Category: Business

Man-made waterfalls: A vision for Pottstown?

This past Friday, Joe Zlomek, Managing Editor of The Sanatoga Post, published an interesting revitalization story out of Rosemont, Illinois. You can check out the article here: “You can see the Pottstown waterfalls from Illinois.”

Joe describes the way this relatively new town created waterfalls at one of their gateways and at an entrance to a walkway along the Des Plaines River and asks readers to imagine something similar along Pottstown’s Schuylkill Riverfront.

With funding from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and the William Penn Foundation, the Borough is in the midst of developing a Heritage Action Plan. The plan will lay out a vision, goals and objectives, and a marketing strategy for linking Schuylkill River Trail users to downtown resources, such as shops, restaurants, arts, culture, history and recreation. The River and the Trail are key to any revitalization and economic development strategy.

A working group meeting is taking place this morning, Monday, April 18 from 10:30am-noon. Anyone interested in being part of the planning or implementation of the Heritage Action Plan is welcome to attend this or future meetings.  Please send an email to PtownHAP@gmail.com or check out the Pottstown Heritage Action Plan on Facebook for more info.

A huge “THANK YOU” to Joe for giving us some creative food for thought!

First Suburbs meeting: Help make Pottstown’s voice be heard

The Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project is holding a public meeting Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 pm with Housing and Urban Development Region III Administrator Jane Vincent to call for fairness in regional housing policy.

The Statement of Purpose on their website declares:

“The Southeastern Pennsylvania First Suburbs Project is a regional coalition of community leaders from developed suburbs that have joined together to harness their communities’ power by directly engaging citizens to affect policies and practices that will lead to the stabilization and revitalization of their communities.”

The First Suburbs Project has galvanized communities in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Pottstown is a member of this coalition and will be taking a bus to the meeting, which will be held at the JP Mascaro and Sons Building in Audobon. To get on the bus, which will leave Borough Hall at 6:30 pm, call the Borough at 610-970-6511.

To read some prior blog posts about the challenges facing Pottstown and other First Suburbs, check out the following links:

Community Gardens & First Suburbs – the start of a (long) conversation

First Suburbs: Affordable Housing Notes from NJ

First Suburbs – Challenges of Rental Housing

First Suburbs, Keim Street Bridge & Keystone Blvd. Extension

A Vision for Pottstown: What do YOU see?

As part of the Heritage Action Plan that’s being developed with funding from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and William Penn Foundation, representatives from lots of organizations and institutions in town got together for a workshop last month, where we talked about our individual visions for Pottstown.

A vision statement should answer these questions: What do we want to create? What do we want our community to look like?

Below is a summary of the workshop participants’ visions for Pottstown. There seemed to be consensus around the idea of a future Pottstown with a safe, clean, revitalized, business-friendly downtown that promotes heritage resources and is accessible by various modes and attractive to families and young people.

1. Envision Pottstown as a revitalized place; focus on downtown; clean up blighted properties. Need for occupied storefronts downtown.
2. Have Pottstown’s streets be clean, welcoming, attractive and safe to bring people into town; heighten police presence; create safe link between Hill School & downtown.
3. Project a new, positive, business-friendly image.
4. Develop and promote a sense of place.
5. Promote a garden feel to Pottstown.
6. Build on existing arts and culture as economic development tool.
7. Envision Pottstown as a place that works together with existing assets/resources.
8. Pottstown should be the cultural leader in the region. Must coordinate offerings.
9. Move drug treatment center to new location.
10. Give Pottstown a progressive image. Add a new twist in arts, culture & sustainability that ties into the trail, natural resources & Pottstown’s history (pie, steel, railroad.)
11. Promote health and healthy living, farmers’ market, bike-sharing program, vibrant streetscape, activity on streets, eyes on the street. Create comfortable atmosphere, place where families are active, walking on streets.
12. Enhance and create transportation linkages, especially to improve foot traffic for businesses; be pedestrian-friendly; improve way-finding. Highlight the airport as a resource. Create a multi-modal community.
13. Market studio & residential space to art students; need more bars/entertainment for young people.

WHAT’S YOUR VISION FOR POTTSTOWN?

Schuylkill Highlands holding open house for economic development plan

The Schuylkill Highlands is one of seven “Conservation Landscape Initiative” regions in the state of Pennsylvania. It’s a place that includes the Schuylkill River watershed; it’s also a collaboration of people and partners who want to preserve the landscape and promote sustainable economic development.

The Schuylkill Highlands is holding an open house tomorrow from 4-6 pm at Morlatton Village and everyone is invited. See The Mercury’s articlehere.

The open house will showcase the findings, outcomes and recommendations for The Compatible Economic Development Plan: Valley Forge to Reading and The Hopewell Big Woods.

Carter van Dyke & Assoc., Campbell Thomas & Assoc., Susan Huffman along with the Task Force will exhibit their findings on:

– Place -Based Tourism recommendations
– What types of businesses are needed and where
– What types of infrastructure improvements are needed and where
– Next steps to enhance the visitor experience, encourage economic development in this region and preserve our natural, cultural and historic resources
– Next steps to plan for the influx of visitorship to our gateways and river towns as the Schuylkill River Trail is completed.

Pottstown’s Heritage Action Plan, which is in the process of being formulated by a wide range of local Partners, is one piece of the larger, regional heritage tourism/economic development puzzle. I’ll be there tomorrow and hope a few faithful readers and Heritage Action team members from Pottstown can get there, too!

When: Thursday, March 31, 4-6 pm. Come and go as you please.
Location: White Horse Inn, Morlatton Village, 31 Old Philadelphia Pike, Douglassville, PA 19518

What Heritage Resources are missing from this list?

LIST BELOW UPDATED AS OF 3/17/2011, 2:20 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE LISTING LOCAL, EXISTING RESOURCES

As part of the Heritage Action planning process, we’re in the midst of listing all the heritage resources that Pottstown has to offer. Think of a heritage resource as anything that is of any cultural, natural, historic or recreational significance in the history or current life of a community. Is there anything you’d like to see on the list?

Our next step will be to assess and rank these resources. Thanks for all the input so far!

NAME OF HERITAGE RESOURCE

Listed Historic Site/Structure
2 National Register Historic Districts
Pottsgrove Manor
Railroad Station
Roller Mills
Grubb Mansion
Jefferson Elementary School

Non-Listed Historic Site/Structure
The Carousel (planned)
Elks Club
Pottstown Historical Society
Historic Walking Tours
Potts Family Cemetery
Edgewood Cemetery
Candlelight House Tours

Cultural Site/Structure
historic churches
– Holy Trinity Church
– St. John’s Byzantine Church
– Emmanuel Lutheran Church
– Zion’s Reformed Church (Old Brick Church)
– St. Aloysius
– St. Peter’s
– Christ Episcopal Church
– Invictus Ministries
– Other churches

Edgewood Cemetery
Old St. Aloysius Cemetery

Archaeological Site/Structure

Museum or Interpretive Center
Pottstown Historical Society
Pottsgrove Manor

Educational Institution or Library
Pottstown School District
Pottstown Public Library
Montgomery County Community College
The Hill School
The Gallery School (arts)
High Street Music
Wyndcroft School
St. Aloysius School

Arts, Entertainment, Shopping
Assume all the downtown shops; maybe we’ll need a complete directory that’s easy to update on an informational kiosk?
The Gallery on High
Tri-County Performing Arts Center
Pottstown Arts & Cultural Alliance (PACA)
North Hall at MCCC
Boyer Gallery at Hill School
Center for the Arts at Hill School
High Street Music
The Ballroom on High (Swingkat)
Coventry Singers
Emmanuel Lutheran Concert Series
Sunnybrook Ballroom
Churchill – poetry & live music
Pottstown Symphony
Dada Gallery
Existing Murals

Trails, Greenways, Bikeways, Railroads
Schuylkill River Trail
Memorial Park
Bike Paths on High Street
High Street (wide – for parades)
Historic Bridges – 1903 Manatawny Bridge
Transportation
– PART – public transit
– Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center (transit center)
– Pedestrian Underpass at MCCC
– Free bike program/bike lanes
– Airport

Natural & Scenic Sites
The Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River Trail
Riverfront Park
Manatawny Creek
Memorial Park

Parks & Recreation Areas
Pottstown Parks & Rec. Dept.
The whole Pottstown Parks & Rec. System, pocket parks, etc.
Pollock Park (Schuylkill River trailhead?)
Memorial Park
– Spray Park
– Trilogy Park
– Skate Park (planned)
– Miniature Golf/Manatawny Gateway (planned)
Riverfront Park
422 Sportsplex
High Street Yoga
Community Land Trust – Community Gardens
Pottstown Garden Club
The Dell & Far Fields at The Hill School

Festivals/Special Events
– In Riverfront Park
– Schuylkill River Festival
– Schuylkill River Sojourn (stopping point)
– First Saturdays
– Sunday Music in the Park
– Relay activities
– Weddings
– Fishing/rafting
– cross-country skiing
– biking
– Polar Bear Plunge
– Shiver on the River

Carousel of Flavor
Classic Car Shows
July 4th Celebration
Volleyball Rumble
Soapbox Derby
Parades
Family Fest
Open Doors (community day)
Halloween Parade
Candlelight Historic House Tour
Free Trolley Tours during special events

Heritage Tourism Business
– recreation
– Tri-County Bicycles
– Bike Share Program
– Bentley’s Boards (skate shop)
– Hidden River Outfitters (operates out of SRHA building)

– food/drink
– The Farmers’ Market
– Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches
– Churchill, Inc.
– The Brickhouse
– Juan Carlos
– Funky Lil Kitchen
– Henry’s
– Positively Pasta
– Martha’s Famous
– Beverly’s Pastry Shop
– Company Cakes
– Burger King
– McDonald’s
– Dunkin Donuts
– Wawa
– Pottstown Diner
– High Street Diner (VIP)
– Very Best Restaurant
– Frankie & Johnnie’s
– Jack Cassady’s
– The Pourhouse
– The Icehouse
– Maria Angela’s
– Maximilliano’s
– Brunish Brothers Hot Dogs & Sausage

Media & Marketing
Borough Website
Tri-County Chamber of Commerce
Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority (PDIDA)
Roy Keeler/Roy’s Rants – blogger
WPAZ
PCTV
The Mercury
The Pottstown Post/Sanatoga Post
Positively!Pottstown – blog
Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization

Other
Walkable town
Wide, tree-scaped streets
Plenty of parking
Coordinated programs & activities promoting physical activity & health.
Historic architecture
Keystone Opportunity Zone
Mrs. Smith Pies
Pottstown Memorial Medical Center
Health & Wellness Foundation
Great volunteers
Elks Club, Rotary Club, Ambucs, Kiwanis,
Veterans Groups & other civic associations
Brookside Country Club
Train line
Small town atmosphere
Eagles/Firebirds
Hurricane Agnes
Underground Railroad
Reading/Philadelphia Railroads/Stations
Mills/Forges
Native American Lenni Lenape tribe
Dutch naming of the river
Steel industry & metal fabrication legacy
Firestone

Heritage Action Plan needs your input!

Last Friday, about 20 individuals and representatives from many different organizations in the community gathered at the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce for a 3.5 hour workshop to really dig into Pottstown’s Heritage Action Plan. Pottstown is creating a Heritage Action Plan or HAP with funds from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA). The purpose is to come up with a plan that will help promote and protect Pottstown’s heritage resources, make it a destination location and promote economic development.

On hand were Bob Folwell and Kara Wilson from the SRHA, as well as heritage planning consultants Shane and Peter Johnston from Peter Johnston Associates of Easton, MD. They were there to give an overview of the heritage planning toolkit, which they developed and which is being used to guide Pottstown through the process.

Our first step had been reaching out and trying to find “partners” to participate. A partner can be just about anyone, from an interested citizen to the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, the Tri-County Performing Arts Center, The Hill School, the Pottstown Community Land Trust, or local blogger Roy Keeler. I have gotten back partnership forms from several participants. To anyone else who would like to be an official partner: please get me your forms by this Friday, March 11! The Partnership_Form can be accessed here for anyone reading this for the first time.

After forming useful partnerships, the next step from the toolkit is creating a vision and goals. On Friday, we went around the room and people shared their vision for what the town could look like and feel like in an ideal world, while consultant Shane Johnston typed away. We came up with some common themes, which will be posted here shortly. We will also open up that conversation to the public for more input.

The next major step from the toolkit is to identify and assess a community’s heritage resources. Before we can market Pottstown, we need to catalogue exactly what resources we have and then decide which ones will provide the most immediate, visible return if we spend money to promote them. When this HAP is completed in April, we will apply for $25,000 to the SRHA to implement those top priorities over the course of the next year.

In an effort to bring the wider community into the conversation, we are putting out a request for help in identifying Pottstown’s “heritage resources.” Readers are welcome to respond here or at our Facebook page: Pottstown Heritage Action Plan.

So, what exactly is a “heritage resource”?

Here are a bunch of categories and some examples to get you thinking:

Historic Sites/Structures
– Downtown historic walking tours
– Potts Cemetery
– Edgewood Cemetery
– Various war memorials

Archeological Sites/Structures

Cultural Sites (Churches, Synagogues, etc.)
– Any historic church in town

Educational Institutions and Libraries
– Pottstown Historical Society
– Pottstown Regional Public Library

Museums & Other Interpretive Centers

Arts, Entertainment, and Shopping Areas

Major Highways and Roads

Trails, Greenways, Bikeways, Railroads

Sensitive Environmental Areas, Natural Wonders

Parks and Recreation Areas
– Riverfront Park
– Memorial Park

Tourism Dependent Businesses (hotels, restaurants, bars)

Special Events/Festivals that highlight local history/culture
– Schuylkill River Festival
– Carousel of Flavor
– July 4th
– Volleyball Rumble

Tourist Facilities (public restrooms, parking)

Other Resources

WE NEED YOU TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
What are some of Pottstown’s resources that you’d like to see on the list? As people respond, I’ll periodically update the list. Because of our short time frame to complete the plan, it would be great if people could get their suggestions in by this Friday, March 11th. If you have any questions, or would like to be involved further, send an email to PtownHAP@gmail.com Thanks for participating!

Big Turnout for Farmers’ Market Happy Hour

Farmers' Market, High & Charlotte
This past Friday night we had an awesome turnout of about 75 people for the Happy Hour at the Farmers’ Market. The new owners, Ben Moscia and Elise LeBoutillier, were our gracious hosts. They’ve already done a lot of work to spruce up the Market and will be putting things in motion over the coming weeks and months to do even more work on the building and the exterior and get new tenants in. Please, please support their efforts and the businesses that are already there by BUYING LOCAL.

Sheila and Gene Dugan of Grumpy’s provided a really nice spread, including scrumptious chocolate cake and carrot cake by Company Cakes at 26 N. Charlotte Street.

We heard inspirational words and updates from Mayor Heath, Superintendent Dr. Reed Lindley, Borough Manager Jason Bobst and WPAZ station manager Ross Landy.

Mayor Heath

There were a lot of new faces at this event, and I hope we can keep bringing people together to make connections and forge partnerships that will create a better Pottstown.

The next Happy Hour will be on Friday, March 18 from 5-7:30 pm at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center at 245 E. High Street. Tri-PAC will be putting on The Crucible that night, and I encourage you to purchase your ticket to the show in advance, then come out to the Happy Hour for a good time before the show. My BUY LOCAL pitch includes supporting the local arts scene! I’ll get the invite out on Monday, but anyone can rsvp for the next Happy Hour by sending an email to positivelypottstown@gmail.com. Hope to see you downtown!





Pottstown’s Annual FamilyFest on March 17

Pottstown’s Annual FamilyFest will take place on Thursday March 17, 2011 from  5 – 7 p.m. at Pottstown High School. The theme for this year is “Participate in Your Community: Pottstown Families Play, Work, & Serve Together.”
Families accompany their elementary age children to this event, which is sponsored by the Pottstown Family Center, Pottstown Parks & Recreation & PEAK – Pottstown School District.

All kinds of community organizations and agencies each have a table with information and a child-friendly activity, so that families can walk around and learn more about what’s available while the kids are engaged for a few minutes. Last year more than 500 people attended. At $15/table, this is very good exposure for any organization or business.

This year’s theme of “Participate in Your Community: Pottstown Families Play, Work, & Serve Together” expands the focus to encourage Pottstown residents to learn more about an organization or activity that interests them and find out how to get involved. There are many ways that even young children can be involved with their parents, whether it’s cleaning up a park in the spring or attending a First Saturday event downtown.

This theme of “participation” goes hand-in-hand with the idea of “buying local.” Area businesses are invited to have a table in the “Buy Local Zone” to let the community know what they offer and what they’re all about.

I’ll be there at a Positively!Pottstown table to talk up Pottstown’s arts, restaurants, historical walking tours, recreational opportunities, Heritage Action Planning process, and the monthly happy hours. I’ll also be glad to point people to other resources in the community, like the new Community Land Trust & the Community Garden project. Kids will be able to work on puzzles of local buildings while the adults chat.

Puzzlers at "Open Doors," 9/11/10

Forms can be downloaded below if you would like to have a table at FamilyFest or purchase an ad for the booklet. There’s also a list of ideas for kid-friendly activities. The registration deadline is Friday, March 4, 2011. I especially encourage local businesses to get a table so people can learn exactly where you are, what you do, and how they can support you.

Fam Fest-letter invite _2011
Family Fest Booth Info sheet _2011
FamilyFest Financial Support_2011
FamilyFest Ideas_2011

Any questions? Contact:
Jenn Brown, M.Ed.
Director, Pottstown Family Center
Family Services of Montgomery County
1976 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
(610)326-1610 X247
(610)326-3104 fax

Marketing Pottstown as a Trail Town: We need you!

On February 9, I first blogged about the Heritage Action Planning process getting underway in Pottstown with a grant from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. As a consultant working with Pottstown resident Tom Carroll on implementing the grant for the Borough, I also sent out emails & a questionnaire to a list of potential “Partners” in the process.

The overall intent of creating a Heritage Action Plan (HAP) is to improve the connections between the Trail and downtown Pottstown and to identify and leverage existing arts, cultural, historical and recreational resources to spur economic activity.

Based on a few recent conversations, I’d like to give a pared down explanation of what this process is all about and why it needs strong participation from arts & cultural organizations, educational institutions, government, businesses and restaurants – all of whom are known as “Partners.”

1. When we finish the Heritage Acton Plan or HAP by the end of April, we’re going to immediately turn around and apply for $25,000 from the SRHA to enact the plan by May 2012. This isn’t going to be just another planning study that sits on a shelf; we’re going to get something done.

2. The HAP will include marketing strategies, branding, and physical enhancements to make people aware of what’s downtown.

3. We want to create a Trail Town identity for Pottstown. More and more it’s looking like High Street will become a permanent leg on the Schuylkill River Trail. As the Trail connections are completed between Philly and Pottsville, more and more people are going to be coming through Pottstown. We want them to know that they can stop in Pottstown and find something to do and something to eat. (Pottstown needs to simultaneously look at its zoning and create a package of economic development incentives for new & existing businesses downtown, too, but that’s not part of the HAP process.)

4. Visitors coming off the Trail might not be in a position to go to a nice restaurant or the Tri-PAC that day. But once we get them downtown, we want them to know EVERYTHING that’s available so they want to come back again to experience something else.

5. One of the main outcomes of this plan will likely be VISIBLE & ATTRACTIVE KIOSKS at the Riverfront Park Trailhead, at a possible new trailhead in Pollock Park in south Pottstown, and in the downtown. The trailhead kiosks will make it clear how to get to High Street. All of them will have maps and show what’s available downtown by categories like: The Arts, Historical Attractions, Casual Dining, Fine Dining, Recreation.

6. These kiosks will essentially be “telling a story” that informs and entices EVERYONE to walk around, enjoy local history & architecture, see an art show or the performing arts, and stop in at a restaurant. The marketing of Pottstown as a Trail Town is meant to touch a wider audience of visitors, not just Trail users.

7. The Schuylkill River Heritage Area wants to help the towns along the river use the Trail as an economic engine. This Heritage Action Planning process is the first step.

Anyone interested in being a Partner is invited to meet other Partners and participate in a workshop with the Schuylkill River Heritage Area’s consultants, Peter Johnston & Associates, on Friday, March 4 from 1:30-5 p.m. at the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce, 152 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464. Please RSVP to Sue Repko at PtownHAP@gmail.com or 609-658-9043.

Next Happy Hour at Farmers’ Market, Feb. 25

Come out and meet the new owners of The Farmers’ Market

– Ben Moscia & Elise LeBoutillier –
and hear their plans for reinvigorating this crucial corner of High Street!

Friday, Feb. 25 from 5-7 pm
300 E. High Street
Pottstown, PA 19464

Your $5 cover gets you food by Grumpy’s
and complimentary beverages!
RSVP to positivelypottstown@gmail.com
Would your business or organization like to host a
Positively!Pottstown Happy Hour?
We want to promote Pottstown businesses and organizations
and get people into your space.
Email Sue Repko at positivelypottstown@gmail.com.

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