Members of the Chadds Ford Planning Commission voted Wednesday night to recommend for approval the preliminary land use plan and conditional use for a proposed assisted living facility along Route 202.
Supervisors voted last August to allow for such use in the B-Business district with conditional use approval. No date was discussed for when the supervisors would hear the plan or hold the conditional use hearing.
The three-story facility would have 88 units and be located next to Summit Drive at 1170-1778 Wilmington West Chester Pike, the site of the former C Harry B 4 U Buy location.
The property is 2.3 acres in size and there will be 0.5 parking spaces per unit. However, Planning Commission Chairman Craig Huffman said he was concerned about the possibility of “surge parking” — when more people than usual would be visiting relatives — during holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and during Mothers’ and Fathers’ Days.
With that consideration in mind, the recommendation for approval came with the condition that the applicant widen Summit Drive so there would be room for overflow parking close to Route 202 so residents on Summit would not be inconvenienced.
Another reason for widening Summit is so trucks can more easily turn right onto that street if a car was stopped at the stop sign on Summit waiting to turn onto Route 202.
Other areas of concern for commission members involved deliveries to the facility and the possibility installing sidewalks.
Deliveries to the rear of the facility are to be limited to no more than seven per week and the trucks can be no longer than 40 feet.
The recommendation regarding sidewalks is that they be installed if supervisors later decide that they want them, not that they be installed at the time of construction.
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.
