Westchester planning commission delays adoption of county parks plan after debate over dedication standards

The Westchester Borough Planning Commission voted on Dec. 15 on whether to recommend Borough Council adopt 'Parks for All: Westchester Borough Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan' and the motion failed after debate over dedication standards, developer credits and outstanding legal questions.

Keith Carouse, the borough’s parks and recreation director, who introduced the plan to the commission, said the borough had not updated its parks plan since 1992 and emphasized the borough is short on parkland. "We are significantly underserved when it comes to park land," he said, urging the commission to use the plan to guide maintenance, programming and land acquisition.

Consultants from the county and private firms framed the document as a 10-year guiding plan designed to help the borough secure grants and craft an ordinance. Anne Toole, one of the consultants, told the commission that the plan sets the technical standards but that "the borough's job [is] to create the ordinance" that adopts those standards and determines what offerings are acceptable for mandatory dedication. Toole said the plan recommends workable standards and that fee-in-lieu is an option when offered land is unacceptable.

Commissioners pressed the consultants on how to treat private, resident-only amenities—such as rooftop pools or indoor facilities—that developers have previously credited against dedication obligations. One commissioner asked whether such amenities can count toward dedication credits; a consultant and other members noted the mandatory-dedication provision requires facilities accepted as dedication to be publicly accessible. A code citation was referenced in the discussion (the consultants cited "50211"), and commissioners asked the solicitor for a formal legal confirmation.

The commission also discussed the plan’s recommended baseline formula (identified in the staff materials as roughly 0.013 acres per dwelling unit as a starting point), connectivity to regional trails and the plan’s emphasis on maintenance and clear implementation steps. Consultants repeatedly urged the commission to define standards tightly so the borough does not accept unusable "slivers" of land when developers offer dedication in lieu of fees.

Chair Jane Sharp moved that the planning commission recommend Borough Council approve and adopt the plan as an appendix to the comprehensive plan, conditioned on review of land-dedication calculations and incorporating the Chester County Planning Commission review letter dated 12/03/2025. A commissioner named Steve was recorded as seconding the motion. During debate, the borough solicitor asked (by way of counsel) that the commission defer action so outstanding legal questions and RFP/contract clarifications could be addressed before a formal recommendation.

After discussion and at least one commissioner saying, "I'm a no," the chair announced the motion did not pass. Commissioners agreed to carry the plan discussion to the January work session to collect subcommittee comments, invite the solicitor (Tom) for legal clarification, and refine ordinance language and the fee-in-lieu/dedication definitions before bringing a recommendation to council.

The commission also reviewed routine business (zoning hearing board appeals and minutes) and discussed scheduling future meetings. The parks plan will return to the commission in January for additional review and to resolve the legal and definitional questions the commission identified at the Dec. 15 meeting.