Chadds Ford Township supervisors Wednesday night opened and continued a hearing into the adoption of an official map that would delimit the village area of the township.
According to Supervisors’ Chairman Frank Murphy, the township can apply and enforce the V–Village zoning district supervisors approved in July of last year once an official map is adopted.
The map does not expand the village area. As shown in the above image, the area officially designated as the village runs east and west from Hank’s Place on the west side of N. Creek Road through to the Barn Shops on the east side. It runs north and south on both sides of Route 1, north along Creek Road to the Chadds Ford Historical Society and south along S. Creek and Station Way roads including Brandywine Conservancy and River Museum of Art property.
That total area currently includes three zoning districts — R-1, R-2 and B-Business. Those districts would be replaced within the zone with the V designation. Uses currently permitted would still be permitted, Murphy said.
Some people were concerned that the text for the village district would force them to make changes to their property. Jim leader, of Leader Sunoco, said he was concerned that he would be forced to put in sidewalks at the gas station because the text of the village designation calls for sidewalks.
Murphy and Vice Chairman Samantha Reiner both said those changes are only for new construction. Murphy further said that Pennsylvania state law automatically grandfathers in existing conditions and that the township “can’t make it retroactive.”
Still, he said, there could possibly be some text changes to reassure people that construction standards for new construction do not apply to existing buildings.
Much of the conversation during the hearing morphed into an off-topic discussion off whether or not the village area should be expanded or restricted to the current area. That, however, was and is not under consideration at this time.
The board continued the hearing to 7 p.m., April 3 as part of the regular April meeting.
Text for the V-Village District can be found here. https://www.chaddsfordpa.gov/vertical/Sites/%7BB1D00309-8C27-4983-8D0E-3AA8F371EC5F%7D/uploads/ORD_-_156_V-Village_District_7.25.18.pdf
Other business
Township engineer Mike Schneider told the board that The Henderson Group finally received the Highway Occupancy Permit from PennDOT and would likely start the next phase of the Hillman Drive extension sometime this year. The order of construction would begin with building the driveway leading from Painters Crossing Condominium property to Evergreen Place.
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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