It will be at least another month or two before Chadds Ford Township Supervisors make decisions on a plan for the loop road or a proposal for an assisted living facility in the township. And if one of those decisions is a negative, the matter could go to court.

Supervisors’ Chairman Frank Murphy said the reason for waiting is that “We want to get it right.”

The current plan for the loop road, also referred to as the Hillman Drive extension, is a proposal by The Henderson Group, the owner of the Chadds Ford Business Campus at Routes 1 and 202. The road would cut through that property — from Route 202 to Route 1 — and the plan has been discussed in the township — in Planning Commission and supervisors’ meetings, for a year.

While many, if not most township residents, want to see Hillman Drive extended to connect with Route 1, residents of the Estates at Chadds Ford object to some of the details. Specifically, they object to the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Hillman and Evergreen Place, their lone way in and out of their development. They also object to a driveway that would allow residents of Painters’ Crossing Condominiums to access Hillman Drive from Evergreen.

Murphy said he could see Evergreen becoming “a clogged nightmare.”

One resident said during the Sept. 7 supervisors’ meeting that having the roundabout at the base of Evergreen would be like eating a fine meal with a cork in the mouth.

During the course of the past year, Henderson has revised the plans several times to accommodate resident concerns. One of those changes included moving the access point for Painters’ Crossing to a driveway that connects with Evergreen behind an already existing office building.

Traffic engineer Matt Hammond said Henderson looked at other locations, but the grade was too steep at one point. Steep grading and a stormwater basin prevented another location from being used and that having traffic cut through an office building parking lot isn’t a safe option.

Part of the concern for residents of the Estates is that their portion of Evergreen Drive is steep. They have complained that it’s dangerous when ice and snow covered, that there have been numerous accidents with vehicles sliding down the slope.

John Mastriana, president of the Estates Homeowners’ Association, said the plan would be more amenable to residents if Evergreen could be made safer.

Additionally, he said, incorporating speed bumps and stop signs on Hillman would be an improvement.

Hammond, however, said stop signs would cause backups. In addition, while some — including Murphy — want the proposed roundabout moved from Evergreen Place to Dickinson Drive, the planned location would be a safer and more efficient means for people entering and leaving the Estates.

Supervisor Noelle Barbone asked whether Henderson would be willing to help to somehow improve the safety of Evergreen.

Henderson President Brian Coyle said yes to that concept, while Ross Weiss, Henderson’s attorney for the project, reminded the board that while Henderson owns part of Evergreen, from the proposed driveway down to Hillman, the unsafe area of Evergreen is owned by the Homeowners’ Association.

Clark Hoffman, president of the Painters’ Crossing Condominium Association, said there needs to a compromise on the local level, otherwise PennDOT would come in, use eminent domain and build whatever type of road extension it wants.

After two-and-a-half hours of review, Murphy said the board was not ready to vote on preliminary approval of the plan.

Weiss said he saw no reason for any delay, that there’s no reason for his client to re-engineer a plan that has already been reviewed by Delaware County, the township fire marshal and engineer and was recommended for approval by the township Planning Commission.

He said Henderson would take the matter to court if the board denied approval.

The board has until Oct. 31 to give it’s decision, according to township Manager Amanda Serock.

Other business

A proposal for an assisted living facility on Route 202 will have to wait another month before the board votes on the matter.

Ed Morris wants to build the four-story, 88-unit facility on Route 202, just to the south of Summit Drive at the former site of C Harry B 4 U Buy.

The township amended its code to allow for such a use last year, but conditional use approval is required.

Supervisors held a second session on the hearing before the start of the Sept. 7 board meeting, but continued the proceedings to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.