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.
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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