I continue to be impressed with the videos of the Bridgeville Borough Council and Planning Commission meetings that are archived on “Bridgeville.org”. The format is an ideal instrument for private individuals to keep well informed on their deliberations.
In a recent Planning Commission meeting they continued their prioritization of critical community issues, narrowing a dozen or so down to three. One of the members commented that it was important that the issues with lower priority not be permanently sidelined and commented that perhaps “Enhance Bridgeville’s small-town charm” was one that should be revisited in the near future.
I recall one of the Commission members discussing this issue at an earlier meeting, using Andy Griffith’s Mayberry as a desirable example. This, of course, is admirable, and it got me wondering what specifically might be done to support such an agenda.
The concept of “charm” is highly subjective. Its synonyms include appealing, attractive, and fascinating, among others. All of these depend upon the tastes of the person evaluating the subject. It would probably be difficult to find a consensus in any group on what makes a small town charming.
A good place to begin might be with a group of people my age and our opinion of what was charming about Bridgeville when we were growing up. I suspect the list would begin with the small family owned businesses “downtown” –
Foster’s Grocery Store, Harmuth’s Meat Market, Skip Batch’s Barber Shop, Sarasnick’s, etc. My Baldwin Street buddies would add dozens more.
Weise’s News Stand, the two Rankin movie theaters, Bard’s, and “Ma” Hines’ Dairy Store would be high on this group’s list. After a little bit of reflection, I think I would add the railroads, the banks, the churches, and our two schools. Although we were too young to take advantage of them, the social clubs – Italian, Granish, “Dutch”, Owls, and the American Legion – were certainly major contributors to Bridgeville’s charm in those days.
Remembering the schools and the role they played in the community’s culture reminds me of my long-term conviction that Bridgeville leaders underestimated the negative consequences of organizing the Chartiers Valley School District. I am still a strong advocate of neighborhood schools; the antonym of small town charm is the sight of first graders standing in line to get on a school bus.
An inventory of things that Bridgeville still possesses that my generation would classify as charming would begin with Triangle Park and its gazebo. Most charming small towns have a downtown park, often a town square or diamond. There isn’t much Bridgeville can do to emulate that, but perhaps Triangle Park could be extended in both directions. Imagine a brick sidewalk along the old B &M Branch right-of-way all the way to the Dari Delite on Bower Hill Road.
Both the Library and the History Center must be considered charming. I don’t think either organization receives the level of financial support that would be justified by a community interested in enhancing its “small town charm”. They are gems that any small town would be happy to have.
Coffee shops and restaurants are a bigger contributor to small town charm today than they were eighty years ago. La Bella Bean certainly is charming, as are Shouf’s and Cucina Bella. It is unfortunate that they aren’t closer together. I don’t know enough about the Railyard Café and DeBlaze Grill to comment on their charm, but I suspect they too are contributors.
I forgot to mention the three local drugstores that Bridgeville boasted in the 1940s; they certainly contributed charm. The chain super pharmacy that drove them out of business is an appropriate contrast. Would Bridgeville residents support an independent drug store like McMillen’s, or Bennet’s, or Wilson’s today? Or would slightly lower prices beat out service?
I have to assume that different generations have different ideas about charm. I am uncomfortable with tattoo parlors and nail salons, but I suspect that younger generations might find them quite charming.
Architecture is a real problem. Most charming small towns are filled with lovely old houses that recall “the good old days”. Houses exactly like those that Bridgeville tore down, frequently to humor businesses that have gone defunct. The three Murray houses, Dr. Fife’s house, the “Old Donaldson” house, and the McGarvey residence are just a few examples.
It’s too late for them, but a community seeking to enhance its charm might initiate procedures to consider that concept seriously when evaluating proposals to demolish old structures, as well as for approval of new ones. Perhaps such a procedure exists already and merely needs enforcement.
Brick streets are controversial. Most of the South Hill communities that still have brick streets regularly undergo passionate debates about them. To me, a charming small town has neighborhoods with red brick streets, mature trees, well-kept lawns and Victorian houses – Gregg Avenue before the sugar gum trees were cut down!
Old fashioned movie theaters are charming, but can only be justified if the community supports them. My favorite is the theater in Palo Alto, California, which has a live organist play appropriate music between features. Watching the organ rise up in front of the screen, playing a popular song from the 1920s is worth the price of admission itself, and exemplifies “charming” to me.
The Planning Commission appears to be heading toward a recommendation that the Borough update its comprehensive plan. Effective long-range planning begins with a consensus vision. In this case the planners need to decide what kind of community Bridgeville would like to be in the future.
Based on what I have heard in past Planning Commission meetings, I suspect the comprehensive planning process will involve a conscious effort to involve as many local residents as are willing to provide feedback. It will be interesting to see if charm is important to them and, if so, what things they find charming.