It was testimony by the numbers during the May 8 hearing in Concord Township for Concord Ventures, a proposed planned residential development near Watkin Avenue and Route 202. The proposal is to build 29 townhouses in six buildings and 166 apartment units in three five-story buildings on 49 acres of a 64-acre property.
For nearly two hours, attorney Marc Kaplin, representing the applicant, questioned Ben Crowder, an engineer with Bohler Engineering and the project manager for the Concord Ventures plan. Kaplin would cite sections of the township’s zoning and PRD ordinances, asking Crowder if those sections apply to the proposal and, if they did, does the plan comply with those requirements. For all sections that apply, Crowder said the plan does meet the requirements.
Crowder’s said the plan provides for adequate pedestrian walkways with three access points to the Beaver valley Trail network and that the road system complies with township requirements.
The road structure, as planned, calls for realigning Watkin Avenue so that its intersection with Route 202 is squared up and includes a traffic signal. One point remains to be clarified, however. Crowder said the township wants Watkin Avenue to be one way, from north to south, while PennDOT wants Watkin to be a two-way street. The applicant has no preference and is willing to do either, he said.
Township code calls for 332 parking spaces for the apartments and the developer is planning for 335. The townhouses would have a garage and driveway to accommodate two vehicles per house. There will also be an additional 24 parking spaces near the proposed pool and clubhouse area.
Crowder also said there would be more open space than required. The township requires 50 percent be kept as open space, but Crowder said there would be 31.6 acres kept open and another 10 acres within the total property would also be left undisturbed.
The development would be served by public water and sewers, and that the township engineer has reviewed the stormwater management plan and had no negative comments, Crowder said.
Additionally, he testified, utility lines would be underground, and the lighting system would be "dark sky compliant," meaning street lights would be angled down with no spill upward. There would also be no spill of light onto neighboring properties, he said.
Retired Judge James Proud — who is presiding over the hearing — said the next two sessions would be three hours long, from 6-9 p.m. on June 19 and July 17.
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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