Quarry Development Halted

The 320 unit housing development slated for the 52 acre parcel behind the Parke Mansion and Brandywine Quarry on Route 10 at the east end of Main Street has hit a snag.

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The developer, Provident Homes Corporation of West Chester, announced the project in 2004 by bringing together three area property owners into a single land development partnership.

From its inception Provident Homes representatives, led by project manager Randy White, worked closely with borough, county and state officials to meet and exceed ever evolving code and zoning ordinances.

Provident Homes offered the borough many concessions along the way in response to concern borough officials had about specific aspects of their plans for the site.  For instance Provident Homes agreed to plant twice as many trees on the site as were required by statue and pay the borough $1,000 per townhouse upon settlement.

Pennsylvania's state transportation agency, PennDOT was involved throughout the approval process given both access roads emptied on to Route 10, a state road.  Numerous traffic studies were done by PennDOT culminating with the agency agreeing to place a traffic light at the Main Street and Route 10 intersection, a frustrating and dangerous intersection for drivers turning north on to Route 10 from Main Street.

Having received the local and state approvals required to move forward, the company and had hoped to begin excavating the site as early as next month and start construction on the project's first wave of townhouses this summer.

Instead, Provident Homes will shelve their plans anticipate removing their sales trailer and taking down the big white sign (pictured above) within the next several weeks.