Concord Township Council Tuesday night accepted for review an updated plan for a controversial shopping center at Route 202 and Ridge Road. There was no formal presentation and only a few residents from Chadds Ford addressed council on the matter.
Sheriden Black, from the Ridings in Chadds Ford, asked how the presentation of the plan would affect the deadlines going forward.
According to Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie, the introduction of the plan restarts the formal review process, “a 90-day clock,” he said.
Gillespie continued, saying, “When a plan gets submitted to a municipality, we as an administrative body have 90 days to make a decision. So, it goes to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission finishes up with a recommendation, then we deliberate and make a decision. Sometimes, most times [that clock] gets extended, especially with a large project like we’re seeing; I’m sure it will be extended, maybe once, maybe twice, who knows?”
He said that those requests for extensions may be to give the applicant time to address concerns brought up by the various professionals, such as the township engineer, fire marshal, land planning consultant or others. Gillespie also said there are some conditional use issues, such as a proposed car wash, that need to be considered. Those issues will have to go for a conditional use hearing before they can be approved.
Township solicitor Hugh Donaghue interjected, saying, “The likelihood of this moving forward in 90 days from tonight is, in my humble opinion, doubtful.”
With the introduction of this revised plan, an older plan for the Shoppes at Concord is withdrawn.
The original plan had several points that came under dispute by the township zoning officer, and the appeal of his rulings resulted in two hearings on the matter in December last year and January this year, but those proceedings had been continued to July 15 and will now likely be withdrawn.
Paul Lincoln, also of the Ridings, urged council to enact and enforce downstream stormwater protection. Being that the location in question lies within the Brandywine Watershed, any stormwater runoff from the site would flow west toward the Ridings and beyond toward the Brandywine Creek.
With no formal presentation or further discussion, Council simply accepted the plan for further review.
Other business
• Council appointed Emily Dugan to the Parks & Recreation Board for a term ending March 5, 2029.
• Council also agreed to accept a renewal of the contract with Verizon for that company to continue providing internet and television service to the township residents.
• Additionally, the council voted to authorize advertising for a hearing on a data center ordinance. Council President Dominic Pileggi said there have been no applications to build a data center in the township as yet.
Solicitor Donaghue said the proposed ordinance to be addressed in the hearing would require such centers be located in the Light Industrial Zoning District on a property of at least 8 acres.
• Under announcements, the township’s Planning Commission is scheduled to meet on June 15. Also, Summer Kickoff begins this coming weekend with movies and concerts to be held in the park. The movie kickoff is for the film Minecraft, to be held Friday, June 5, at 7 p.m., and the concert kickoff is scheduled for June 7, featuring DelCrows, also at 7 p.m.
• Township Manager Amanda Serock said the township was recently given a Safety Committee Award for “outstanding contributions to excellence in workplace safety” at a conference with multiple municipalities and insurance companies.
Serock said she was especially proud of the award because she initiated a Workplace Safety Committee when she became manager.
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.
