W.C. Council Welcomes New Member – Smith, 32, moves into seat recently vacated by Chesterton

Daily Local News – February 5, 2006

By Adam Cirucci, Staff Writer

WEST CHESTER – Borough council’s newest addition is Scott A. Smith, 32, of the 400 block of North New Street.

Smith, an environmental project manager, became involved in local politics through his work with the Friends of Veterans Memorial Park.

"I got a great deal of satisfaction out of seeing neighbors work to improve the park," he said this week.

Smith pledged to introduce himself to his new constituents by going door to door.

Smith was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Seventh Ward Councilwoman Maria Chesterton.

After winning the re-election in November, Chesterton left borough council to take a position as an in-house attorney with the state Department of Health.

Smith and Joseph Zaber, a member of the borough planning commission, both interviewed for the Seventh Ward seat at a special meeting on Jan. 26.

Council voted unanimously to appoint Smith to fill the seat until the voters elect a representative in the May 16 primary election.

The winner will fill the balance of the term which ends in January 2010.

Smith plans to seek the seat and other candidates have not yet announced plans to run against him.

Last November, Chesterton fended off a challenge from Republican Andrew Close.

Smith serves as chairman of borough council’s parks, recreation and environmental committee, and sits on the parking and finance committees.

He has some concern about neighborhood through-traffic in his ward, especially with all the development taking place downtown.

"With the new justice center, there is a lot of traffic coming through this part of town," Smith said.

He also said that it was important to retain the borough’s small-town identity, while encouraging economic development.

"It is important to keep the integrity of West Chester intact. That is one of the reasons it attracted me, it looks like it is right out of a Norman Rockwell scene," he said. "We need to be sure to meet the needs of the town in the long-term."

Smith, who has lived in the borough for seven years, is restoring his home, a 140 year-old townhouse.

He and his wife Sharon, an environmental scientist, were married in Everhart Park in 2001.