Sign Placement – The Wrong and…Right of Way

Temporary signs for local businesses doing work on your property and for local events are a good way to provide your support and share information with your community and friends.

The following are general guidelines to ensure your support is not placed in the “public right of way”. Public right of way means the area on, below, or above a public roadway, highway, street, public sidewalk, alley, waterway, or utility easement dedicated for compatible uses.

Simply, the part of a property which is available for the township to allow for traffic movement (paving, plowing, clearing obstructions, etc.) and to provide public utilities access for installation and maintenance.

The township and other authorized users do not own the property but are permitted access in a described manner for road safety and the public good.

The following are guidelines for identifying the Right of Way. Road Rights of Way are generally described in feet from the road center line.   

Major Arterial - Route 100 (SR 0100) – 80’ right of way / 40’ left/right from center of road/street

Major Collector - Route 401 (SR 0401) - 60’ right of way / 30’ left/right from center of road/street

Minor Collector - Birchrun Road (SR 1030) / Hollow Road (SR 1033) / Kimberton Road (T 561) / Pughtown Road (SR 1028)/ St. Mathews Road (SR 1031) – 60’ right of way / 30’ left/right from center of road/street

Streets within a development – if there are sidewalks, place the sign behind the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, assume 33’ right of way/ 16.5’ left/right from center of road

The above guidelines do not pertain to business signs or other signs requiring a Zoning Permit. Please consult with our Permit Coordinator or Zoning Officer, Tracey Franey to confirm if your sign requires a permit. 

Preparing for Spring Flowers in the Fall - D. Delany, EAC Chair

More flowers, less lawn, happy people, happy pollinators!



While visiting Andrew Evans Park this summer, did you happen to see the burst of color and life in our Pollinator Pitstop? Pitstops are small, easy-to-care-for gardens planted with native perennial flowers chosen for their beauty and their ability to help our struggling species of native pollinators and songbirds.

The first step in making a pitstop garden is to choose your site and prepare it this fall using the Lasagna Method! The flowers in the demonstration Pollinator Pitstop at Andrew Evans Park all prefer full sun. If you only have shade, we can help you find plants that will be happy there. Mark off the area for your garden and consider placing a small, temporary fence around it to keep your lasagna layers in place during the winter. The lasagna layers are: 

1) GREEN – your lawn, weeds and whatever now exists where your garden will be placed,

2) BEIGE – Cardboard with rocks on top to hold it in place, and

3) BROWN – autumn leaves. 

If you want to add more nutrients, you may add coffee grounds, tea bags, and veggie scraps on the top layer.

Last year, we put 2’ of leaves on top of the cardboard. By spring, the cardboard was completely gone, and the leaf layer was down to about 4”, making a perfect mulch.

Let your new garden sit for the winter and in May, it will be ready for you to plant your native flowers. After using the Lasagna Method last year, our Pitstop required practically no weeding this summer. The only weed was the crabgrass that jumped our barrier of landscape fabric and flat rocks. Our flowers thrived and bloomed all season. Most are still blooming now.

We will be doing another demonstration of the Lasagna Method on Wednesday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m., (rain date Thursday, Nov 3) at our Andrew Evans Park Pollinator Pitstop. Park in the parking lot off of Route 401.

We plan to add fall blooming flowers to our current summer bloomers to support our pollinators in the fall and provide fuel for Monarch butterflies migrating south.

Visit our Environmental Advisory Council web page and our Pollinator Pitstop Program web page for latest updates, resources, and articles on stormwater management, native trees and plants, pollinator pitstop gardens, and bird walks and sightings. 

Opalanie Park – Bird Town Favorite - D. Delany, EAC Chair

Opalanie Park, located at 1422 St. Matthews Road, is a unique area because of the variety of habitat within the park and its location, nestled in a landscape of farmland, fields, forests, and the extensive trail system shared with Bryn Coed. The flowering fields are full of a variety of butterflies, grasshoppers, and insects, providing food for the blue birds, flycatchers, and finches. 

Low-lying shrubs provide cover for sparrows, migrating warblers, and songbirds. These birds provide food for the local Coopers hawk family. The babbling stream meandering through the woodland draws cuckoos, thrushes, and towhees who will tell you to “drink-your-tea” each spring when they sing to each other. 

If you visit the pond area, you might catch a glimpse of the green heron eating a frog or the brightly-colored wood ducks passing through. 

Sadly, our ash trees have died from the emerald ash borer, but these dead trees are now providing plentiful new food and homes for nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, flickers, downy and hairy woodpeckers and Woody Woodpecker’s family, the pileated woodpeckers!

The park has had two sightings of a red-headed woodpecker this year! Often confused with the more common, red-bellied woodpecker, who has a red marking on the back of his head (like a mohawk) and a faint blush of red on his belly, the red-headed woodpecker’s head is completely red, with white body underparts, a black back, and large white patches in the wings. Red-headed woodpeckers are rarely seen and have been designated as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Pennsylvania State Wildlife Action Plan. 

Opalanie Park has become the hottest new spot in Chester County for avid birders to gather. Since becoming an eBird Hotspot in October 2021, an astounding 122 species of birds have been recorded in the park! Some of the birds are rarely seen in our area anymore, but they visit Opalanie. 

If you would like to see the list of birds that have been observed so far, or if you want to start your own list, check out the Opalanie Park eBird page.

Thank you! Rachel McKay, for spotting these beautiful birds and capturing them in action on the last Beginner Bird Walk which was held on October 2 at Opalanie Park. 

Top above title: Immature Ruby throated hummingbird at the jewel weed on the road down to the dump area in Opalanie.

Top: Lincoln’s Sparrow in the area behind the building at Opalanie.

Middle: Magnolia Warbler enjoying the Poke berry ripening at Opalanie.

Bottom: American Kestrel hunting the gravel circle field area.

Visit our Environmental Advisory Council web page and our Pollinator Pitstop Program web page for latest updates, resources, and articles on stormwater management, native trees and plants, pollinator pitstop gardens, and bird walks and sightings. 

Discounted PECO Energy Assessments Exclusively for WVT Residents!

Fall is the perfect time to prep your home for colder weather. A home Energy Assessment is an effective and simple way to boost your year-round comfort and lower your energy costs by up to 20 percent.

Energy assessments are offered through PECO at a cost of $49 and include LED bulb replacements, smart power strips and a detailed report of the findings, where applicable.

Be part of our township’s clean energy initiative, save money, and ensure your home is energy efficient by scheduling a PECO Energy Assessment today.

For a limited time, West Vincent Township residents will receive an exclusive $10 discount on standard assessments when using promo code WVCEF. A $150 value for only $39!

For more information and to schedule your assessment, visit: 

www.peco.com/assessment or call 888-573-2672 before December 31, 2022.



This offer is good through the end of the year (expires December 31, 2022). 

Please use promo code WVCEF (West Vincent Clean Energy Future) at check-out or when speaking to a representative in order to receive the discount. 

An additional bonus!

The first 20 residents who call or use on-line scheduling before 12/31/22 to make an assessment appointment using the promo code WVCEF will qualify to have the $39 reimbursed by the township. 

To receive the reimbursement from West Vincent Township, please submit the following items to [email protected]: a copy of your receipt and energy assessment report and a comment by you, noting the type(s) of changes you are considering implementing based on your report findings.

The Township will reimburse you for the $39 and the Clean Energy Transition Team will be developing seminars and workshops based on our resident feedback.

All submissions for reimbursement must be received by the township no later than March 31, 2023.

Driving Around and Heading the Charge   

On October 11, the Chester County Association of Township Officials (CCATO) held an on-line panelist discussion, moderated by Rachael Griffith, Sustainability Director at the Chester County Planning Commission.

Rachael extended an invite to Kirk Reinbold, PhD, a member of the township’s Clean Energy Transition Team and SC Chair to participate as a panelist of four who shared their township’s experience installing and maintaining EV chargers.  

Kirk had also recently participated in the second session of Chester County Economic Development Council’s, “The Path to Net Zero Facilities”, presented by the Smart Energy Initiative of Southeastern PA (SEI) earlier in October.

Other panelists in attendance were John McHugh, Supervisor of Honeybrook Township, Jean Krack, Phoenixville Borough Manager, and Will Williams, West Chester Sustainability Director.

Kirk summarized West Vincent’s experience to date:  the award of the Driving PA Forward grant application provided funding for the township EV charger, there are two other chargers currently available in the township, he suggested possible locations for additional chargers within the township and discussed how installing EV chargers supports the township’s clean energy vision in accordance with its clean energy transition plan.

Other townships expressed certain challenges installing and charging for the electric used in predominantly urban Chester County cities, such as Phoenixville and West Chester and shared how chargers can be networked and seen by EV drivers throughout the county, using various online apps.



With transportation ranking as most households’ second largest expense after housing, using less fuel can add up to quite a bit more money in your wallet. But what if there was an option that cost about half as much to drive as a traditional gasoline-powered car, with lower maintenance costs? An electric vehicle may be just the answer you're looking for.

Follow the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver blog to learn more about why an electric vehicle might be a solid investment for many drivers.  

Recycling – Paper, Batteries, and Bikes Oh My!

We were happy to help over 30 residents at the Sustainability Committee paper shredding and battery recycling event held on Saturday, October 22. 

We collected 150 pounds of batteries and were also able to collect a few bikes to deliver to Pedals for Progress hosted by the Chester County Solid Waste Authority at West Goshen the next day.

We received a lot of energy questions, and many were interested in solar and geothermal energy. 

Save the Date! The SC will be hosting a Seed Swap Day in conjunction with the National Seed Swap on Saturday, January 28, 2023. 

In October, our chairs of SC, EAC, and the West Vincent Litter Lifters, Kirk Reinbold, Donna Delany, and Beth Intoccia, toured the TotalRecycle plant in Birdsboro, PA.

This single-stream recycling facility processes between 300 and 600 tons of recycling per day and sells the separated output primarily to local facilities that process it into new product. The slightly malodorous, noisy, busy facility provided enlightening support in the importance of producing less trash and doing a better job to recycle at home.

Chester County Solid Waste Authority is your primary source for guidelines on recycling mixed paper and how to “recycle right” in our county. 

The 2022 Litter Summit, in partnership with PA Department of Environmental Protection and PA Department of Transportation will be held on November 1 and November 2 in Lancaster.

The Litter Summit will provide state agencies and participating stakeholders an opportunity to convene and reflect on the work of the past year, share, and learn about progress made towards specific recommendations, promote new initiatives, celebrate collective successes, and attract new allies in our shared commitment to prevent litter.

Beth Intoccia will be representing the Litter Lifters of West Vincent at the summit and share her findings with the township and advisory committees.

Early in October, Beth attended the first Keep Chester County Beautiful Steering Committee Meeting, recently added by the new Sustainability Office of the Chester County Planning Commission.

The meeting was attended by 15 people from different parts of our county government, businesses, and residents and participants discussed litter management, education, and collaboration with a variety of interested groups. 

If you have ideas on litter management and litter education for Chester County,

contact Beth at 

[email protected].

Join Us at Upcoming Events!

Sunday, November 6, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., the Litter Lifters will be mentoring Uwchlan Township EAC for their next litter cleanup of Route 100. If you are interested in participating in this clean up, contact Jim Warihay 

at [email protected].

Saturday, November 12, 7:30 am. – 10:30 a.m. - Route 100, Ludwigs Corner Firehouse.

Saturday, December 3, 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. - Route 100, Littles Tractor Supply. In partnership with Green Valley Watershed. Pennsylvania State Policy will be providing safety support.

Follow the Litter Lifters on Instagram at: litterliftersofwestvincent

If you would like to learn more about how you can support the Litter Lifters or help at a future event, email [email protected].

Volunteers must follow the Safety Instruction Sheet and complete the Litter Lifters Volunteer Waiver and Release Form when participating in a Litter Lifters clean up event.