Planning commission reviews West Chester University master plan, eyes conditional‑use recommendation

The planning commission met in work session March 2 to review a revised master plan from West Chester University and the university’s consultants, who asked the commission to recommend conditional‑use approval to borough council.

Brian Nagel, representing West Chester University, said the university had previously briefed the commission and had asked for an extension to allow the urban engineer to complete a review. "We will issue a response to the urban engineer's letter by Wednesday of this week," Nagel said, so commissioners would have the response in advance of a vote next week.

The most significant substantive revision in the packet is removal of a proposed parking garage tied to a student‑union expansion. Nagel said the garage had appeared in graphics in multiple places and was removed from the latest document set. "The changes in here are pretty limited," he said, noting the most visible edit was removal of the parking garage.

Consultants and commissioners discussed projected bed counts and parking capacity. Commissioners asked how far enrollment projections reasonably extend; speakers debated three‑ to five‑year horizons. At one point a commissioner summarized the net housing outcome: fully built out, the plan yields roughly "just over 900" new beds in the scenarios discussed; presenters described phased implementation that would add beds while enabling renovation of older housing stock over time.

Members raised concerns about a recommended conversion of Church Street to a pedestrian corridor and the effect on borough parking revenue. One commissioner recalled a previous university offer of $400,000 to offset lost parking revenue tied to prior discussions; that offer, the commissioner said, "never came to be." Presenters clarified that any street vacation or permanent closure would require a separate action by borough council and that conditional‑use approval of the master plan would not by itself authorize land vacations, demolition or construction.

Commissioners flagged transit impacts: several bus lines use Church Street, and staff said any permanent change would require conversations with transit agencies. Consultants said parking analyses show available capacity in nearby garages, and they recommended relocation strategies if on‑street spaces were removed.

Several commissioners asked to receive the consolidated set of swapped‑out pages and the consultants’ response to the urban engineer’s letter electronically so they could cross‑check appendix data and change pages before the vote. Nagel and his team committed to circulating the requested materials ahead of next week’s meeting.

The commission did not take a formal vote during the work session. Consultants said the conditional‑use hearing for the master plan is scheduled for borough council on the 23rd of the month; the commission indicated it would need to act on a recommendation at its next meeting.

What happens next: consultants will deliver the written response to the urban engineer, commissioners will review the consolidated change pages, and the planning commission is expected to consider a recommendation to borough council at its next scheduled meeting.