FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe Scalise at JScalise@KennettSq.org

Kennett Square Borough Council will consider allowing larger, taller buildings along West State Street from South Washington Street to Mill Road, the Borough’s western border.

Prompted by a proposal for the construction of 189 apartments on the Kennett Square boundary on State Street, the Borough Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the proposed zoning changes at its June 17th meeting in the Red Clay Room, 423 Dalmatian Street. The hearing will be followed by a vote, with time for public comment during both. The meeting will begin at 7:00.

Council President Doug Doerfler, who also chairs the Borough’s Municipal Relations Committee, explains that this presents a change, both to the present character of the area and to the regulations in place in that section of the Borough. “The existing businesses and parking lots could be replaced by what’s called class-A apartments (as proposed by the current development proposal), or by any other use-by-right building, and we want the community to know that we consider that a significant change,” Doerfler said. “We value the businesses that occupy the area between our wonderful historic shopping district and Mill Road, and we’re equally aware that the less-intensive uses present an opportunity for change. The idea has been through a dozen public meetings of Council, the Planning Commission, and our Municipal Relations Committee, but we encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the project and weigh in on June 17th.”

Buildings are limited to 35 feet in the C-2 Zoning District, which includes the State Street/Cypress Street corridor on either side of the Borough’s C-2 Secondary Commercial District. This height would increase to 55 feet, but only in the area along West State Street and West Cypress Street, starting at the South Washington Street intersection of West State Street to the Borough line. The “overlay” zoning district includes Magnolia Place, but the 26 acres formerly occupied by the NVF company isn’t included. The changes will also allow buildings up to 400 feet in length.