Chadds Ford Township Supervisors Wednesday night rejected the adoption of an official village map and will now start over. Supervisors’ Vice Chairman Samantha Reiner said there was simply “too much confusion” within the public to go ahead with the current proposal.
That confusion included not only knowing what is and is not allowed in the V-Village District, but which properties might be grandfathered in on their current uses or if they would need to conform to the new ordinance, and whether a resident living within the district could opt out of having his or her property regarded as part of the zoning district.
The text of the ordinance adopted last year establishes permitted uses — mixed uses such as residential and retail — in the district, while the map establishes the physical boundary of the district. The map under consideration showed the village running north along North Creek Road from Route 1 to the Chadds Ford Historical Society, and east to include the Barn Shops.
Supervisors opened a hearing on the adoption of the map on March 6, then continued the hearing to the first part of their April 3 meeting. After several comments from residents and a few from the supervisors, the hearing was closed. The vote rejecting the map came later, under new business on the agenda.
Starting over, according to Supervisors’ Chairman Frank Murphy is first to have township solicitor Mike Maddren draft an ordinance to rescind the text change amendment, which established uses in the V-Village District that the board created last summer.
That new ordinance would then have to go through the same process as the one being rescinded. It would go to the township Planning Commission and the county Planning Department for their reviews. After that would come an advertised hearing, and then a vote. Reiner said she would like the board to have the reviews from the two planning commissions back to Chadds Ford so supervisors could start work by late May or June 1.
Reiner said the idea to create the V-Village District came from the work of volunteers working on the Comprehensive Plan and on Walkable Chadds Ford. Murphy referred to them as “a group of hard-working volunteers,” but he wished the sequence of events had been different. He said he prefers to have informational meetings first, to hear what residents have to say and learn what residents want.
Other business
• The board has made application for two grants. One is a county grant for design and engineering for Walkable Chadds Ford and the other is a state grant to be used for a township playground. If it comes to fruition, the playground would be behind the township building.
• There have been a few changes for township employees. Secretary Maryann Furlong was promoted to township manager. She replaces Matt DiFilippo who had been on a three-month sabbatical since the beginning of the year. He is now back as township administrator.
• The Chadds Ford Civic Association’s spring road cleanup is Saturday, April 27.
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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