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The City of Chester Vision 2020 Climate Adaptation Planning Elements VERSION 2, OCTOBER, 2016 APROVED BY CHESTER CITY COUNCIL June 25, 2014 Authored By: The Chester Hazards And Climate Project Team Table of Contents Acknowledgements The Chester Hazards and Climate Adaptation Project Team (Project Team) prepared this document with funding from a competitive Executive Summary..................................................................2 Strategy 3: Develop a Heat Emergency Plan ....................23 grant awarded to Penn State University, Pennsylvania Sea Grant by the NOAA Sea Grant College Program; substantial support SECTION I: Introduction ...........................................................4 Learning from others ....................................................23 was also provided by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the City of Chester, and the Delaware County Planning Department. The Project Team wishes to thank all those who contributed comments and ideas to inform the planning process, SECTION II: Climate Stressors ................................................6 Recommended Actions.................................................24 especially those who served on the Chester Hazards and Climate Task Force. Climate Stressors in the City of Chester..............................7 Strategy 4: Seek Certification in the National Flood SECTION III: Vulnerabilities in Chester ..................................10 Insurance Program Community Rating System (CRS) .....25 Primary Infrastructure Vulnerabilities .................................10 Learning from others ....................................................26 Chester Hazards and Climate Task Force Chester Hazards and Climate Transportation Vulnerabilities .......................................10 Recommended Actions.................................................26 Kenneth P. Barrow, Chester City Planning Commission Adaptation Project Team Utilities .......................................................................... 11 Strategy 5: Improve Floodplain Management....................27 Brian Crimmins, Crozer-Keystone Health System Commercial and Industrial Sites ...................................12 Learning from others ....................................................28 Beverly Harris, Chester City Roads Department Emergency Facilities and City Services .......................13 Recommended Actions.................................................29 William Jacobs, Chester City Council Primary Ecosystem Vulnerabilities ....................................13 Strategy 6: Expand Vegetated Buffers, Restore Jim Johnson, Chester City Fire Commissioner Surface Water Assets ...................................................13 Wetlands and Streams, and Protect Open Space .............30 Kim Hoover, PA DEP Brownfields Section Air Quality .....................................................................14 Learning from others ....................................................30 Barron Lacy, 9th Street Youth & Community Center Vegetation and Tree Cover ...........................................15 Recommended Actions.................................................31 Michelle Lewis, Senator Pileggi’s Office Invasive Species and Pests..........................................15 Strategy 7: Develop a Plan to Implement Green John Linder, Chester City Mayor Primary Societal Vulnerabilities .........................................16 Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) ........................................33 Richard Linderman, Linderman Group Architects SECTION IV: Adaptation Strategies .......................................18 Learning from others ....................................................34 Steve Madigoski, Widener University Strategy 1: Create an Environmental Advisory Recommended Actions.................................................35 Anthony Moore, Chester City Parks Coordinator Council (EAC) ....................................................................18 SECTION V: Moving Forward ................................................36 Nafis Nichols, Chester City Council Learning from others ....................................................18 References .............................................................................38 Jacqueline Parker, Chester Economic Development Authority Recommended Action ..................................................18 APPENDIX A: Summary Table of Adaptation Strategies ........40 Terri Pelegrino, Crozer-Keystone Health System Strategy 2: Engage in Post-Storm Redevelopment APPENDIX B: Model Environmental Advisory Ian Piro, DELCORA Planning Process...............................................................19 Council Ordinance ..................................................................43 Ricardo Soto-Lopez, Chester City SC2 Fellow Learning from others ....................................................20 APPENDIX C: Project Maps ...................................................45 James Turner, Chester City Planning Board, Recommended Actions.................................................21 Chester Water Authority Brian Vadino, DE County Conservation District Christine Volkay-Hilditch, DELCORA Portia West, Chester City Council Dan Whaland, Chester Economic Development Authority Elizabeth Williams, Chester City Council Partial funding for this project was provided by the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. 2 | Chester Climate Adaptation Planning Elements Chester Climate Adaptation Planning Elements | 1 Infrastructure vulnerabilities addressed redevelopment efforts 5. Improve Floodplain Management to protect Chester’s Executive Summary along the Delaware River waterfront, as well as transportation, residents, sensitive habitats, and property from flooding utilities, commercial and industrial sites, and emergency in areas adjacent to the Ridley Creek, Chester Creek, Present-day climate stressors, such as extreme heat, severe coastal storms, flooding and drought, facilities and city services. Ecosystem vulnerabilities focused on and Delaware River waterways; recognize an Expanded threaten the City of Chester’s developed and natural environments. Past observations and current surface water assets, air quality, vegetation and tree cover, and Flood Risk Area with suggested best practices that invasive species and pests. Societal vulnerabilities considered modeling suggest that these climate stressors will become more severe in the future and expose includes development in areas with a history of flooding; the impacts of storm-related flooding and extreme heat events and encourage building owners and developers to adopt the city and its residents to new hazards and heightened risks. The City of Chester is at a critical on Chester’s disadvantaged populations. voluntary measures to increase building resilience to periodic inundation; juncture for revitalization; brownfield sites and other lands along the Delaware River are priority Based on the vulnerabilities identified in the assessment, areas for redevelopment. Yet protecting and enhancing existing wetlands, riparian buffers, and open the Project Team consulted with the Task Force to prepare 6. Expand Vegetated Buffers, Restore Wetlands and seven adaptation strategies addressing short-term and long- Streams, and Protect Open Space by adopting creek space is also important for mitigating the storm impacts associated with climate change. While the term planning needs. Modeled after successful programs conservation plans, developing codes for floodplain extensive damage from past flooding and storm events demonstrates a critical need to enhance implemented in other states and coastal communities, the management, mapping areas for open space preservation individual strategies are summarized below: Chester’s resiliency to climate change, adaptation planning for Chester’s industrial waterfront and restoration projects and identifying restoration goals, i.e. acres of wooded lands or wetlands; and its urban, residential, and community spaces is hampered by a lack of capacity to respond to 1. Create an Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) to steward the implementation of Chester City’s climate 7. Develop a Plan to Implement Green Stormwater vulnerabilities in its economic, environmental, and social infrastructure. adaptation plan; Infrastructure (GSI) by creating a GSI guide for city 2. Engage in a Post-Storm Redevelopment Planning planners and developers, incorporating GSI into land Process with community stakeholders to guide recovery development ordinances and codes, and identifying funding With funding from the 2012 National Sea Grant Climate Region III Office Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2). To and redevelopment efforts and reduce vulnerability to future sources for demonstration projects. Adaptation Competition, Chester was selected as a model guide the climate adaptation planning efforts, the Project Team coastal hazards; As the City of Chester begins to implement the strategies coastal community for integrating climate change adaptation established the Chester Hazards and Climate Adaptation Task outlined in the climate adaptation planning process, it should planning into economic revitalization efforts. This two-year Force. Members included a range of city officials, government 3. Develop a Heat Emergency Plan to minimize the number be noted that some of the strategies are poised for immediate project advances Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s work piloting agencies, industry, and planning agencies that provided of

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