borough facilities. The special meeting will provide a presentation to Lansdowne Borough Council and allow time for residents to ask questions about the scenarios. Currently, the scenarios presented do not include detailed architectural plans. Also, the Special meeting will focus specifically on the facilities scenarios. We encourage all residents to attend to be informed about the process and provide input about the scenarios.
Lansdowne Borough Council voted to upgrade the road signs throughout the Borough and will be replacing all of the signs throughout the Borough with signs that have reflective paint and the Lansdowne Borough Sycamore Tree within the coming months.
Boards and Commissions:
Lansdowne Borough has numerous opportunities for residents to participate as appointed members on Boards and Commissions. Currently, we have need of participants
Code Appeals Board—two members
Environmental advisory Council—1 member
Parks and Recreation Board—3 members
Human Relations Commission—5 members
Planning Commission—1 member
Zoning Hearing Board—3 members
Lansdowne Arts Board—1 member
Please find more information about the Boards and Commissions here.
To all of my friends, neighbors and fellow residents, I hope to see you around the town.
We wish everyone a continued celebration of African American History Month and look forward to celebrating Women’s History Month in March.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Hover
Council President