Chadds Ford Township supervisors granted preliminary
approval for a two-story office building along Route 1 during their Feb. 2
meeting. The board must still grant final approval before construction may
begin.
The approval is for Brüggemann Chemical U.S. The company wants to
construct a 3,755 square foot office on the north side of Route 1 between
Southpoint and The Commons.
One point of concern is that a PennDOT mandate requires the
township to be a co-applicant when Brüggemannapplies for its Highway Occupancy Permit.
Township Solicitor Hugh Donaghue said the mandate makes the township equally
responsible for stormwater runoff into the state’s drainage system.
“Any stormwater facility that discharges water, either sheet
water from a driveway or utilizing the state’s drainage system, the
applicant and, possibly the township have to co-apply to pull the HOP,”
Donaghue said.
It becomes a financial issue, he said. Either the township
or the private landowner would be required to establish a fund to maintain the
system. He said he foresees the possibility of a landowner or a municipality
being sued every time there’s an accident near a drainage area.
The site is less than 3.5 acres. To comply with open space
regulations, Brüggemann would select for the fee in lieu option instead of
giving land for open space because the site is so small, according to comments
made by Jim Fritsch, the applicant’s engineer, during a Planning Commission
meeting in September.
Other business
The board is still reviewing and making revisions to the
proposed changes to code that would accommodate billboards and dynamic signs in
the township. A decision is expected in March.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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