West Chester Open-Air Market: Scaled Back To Weekends

WEST CHESTER — Borough Council voted 5-2 Wednesday night to scale back closing Gay Street to motorists on weekends only during the summer due to ongoing utility work in the areas.

Gay Street will be closed on Friday morning to Monday morning from Matlock to Darlington streets, providing residents and visitors an area to socialize and dine without worrying about traffic.

The closure will occur from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Specific times have not yet been determined.

The majority of council members voted to reduce closing Gay Street to weekends instead of 24/7 because PECO and Aqua water company are planning to work in the area during the summer.

Council members Michael Stefano, Lisa Dorsey, Patrick McCoy, Brian McGinnes and Bernie McCoy voted in favor of closing the street to vehicles on weekends.

Council members Nick Allen and Sheila Vaccaro voted against the closure primarily because it will be difficult to put the barriers up and take them down twice a week.

John O’Brien, executive director of the West Chester Business Improvement District, said the majority of the business want to see Gay Street closed and are making arrangements for storage during the weekdays.

“There will be some bumps but we are working our way around it,” O’Brien said.

Police and fire companies have expressed concern about public safety with PECO working in the area and Gay Street being closed.

On March 8, Phoenixville Borough Council approved a scaled back version of Open-Air dining to weekends from Memorial Day to the end of September.

Last year, it started in the beginning of May and continued until Nov. 7.