West Chester Property Owners Can Add On To Properties: Council

WEST CHESTER, PA —West Chester Borough Council voted 6 to 1 Wednesday night to approve an ordinance to allow property owners to add a second unit, such as a garage or in-laws suite, to their residence.

The 1.8-square-mile borough has a population of 18,750.

Jason Birl, director of the planning commission, said the new ordinance will allow property owners to construct carriage houses or other dwellings that add to the character of the property.

The ordinance refers to the additional building as an “accessory dwelling.”

Council member Bernie Flynn voted against the ordinance because believes it will add too much density to the "little adorable alleys" in the borough.

He noted that the borough has 10,122 people living in a square mile. In comparison, there are only 7,800 people residing in one mile in Coatesville, which is a city.

“We are almost as dense as Philadelphia,” he said.

Joanne Smith, a borough resident, said the additional dwellings will add to an overall parking problem in the borough.

“Parking is already a problem,” she said.

She said everyone who wants to have a car should be able to have a parking space.

Tom Anders, a borough resident, said that the alleys add character to the borough and adding the new units will add to the character of the borough.