The Chambersburg 21st Century Partnership Refuses to Allow the Franklin County Coalition to Join

CONTACT:
Thomas Linzey, Esq.
709-0457

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chambersburg (September 28) - The Franklin County Coalition announced today that it has been denied membership in the Chambersburg 21st Century Partnership. The Coalition was notified of the Partnership's actions in a letter written by John Baker, the Chairman of that organization, on September 19th. In June, the Coalition had requested membership to assist the Partnership with an inventory of historic properties within Chambersburg and outlying areas. One of the Coalition's organizational members - Kittochtinny Historical Society - has been a leader on historic preservation issues in Chambersburg since 1898.

Thomas Linzey, coordinator of the Franklin County Coalition, called the actions of the Partnership "obstructionist", declaring that "the Partnership has revealed that they're more interested in maintaining control through a small clique of individuals and businesses than in promoting downtown economic development which respects historic properties. Apparently, the Partnership has no interest in including the growing voices of nonprofit organizations in the Chambersburg Area, or the urgent voices of locally owned businesses. We're disappointed that the Partnership has taken this approach to building its' organization."

In his letter of September 19th, Baker stated that "[a]t the present time the Partnership does not find itself in the position of considering new members." The September 19th letter was sent in response to a second inquiry from the Coalition, which was submitted to Baker on August 16th - reiterating the Coalition's request to become a member of the Partnership.

The Coalition's request for membership came on the heels of February discussions within the Partnership to inventory historic sites in the area, and to use the rich historical legacy of Chambersburg as the anchor for a historic preservation plan for downtown. With the membership of Kittochtinny and the Waynesboro Historical Society, the Coalition is uniquely situated to assist in the protection and preservation of historic properties.

Linzey invited the Partnership to join the Franklin County Coalition, which consists of seventeen nonprofit community organizations and over thirty locally owned businesses. Linzey explained that "while the Partnership isn't attempting to be inclusive of nonprofit groups and locally owned businesses in Franklin County, the Coalition is an inclusive organization. We would certainly welcome the membership of the Partnership in the Franklin County Coalition."