Voters to make a choice for Crebilly – Daily Local

2022-06-15 15:23:44 By : Ms. Jenna Chang

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WESTTOWN — Township supervisors will likely decide, at Monday’s meeting, whether to give residents the choice to raise taxes in a bid to save Crebilly Farm as open space.

Supervisors will decide whether to add a referendum question to the November 8, 2022 general election ballot that would increase both the Earned Income Tax and property tax for township residents.

Residents would likely pay the levy for at least 30 years or until a proposed bond issue is satisfied. The new taxes would remain in place until rescinded by a future voter referendum.

Land conservancy Natural Lands is assisting the township with acquiring 75 percent of the purchase price of $20.8 million, or $100,000 per acre, through county, state and federal grants and by facilitating private fundraising. The township would pick up the remaining 25 percent of the cost. The township board of supervisors approved an April 4, 2022 agreement of sale to purchase 208 acres.

As part of the potential referendum ballot question, the Earned Income Tax might increase from 1 to 1.08 percent and the township property tax rate would rise from 3.5 mills to 3.92 mills. A mill is a tax of one tenth of one percent of assessed property value.

Township Manager Jon Altshul said Monday that the tax burden would be evenly split between property owners and wage earners so to not overburden retired residents and also not put a tax burden solely on working residents. Social Security benefits, 401K income, or capital gains would not be considered as earned income.

A household earning $100,000 per year would pay an additional $80 in earned income taxes. A single family detached home with an assessed value of $250,000 (or a fair market value of about $555,000) would pay an additional $105 per year.

Fifty percent of the proposed “blended” tax increase would be funded by the EIT and the other 50 percent by the real estate tax.

Builder Toll Brothers had proposed construction of 319 homes at the 322-acre farm that is the last large remaining property along the Route 202 Corridor between King of Prussia and Wilmington. Township supervisors voted the proposal down twice and the courts affirmed the board of supervisors decision.

Hundreds who attended four-hour long marathon meetings that were moved from the township building to larger venues in local school auditoriums supported saving the iconic Chester County farm. They noted that the site was likely part of the Sept. 11, 1777 Battle of Brandywine and that new construction of homes would increase traffic at an area already regularly clogged with motorists.

As part the agreement, 104 acres would be retained by landowner, the Robinson Family. The family would subdivide the area into four large parcels and secure conservative easements to ensure that any future construction would be limited to a single family home and accessory uses such as a swimming pool or barn. Those properties would never be subdivided to build additional homes.

An existing lot on South New Street is not part of the transaction and will remain as a private residence.

The 208-acres that might be preserved through a referendum, grants and fundraising would likely remain as passive open space for bikers, runners and general relaxation. There are no plans for soccer fields or active recreation.

A parking lot and trail network would likely be constructed.

The township anticipates that the EIT and property tax will both individually generate $340,500 annually, or a total of $681,000.

About $545,000 would be used to repay annual debt service agreements on $7.5 million for open space bonds or new debt, while the remainder, or $136,000 would be used for maintenance of the property.

The township reserves the right to terminate the agreement of sale if the referendum does not pass or the township has not secured 75 percent of the purchase price through grants or other private funding sources. The property owner then could remarket the property, including to a developer.

Grants applied for do not allow for continued farming on the 208 acres. The township will be tasked with maintaining the 208-acre portion of the property.

A house along Route 926, between Caleb Drive and Bridlewood Drive and a house, with a small detached garage to the southwest of Westminster Presbyterian Church, would likely be torn down since they pose safety threats. The Darlington Inn, at the corner of Routes 202 and 926, is listed on the township’s historic resources inventory, is in good condition and would likely remain.

Former Township Supervisor Mike DiDomenico was part of a unanimous board vote by supers to deny Toll, but would vote “no” for the referendum.

“We have a lot of retired folks in Westtown on fixed incomes,” he said. “I’m one of them.”

He also said that young people buying homes would realize an added tax burden and noted that those residents located in the eastern portion of the township would not benefit as much from a new park.

DiDomenico also said that the township would need to pay for porta-potties or bathrooms and trails.

No decision has yet been made on whether restrooms would be included.

“This tax would never go away,” he said.

Supervisor and Police Commission Chair Dick Pomerantz favors saving open space.

“If we can’t preserve Crebilly then the other option is another Toll Brothers-like development,” he said. “Does the public really want that after all this time?

“When you build a housing development, it brings increased impervious coverage, stream water run-off and an impact on the quality of the water that goes through the Brandywine Watershed.

“If you have a housing development, there is a cost for community services that will increase as years go by.

“And all that has an impact on township taxpayers forever. If you compare that to preserving the property, the benefits are increased storm water mitigation and ultimately the cost to purchase the 204 acres with a bond issue will terminate after 30 years.

“Assuming the referendum passes, the impact on the cost of community services will be less, there is an ecological benefit on the preservation of the property and COVID has taught everybody that people need the outdoors and will be enabled by the trails in Crebilly.”

Pomerantz also said that a study that will be available to the public will determine the cost of community services if another development is built. Natural Lands has commissioned the Brandywine Conservancy to conduct the sturdy.

Mindy Rhodes has helped spearhead the drive to save Crebilly Farm.

“If Crebilly Farm is not preserved, it will be developed,” Rhodes said. “It’s as simple as that.

“Preservation of Crebilly Farm is what will save the community money and give back, in perpetuity, all that money cannot buy, including mental well being.  As per the ‘Return on Environment from the Chester County Planning Commission:’ For every $1 received from residential developments through taxes, local governments spend $1.11 on services. For every $1 received from farmland and open space taxes, local governments spend 7 cents on services.

“Saving land saves money – period. Anyone who says otherwise hasn’t done their homework.”

The fight to save Crebilly has lasted for almost six years.

“After almost six long years of a drawn out legal battle with Toll Brothers, it is remarkable that the community has a choice in the fate of Crebilly Farm, at least for now,” Rhodes said. “Thanks to the land owners of Crebilly Farm, they are willing to give Natural Lands and Westtown Township a year to secure funding to purchase this iconic land.”

Natural Lands issued a Monday release: “We applaud the Westtown Township Supervisors for moving this referendum initiative forward,” said Jack Stefferud, senior director of land protection for Natural Lands. “We remain optimistic about the preservation of Crebilly Farm and are pursuing a variety of county, state, and federal grants. However, the success of the referendum is essential to the preservation of Crebilly Farm.”

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