December 9, 2024

Westtown Township has closed on the purchase of Crebilly Farm. The $20 million sale was completed at the offices Gawthrop Greenwood in West Chester on Monday, a press release said.

Monday’s closing secures the largest portion of the approximately 308-acre farm. Westtown Township solicitor Patrick M. McKenna, a partner at Gawthrop Greenwood, administered the closing with Westtown Township and the Robinson family, the owners and stewards of Crebilly Farm. The purchase ends a seven-year, public and private effort to secure the property from developers and preserve the site for a passive-use public park and walking trails.

Westtown Supervisor Tom Foster said, “The Westtown Board of Supervisors, our dedicated staff and scores of enthusiastic volunteers have worked tirelessly to fulfill the mandate to preserve Crebilly Farm as natural open space. We have proudly achieved this goal, but we have much more to do before residents of Westtown and surrounding townships can walk the grounds of Crebilly and fully take in its beauty and historical significance.”

Westtown Supervisor Richard Pomerantz said, “To best and more fully appreciate the significance of Monday’s official document signing is to recognize what the magnificence of Crebilly Farm as open space for the generations to come, would have eventuated instead: A massive housing development of 319 homes covering Crebilly’s bucolic acres. Had it not been for the years of persistent passionate commitment, focused efforts and the admirable, generous foresight of the widest range of public and private stakeholders, including especially Westtown’s residents who in a landslide winning referendum two years ago voted to Save Crebilly, Monday’s event would have remained nothing more than an unrequited pipe dream.”

Westtown Supervisor Edward Yost, Esq. said, “We are all very blessed to have been given the opportunity to preserve for generations to come the beautiful and historic treasure that is Crebilly Farm. I am humbled by and grateful for the passion, foresight and hard work of our Westtown residents and township staff, the Robinson family and our many trusted partners who made this extraordinary effort possible. This is a great day for Westtown.”

The $20 million purchase closed on approximately 206 acres of Crebilly Farm, thanks to federal, state and county grants, an open space tax referendum approved by the residents of Westtown Township, and a local fundraising effort initiated by Natural Lands, as well as support through the Open Space Institute’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund which is made possible with a lead grant from the William Penn Foundation. Approximately 102 acres of Crebilly Farm were protected by conservation easements secured by Natural Lands in 2023.

Located in Westtown Township at the intersection of Routes 202 and 926, Crebilly Farm is one of the final remaining open spaces in the township. The Robinson family expressed their wish to preserve the farm after a proposed plan by Toll Brothers to develop the property ended in 2021, amidst community opposition.

“We are truly overwhelmed with gratitude by the response of so many who have given generously of their time, talent and resources. Thank you to the township, and Natural Lands’ inspiration and phenomenal fundraising effort. It is beyond our dream to know that the farm will be enjoyed by many for years to come,” said David Robinson. The Robinson family was represented by Michael Burg, partner at Saul Ewing LLP.

McKenna said, “The majority of my 20 years practicing land development and municipal law has been devoted to working with Westtown Township, and it has undoubtedly been the highlight of my career to play a part in helping to preserve this historic property that has extraordinary support from the community and public officials.”

Westtown Township says it plans to undergo a master planning process for Crebilly Farm that will include input from the public that has so steadfastly supported it.