Chester planning panel recommends approval of new Public Works facility at Second and Pennell

The Chester Planning Commission on Jan. 8 recommended that City Council grant preliminary and final land development approval for a city-sponsored Public Works facility to be built at West Second and Pennell streets.

The commission’s recommendation covers a plan prepared by Colliers Engineering and Design dated Oct. 11, 2024, for a public-works complex on vacant land owned by Chester First Partnership LLC. The project, funded in part with ARPA money, would include a 12,266-square-foot combined garage and office building, a 4,500-square-foot salt shed, a 4,500-square-foot covered maintenance area, and paved parking for employees and service vehicles. The plan also includes electric-vehicle charging capacity and landscaping to meet or exceed the 10% lot landscaping requirement.

Planner Paul Fritz said the city voluntarily submitted the project to the land development review even though “Per section 13-63.15 of the zoning ordinance, the city is exempt from the zoning ordinance for uses or structures owned by the City or municipal authorities,” because of the public funding and to allow community review. City engineer Dave Schwartz and Colliers staff presented…