The Borough Council of West Chester on Nov. 19 voted to approve three amendments to the borough zoning code addressing parking curbing, a new "unified residential development" use in the Town Center, and Town Center dimensional standards.

Council legal staff explained the changes and confirmed required procedures under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, saying the ordinances were advertised and reviewed by county and borough planning bodies. The curbing amendment (sec. 112-602(p)) gives the zoning officer discretion to waive mandatory curbing for developments with three or more parking spaces when the public works director or fire department deem alley widths unsafe for curbs. The council characterized that change as a narrow safety and engineering exception rather than a broad policy shift.

The second amendment adds definitions and permits "unified residential development" — denser townhome or twin-home configurations suggested in a developer proposal for 410 South High Street — as a principal use in the Town Center, and establishes standards, including applying West Chester Historic District design guidelines to those dwellings. The third change revises area and bulk standards for the Town Center (sec. 112-309(b)), clarifying previously ambiguous setback language by setting front-yard and side-yard setbacks to 0 feet where appropriate.

There were no public speakers objecting during the hearing and a single motion to approve all three ordinances passed in roll call: Miss Dorsey—Yes; Miss Vaccaro—Yes; Mister McGinnis—Yes; Mister Travis—Yes; Miss Simone—Yes; Mister McCoy—Yes; Mister Flynn—Absent. Solicitor staff confirmed the motion covered all three ordinances. The council chair closed the public hearing and moved to the next agenda item.