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Planning commission recommends conditional‑use approval for 980 Providence Road driveway reconstruction
Summary
The Willistown Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a conditional‑use application by 980P LLC to reconfigure an existing driveway that would intrude into areas of prohibitive slope and Riparian Buffer Area zones, subject to recording and mitigation conditions.
Cathy Rubenstone, chair of the Willistown Township Planning Commission, announced the commission’s recommendation to approve a conditional‑use application by 980P LLC for work at 980 Providence Road that would reconfigure an existing driveway and result in disturbance within areas of prohibitive slope and Zones 1 and 2 of the township’s Riparian Buffer Area (RBA).
Attorney John Mezzanotte, representing the applicant, provided background on the property and the proposed realignment. Tim Davis, the project engineer, described the engineering approach and the expected extent and nature of slope and riparian‑buffer disturbance. Caroline O’Connor, the township’s director of planning and zoning, said the proposal “may require a variance” from Chapter 73 (Environmental Protection) as incorporated in the zoning ordinance; John Gaadt of Gaadt Perspectives disagreed and said a variance may not be necessary.
After discussion, the commission approved a motion recommending conditional‑use approval subject to conditions spelled out in the commission’s motion: record a Memorandum of Conditional Use with the Chester County Recorder of Deeds; submit and obtain approval of a Riparian Buffer Management Plan pursuant to §76‑64 and record it as an exhibit to the Memorandum; and require the applicant to replace 50% of the caliper inches of trees removed in the prohibitive slope area with plantings intended for natural resource stabilization rather than ornamental landscaping. The motion was moved by George McHugh, seconded by Warren Claytor, and passed 4‑0; Commissioner Erik Hetzel recused himself from the vote.
The commission’s discussion focused on ensuring mitigation and recorded protections for the RBA disturbance rather than denying the project. No public comment was recorded on the application. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for its review as the conditional‑use authority.
Clarifying details: the application was filed under references to §73‑32D(2), §73‑62A(2)(a) and §73‑62B(2)(a) of the township code (Environmental Protection provisions incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance). The conditions require both recorded instruments and a riparian buffer management plan; the tree mitigation requirement is replacement of 50% of caliper inches removed, designated for stabilization rather than ornamental use.
The commission took no final, binding action on the conditional use; the Planning Commission’s vote is a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, which will consider the matter under the township’s conditional‑use procedure.
