County delivers digital Historic Resources Atlas to West Chester; borough gets searchable map of 4,000+ properties
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Summary
Chester County Planning Commission representatives presented a digital historic‑resources atlas for West Chester that maps more than 4,000 properties and can be edited dynamically; county staff said the tool is for planning and preservation work and is not a legal registry.
Chester County planning staff on Tuesday presented a digital Historic Resources Atlas for West Chester Borough, a searchable, web‑based map and database the county says documents more than 4,000 historic resources and can be updated dynamically.
"The advantage to you... is that it provides opportunities to share it far and wide" and it is easier to update than print materials, David Blackburn, Chester County heritage preservation coordinator, told council. He said the county compiled state database records and field work into a digital map that borough planning, historic preservation commissions and staff can use for permitting review, preservation planning and education.
Nut graf: County planners described the atlas as a planning and informational tool — not a legal regulatory map — that lists buildings, districts and resource attributes derived from state and county surveys; municipalities can ask the county to add photos or other municipal‑specific data.
County GIS planner Colin Murtoff demonstrated search and attribute functions: clicking a highlighted parcel returns a resource identification number, parcel number and descriptive notes; the digital format, the presenters said, reduces versioning problems associated with paper atlases because the county can correct or update entries in one place.
Council members asked whether the map replaces the county’s existing Chesco Views system; county staff said the atlas is a planning commission product distinct from the county’s information‑services‑managed Chesco Views platform. Borough staff and commissioners discussed ways the atlas could help coordinate municipal permitting and student‑rental inspections by flagging historic properties for additional review. County staff said the atlas could be augmented with photographs and other materials if the borough wants them added.
Ending: County staff said they will provide the borough with the digital files and offered to coordinate with borough IT and planning staff to integrate the map with local permitting and rental‑inspections workflows.
