Calvary Chapel on Brandywine Drive wants to put on an 11,500 square foot addition but Planning Commission members pushed back because there’s not enough information. At issue is the proposed addition with no specific use, at least not as yet.
According to Chadds Ford Township, Calvary’s land development application calls for an expansion of 11,500 square feet for an auditorium and an outdoor terrace area. The footprint for the expansion is 10,000 square feet. The purpose is to tend to the needs of the current congregation and day school with no anticipated expansion of membership or class enrollment.
Representing the church during the Sept. 11 Planning Commission meeting was design engineer John Eckman who said the expansion would be on the northeast side of the church building. He said the expansion would provide the church with “more flexible space” that could be used as an auditorium, gymnasium, an area for offices or possibly classrooms.
However, he couldn't answer specific questions about use and there was no one from the church itself to answer questions raised by Planning Commission Chairman Craig Huffman and member Tom Bradley.
Huffman said the commission members would need to know the size of the congregation, the number of students, and whether there is any anticipated growth because those factors impact parking needs, as well as sewer and water usage. He also said the church installed some concrete steps in a steep slope area without approval.
“The church needs to get things organized,” Huffman said. And, in reference to the stairs, he said, “We won’t address expansion until there’s compliance [regarding the concrete stairs].”
Bradley, too, was vocal saying the commission can’t decide on anything without knowing the actual use or how many people would be using the additional space. He used a hypothetical basketball game as an example.
He said that if the space were to be used as a basketball court with two eighth-grade teams playing, the increased number of people attending the game — students and family members from both schools — would use up all of the church’s sewer capacity in one afternoon. It would also cause a parking problem.
Eckman was at a loss to answer because he had received no instructions about school or congregation size, or how specifically the addition would be used. All he could say was that he would discuss the commission’s concerns with the church leaders.
No firm decisions were made except for Huffman suggesting that Calvary withdraw the application for the expansion until the stair situation is resolved, then refile for the expansion.
“We’re not going to address this until [these matters] are resolved,” Huffman said.
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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