Commission flags zoning question after developer adds front‑yard parking pockets for High Street plan

At a July 6 West Chester Borough Planning Commission work session, project representatives said they had added small parking pockets toward the front of the parcel to reduce a large consolidated lot and improve site design. The applicant said splitting parking into smaller areas helps screening and reduces the visual impact on adjacent properties.

Zoning question and next steps Staff and the applicant acknowledged a new review‑letter concern: if the finished lot is recorded as a single parcel with three street frontages, some of the proposed parking could be legally classified as front‑yard parking under borough code. "If it's a single lot, it has 3 front yards," a presenter said, noting the definition depends on which streets are treated as primary versus secondary.

The planning commission advised the applicant to seek a written zoning determination from the zoning officer and said the applicant may need relief from the Zoning Hearing Board. Commissioners indicated they would consider a conditional recommendation in support of the plan to borough council while noting that any final recommendation should be contingent on a zoning determination or successful ZHB outcome.

Why it matters If the parking is declared to be in a front yard and requires a variance, the applicant’s timeline and the council’s willingness to act on preliminary land development could be affected. Project representatives said they will ask the borough zoning officer for a formal determination and may seek PC support if they go to the ZHB.

What’s next: the team will seek the zoning officer’s written determination and return with clarifying documentation; commissioners said they can prepare a recommendation to council that is contingent on zoning relief if necessary.