Planning staff and district present Chester Upland athletic-complex sketch plan; staff flags impervious-coverage and safety items

City planning staff and Chester Upland School District representatives presented a sketch plan on Oct. 8 for a proposed athletic complex at 1100 West 10th Street, emphasizing improvements to stadium seating, a training facility and expanded track capacity.

Planning staff told the commission the use is allowed in the Conservation (CN) Zoning District but noted the project may exceed the district's 20% impervious-surface cap and that the applicant must clarify property boundaries and exact parcel size to calculate the coverage correctly. Staff highlighted the need to identify whether the proposed increase in seats would require additional off-street parking and requested that any future land-development plan show ADA-compliant parking, a fire-truck turning template, locations and enclosures for dumpsters, and street trees.

"The maximum impervious coverage allowed is 20%," staff said, and asked the applicants to confirm whether proposed improvements would exceed that limit.

Mike Galante, who introduced himself as owner of MG Engineering Associates and Chester Upland School District engineer, delivered the applicant presentation and said the project would reconstruct and expand the existing stadium and add a new athletic training facility, concession stand, restrooms, a new entrance plaza and upgraded grandstands. Galante said the plan would convert the existing six-lane track to an eight-lane track and add a multiuse artificial-turf field.

Galante noted a planning consideration that has engineering and permitting implications: "the artificial turf is considered impervious surface," he said, "and if that's the case, that would put us over 20%." He said the applicant will show parcel boundaries and the existing and proposed impervious surfaces in future submissions and said a variance would be pursued before the zoning hearing board if required.

Staff and commissioners also reviewed public-safety and operations items. The planning review and a fire-marshal memo (dated Oct. 3) recommended showing how emergency vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, would access and stage on the site; identifying potential hydrant additions in consultation with the Chester Water Authority; and clarifying where parked vehicles could conflict with emergency access.

Collier Engineering provided an engineering sketch-plan review that supported the project but warned that synthetic turf will be treated as impervious for stormwater purposes, requiring infiltration testing and an MPDES permit. Collier urged that final land-development plans include stormwater solutions.

Galante said the district plans to include ADA-compliant seating and ramps, locker rooms within a new building, restrooms rather than temporary toilets, improved fencing (removing barbed wire), and an organized bus drop-off at the south-side training facility. He also said lighting levels for game nights and parking lighting will be shown on future land-development plans and that the design team will propose permeable pavers where feasible.

The planner and applicant agreed the sketch plan is intended to solicit feedback and that further details, including precise parcel size, final impervious calculations and any required variances, will be provided in the formal land-development submission. The commission did not take formal action on the sketch plan, consistent with the informal nature of sketch reviews.