March 10, 2015

Chadds Ford Township supervisors concluded the hearing on proposed zoning changes that could lead to a new townhome development. A decision is tentatively scheduled for the board’s April 1 meeting.

Hovnanian Homes wants to build a 107-unit townhouse development on Brandywine Drive at Route 1, but the 20-plus acres parcel is zoned PBC for a planned business campus. The hearing was held to determine whether or not to change the zoning to PBC-1 and then add a text amendment to allow for townhomes — with conditional use approval — in such a zoning district.

The March 9 session continued the hearing that was opened Feb. 2. At that time, attorney John Jaros, representing the applicant, had concluded his opening presentation and the supervisors began hearing from residents before continuing the hearing until March.

Leading off was Chadds Ford resident Valerie Hoxter who asked a series of questions directed to the board and to the applicant.

Her primary question was procedural in nature, asking why the hearing was being held before a firm plan for the development had been submitted.

Jaros explained that the applicant has been working with the township Planning Commission for two years to come up with an acceptable approach.

He recounted the attempts citing an initial approach to develop an overlay district, but that was shot down. They then proposed changing the parcel’s zoning to RM, residential multi-family use. The commission gave thumbs down to that also.

The proposal to change the zoning to PBC-1 along with a text amendment was met with the commissioners’ approval.

“We have worked closely with the township to develop this application,” Jaros said.

However, Jaros noted that even if supervisors approve the zoning change and text amendment, that still does not mean the project would become reality. K. Hovnanian would still need to go through a conditional use hearing. Even if use is approved with conditions, the development would still need preliminary and final land development approval from the supervisors.

He also said that without the text amendment, it would make no sense to go through the expense of delving deeper into engineering.

Other areas of concern for Hoxter and other residents — including newly appointed Supervisor Samantha Reiner — involved traffic, stormwater management and the number of school-aged children the development would bring into the school district.

Reiner said she wanted to see more detailed traffic and stormwater management plans and a more complete review by the township’s professional consultants.

(Reiner was not on the board when the hearing began on Feb. 2. She was appointed two weeks later to replace Keith Klaver who resigned in January, but Jaros agreed that she could review the first night’s testimony and vote on the matter.)

Stormwater runoff is a major concern, especially for residents of Painters Crossing Condominiums where a runoff problem already exists.

Hoxter lives at the condominiums and the president of the condo board, Clark Hoffman, requested party status in the hearing when it began last month. He said then, and repeated the point during the March session, that he opposes the proposed changes because of stormwater problems that already flood parts of the condo property.

Land planner John Kennedy said the plan already meets the township’s requirements for impervious coverage with a maximum building coverage of 30 percent and an impervious coverage area of 50 percent.

The number of new students coming into the school district was also questioned.

Another land planner, David Babbitt originally said the development, as planned would add 10 new students. However, he was questioned because of a student population projection study performed by a firm the school district retained when it was investigating the possibility of redistricting the elementary schools.

That firm, McKissock and Associates, looked at the K. Hovnanian concept and projected there would be 42 new students, 0.39 students per home.

Babbitt said he questioned the people at McKissock and learned that they used a different methodology, looking at the 2000 census and basing their projections factoring in all homes in the district.

Babbitt’s calculations, he said, were based on type of home, multi-family units, cost of the units and their style.

Half of the units proposed would be age targeted toward buyers 55 or older who are usually empty nesters. Those units would have the master bedroom on the ground floor, called “master down.” They are planned to sell for $563,000.

The other units would be what he called “open market” homes with an upper floor master bedroom. It’s from those units that the students would be coming from, he said. The cost for those homes is projected to be $499,000.

Babbitt’s figure of 10 students comes from using those variables to come up with 0.19 students per open market home.

He said that figure matches with the school district’s numbers from four townhouse developments in Chadds Ford, Pennsbury and Pocopson. That same figure, 0.19 students per unit, also coincides with a report from Rutgers University. Rutgers did a study for all 50 states, Babbitt said.

“Townhouses have fewer students than single family homes,’ he said.

Jaros closed by reminding the board and the residents that approving the zoning changes does not end the approval process. He also reminded them that the township‘s Comprehensive Plan recommends having residential and commercial uses in that area near Routes 1 and 202.

The Pocopson Township Board of Supervisors wants to take advantage of the free Historic Commission training being provided at the Brandywine Conservancy next month.

Referencing an earlier offer by Karen Marshall, the county’s Heritage Preservation coordinator, Supervisors’ Chairman Barney Leonard said at the supervisors’ Monday, March 9, meeting that he hoped the township would send a representative to the daylong session on April 25. He said that person could share the training with others once the commission is established.

The township has embarked on a two-year path to create a Historic Commission, which would serve in an advisory capacity to the supervisors. Its chief mission would be assessing the township’s historic resources and then crafting an appropriate ordinance to protect them.

Leonard asked Supervisors Georgia F. Brutscher and Ricki Stumpo about possible candidates. Stumpo suggested putting a notice on the township’s website, and Brutscher agreed that a website posting would be a good way “to see if there are any takers.”

According to Leonard, a new and improved township website is expected to debut next week. Stumpo said after the meeting that the notice would likely appear first on the existing site and would automatically transfer to the new one when it’s up and running.

In other business, the supervisors waived a conditional use hearing for the Dwyers, who own a 13-acre property on Marlboro Road. However, the supervisors said they would likely impose conditions on the permit for the in-law suite the couple wants to add to the third floor of the barn/garage they added to the property.

The supervisors raised questions about deed restrictions, firewalls, and other code issues. Kate Dwyer agreed to bring paperwork, including the deed for the property and inspection reports, to the next meeting.

A proposal from Kristen Camp, the solicitor for the Planning Commission, to review and tighten the regulations for the township’s greenway corridors for an estimated price tag of $3,800 received the supervisors’ approval. However, Leonard added a condition that Camp let the supervisors know in advance if the cost could run higher.

Stumpo said she’s already taken calls from some of the baseball coaches. “They’re ready to play at the end of March,” she said. Mark Knightly, who directs the Public Works Department, suggested that the weather needs to cooperate. He said the planned improvements to the field – laying down Diamond-Tex, a gravelly ballfield mix – can’t happen until the snow melts.

 

 

With two supervisor seats up for re-election in Concord Township, two Republicans have filed for an election bid.

One of those candidates is incumbent Republican Supervisor Kevin O’Donoghue who’s seeking third six-year term in office. He points to saving open space as one of his accomplishments during his first 12 years in office.

“We’re very proud to have saved a lot of open space and we have made Concord a great place to live and raise a family,” he said during the annual Concord Township Republican Party dance at the Concordville Inn on March 6. “Smart growth is why I’m signing up for another six years. A lot of tough decisions need to be made.”

O’Donaghue said 300 acres of land has been preserved as open space during his time on the board. He specified land along Ivy Mill Road and Smithbridge Road as well as the Coleman and Hall properties as preserved land.

“We saved a lot of open space and now we’re going to take the next step with a trail task force that I’m heading up with [fellow Supervisor] John Gillespie. We’re going to do things with the open space so that our citizens can utilize this, especially with Rails-to-Trails,” he said.

Rails-to-Trails uses old railroad lines as trails. What will be under consideration in Concord is tying in with a Delaware County plan and a statewide plan for such a network, O’Donoghue added.

In a follow-up e-mail, O’Donoghue said the task force is part of a Greenways and Open Space Committee.

“Last year, Concord Township was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources toward a $60,000 township-wide study of open spaces and greenways. This planning will guide the township regarding future trail projects, pedestrian connections, open space preservation, among other things. Additionally, it is an effort to update a multitude of older studies and coordinate with county efforts as well,” he said in the message.

Also running in Concord is political newcomer Gail Ryan. Ryan’s lived in Concord for five years and said she wants to run because she finds the government process interesting and hopes to make a difference.

Ryan is running for the seat currently held by Dominic Cappelli. Cappelli ran for re-e-election two years ago for the remaining two years of former Supervisor Colleen Morrone’s term, instead of the regular full six-year term. He said at the time he chose the two-year term because he wasn’t sure if he wanted six more years on the board.

(Supervisor Libby Salvucci, who was appointed to replace Morrone until the 2013 election, ran for and won the six-year term in 2013.)

Democrat Dan Foster, who ran for supervisor in 2013, had not yet filed paperwork to run this year by the time this article was published. The deadline for filing is Tuesday, March 10.

Foster is chairman of the Democratic Party in Concord and Bethel Townships.

“[We] Democrats control our destiny with regards to our participation and involvement within the townships and local government. We must shoulder our share of responsibility and stop depending on Republicans to run everything from local government to poll workers on Election Day. We can go back to the days of not running Democratic candidates for local offices, but I do not want to see this happen. I plan to run for Concord Supervisor if Democrats will support a campaign,” Foster said in an e-mail.