Officials enact ban on open burning, but not for brush and wood

EAST MARLBOROUGH >> Maybe no giant leaps happened, but East Marlborough took a number of the sort of small steps last night that form the largest part of getting things done in municipal government.

The supervisors used their monthly meeting to approve one previously discussed and advertised ordinance that does affect most residents. The ordinance generally prohibits burning leaves and other yard waste in the township, but allows for burning brush, wood, and other heavy materials that tend to pile up on farms and properties with large amounts of open space.

The supervisors who were at the meeting—both Julia Lacy and Bruce Jameson were absent—said the township had numerous residents who needed the exemption to burn brush and other debris.

“Otherwise, there’s no way to get rid of it,” Supervisor Robert McKinstry said.

The ordinance was necessary because according to state law, townships with a certain number of residents must either establish an ordinance on burning yard waste or set up a leaf-collection program.

The supervisors also approved a memorandum of understanding with Kennett Township associated with a state grant to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Route 82, the Route 1 bypass, and Cedarcroft Road north of Kennett Square borough.

The memorandum itself was just a piece of required paperwork laying out the involved parties’ various responsibilities, but the work envisioned will provide new turning options and improve traffic flow through a complicated intersection that can become congested in times of heavy traffic.

The line between Kennett Township and East Marlborough lies very near the intersection, and officials of the two municipalities have discussed ways to address the problems there for a number of years.

The supervisors approved the final construction plans for the crosswalk between the two sections of a Toll Brothers development that lie on either side of Route 82 just south of Route 926. At PennDOT’s suggestion the crosswalk is planned far enough south of the inter