West Chester planning commission tables change to town-center 'build-to' rule, seeks clearer draft

The West Chester Borough Planning Commission on June 24 discussed proposed zoning language for the Town Center that would return the front building line and side-yard requirements to 0 feet and revise the current "build-to" wording to reduce ambiguity.

The commission’s discussion centered on whether the code should require a building to meet the front line for a fixed percentage of its facade (members suggested figures ranging from “more than half” to 80 percent) or simply adopt a 0-foot minimum front-yard setback that would allow flexibility without forcing applicants to seek variances. Commissioners said the change aims to reinforce a consistent street edge in the town center and reduce cases where new buildings step back and leave parking or blank frontage between sidewalk and building.

Commissioners said the current wording in the zoning table and the build-to definition has produced inconsistent outcomes on recent projects, including developments cited on Market Street and the Burger King site, where adjacent properties have different setback patterns. Commissioners discussed examples (330 Market Street, 123 Market Street, 44 West, and Jack’s Corner) to illustrate how inconsistent adjacent frontages have complicated review and produced unpredictable building placement. Several members noted that returning to a clear 0-foot minimum would simplify review and encourage storefronts at the sidewalk, while others warned it could encourage uniform, flat facades if combined lot consolidations allow long, uninterrupted building fronts.

Members debated whether the code should specify a minimum percentage of the building frontage that must meet the line (50 percent, 80 percent were discussed) versus using a setback formulation that allows applicants to place parts of a building behind the line without a variance. Commissioners also discussed adding context and design requirements elsewhere — for example, in the Height Overlay District — to require breaks, articulation, or other street-level design elements for long facades.

The Planning Commission did not adopt a formal code change. The commission agreed to table the item and return it to the work session with a clearer draft, an example illustration (elevations and a streetscape context), and proposed wording that explains whether the regulation is intended as a mandatory build-to line or a minimum setback. That clearer draft will be circulated for review before the commission takes final action.

The commission also approved the May 27 meeting minutes at the start of the session.