Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Low-cost senior housing may be coming to Kennett Square
A developer’s plan to bring 60 units of affordable senior housing could soon be a reality if three concessions are granted by borough officials.
The 27-acre NVF property off Mulberry Street is where the developer, Delaware Valley Development Corp., wants to build the senior housing project. The NVF
site has environmental issues, some of which still need remediation . At one time, the Nozesky junkyard was located next to NVF, or National Vulcanized Fibre. More than 20 years ago, more than 2,000 drums at the junkyard were dug up by the Environmental Protection Agency.
But DVDC wants to develop only a portion of the site, a 1.72-acre plot in the northeast section of the property. Earlier this week, Eden Roberts, an associate with DVRC, told council that in order for the project to move forward, help is needed from borough officials.
Permission is needed to subdivide the NVF parcel to 1.72 acres, the site being developed needs to be rezoned to a R3 district (currently the entire site is zoned Office/Industrial), and the zoning hearing board must grant two variances. The first variance deals with the height of the building. R3 permits only 35-foot buildings, but the building proposal calls for 49.5 feet, and a parking variance must be obtained. For the size of the building, 120 parking spaces are needed. But the plan has only 60 on site, and another 30 parking spaces directly across the street.
”We are really excited about this project,” Roberts said. “The age of borough residents is decreasing at a significant rate. People are getting priced out of housing. We think this is a good opportunity for the borough.”
Dan Maffei, council president, said that while he supports the project, he is a uneasy about changing zoning for only a portion of the plot.
“I am in support of this model,” Maffei said. “Affordable senior housing is something we need. This would be good and it won’t put a burden on the school district. It’s a good all-around concept, but it has to work.”
If it clears the three hurdles, the project would bring low-cost senior housing to a portion of the county that really needs it. Maximum rent would be $850 for a two-bedroom unit, and there would be an underground parking garage for 37 vehicles. Only those age 62 and up would qualify.
DVRC has already approved funding for the project, but Roberts said a deadline for approval is quickly approaching, and it’s one of the reasons the concessions are needed.
Rusty Drumheller, the borough’s codes enforcement officer, said changing the zoning to R3 for the section of the parcel would not label it as spot zoning, because he said the R3 designation is contiguous. “They just need to apply to the zoning hearing board for relief for heights and parking, and then they can apply for subdivision and land development after that is done,” Drumheller said.
Councilman Ethan Cramer said he is excited about the project.
“We should try to give (the developer) leeway if we can because this site is so difficult,” Cramer said. “It would be really great to get this (project) moving at some point.”
But Mayor Matt Fetick warned council that changing the zoning for just one portion could end up haunting the borough.
“I love the concept of affordable senior housing,’ Fetick said. “But I personally struggle with changing (zoning) without a solid commitment knowing we have all the roads and rights-of-ways. I would need a letter of support from the (nearby) property owners. Once we walk down a path, we can’t walk back. We can’t screw up the largest single parcel in the borough.”
Fetick and other councilors want to be sure the nearby roads go into the development, and don’t end at the railroad tracks.
“This is something that is very viable and it would be a great add for the borough,” said Councilman Geoff Bosley. “But I am not comfortable doing one little piece of something that’s bigger.”
Since purchasing the property, DVDC has performed demolition of several unsafe structures and some environmental and land cleanup. It has received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protect to begin the process of cleaning the site of its contaminants and preparing it for the development process.