Commission recommends conditional approval to transfer public‑works site to DelCora; city to receive $1.4M toward new public works building

The City of Chester Planning Commission on Sept. 10 voted to recommend conditional approval to City Council of a preliminary/final subdivision that will transfer land currently occupied by the city's public works facility to the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DelCora). The transfer will consolidate DelCora's existing pump station parcel with additional city land to allow construction of a new pump station; the city will convey the existing public works site and receive monetary consideration as part of the transaction.

Paul Fritz, director of planning and zoning, described the plan and showed aerials of Penns Landing Park, the public works parcel and DelCora's pump station. He said the proposed lot line will be drawn adjacent to the park so the green space is preserved and noted that the plan is primarily a property subdivision and consolidation with no immediate site improvements shown on this submittal.

Ron (Collier) explained that Collier prepared the plan under contract to both DelCora and the city and summarized technical next steps: monuments and iron pins must be set prior to recordation, survey deed descriptions will be prepared for the new lots and a sale agreement will be finalized by the city solicitor. Collier added that DelCora plans to build a new pump station next to the existing facility and then demolish the old station after transfer of flow, which is a customary staging approach because the station must remain in service during construction.

Thomas Moore, the city's chief of staff, told the commission there is a monetary component to the land transfer that will support the city's new public works project, saying the consideration associated with the transfer is roughly $1,400,000 and the city expects to use that as part of funding for a $7,200,000 public works construction project.

Madison/Collier noted technical and administrative conditions: final survey monumentation and deed descriptions; a special agreement of sale drafted by the city solicitor; and addressing any county review comments before recordation. Fritz's review letter of Sept. 2 was cited as the basis for the conditions recommended to City Council.

The commission voted to recommend conditional approval to City Council, subject to the planning director's comments in the Sept. 2 review letter and standard recordation conditions. The motion passed with no recorded nays or abstentions.

Under the planned transfer DelCora will ultimately expand its pump station operations on the consolidated parcel. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about whether DelCora could later accept wastewater from other jurisdictions; Collier and staff said the land‑development plan for the new pump station will return to the commission for review and that any decision about DelCora expanding its service area would involve separate regulatory processes (including Act 537) and is not resolved by this subdivision.