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Delaware County DA to fund vacant‑lot stabilization in Chester under MOU with PHS
Summary
Council discussed Resolution 133, an MOU with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to stabilize and maintain vacant lots; the DA initially provided $200,000 with potential to expand funding and the program will use PHS’s Philadelphia LandCare model.
Chester council members on Nov. 10 discussed Resolution 133, an agreement to partner with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) to stabilize and maintain vacant lots owned by the city and the Chester Redevelopment Authority.
Staff explained the initiative is funded by the Delaware County DA’s office and modeled on Philadelphia LandCare. Speaker 4 said the program will assess lots, perform grading and planting, install split‑rail fencing and hire local contractors where appropriate. "They will hire… Philadelphia Landcare… and they do actually hire local contractors," staff said.
Justin (Speaker 11) said the DA initially committed $200,000 and is seeking to increase that funding to $300,000–$350,000 to expand the number of square feet covered. Staff noted the initial scope is limited to 100,000 square feet, which staff estimated could equate to roughly 50 lots depending on lot sizes.
Councilmembers asked whether the program will incur city costs; staff said the DA is providing the funding and that PHS would do much of the maintenance, potentially freeing city public works staff for other tasks. The city may pursue inclusion of PennDOT parcels in future phases, although that would require separate approvals.
Resolution 133 was presented for final passage on the agenda; council discussion at the meeting focused on program scope, contractor hiring, community benefits and the role of the DA’s grant funding.
