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Board adopts zoning‑map amendments including Darlington Inn rezoning; residents urge preservation safeguards
Summary
The Westtown Board adopted Ordinance 2026‑5 to amend the township zoning map — including rezoning the Darlington Inn parcel from agricultural cluster to neighborhood/highway commercial (C‑1). Residents and the Historic Commission urged protective measures such as a preservation easement to safeguard the Inn’s historic character.
The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors voted July 6 to adopt Ordinance 2026‑5, which amends several township zoning‑district boundaries. Notable changes include rezoning the township‑owned Crabillie Preserve to a township district, moving a small township parcel between Wilmington Pike and Old Wilmington Pike to township ownership zoning, changing Westminster Presbyterian Church’s parcel from AC to R‑3, and rezoning the Darlington Inn parcel to C‑1 (neighborhood and highway commercial). The Chester County Planning Commission and Westtown Planning Commission had reviewed the proposed amendments and their letters and minutes were included in the meeting packet.
During the public hearing, residents and historic‑preservation advocates urged the board to add safeguards if the Darlington Inn parcel is sold or redeveloped. Pat McDonough (7 Oakbourne Road) referenced the township’s recently adopted comprehensive plan and said zoning changes should be accompanied by measures to “protect historic resources,” specifically proposing a historic‑preservation or facade easement to limit demolition or insensitive remodeling. McDonough cited recommendations from the Preservation Alliance and county planning staff that urged the township to pursue protections and adaptive reuse when rezoning historic properties.
Board staff and members discussed the potential to impose easements. A supervisor said there is no statutory barrier to creating a preservation easement after rezoning, and staff noted the township had previously accounted for PennDOT easements when calculating parcel acreage. Residents asked whether PennDOT’s right‑of‑way expansion had reduced the Darlington Inn parcel below the minimum lot size for the C‑1 district; staff said the easement had been calculated prior to township acquisition and the parcel remains outside that specific easement area for zoning calculations.
The board’s action: The ordinance as presented was adopted following the public hearing and a motion to adopt. The record shows community concern about preserving the Darlington Inn’s historic integrity and the Historic Commission offered to assist with outreach and draft language for property‑owner notifications.
What to watch next: If the township pursues sale or adaptive reuse of the Darlington Inn, residents and the Historic Commission urged the board to include protective covenants (for example, a facade or historic‑preservation easement) in any disposition or rezoning‑implementation steps. The planning commission will review related applications (the Westtown School dining hall and other land development items were also noted on upcoming agendas).
