By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

Owing largely to the opposition of those who attended the 90-minute public hearing at the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 24, the board voted to table a proposed amendment to its zoning ordinance that would open the way for a sports facility to be built and maintained at the current White Clay Point property on Gap-Newport Pike.

Specifically, the township is considering the concept of broadening Chapter 200 of its code of ordinances applicable to its Unified Development Districts (UD) to include an open-air stadium or arena with a fixed or retractable roof that would provide seating for more than 1,000 spectators in tiered seating for sports events, concerts, meetings and gatherings of large groups. 

In addition, a building or structure such as a hotel would be built near the stadium or arena.

As spelled out during the hearing, the concept of expanding the township’s UD is to incentivize attractive economic development along the Route 41 and Route 7 corridors that would, if built, provide for more attractive and functional development and create a gateway attraction for the township.

The Chester County Planning Commission unanimously voted at their December 2024 meeting to support the zoning ordinance amendment and sent a letter on Feb. 13 to the township that offered six recommendations to New Garden’s proposed zoning ordinance amendments.

The hearing, moderated by township solicitor Winifred Sebastian, included a presentation by township Manager Christopher Himes, who said that the idea of adding construction of a stadium or arena at the 188-acre White Clay Point site is part of the township’s priorities to increase its tax base.

“A strategy for the township”

“White Clay Point in the unified district serves as a significant portion of that because it’s the largest contiguous land site in the one part of the township that is most prime for economic development interests,” he said. “If you’re talking about it from the function of a potential recreation, sports-tourism type of use, it’s not to say that it’s going to happen but at least it allows for that type of function in that site, so you can activate not just the overall ancillary development around it to incentivize developers to come to the table to actually buy a site, but to [allow developers to] build what they can build and complete the project to get the revenues that we so dearly need here in the township.”

Himes, who called the potential expansion of the township’s UD zoning amendment “a strategy for the township,” said that it continues to be the township’s intent to explore ways to open the township door to potential economic development along Route 41, Baltimore Pike and Newark Road – all state-owned roads. Currently, the site, owned by JP Morgan Chase, has sat dormant since it purchased the land parcel for $11 million in 2019.

“The intent behind the site is to provide an enhanced gateway to the township,” he said. “It’s the first thing you drive by when you come to New Garden Township. Right now, it’s a dilapidated former compost site, and that’s pretty much it.” 

Public comments

Sebastian, Himes and the supervisors spent a portion of the public comment period dispelling erroneously circulated rumors that the township had already decided to go shovel-ready on constructing a sports facility in the township, repeatedly stating that the proposed amendment was introduced as a measure that if passed would open another avenue of possible economic development. 

Several residents in Somerset Lake community – whose properties would closely border a sports facility if it were built at White Clay Point -- expressed concern about the impact a sports facility may have on the development in the areas of potential cut-through traffic, stormwater run-off, noise volumes, light pollution and the potential lowering of home property values.

Another resident pressed the board to define the exact purpose of what the facility will be used for. Himes said that there have been early discussions that the structure would be used for youth sports and recreation, a concept that dates back to the original site plan that was introduced by JP Morgan in 2019. 

Richard Zimny, a former member of the township’s Zoning Hearing Board, said that the idea of giving up rights to control the development of the parcel seems to favor new residents, “while our existing residents are being short-changed,” he said. “Economic development doesn’t always promise a long-term, sustainable solution for townships.

“I’m just asking you to give thoughtful consideration to not opening up Pandora’s box. I don’t know if the cost benefit will be there. We’ll have to hire more police. Who is going to pay for the roads? You’ve got roads there that are not adequate now, and you want to talk about building something else?”

Acknowledging residents’ comments and on the recommendation of Board Chairman Ted Gallivan, the board voted to table the vote on whether to amend the township’s zoning ordinance to include a sports facility until the board meets again in March, when a revised draft of the amendment will be re-introduced. 

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].