West Chester panel opposes church's expansion

The West Chester Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to reject a contentious expansion bid by First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, an 1834 building at Darlington and Miner Streets, a historic neighborhood often featured on borough walking tours. A motion by Anne Carroll cited the church's failure to provide adequate handicapped and regular parking and concerns that the project, which would add 18,000 square feet to the church's 44,000, would hurt the community's "health, safety, and welfare." The addition has sparked debate since 2006, shortly after the church bought two contiguous mid-19th-century rowhouses that it promised to save. The new plan would demolish the homes, a change that has angered neighbors. Officials have said that if the church complies with borough requirements, the homes cannot be spared. The issue now moves to Borough Council, where a vote is expected later this month. - Kathleen Brady Shea