Westtown amends comprehensive plan amid public pleas to explicitly protect Crably Preserve and Darlington Inn

The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors on June 15 adopted amendments to the township’s 2019 comprehensive plan (amended 2022) that update open‑space, parks, recreation and land‑use chapters to reflect the township’s 2024 acquisition of the 204‑acre Crably Preserve and recent investments at Oak Park.

The board’s action, taken after a public hearing, changes the plan’s maps and implementation table and adds language encouraging ‘‘context‑sensitive infill’’ and incentives for adaptive reuse of institutional properties and historic buildings where infrastructure (water/sewer) exists. Staff told the board the edits were intended to reflect completed projects — including a Crably Preserve master‑plan requirement and over $6 million invested at Oak Park — and to identify limited locations where mixed‑use or attainable‑housing redevelopment might be appropriate.

Why it mattered: Dozens of residents turned out to press supervisors for clearer safeguards for Crably Preserve and to question language they said could allow commercial or mixed‑use designations to reach the Darlington Inn property along Route 202. ‘‘We want the language changed so there’s no ambiguity that the preserve acreage fronting Route 202 will never be developed,’’ said multiple residents who called for adding one sentence of exclusionary language.

Supervisor response and legal constraints: Board members and staff repeatedly explained that deed restrictions and grant conditions tied to the preserve already place legal limits on development, and that adding an exemption to the comprehensive plan would trigger additional notice and review processes — including review by adjacent municipalities and county agencies — that could delay action by months. Staff also noted that comprehensive‑plan amendments are advisory and that changes to zoning or deed restrictions require separate formal processes.

Crably Preserve master plan and committee: Separately, the board established a study committee to guide preparation of the Crably Preserve master plan as required by DCNR grant guidelines and appointed municipal and community members (including representatives from Chester County parks, the township’s planning and parks commissions, the environmental advisory council, and local residents). Staff said the committee is advisory, will dissolve on plan completion, and that DCNR must approve the committee list before the township issues the consultant request for proposals.

Darlington Inn and façade easement discussion: Several speakers urged the township to pursue historic‑preservation easements before any sale or auction of the Darlington Inn, and asked that the township commission impartial documentation (photographs or laser scans) and an appraisal to assess whether a façade easement could preserve the building’s exterior while still enabling sale. The board said it will research options, seek outside professional guidance on preservation easements and appraisal impacts, and return with more detailed information at future meetings.

What’s next: The comprehensive plan amendment was adopted at the meeting; staff said any future zoning changes or deed‑restriction actions would follow separate public processes. The Crably Preserve master‑plan RFP and consultant selection will proceed only after DCNR approval of the study committee, and study‑committee meetings will be public and advisory.

Article provenance: This account is drawn from the public hearing, staff presentation of tracked edits and maps, extended public comment about Darlington Inn and Crably Preserve protections, the board’s vote on the resolution, and the subsequent creation and appointment of the study committee at the June 15 meeting.