Home Care In Landenberg, PA

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As drivers make their way through winding tree-lined roads in Landenberg, Pa., they’re greeted by green fields, roaming horses, and Amish buggies.

Anteia Consorto said she enjoys the peace and quiet of the rural Chester County community, where she has lived for more than 30 years. Deer, foxes, and rabbits frequently visit her backyard, which borders onto rolling hills and valleys, farm fields with corn, soybeans, and grains.

“You always see something different. I had a bald eagle in my backyard the other day. It was beautiful,” Consorto said. “You don’t get that living in other areas.”

But she’s concerned the serenity might be in jeopardy.

Three years ago, the state purchased more than 1,700 acres of land in the area, and opened it to the public last year as Big Elk Creek State Park. The land adjoins Consorto’s and her neighbor’s backyards, and residents have since placed signs on their fences to indicate where the park ends, and their private property begins.

Consorto said she’s not bothered that the public can enjoy the natural wonders of her surroundings. However, she said she’s angered by a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources proposal to place a campsite, which may allow RVs and electrical hookups, on a portion of the land.

DCNR said the proposal was sparked by public demand for more camping opportunities in the state — almost half of state parks in Pennsylvania offer camping. However, residents such as Consorto worry about environmental impacts and quality of life issues.

She has distributed a written petition, which has garnered more than 500 signatures from residents across the region. An online petition posted by Consorto has received more than a thousand signatures.

Locals who signed the petitions say when the land was purchased, they believed it would be protected from heavy foot traffic.

“We’re happy to have people come and visit,” Consorto said. “We’re just trying to protect the environment and use it in such a way that it’s low impact.”

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DCNR spokesman Wesley Robinson said the state wants to be as minimally invasive as possible. The proposed campsite would only be about 5% of the entire state park, he said.

“A lot of what we do is species protection and making sure that their habitats are safe, so we’re not coming in and creating some sort of resort-style park,” Robinson said. He added that nothing has been finalized. “We’re not looking to build up the entire park and add hundreds and thousands of campsites.”

Camping in our backyard

A point of contention for residents is the proposed campsite location — currently, an open field on a hill that looms over neighborhoods, including Consorto’s. The hill lines up against a narrow road, and some homes on the opposite side directly face the site. Residents say the current number of trees around the piece of land would not add enough privacy.

“I love the state park system. I’m a huge advocate. We use them all the time. My family benefits,” said resident Ryan Kelley. “I don’t recall any state park I’ve ever camped in where it was within line of sight of a community, or a neighborhood, or residents.”

Residents worry they will be burdened by noise, lights, and traffic. Consorto said she’s also concerned that campfires on the hill could contribute to air pollution.

“The wind always blows off the field toward our neighborhood,” she said. “So, all of the smoke from the campfires will inevitably end up in our neighborhood, causing a problem for air quality.”

Residents say they’re also concerned about impacts to habitats and waterways. Big Elk Creek State Park is home to 15 endangered or rare plants, including three varieties of orchids, as well as rare species, such as the short-eared owl. A part of Big Elk Creek, which is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, also wraps around the park, and the hill.

Jeff Marion, a research biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, has studied visitor impacts to protected natural areas. When campsites are constructed, vegetation loss can occur when roads are paved and campsite pads are created, he said. Other potential impacts include erosion of soils into water bodies if visitors create their own trails for walking, biking, or all-terrain vehicle riding, Marion said.

However, these impacts can be minimized if visitors use sustainable trails, and if campsites are built in areas with fewer sensitive habitats, he said.

Marion said parks must regulate campers and educate them on low-impact practices, such as avoiding wildlife, keeping fires small, not interfering with nature, and hiking in designated areas.

“Our research shows that you can sustainably design trail systems so that you can have more use with less resource impact. You can sustainably design camping,” he said.

Marion, who also camps, added that most people who enjoy outdoor recreation such as camping respect the ground they’re sleeping and walking on.

“Most outdoor visitors are pretty well-educated, and they love these places that they’re visiting. So, they tend to be an easy sell on low-impact practices,” he said. “They love to share these places with their kids. And they want them to be there for their grandkids to enjoy.”

Residents such as Jim Noland say they’re not opposed to primitive camping at Big Elk Creek State Park. However, they believe allowing RV access, parking lots, and buildings such as shower houses would be a step too far.

“I knew they were talking about camping and I figured, ‘It’s probably going to be a nice camping area or two for the scouts to pitch some tents and enjoy the preserve.’ And I would have been in support of that,” Noland said.

But when he saw RVs and electrical hookups in DCNR’s PowerPoint presentation during a Nov. 6 meeting, he was shocked.

“I didn’t meet a single person that wasn’t as outraged as I was,” Noland said.

DCNR’s Robinson said the plans are still conceptual, and the style of campsite has not been chosen. The state is open to a variety of options, he said.

Meeting a demand

The demand for camping has increased nationwide since the pandemic — campsites and RV rental companies have reported their businesses are booming.

In 2020, the state announced a plan to increase outdoor recreation, and meet residents’ desires for greater camping access. Currently, 46% of Pennsylvania state parks offer camping, and three quarters of those sites accept RVs. These vehicles make the outdoors more accessible for people with physical limitations, said Mark Johnson of Asbury, New Jersey, who has back problems.

Johnson has camped for about 15 years, including in Pennsylvania. He runs a Meetup group for adults who enjoy a variety of outdoor recreational activities. State park campsites are popular, Johnson said, because they’re more affordable, and larger than private sites.

“There’s challenges to get reservations. They are extremely crowded. You need to make reservations probably months in advance if you want to get good sites,” he said.

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Johnson said he doesn’t have an opinion on the current proposal and added that he doesn’t believe one or two additional campsites would ease the demand.

A campsite at Big Elk Creek State Park would provide more outdoor recreational opportunities in southeastern Pennsylvania, DCNR’s Robinson said. The nearest Pennsylvania state park, French Creek State Park, is 38 miles away from Landenberg.

“The goal is to make sure that we’re giving people access to outdoor recreation publicly on the state level so they can enjoy nature,” Robinson said.

Dispute over park vs. preserve

About a dozen residents told WHYY News that when the land was first purchased by the state, they believed the park would be designated as a preserve with low-intensity, daytime-only recreation.

In 2020, some DCNR staff said the newly purchased land would be managed similarly to the nearby White Clay Creek Preserve, which restricts activity to daytime-only use. However, DCNR had not yet announced any official plans for the land at that time.

State Rep. John Lawrence, a lifelong resident, has drafted legislation aiming to “better define” a preserve in state law. He said he doesn’t agree with DCNR’s decision to designate the land as a state park —- which allows for camping.

“DCNR said themselves that it would be a non-developed park, and that a non-developed park brings benefits for folks who are wishing to explore nature without the development typically associated with a day use or overnight park,” Lawrence asserted.

During a Nov. 15 public meeting, Franklin Township chairman David Gerstenhaber said he was “blindsided” by what he labeled a “change in designation” of the area.

DCNR’s Robinson said the agency’s goal has and always will be to protect the land from development and ensure the protection of the wildlife there. He added that the state has never broken any contracts or agreements.

State park officials plan to meet with resident and township officials in January to answer questions.

Until then, Consorto said she hopes the state will consider a more scaled-back plan for the park.

“We’re running out of open areas for our wildlife and for all of these natural resources to thrive,” she said. “Let nature do what it needs to do and keep everything protected.”

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Ecolab Inc. plans to expand its Purolite business by adding a new biologics resin manufacturing facility in Landenberg, PA. an area near the Delaware state line.

Construction plans for the new facility are underway and will strengthen the security of supply for global pharmaceutical and biotech customers and will support the continued development and production of clinical and commercial-scale therapeutics for patients worldwide, a release stated.

The Philadelphia Business Journal (paywall) reported that the complex will cost $190 million.

“We are excited to announce this new facility, because of what it will mean for our customers and the many healthcare patients around the world who benefit from their innovation. As Purolite continues to grow, we are committed to continued chromatography innovation and dedicated applications support, thus improving the global supply of the high-quality products to produce lifesaving and life-enhancing therapeutics,” said Hayley Crowe, senior vice president and general manager, of Purolite.

Plans for the new U.S. location include the construction of resin production facilities, cleanrooms, laboratories and new office space. Additional land is available at the site for future expansion.

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The Landenberg facility will be Purolite’s fourth location in Pennsylvania. Once completed, the new facility is expected to expand production capacity and add more than 150 skilled jobs in the next five years.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is home to a growing biotech industry, and with Purolite’s expansion in Chester County, we are cementing ourselves as one of the leaders in this rapidly expanding field,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro. “I’m proud that Pennsylvania won this expansion project against other states, and I’m pleased that we will be the home of Purolite’s first U.S. Biologics Division. These types of strategic investments in growing businesses are positioning the Commonwealth as an economic powerhouse, and we will continue to make investments that bring more expansions and good-paying jobs to the Commonwealth.”

The Landenberg location will be Purolite’s sixth global manufacturing facility.

The site will produce agarose chromatography resin for monoclonal antibody and recombinant protein purification, and it will support new modality purification across cell therapy, gene therapy and mRNA. According to the release, the expanded production capacity will allow Purolite to better support innovators worldwide with premier purification resin that will increase yield, optimize productivity, and reduce the time needed to bring lifesaving therapeutics to market.

Eco Lab is best known for its disinfectants used in commercial settings and has acquired water treatment and other companies. Purolite was acquired in 2021.

LANDENBERG, PA — Pennsylvania-based Purolite, an Ecolab company, is investing at least $190 million to create a new manufacturing facility and expansion of its Global Biologics Division in Chester County, PA. The facility will manufacture healthcare and life science products for the global medical device, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. At least 170 new jobs will be created over the next five years, announced Governor Josh Shapiro.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is home to a growing biotech industry, and with Purolite’s expansion in Chester County, we are cementing ourselves as one of the leaders in this rapidly expanding field,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “I’m proud that Pennsylvania won this expansion project against other states, and I’m pleased that we will be the home of Purolite’s first U.S. Biologics Division. These types of strategic investments in growing businesses are positioning the Commonwealth as an economic powerhouse, and we will continue to make investments that bring more expansions and good-paying jobs to the Commonwealth.”

Purolite received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $1,037,000 Pennsylvania First grant and was encouraged to apply for the department’s Qualified Manufacturing Innovation and Reinvestment Deduction (QMIRD) program.

Construction on Purolite’s new facility is underway and phase 1 is expected to be completed by the first half of 2025.

“We are proud to expand our footprint in Pennsylvania with Purolite’s first U.S.-based biologics manufacturing plant,” said Hayley Crowe, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Purolite. “Purolite’s new facility will help bring security of supply to our global pharmaceutical and biotech customers, enabling lifesaving drugs to reach patients faster.”

Purolite, an Ecolab company, is a leading manufacturer of specialty purification resins for water, industrial, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. The company is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and Microsoft Start.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is spending $45 million to add new state parks at a nature preserve in Tunkhannock, on Big Elk Creek in the Philadelphia suburbs and along the Susquehanna River near Wrightsville, officials were set to announce Tuesday.

The additions to the state’s 121-park system will be an existing nearly 700-acre nature preserve on the Vosburg Neck in Wyoming County, a 1,700-acre tract in Chester County and some 1,100 acres in York County.

The expansion was funded in the state budget that passed in July. They are the first new state parks in Pennsylvania since 2005, not counting Washington Crossing in Bucks County, which was transferred from the state Historical and Museum Commission.

The Vosburg Neck property, known as the Howland Preserve and owned by the North Branch Land Trust, is bordered by an oxbow turn in the Susquehanna River and includes an extensive trail system.

In Chester County, the new park will include 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of Big Elk Creek, which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay at Elk River. Officials say the creek was long used by indigenous people and was an area of considerable activity for the Underground Railroad.

“There’s going to be a lot of history, a lot of stories to tell,” said Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “And part of the park planning in that one will be, what’s the best way for us to do that?”

The York park, located a few miles from Gov. Tom Wolf’s home in Mount Wolf, is adjacent to large tracts owned by the Lancaster Conservancy — the former Boy Scout camp Wizard Ranch and the Hellam Hills Nature Preserve.

Dunn said the state recently purchased the York County property, assembled the Chester County land over more than a decade and is in final negotiations for the Wyoming County tract.

“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to serve the public in a way that the public demands of us,” Dunn said. “People came out in droves during the pandemic and reaffirmed their interest in parks.”

The York park, with the working name Susquehanna Riverlands, is costing $20 million in land purchase and development costs, Elk Creek $13 million and Vosburg $12 million. Their final names haven’t been determined, and the parks are expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.

The money in this year’s budget is the result of an unexpected windfall from gas drilling leases on state forest land, Dunn said. New state funding is also helping develop a park where people can use motorized vehicles in Schuylkill County, south of Hazleton, and to preserve the state’s large collection of geologic core samples.

About two years ago, Don Sandusky faced a decision.

He served as head of research and development for a Michigan-based sporting goods company. Meanwhile, his cousin Peter Hamborg in Huntington Beach, Calif., had created an innovative new product – a redesigned skateboard that gave the rider the sensation of surfing on land. He called them Hamboards.

However, as a California surfer dude to the core, Hamborg wasn’t much for running a business. He needed Sandusky’s help. But the Michigan company demanded too much of Sandusky’s time.

“It was either move to Detroit and live there for the next 10 years or dive into Hamboards head-on,” said Sandusky, a former DuPont Co. engineer and Landenburg, Pa., resident. “So now I fly out to Huntington Beach for a week every month and a half. That’s a lot better than flying to Detroit.”

While Hamborg and his family of surfers had created a “first-class” brand and product, Sandusky spent the year untangling the company’s finances. Hamboard, expected to clear $350,000 in sales this year, now is headed in the right direction, and it might be on the verge of becoming an even bigger success.

Sandusky, Hamborg and Hamboards will have a national audience when they appear on ABC’s “Shark Tank” this Friday. The show puts inventors, entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses in front of a panel of wealthy venture capitalists, called “the sharks” on the show. Guests have to convince at least one shark to offer their desired investment, and the two sides negotiate over how much equity that will be worth.

Sandusky is barred contractually from revealing prior to the episode airing whether he secured an investment from one of the sharks. But if nothing else, he didn’t leave the studio without making a sale. Two of the sharks bought $3,000 worth of Hamboards after the taping ended in July.

“You’re going to have to watch it,” if you want to know what happens, Sandusky said. “It’s going to be absolutely wonderful TV. ... We had so much fun at our taping.”

Sandusky’s whirlwind experience over the past couple of years was not his first foray into building a consumer products business. Sandusky is a lifelong tinkerer, inventor and entrepreneur who holds more than 20 patents. After leaving DuPont in 2004, he started his own company based in Newark called Primo Sport.

He is perhaps best known as the inventor of “Never Flat.” The technology, later licensed by Spalding, prevents sports balls from losing air so they never need to be inflated. Sandusky spent months in his basement workshop trying to devise a way to stop a basketball from losing air and still has the device he rigged up to measure pressure. He also created new designs for soccer goalkeeper gloves and shin guards. He sold the business in 2011 to a larger competitor at a profit.

By contrast, Hamboard came about almost by accident. The Hamborgs came up with an idea, then started making and selling the board more or less as a hobby. As they became more popular, Hamborg had trouble keeping up, and that’s where Sandusky came in.

Hamborg and his family remain the face of the company, while Sandusky serves as general manager and is the majority shareholder.

The boards are, of course, popular with surfers looking to get the feeling of carving a wave on days when the surf is flat. Some surf schools have used them as a training tools, but Sandusky envisions them as a product they could sell to Middle America, where people don’t have access to ocean waves but might enjoy surfing on land.

They can be purchased on the company website, Hamboards.com, or locally at East of Maui Surf Shop in Lewes and Dewey Beach. Depending on the size, they retail from about $175 to about $600.

Getting onto “Shark Tank” was a challenge in itself. The company had to go through multiple auditions and submit information verifying the operations and finances of the business.

The taping was the easy part. Sandusky said he wasn’t nervous.

“Standing in front of five extremely successful $100-millionaires at the same time pitching my business was the single funnest thing I’ve done in my career,” he said.

Contact Wade Malcolm at 324-2386, on Twitter

@WadeMalcolm or [email protected].