A car dealership for Hyundai and Genesis received the recommendation of the Chadds Ford Township Planning Commission for land development Wednesday night. Piazza Auto Group will now go to the Board of Supervisors for final land use approval. Piazza received the Planning Commission’s recommendations for a zoning map change and conditional use earlier this year, as previously reported.
The site is 1540 and 1550 Wilmington West Chester Pike, Route 202, north of Garnet Ford.
Of concern for Planning Commission member Tom Bradley was the need for a wider entrance into the site so that car deliveries can be made without truckers blocking traffic when they bring in new vehicles. Bradley also suggested signage or some other means of letting truckers know they can pull into the site, drive around the interior, and exit easily. He said that would be especially important the first time a trucker makes deliveries there.
Attorney Skip Brion and engineer Adam Brower said the applicant would comply with those and various other recommendations made by the township’s engineer and its land planner.
Township engineer Mike Schneider said there are some storm water management issues but they are “very resolvable and have already been discussed with the applicant’s engineer.”
As he did in April with the earlier request, Commission Chairman made a motion to recommend approval with conditions calling for widening the entrance driveway, building a trail along Oakland Road from Five-Points to the Brinton 1704 House at the rear of the property, and agreeing to pay $84,000 for a traffic study. The vote to recommend approval was unanimous.
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.
PennDOT has announced the following weather-dependent road projects that could affect drivers in the greater Chadds Ford area from Sept. 16 through Sept. 22. Motorists are urged to allow extra time traveling through one of the construction zones. Work schedules are subject to change.
•Utility installation will cause periodic lane shifts on N. High Street between Route 2 and Gay Street in West Chester through Dec. 25.
•Roadway reconstruction will cause lane closures on Route 202 between Smithbridge Road and Watkin Avenue from Sept.4 through Oct. 31. The closures will go from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and again between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
•Through Sept. 22, utility construction will cause periodic daytime lane closures on E. South Street between Union and S. Walnut streets in Kennett Square.
•Utility installation will cause periodic lane closures on Route 3 between High and Walnut streets, and on High Street between Market and Gay streets in West Chester through Dec. 25.
• Smithbridge Road bridge over Webb Creek in Concord Township is closed indefinitely for repair.
• N. Concord Road between Route 1 and Station Road remains closed for utility installation through Oct. 2.
•Through Sept. 20, gas main replacement will force lane closures on southbound Route 202 between Carter Way and Naamans Creek Road in Concord Township.
•Vegetation management will last through Sept. 22 on Lenape Unionville Road in Pocopson Township, Route 926 in Pennsbury and East Marlborough townships, Wawaset Road in Pocopson Township and Pennsbury, and Route 842 in Pocopson and Newlin Townships.
•Through Sept. 30, vegetation management will also close lanes on Burnt Mill Road, Old Kennett Pike, and Spring Mill Road in Kennett Township, Pocopson Road, and Routes 1 and 52 in Pennsbury and Kennett Townships,
•Motorists should expect lane restrictions with a detour for trucks on Route 162 at its intersection with Route 82 in Newlin Township because of bridge repair. There is currently no date for completion.
•Longwood Gardens is open again now that the search for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has been captured. The next scheduled performance is Wednesday, Sept. 20. The performer is Lila Downs, a Grammy Award winner known for her charismatic performances and unique compositions that combine genres and rhythms as diverse as Mexican rancheras and corridos, boleros, jazz standards, hip-hop, cumbia, and North American folk music. Buy tickets here.
•Sunday, Sept. 30 through Sunday, Oct. 8 is DelCo Arts Week. The celebration of the performing, visual, and creative arts includes concerts, film, dance, exhibitions, festivals, workshops, activities for kids, and more — many free to the public. Darlington Arts Center and Concord Township will be involved from noon to 3 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the township park on Smithbridge Road. View works from local arts vendors, listen to musical performances, food and drink, and catch art demonstrations.
The Kennett Arts Festival is on Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24.
•Kennett Library will host its second annual Kennett Arts Festival on Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24. This two-day celebration of art in Kennett Square will showcase more than 100 local and regional artists’ work in various mediums across palates and price points. Patrons may purchase the artwork and artisans’ jewelry, wooden items, glass designs, etc.
•Active members of the U.S. Air Force and Air Force veterans are invited to join Delaware County officials in the raising of the U.S. Air Force flag on Monday, Sept. 18, at 12:30 p.m. in front of the courthouse at 201 W. Front Street in Media. The flag will be raised to commemorate the anniversary of the U.S. Air Force which was established on September 18, 1947. It will fly from the flagpole in the courtyard of the Government Center and Courthouse complex throughout the week.
Allan Freelon, Gloucester Harbor, ca. 1929, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. Purchased with museum funds, 2021.
•Take a strolling tour of the Brandywine River Museum of Art on Oct. 23. Enjoy a relaxed morning out with your little one while engaging with art in the galleries. The theme is Allan Freelon: Painter, Printmaker, Teacher. This guided tour is designed especially for adults accompanied by babies. Stroller Tours are offered once a month, each with a different theme. It starts at 10:30 a.m. The tour is free with museum admission.
•Learn about the first American cookbook with upcoming programs at Newlin Grist Mill. Visit the site on Saturday, Sept. 23 for a cooking demonstration and lecture with historian Pamela Cooley. The demo will be in the newly restored Trimble House and will go from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After the demonstration, Cooley will present “Searching for Amelia: A Quest for the Author of the First American Cookbook.” The talk will take place at 4 p.m. in the site’s Log Cabin. The cost for the talk is $5 for Newlin Grist Mill members and $10 for non-members. Pre-registration is suggested. To register for the lecture or for more information, call the site at 610-459-2359. Information about other upcoming Newlin Series talks and History at Work demonstrations can be found at https://newlingristmill.org/programs.
•There’s a new writing contest for young writers in grades seven to 12. It’s the Mighty Writers writing contest with prizes of $500 and $100 for the first- and second-place finishers in both the middle and high school levels. The theme is Connections & Relationships and we’re looking for entries about the meaningful connections and/or relationships in your life or the lives of the characters created. The deadline to enter is Nov. 27. For more information, visit https://mightywriters.org/writing-contests/, or send an email to contests@mightywriters.org.
An honor guard and bagpiper flank Fred Magner, portraying Gen. George Washington, as he reads Washington’s letter to the Continental Congress about the defeat at the Battle of Brandywine. The event was a remembrance ceremony on Monday, Sept. 11, the 246th anniversary of the battle. The ceremony was held at the Brandywine Battlefield Park.
Of concern for Planning Commission member Tom Bradley was the need for a wider entrance into the site so that car deliveries can be made without truckers blocking traffic when they bring in new vehicles. Bradley also suggested signage or some other means of letting truckers know they can pull into the site, drive around the interior, and exit easily. He said that would be especially important the first time a trucker makes deliveries there.
