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DelCora seeks addition and renovations to West Front Street campus; commission supports concept with standard review comments
Summary
DelCora presented a sketch plan to the Chester Planning Commission proposing a two‑story administrative and operations addition (with a third‑floor option), locker rooms, interior renovations and expanded parking at its West Front Street treatment campus.
DelCora presented a sketch plan Aug. 13 to expand and renovate administrative, operations and laboratory space at its West Front Street treatment campus. The proposal calls for a new 15,900‑square‑foot, two‑story building addition (with a designed‑in 5,000‑square‑foot third‑floor option), an 1,800‑square‑foot locker room addition and about 11,800 square feet of interior renovations to existing buildings.
Site improvements in the sketch include expanded off‑street parking (about 97 spaces total), landscape islands, improved ADA accessibility and circulation modifications. Planning staff said the site is in the HIC (heavy industrial commercial) district, that office and warehouse uses are permitted there and that the proposed dimensional standards appear to be met at sketch level.
DelCora representatives said the project is intended to improve lab and pretreatment functions, improve operations and provide space for future staff increases (the agency expects to add employees and expand engineering and operations staffing). Project presenters explained the demolition of an older control building (B2) and the phased approach: build the blue/new addition first, move lab/operations into the new space and then demolish the older B2 building to avoid service disruptions.
Staff and the city engineer voiced general support for the project and requested clarifications in a formal submission: quantify current and future employee counts and parking demand, confirm dumpster/loading locations, comply with landscape/tree requirements (one deciduous tree per each 10 new parking spaces), and demonstrate stormwater management and ADA compliance. Planning staff also encouraged sustainable roof options (green or white roof, or solar panels) because of the large roof area.
DelCora said dumpsters would remain at the loading dock with private pickup and that the agency will coordinate construction phasing to avoid disruption. The commission did not take formal action; staff advised DelCora to address the engineering comments for a subsequent preliminary/final submittal.
