Developer seeks zoning change to redevelop Weston Tract; commission pauses decision pending more information

West Whiteland’s Historical Commission reviewed a proposal from Weston Way Partners II to convert the former Weston Solutions office campus at 1400 Weston Way into a single-family residential cluster development and paused a decision to seek more information.

At the May 11 meeting, applicant representatives — attorney Alyson Zarro of Riley, Riper, Hollin & Colagreco; engineers Denny Howell and Denny Howell III of Howell Engineering; and developer Tom Kessler — described revisions intended to increase open space and reduce disturbance of existing woodlands. The applicants say the plan will require a Zoning Ordinance amendment to raise the cluster-option open-space requirement from 30% to 40% while reducing the minimum lot size from 22,000 square feet to 19,000 square feet. The applicants stated the change would allow smaller yards desired by the market without adding additional units or increasing impervious surface because building and impervious coverage are expressed as fixed square-foot limits rather than percentages.

The developers proposed preserving the Morstein Mansion and relocating the historic Train Station to the community entrance. Kessler said the Stables and Gate House are not usable and would be documented before demolition; elements of those structures might be reused as entrance features. Historic consultant Carol Quigley urged that the Stables and Gate House be considered together with the Mansion and Train Station as a "suite" whose combined value is greater than the separate structures, and she pressed the applicant to explore preservation options. Commissioner Jonathan Martin called the tract a "unique collection" and said retaining more structures would distinguish the community. Kessler said he was willing to invest significantly to rehabilitate the Mansion for residential use but questioned the financial feasibility of restoring the Gate House and Stables across only 49 units.

Discussion touched on technical constraints that affect reuse. The applicant said the Gate House was previously converted to office space with dropped ceilings and would require extensive renovation to meet current code; Howell noted elevation differences (about 5–7 feet) between the Stables and the road that complicate reconfiguration. The applicant estimated the Stables would need at least three units to make renovation cost-effective and noted parking requirements (two spaces per unit) and that the Mansion—if subdivided—was proposed to contain four to six units with 12 parking spaces. Township staff and the applicants discussed whether roads and sewers might remain privately owned and be covered by homeowners’ association fees rather than accepted by the Township.

No public comment was offered on the plan. The Commission did not vote on the application and continued the matter to the June 8 meeting; the applicant agreed to provide updated renderings and to evaluate whether the Gate House or Stables could be retained or relocated without cascading impacts on the overall plan or the proposed zoning text.

The commission’s deliberations provide the developer additional time to produce alternatives and clarifications, while the commission will further consider historic-preservation tradeoffs and technical constraints at its next meeting.