- By Evan Brandt
ebrandt@pottsmerc.com
"The idea of locating in a classic, walkable downtown was appealing to the company,” Bamford said.“Proximity to restaurants, the TriCounty Performing Arts Center, public transportation and convenient parking factored into their decision, as did plans for expansion of the Schuylkill River Trail and the continued growth of Montgomery County Community College in the borough,’ Bamford said."
Coatesville is positioned to change from the drug depot of Chester County to a livable town. There is a near tsunami of developments coming towards Coatesville including the train station, Marriott Courtyard Hotel, the Velodrome and the rumor of expanding the GO Carlson Airport from a business jet facility to a UPS or Fed Ex hub.
What concerns me is the new Coatesville City Manager's insistence on laying off police to "Bloc of Four" 2008 levels. A new crime wave and / or arson wave would cause housing and commercial development to just skip over Coatesville and leave us by the wayside.
I think we should maintain the present number of police officers by using the water company sale funds. New residents and new businesses in Coatesville will over time increase our tax income. But if a new crime wave comes we would not get those new residents and businesses.
If there is another 2008 police layoff induced crime wave the shopkeepers in Coatesville that had a gun to their head while their stores were robbed and did not close up might decide to leave Coatesville. Residents that located here expecting the redevelopment of Coatesville could move out. And Coatesville could be caught in a downward spiral of less money for police, more crime, and taxpayers moving away, less tax income, less money for police, more crime, and tax payers moving away and on and on.
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