Planning commissioners debate Devon Center zoning, weigh village-style overlay and density incentives

The Easttown Planning Commission spent the bulk of its Jan. 7 meeting debating how to align a planned-business overlay for the Devon Center with the town's comprehensive plan and whether the commission should prioritize village-style zoning or higher density to attract developers.

"We should look at what we've done in Berwin with regards to having a village commercial type zoning along Lancaster Avenue," Planning Commissioner Stacy said, urging the commission to reuse successful village rules but adapt them to Devon's unique layout. She also asked the commission to consider the zoning on adjacent neighborhoods and long-term constraints such as the horse-show grounds.

A presenter advising the commission framed the policy choice as essentially passive versus active strategies: passive zoning changes can preserve the community character but may not prompt new development, while actively offering density and other incentives is typically needed to entice builders. "If you want somebody to build you a Town Square, my gut tells me you've got to let them put a lot of apartments in there," the presenter said, characterizing the trade-off between immediate development and protecting existing residential patterns.

Commissioners discussed several constraints that would shape any rezoning: the current PBO boundary and its existing uses, the horse-show grounds and its zoning status, and longstanding residential neighborhoods that would face questions if reclassified. Members noted recent adjustments to parking requirements and debated whether those relaxations alone are sufficient to shift market incentives toward village-style commercial uses rather than continued suburban residential infill.

Several commissioners and the presenter urged a practical first step: staff should gather the task-force materials, meeting minutes and PowerPoint presentations produced during earlier Devon planning work so the commission can turn that output into an implementable package. The presenter recommended a board-ready deliverable of a one- to two-page narrative and a sketch map showing a proposed Devon Center boundary, followed by a check-in with the board before detailed line-drawing or regulatory drafting.

Commissioner Nick emphasized access to the train station and ongoing sidewalk projects as central design considerations. Commissioners also discussed overlay zoning as an option that property owners could choose to use if attractive incentives (for example, density allowances) were included.

Staff agreed to retrieve the earlier task-force records and to prepare the short narrative and map for the commission's review; the presenter and staff said they would assist with turning that narrative into actionable materials for the board. The commission did not vote on any rezoning at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will compile the Devon Center materials and present the narrative and sketch map to the commission for discussion and potential direction to draft overlay or zoning language.