Regal Builders presents large addition plan for historic Joseph Price House; consultant urges visual separation

Regal Builders presented a sketch plan to the West Whiteland Township Historical Commission on July 13 proposing a multi-bay garage/warehouse and office addition behind the historic Joseph Price House (designated HR-115) at 401 Clover Mill Road. Planner Patrick Gorman introduced the item as an informal sketch-plan review; no formal recommendation was required this evening.

Carol Quigley, the township historic consultant, said the proposed massing competes with the existing historic volume and recommended clearer separation between new and old work. Quigley told the commission that "the volume of the proposed addition is not compatible with the historic house" and advised at least a one-foot offset between framed walls and existing stone walls, a lowered eave line on the new volume and breaks in the ridgeline to preserve the historic hierarchy.

Applicant Justin Olear said the rear portion of the house had been in a state of collapse before he purchased the property; he proposes rebuilding that area and adding garage bays and space to store equipment and materials for his business. The commission discussed the scale of the new work: the historic house footprint was reported as about 3,900 square feet, and commissioners noted the proposed addition/garage footprint as 3,100 square feet, roughly 2,700 square feet of which was described as new construction after accounting for the collapsed area.

Commissioners and the consultant weighed alternatives. Quigley suggested separating the garage from the house or, if attachment is unavoidable, creating visible distinctions in form and materials so the new work reads as contemporary and subordinate. She also recommended a single front entry with sidelights instead of competing double doors and said no framed wall should be flush with original stonework. Chair Joseph McCormick praised the preservation effort, saying the commission applauded the applicant's work and that "both the history and the architecture are truly special."

Site and circulation issues were part of the discussion. Mr. McCormick noted at least a six-foot grade change at the property line with the neighboring Fred Beans site and suggested the natural slope could be used for stormwater management. Mr. Olear said he plans to use that low area for stormwater and is exploring parking ratios and smaller secondary buildings to reduce impervious coverage. He also expressed support for extending the multi-modal trail along Whitford Road toward Clover Mill Road and eventually the Chester Valley Trail.

Next steps: Mr. Olear will meet with township staff and a civil reviewer (Bowman) to refine circulation and elevation options, present attached and detached alternatives, and return with revised plans to a future Historical Commission meeting.