This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.
Work could begin any day on a new apartment complex on the south side of state Route 419 at the western edge of Quentin.
At their meeting Monday, March 11, West Cornwall Township supervisors signed the plans for the Apartments at 419, located on a 13-acre tract zoned high-density residential.
The development had won supervisors’ conditional approval last May subject to receiving permits from PennDOT and DEP. Those have now been issued, township engineer Jeff Steckbeck told supervisors.
Five apartment buildings for a total of 104 units will be constructed along with a 2,700-square-foot clubhouse. Most of the buildings will have three floors. Access to the apartments will be on West Main Street (SR 419) across from Gateway Avenue.
The developer/owner is 419 Point Partners, Steckbeck wrote in an email.
In other business, supervisors set Tuesday, April 23, as a first hearing for Quentin Associates’ conditional-use application for the entire former Quentin Riding Club property. The hearing, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the township building, will consist of presentations by attorneys and will not include opportunity for public comment, supervisor David Lloyd said. Public comments will be taken at subsequent hearings on the application after the initial presentation to the supervisors on April 23.
The application lays out the plan of development for the entire 46-acre tract zoned mixed-use overlay district. That plan includes commercial lots, apartments, nine single-family homes and equine use.
Users of several of the lots have been identified — namely, a Wawa gas station and convenience store, age-restricted apartments and equine therapy facility — but others such as a medical office are speculative.
The April 23 hearing is the first step in supervisors’ review of the plan.
Related to the conditional use hearing is Tuesday’s meeting of the township Zoning Hearing Board to consider the application by Quentin Associates for a special exception to build an equestrian therapy facility for military veterans on 16 acres of the 46-acre tract. That meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, in the Quentin Fire Hall.
The zoning hearing board has already approved two special exceptions — the Wawa gas station and convenience store and the age-restricted apartments.
Supervisors also gave the green light to “Got the Nerve Triathlon” to use West Cornwall Township roads in the Mount Gretna area as part of the triathlon’s course. Organized by the IM ABLE Foundation, the May 18 event is a fundraiser for adaptive athletes. It includes Sprint and Olympic distances.
Supervisor Russ Gibble began Monday’s meeting noting that supervisors had met in executive session “to discuss real estate matters.” He provided no additional details at that time or later in the meeting when asked for more information by an attendee. It is illegal for an elected public official to publicly disclose the discussions held in an executive session.
At their Feb. 11 meeting, supervisors had reported they had met in executive sessions to discuss real estate and identified 67 W. Main St. as the property of interest. That property at the corner of Zinns Mill Road and Route 419 includes a stone building and area currently used for private parking.
Read More: West Cornwall eyes private parking lot for public parking, preservation of building
West Cornwall Township supervisors meet at 73 S. Zinns Mill Road on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is Monday, April 8. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.
Editor’s note: This article was updated after publication to clarify that public comment on Quentin Associates conditional-use application following the April 23 meeting, as well as an update to clarify that elected public officials are legally prohibited from disclosing discussions held in executive sessions.
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Free news isn’t cheap. If you value the journalism LebTown provides to the community, then help us make it sustainable by becoming a champion of local news. You can unlock additional coverage for the community by supporting our work with a one-time contribution, or joining as a monthly or annual member. You can cancel anytime.
