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Planning commissioners agree to draft a streamlined conservation-design ordinance
Summary
The commission asked staff to prepare a concise draft conservation-design ordinance (open-space, setbacks, lot minimums, street widths) using Chester County guidance and sample ordinances for comparison; commissioners emphasized simplicity and targeted application to large tracts.
At the July 8 meeting, the Planning Commission discussed options for replacing the township's rescinded flexible-development provisions with conservation-design (cluster) rules.
Staff recommended beginning with the Chester County model ordinance and East Vincent Township examples to educate newer commissioners about conservation-design elements such as open-space calculation, parking, and street standards. Commissioners emphasized the need for a concise, actionable draft focused on the items most relevant to the township's remaining developable tracts (minimum tract size, open-space percentage, setbacks, and street widths). One commissioner suggested a simple "bare-bones" draft that addresses those key items and references existing township standards for details rather than importing nine separate topic categories verbatim.
Commissioners and staff discussed whether conservation-design should be permitted by right (with sketch-plan review) or remain a conditional-use option, and how density bonuses have functioned historically. Staff said the county model and East Vincent examples would be provided to commissioners and that a short draft focusing on five major elements would be prepared for further discussion.
No ordinance text was adopted; the commission gave staff direction to prepare materials for the next meeting and to return model ordinances and comparison materials for consideration.
