Chadds Ford zoning board OKs Wegman’s; hears Audi start up

The proposed Wegman’s supermarket has cleared another hurdle and now only has one more to go.

After getting zoning, land use and conditional use approval from Concord Township, and a Planning Commission recommendation in Chadds Ford, it now has zoning approval in Chadds Ford Township.

On Dec. 18, the Chadds Ford Zoning Hearing Board voted 3-0 to grant the needed variances for the project. Those variances include allowing a parcel of land adjacent to the Concord Township border to be used for parking only. That section of land is in the Light Industrial district where parking is only allowed as an accessory use, not primary.

The developer, Chadds Ford Investors, also reached an agreement with Applied Card to move a guard shack on Applied Card Way closer to Route 202 to prevent Wegman’s traffic from entering Applied Card property.

All that’s left now is approval from the Chadds Ford Board of Supervisors. The developer will ask for that when the board meets on Jan. 6. If approval is given, work is expected to begin in January and be finished in 18 to 20 months.

The zoning board also heard a request for several variances to allow an Audi auto dealership — Audi West Chester — to be built along Route 202, about 500 feet south of Dilworthtown Road, between the Wawa and Mr. Mulch.

According to the applicant’s attorney and three witnesses, nine variances are needed. Among them are variances for front and rear yard setbacks, impervious coverage, signage and outdoor storage — two parking spaces for inventory cars.

The need for the variances arises from the fact that the land is located in both Chadds Ford and Thornbury townships, with about two-thirds of the property in Chadds Ford. Each side has different zoning and there is a 16-foot grade difference between the two townships at the site.

To overcome some of the obstacles from Thornbury, the proposal would have inventory parking for more than 100 cars on the lower level in Thornbury, with the showroom, offices and service area in Chadds Ford. To minimize the footprint, the building is two-story, with the showroom on the upper level and the service department built into the steep slope on the ground level. Only the showroom would be visible from Route 202.

Access to the building is from Route 202 only and would be right in and right out with customer parking on the north and south sides of the building. Only employees would drive cars needing service between the upper and lower levels. Car deliveries would only be from northbound Route 202.

Signage could be an issue. Township code allows for 20 square feet of signage. The request is for more, much more.

A sign reading Audi West Chester on the front of the building is 30 square feet and an Audi logo — the four in-line interlocking rings — is more that 63 square feet. And there would be three of them, one on the front of the building and one each on the north and south facing sides. Also planned is a 27.5 square foot sign above a service receiving area on the upper level, and a 12-foot by-4 foot monument sign along Route 202.

After three witnesses, the hearing was continued to January.

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.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)
Loading...

Comments

comments

Leave a Reply