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Westtown Planning Commission updates comprehensive plan text to reflect Crabelli Preserve and park improvements, tables remaining edits
Summary
The commission reviewed proposed amendments to chapters 7 (open space) and 11 (land use and housing) to reflect Crabelli Preserve ownership, Oakborn Park master‑plan improvements and proposed rezonings; commissioners agreed several edits, asked staff to update maps, and tabled further changes for a future meeting.
The Westtownship Planning Commission on March 4 reviewed targeted amendments to the township’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan that would reflect recent park acquisitions and guide future land‑use changes.
Staff presented revisions to Chapter 7 to record that Crabelli Preserve is now township‑owned, to note completed and planned phases of the Oakborn Park master plan and to revise the open‑space inventory and maps. "The revisions in chapter 7 open space, parks recreation and trails have to do with the fact that Crabelli Preserve is now owned by the township," staff said. Commissioners asked staff to update photos and maps and to add a Crabelli master‑plan, maintenance and stewardship entry.
In Chapter 11, staff summarized two proposed zoning map amendments: a potential rezoning of Westminster Presbyterian Church property to allow future attainable‑housing development and a proposal to rezone the Darlington property for commercial adaptive reuse. Commissioners debated whether to include an institutional overlay that would streamline redevelopment of institutional properties (schools, churches) and to encourage housing diversity tools such as accessory dwelling units, conservation design and developer partnerships.
Members discussed how to treat other unprotected large parcels, including Stratton Farm and Stokes Farm, and generally favored a non‑specific approach: keep the comp‑plan language generic about exploring preservation and add a parenthetical note about Stokes Farm’s pending land‑development status so the text does not require frequent correction.
On procedural items, staff noted that the Municipalities Planning Code does not require the board of supervisors to take action consistent with the comprehensive plan but that consistency can strengthen grant applications. Commissioners agreed to send the chapter edits to the county review process and asked staff to produce updated future‑land‑use and protected/unprotected open‑space maps.
The commission did not finish all proposed changes and agreed to continue the comprehensive‑plan review at a later meeting, leaving the pending items tabled but with clear direction to update maps, photos and add implementation language where appropriate.
The commission expects the Board of Supervisors to consider comp‑plan amendments and related zoning‑map changes in April; staff will circulate revised text and updated maps before that review.
