An idea that could lead to the development of 38 new homes along Oakland Road, has finally reached the Chadds Ford Planning Commission as an engineered plan.
Wonderland Farms, a planned residential development proposed by Harrier LLC, a Grace family business entity, if approved, would lead to the construction of 23 new single-family dwellings on the west side of Oakland and 15 townhouses on the east side of the street.
Discussions about the project have been ongoing for about two years, but the commission didn’t have a formally engineered plan to review until its Feb. 10 meeting.
With all three of Chadds Ford’s current supervisors observing, engineer Josh Castillo said the 23 single-family homes would be on one-acre lots on the west side of Oakland between Webb and Brinton’s Bridge roads — the site being referred to as the Baldino parcel — and that there would be 30 acres of open space controlled by the future home owners association. The open space would include a hiking trail throughout the property.
There are already two existing homes on the Baldino parcel and they will remain.
The east side of the development — referred to as the Lentz parcel — is an eight-acre parcel that also borders on Brinton’s Bridge Road. The 15 townhouses would be in three buildings of five units each.
While the townhomes are on the opposite side of the street, residents would have access to the open space trails because residents on both sides would be part of the homeowners association.
A pedestrian crossing is planned so residents can cross Oakland Road safely. A lengthy discussion followed regarding just how safe that might be and how it can be done safely.
John Snook, a senior land planner with the Brandywine Conservancy, also spoke during the meeting. Snook said the conservancy had been asked in the past to review plans and provide input. He said it was former Supervisor Keith Klaver who suggested that approach for this plan.
Snook said that while the plan has evolved from what was originally imagined, the areas he would term “critical open space” remain open in the engineered plan. He added that what’s now proposed is a plan based on current township codes.
A secondary issue involves another eight-acre parcel between the townhouse parcel and Route 202. That acreage is zoned PBC, or planned business campus, but Harrier has entered into an agreement of sale with Jim Sipala, owner of West Chester Kia, for the property.
Attorney Larry Strohm, representing the dealership, said Sipala’s business has outgrown its current West Goshen Township location and that the owner wants a larger spot and is willing to invest $11 million in Chadds Ford.
But for Sipala to buy the land and build a dealership, he said, the property has to be rezoned to PBC-1. Car dealerships aren’t allowed in PBC districts, but are permitted in PBC-1 with conditional use approval.
More discussion ensued, with Planning Commission Chairman Craig Huffman asking Strohm whether the future townhouse residents would be able to drive through the dealership property to access southbound Route 202 and whether Sipala would be willing to go through the zoning change process at the same time as the land development process for building the dealership.
Strohm said that giving townhouse residents access to Route 202 through the dealership is not consistent with the agreement of sale. It would necessitate moving the proposed building and reducing the amount of parking. He also said he would have to speak to his client before giving a final answer to either of Huffman’s questions.
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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