A Zoning Hearing Board application has been filed for the Westtown School, located at 975 Westtown Road, for a special exception pursuant to §170-501.B.(3) to permit a primary or secondary school in the A/C District. Although the school has been in operation for over 200 years, it has been considered a pre-existing non-conforming use from the time the zoning districts were adopted into being. The A/C District only permits school uses by special exception, but Westtown School never applied for a special exception for the overall use of the property as a school. As a result, every time the school has desired to add new buildings or otherwise make improvements to their campus, they have had to apply for a special exception to permit the expansion of their non-conforming use and structures in addition to going through the land development process (since all non-residential building development triggers land development under the MPC). The purpose of this special exception is to formally grant the school a blanket use approval which will turn the property from an existing non-conforming use into a permitted use and thereby removing the burden of continually needing special exception approval for piece-meal campus improvements. The applicant is requesting the special exception approval for use inclusive of a proposed building expansion of the existing “Lane House”.

ZHB Application Packet – Westtown School*
Proposed Lane House Addition Plans
Certification Packet – Westtown School

*A revised map was submitted showing the boundaries of the property to be included in the special exception application for a school use versus the property area under active agricultural use to be excluded. This map is unable to be attached digitally but is available for viewing at the Township office.