Op/ed: The future of Chadds Ford’s gateway

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on November 29, 2022

The time is now for the Chadds Ford community to come together and realize the long-shared vision of completing the loop road system that surrounds Routes 1 and 202. Population growth along this corridor has brought unprecedented traffic delays, accessibility issues, and safety concerns to an important gateway. As a property owner in Chadds Ford for more than 40 years, the Henderson Group wants to be part of the solution.

When complete, this loop road system will improve traffic flows, reduce wait times, provide better life/safety access, and improve the first impression many people have of our community. There are five key components to this public infrastructure project:

A traffic-calming circle at the intersections of Hillman and Evergreen Drives is designed to slow traffic and deter commercial trucks (already completed).
A new entrance to the Painters Crossing Condominium Association via Evergreen Drive extends Hillman Drive from its current terminus to the existing signalized intersection at Route 1. When complete, these residents will have expanded accessibility to Routes 1 and 202.
Restricting turning movements at the intersection of Route 1 and Dickinson Drive to “right in/right out” movements only. When complete, dangerous left-hand turn movements across Route 1 to/from Dickinson Drive will be eliminated.
Complete improvements along Route 1 including signal upgrades, installation of acceleration/deceleration lanes, and expansion of the left-hand turn lane at the intersection of Hillman Drive. When complete, congestion here will be reduced through more efficient traffic flows.
Expand Hillman Drive at the intersection of Route 202 and add a dedicated right-hand turn lane. When complete, congestion here will be reduced, especially at peak travel times.

The total cost of completing this project is upwards of $7 million. Last year, the Henderson Group worked with state Rep. Craig Williams to secure a $910,000 grant from the DCED Multimodal Transportation Fund and an additional $1.08 million from the PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund. As a private enterprise that has volunteered to take on this public infrastructure project, an undertaking that would otherwise fall on taxpayers’ shoulders, we need a revenue-generating project to fill the funding gap.

To solve this deficit issue, the Henderson Group presented a text amendment to construct a luxury, age-restricted (55+), a multifamily community known as “Greene Station at Painters Crossing” on the 21-acre tract of vacant land that abuts the Village at Painters Crossing Shopping Center. We believe this multifamily community is a “win-win” for the Chadds Ford community due to the many benefits this plan offers beyond providing the necessary funds to complete the project.

First, without approval to develop Greene Station at Painters Crossing, our 21-acre tract of vacant land will most likely be used for a combination of retail and office purposes in accordance with existing zoning. Unfortunately, these uses would create significantly more traffic at peak travel times than age-restricted multifamily. In fact, a trip generation comparison prepared by a traffic engineer, submitted to Chadds Ford Township, estimated that Greene Station at Painters Crossing would generate 68.7 to 80.60 percent less traffic than a by-right plan during a typical weekday and all major peak hours of traffic.

Second, a 55+ multifamily community would transform an idle tract of land into a revenue-generating asset for the community and create an estimated $773,048 in tax revenue for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District without adding any additional students to the system.

Finally, this type of housing makes sense for Chadds Ford. Households ages 55+ increased from 2010 to 2021 and are expected to increase by 175 households over the next five years, according to a Preliminary Rental Market Assessment prepared by the National Council of Housing Market Analysts. Greene Station at Painters Crossing also provides an opportunity for active seniors to make use of significant green areas and outdoor recreational amenities and to “age in place” rather than move away from the area. Living near the Village at Painters Crossing Shopping Center would be ideal for this population, as well, and could help attract new retailers.

Unfortunately, the Chadds Ford Township Planning Commission voted to reject the text amendment that would permit constructing Greene Station at Painters Crossing, therefore stalling our ability to complete the loop road system. We believe our plan is a viable one that adheres to Chadds Ford Township’s Comprehensive Plan and Open Space Plan.

The Chadds Ford community deserves safe roadways, convenient access to businesses and retail, and a place for our aging population to call home. Now is the time to act by moving our plan for Greene Station at Painters Crossing forward and completing the loop road system that surrounds Routes 1 and 202 in its entirety.