Concord in brief

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on July 12, 2023

Concord Township Tuesday night conducted one conditional use hearing, rendered a decision in another, and became a member of Bird Town Pennsylvania.

• A conditional use hearing held before the regular meeting was held for Del Pez Concordville, LLC, to allow for a liquor license transfer and outdoor dining. The company has several restaurants in Delaware and wants to open at the site of the former Bertucci’s in the Concordville Town Center.

The liquor license would be coming from Milmont Park in Delaware County. Council made no decision, but Council President Dominic Pileggi said a decision could be announced at the Aug. 1 meeting. One of the things council members need to know is the exact number of seats there will be at the bar and dining room after some planned remodeling.

• But members did grant conditional use approval for a free-standing car wash planned behind the former Exxon station and Comfort Inn on Route 202 at Route 1. A hearing for that project was held in June.

Approval came with 12 conditions, including requiring land use approval after going through the Planning Commission and Township Council, submitting a traffic impact study, and providing an internal traffic flow design. Additionally, the applicant (NHB-VA, LLC) must put in a five-foot-wide sidewalk with ADA ramps and crosswalks along the property line on Route 202.

Hours of operation shall be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and outdoor loudspeakers and music are prohibited.

Chadds Ford’s Dell Joshi, a partner in the project, said after the decision that he’s uncertain when he’ll be submitting fully engineered plans for the land use phase of the approval process.

• Concord Township is now a bird town, a member of Bird Town Pennsylvania, to be precise. Heidi Shiver, president of the conservation group, bestowed the designation to the township during the township’s council meeting on July 11. Concord is now the 40th municipality to team up with Bird Town.

Shiver said before the meeting that Bird Town Pennsylvania is a conservation organization that works with municipalities to encourage healthier habitats.

She admitted that it’s a “low bar” to become a bird town municipality. Concord formed a committee and has enacted various open space ordinances, that have demonstrated a commitment to improving its parks and habitat.

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.