Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Westtown board rejects massive development
WESTTOWN » Crebilly Farm has been saved - at least for now.
An overflow crowd jammed into the township building clapped wildly Thursday night when supervisors voted unanimously to deny Toll Brothers’ application for conditional use and the right to build a 317-home subdivision at Crebilly Farm.
Following the meeting, all three supervisors refused to comment until attorney Patrick McKenna makes it official and publishes a formal written decision on or before Feb. 12, when a 46-day time clock runs out. It is not yet known if Toll Brothers will appeal the ruling.
For a year, supervisors met during marathon four-hour meetings at area school auditoriums. Hundreds of residents attended, most to voice their opinion against the huge development.
Traffic and military history sparked the most conversation concerning the 322-acre property and iconic Chester County parcel.
Although PennDOT plans improvements at the nearby intersection of Routes 926 and 202, the public and experts repeatedly spoke of gridlock.
Experts discussed whether troops had skirmished or marched across the property during the 1777 Revolutionary War Battle of Brandywine.
“It’s not just about traffic ... it’s an historic site where the Battle of Brandywine took place and many, many people have grown to love and cherish the bucolic beauty,” said Elizabeth Moro, co-founder of Neighbors of Crebilly and also a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress in the 7th district. “People felt like they were sold a bill of goods and felt something precious was being taken away.”
It took supervisors just five minutes to meet and vote. There was no time period reserved for public comment. The year-long conditional use hearing had consumed 1,899 stenographer’s pages.
Executive sessions were held by the board on Dec. 5, Dec. 14, Dec. 18 and prior to Thursday’s meeting.
Supervisor Mike DiDomenico said the board sifted through documents and listened to much public testimony “to render a decision based on the evidence.”
Thursday’s meeting was the final board of supervisors meeting for Tom Haws. He made the motion to deny and Carol DeWolf seconded that motion.
Since the Nov. 27 meeting, while the record was kept open, the board grappled with finding facts of law.
Since that continued meeting, Toll Brothers, the planning commission, Neighbors of Crebilly, Thornbury and Birmingham townships, and a neighbor, all submitted findings of facts and conclusions of law.
Richard Pomerantz is chairman of the planning commission, which voted to approve the development with 50 conditions.
“Speaking as chairman of the Westtown Planning Commission, at the very start of the first public Planning Commission hearing phase regarding the Toll Crebilly application, I told the hundreds in attendance that I wished we had not had to be there, and felt it had never had to happen,” Pomerantz said. “But as we now faced the challenge, it was my objective throughout that the process would be conducted in a responsible, respectful manner by all the parties.
“So that whatever the final result, the BOS and residents of Westtown now and decades later would be able to look back with pride knowing that the township had done the best it could do regarding what for so many is ‘the iconic centerpiece of Westtown Township.’”
The waiting begins for the official word on why supervisors denied subdivision construction. Toll has not announced whether it will appeal the vote.
“Whilst we will not know for 45 days the written reasoning for last night’s decision by Westtown’s BOS to deny the Toll application, nor what events will follow, the process from the outset and throughout was the exemplification of the precept that a caring, informed, involved, passionate, responsible citizenry should be encouraged and cultivated and can help make a difference!,” Pomerantz said.
Through her regular emails and public lobbying, Mindy Rhodes had sparked residents to attend the meetings and get involved. She did not attend Thursday’s meeting, but later that night she thanked the community for “a job well done by all.”
“Though this is the close of a long chapter, the book is still being written,” Rhodes said. “I hope every one of you pats yourselves on the back for caring and participating toward a better outcome for Crebilly Farm and ultimately, our local land and history. A new chapter is beginning.”
Concord resident Ken Hemphill, communications coordinator for 2,000 member grassroots organization Neighbors for Crebilly, said that the audience paused before applauding since many were in a state of disbelief.
“Organizations like Toll are used to getting what they want,” Hemphill said.
Hemphill said that many believe the average citizen can’t win.
“You can’t fight city hall,” he said. “You can’t fight corporate America.”
Moro cited the state constitution: “Pennsylvania’s Constitution under Article 1, Section 27 calls for all Pennsylvanians to have rights to clean air, clean water and preservation of historic view sheds,” she said. “The Environmental Rights Amendment has recently been upheld in other fights for land preservation.”