Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
New part-time police officer sworn in
Residents talk with supervisors about dispute over detention basin
The board of supervisors approved the appointment of a part-time officer to the West Brandywine Police Department at Thursday night’s meeting.
Robert A. Klinger Jr. was sworn in by Board Chairman Douglas Smith as the department’s newest officer. Klinger, 31, said he’s familiar with the area because he grew up in West Brandywine Township, and now lives in Honey Brook.
With the addition of Klinger to the force, the West Brandywine Police Department now has a total of nine part-time officers and five full-time officers, including the police chief and police secretary, according to the township’s website.
Also at the meeting, Karen Schaper, and several other homeowners from the Hidden Meadows development, spoke with the supervisors about a dispute over whose responsibility it is to maintain a detention basin in the development that’s on open-space land currently owned by the township.
A detention basin is an excavated area that is designed to store excess stormwater temporarily, and then allow it to slowly drain after the water level in the receiving channel has receded.
Smith said that according to an agreement between the developer, Costa Homes, Inc., and the buyers of the homes, a homeowners association (HOA) was supposed to be formed for Hidden Meadows, and an easement was granted for properties in the development, on the condition that the land containing the detention basin would be sold to the township and designated as openspace land, and the HOA would be responsible for maintaining the detention basin and the property on which it’s located.
However, an HOA was never actually formed for Hidden Meadows. Schaper questioned the legality of this agreement, and several homeowners claimed they had no prior knowledge that an HOA was supposed to be formed. They asked the supervisors if the stipulation for the formation of an HOA could be waived, but the supervisors said they were legally unable to do so, because it was a specific request from the developer, and the project is technically still open.
The supervisors and the residents did agree that Costa Homes had made some mistakes, but it’s unclear how the issue will be resolved.
In order to give all parties involved in the situation a chance to have a discussion, the supervisors said they would set up a private meeting in the coming weeks for residents of Hidden Meadows to talk with the township and Costa Homes about reaching a solution or compromise. The meeting will be mediated by an attorney representing the township, and Township Manager Dale Barnett will be in attendance, but the supervisors will not attend due to legal concerns about forming a quorum within a private meeting.
The board of supervisors voted unanimously to hold Costa Homes in breach of contract. “The board has now acknowledged that they are not in compliance with all of the terms and conditions of their approvals,” said Board Vice Chairman Joseph Morris. This notice will be given to Costa Homes next week, he added.