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West Chester director reports stepped‑up rental‑license enforcement; staff closes backlog
Summary
Building and code director Aaron Flook told the Smart Growth Committee that staff cited 178 late rental‑license renewals, has closed dozens of cases and processes about 5,820 rental licenses; he flagged permit timing, snow complaints and rising noise complaints in student neighborhoods.
Aaron Flook, West Chester’s director of building, housing and code enforcement, told the Smart Growth Committee that staff issued 178 citations for late rental‑license renewals in January and referred those cases to the court system, helping close 39 cases after the citations and more since then. “We process about 5,820 rental licenses,” Flook said, describing the current enforcement effort as focused on the last 2 percent of outstanding renewals.
Flook said staff opened fewer new cases in January — 76 — largely because multiple snow‑shoveling complaints generated redundant reports, and that the department closed 258 older cases as part of backlog reduction. He described one stop‑work action on South New Street where a contractor began work before obtaining a permit; staff issued a stop order, assessed a fee and worked with the contractor to complete the permit process.
Committee members pressed for clarification on snow‑removal timelines and other standards. A council member asked whether sidewalks must be cleared within six hours; Flook replied that the standard is 24 hours except downtown, where it may be 12 hours, and said he would confirm the exact language in borough rules.
On permitting, Flook said the borough generally processes applications in about 12 days but noted that the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code allows up to 30 days for commercial reviews and that the 30‑day clock restarts if an application is incomplete. “Once it’s submitted, the clock starts for 30 days,” he said, explaining the typical review workflow.
The committee also discussed noise complaints in student‑dense neighborhoods. Flook said noise reports have risen, but landlords with repeated violations have worked with the borough and in some cases warned tenants that a second proven violation could lead to removal from the unit.
The report prompted questions about enforcement procedures, permit turnaround and how rental‑license follow‑ups are tracked. Committee members asked staff to confirm specific ordinance timings and to continue updating council with case metrics and any trends affecting neighborhood livability.
The committee did not take formal action on enforcement policy at the meeting; the director’s report was entered for committee review and follow up.
