September 8, 2021 - ChaddsFordLive.com

No go for Toll’s Crebilly plan

_1JF8602 — Westtown Township supervisors deny Toll's conditional use application.

UPDATE BELOW

Much remains unclear, but Westtown Township supervisors voted to deny Toll Bros. conditional use application to develop Crebilly Farm. The unanimous vote came after the township solicitor announced to the audience that Toll was no longer the equitable owner of the 322-acre property.

On hearing that statement, the audience broke into applause. Next, McKenna added that Toll no longer had a valid agreement of sale to buy the property. More applause followed.

McKenna said he had gotten that word from Toll’s attorney, Gregg Adelman, in an Aug. 23 email and that McKenna had reconfirmed that on Sept. 8. However, McKenna continued by saying that Toll has not withdrawn the pending application.

McKenna recommended the board deny the application as “moot due to a lack of standing by Toll.”

More applause.

Neither Adelman nor anyone else from Toll was at the meeting, and supervisors did not comment on the vote.

This story will be updated after the board’s written decision is posted on the township website and when any comments from Toll are available.

UPDATE:

The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors’ written decision is now available. In summary, the decision says that since Toll Bros. is no longer the equitable owner of Crebilly Farm, and is not the legal owner, “the Board concludes that the Crebilly II Application must be denied as moot for lack of standing by Toll.

The full 35-page decision may be found on Westtown Township’s website.

In an email, Gregg Adelman, Toll’s attorney, said: “My client has no comment to offer.”

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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Village cleanup continues

Local News Chadds Ford, Local News

_1JF8598-everythng-out — Everything at Hank’s Place is out the door. Owner Anthony Young said the restaurant my be taken down to the studs.

It will be a while before anyone can get gasoline at Leaders Sunoco in Chadds Ford Township. It’s going to be even longer before people can get a meal at Hank’s Place across the street from Leaders.

“We might have to take it down to the studs,” said Hank’s Place owner Anthony Young while watching work crew gut the roughly 70-year-old restaurant.

Young and his wife Katie had just finished talking with representatives from FEMA and PEMA. Those representatives spoke with residents and business owners along Creek Road who continued their cleanup efforts and assessed property damage from Hurricane Ida Wednesday morning.

“We’re gutting the place,” Anthony Young said. “Anything having to do with food, gas, or electronics is going into the garbage. I might be able to use a couple of cutting boards, but they’re going, too.”

The devastation was so severe that Joel Plotkin, of Kennett Square and a friend of the Youngs, started a gofundme campaign.

The goal is to raise $150,000, and Young said he’s genuinely appreciative.

Jim Leader sorts through flood-drenched paperwork.

Across the street at Leaders, Jim Leader was busy trying to separate drenched paperwork while his son Dan was cleaning up and trying to find a workable electric outlet to run the shop vac.

“I’m still in the shock and awe stage,” Dan Leader said. “There’s still mud everywhere. I’m trying to keep my chin up.”

Jim Leader said he hopes to have two of the service bays back in operation sometime next week, though he can’t be certain. Also uncertain is when he’ll be able to pump gas.

The storm flooded the pumps, and water got into the below-ground tanks. As a result, the product can’t be used, and the pumps need replacing. Flood insurance doesn’t cover anything outside, he said.

While damaged as severely as Leaders or Hank’s, Antica and Brandywine Prime remain closed until they can be cleaned up.

Gent Mema, of Antica, expressed his frustration and anxiety.

“If I’m closed for a week, I’m done. I’ve already been closed for six days,” he said.

A Chadds Ford Business Association meeting scheduled for tomorrow at Brandywine Prime had to be canceled.

While state Rep. Craig Williams was escorting FEMA, PEMA, and Delaware County emergency personnel through the area, township Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Phil Wenrich said the township is coordinating efforts to get emergency relief funding.

“We’re collecting data for a damage report,” he said. “We want an estimate of damage and a rough estimate of the cost of the damage.”

That information will then go to the county for review.

According to Williams, relief funds may come from the county, state, and federal levels once the assessment is finished.

About Rich Schwartzman

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Concord moves on open space

Local News Concord, Local News

213539244_10221132249350477_3529374613997624087_n — Concord Township is executing the agreement of sale to preserve e the Chetty property on Featherbed Lane.

Following last month’s hearing, Concord Township Council took another step Tuesday night to acquire another 42 acres of open space. The seven-member council voted unanimously to authorize the township manager to execute the agreement of sale for the Chetty property at 668 Featherbed Lane. The land is adjacent to Bush Hill Farm and will be added to that site for township recreational use.

Concord will pay $450,000 for the outright purchase of 8.6 acres and another $1.3 million for a conservation easement on the other 33.2 acres. As reported in August, the money comes from Concord’s Open Space Fund, along with $250,000 in state grant money for the eight-acre piece. Concord has also applied for additional grants for the easement.

According to Council Co-Vice President John Crossan, “This is one of the most significant and important open space acquisitions that we could undertake at this time; it’s been three years in the making. This land will be open and enjoyed in perpetuity.”

Crossan added that the township had preserved 75 acres for open space during the last three years.

The resolution to have the manager execute the sale agreement came after a previous unanimous resolution in which the council voted to purchase land for open space through fee simple or easements only at a price equal to or less than the appraised value.

Other business

• Council members briefly reviewed last week’s meeting regarding the intersection of Schoolhouse Lane and Baltimore Pike. PennDOT reported to the township that no traffic light is warranted for that intersection despite frequent accidents, one last year being fatal. Members discussed possible alternatives, including prohibiting left turns from Schoolhouse onto Baltimore Pike, adding dedicated left-turn arrows on southbound Cheyney and Stoneybank roads where they meet Baltimore Pike, and installing a deceleration lane for traffic turning right onto Schoolhouse Lane.

On Tuesday, council members voted to direct the township engineer to get cost estimates for those alternatives to assess priorities. Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie said, “Whatever improvements are made at this intersection would be on the township’s dime because PennDOT will not participate in funding any of these improvements.”

• Council also voted to grant a liquor license transfer for the Koy restaurant in the split at 391 Wilmington-West Chester Pike, Route 202. The license came from a business in Lower Chichester. Among the conditions placed on the transfer is a prohibition on outside or takeout sale of alcoholic beverages, and liquor sales must end at 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 10:30 on Friday and Saturday nights.

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Police Log Sept. 8: Identity theft, fraud, shoplifting

Police

Pennsylvania State Police

Media Barracks

• State police are investigating an attempted identity theft. A report said someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in the name of a 61-year-old Chadds Ford woman. The unknown suspect used the woman’s personal information.

• A man and a woman from Bear were arrested on shoplifting charges in Concord Township on July 29. Police identified the pair as Charles Holotanko, 40, and Jacqulynn Mansfield, 31. According to the report, the Home Depot manager saw the couple loading lumber into a black pickup truck behind the store. The duo fled before police arrived but were seen heading south on Route 202. Troopers pursued the couple into Delaware. The truck eventually crashed on 12th Street in Wilmington. In total, 50 pieces of lumber — with a value of $2,597 — had been taken. Both suspects had active warrants from Delaware, police said.

• Police said a 57-year-old man from West Chester was arrested for trying to steal $165 worth of merchandise from Wegmans on Aug. 28.

• A 72-year-old man from Concord Township was ripped off to the tune of $6,050. Police said the victim sent the money via a wire transfer but later discovered he was the victim of fraud.

Avondale Barracks

Police said Tjaira A. Newkirk, 22, of Darby, was cited for excessive speed following a one-vehicle crash in East Marlborough Township on Aug. 5. She was also injured and transported to Jennersville Hospital. According to the report, Newkirk was driving east on Route 842 — Upland Road — but failed to maintain the lane of travel and moved across the westbound lane, striking a telephone pole support cable and a drainage ditch. The accident happened at 4:21 a.m.

Kennett Square Police Department

Borough police are investigating an assault and stabbing that happened shortly after 9 p.m. on Aug. 30 in the 500 Block of Magnolia Street. A 22-year-old male was transported to Christiana Hospital with a stab wound to his abdomen with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. Police are also investigating a suspicious vehicle at approximately 8:15 p.m. in the 800 block of South Washington Street and a hit and run accident in the area of Meredith and West Mulberry Streets at approximately 9 p.m. the same night. Police believe all three incidents are related, the report said.

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