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CREBILLY FARM WILL BE PRESERVED!!! 

Tuesday, January 16th, 6:15pm Natural Lands will hold a meeting at Westtown Township to update the public regarding the March 31st, 2024 agreement of sale deadline, between the Robinson family and Westtown Township, and remaining funds to be acquired for the purchase and preservation of Crebilly Farm.  All may attend:  Westtown Township building, 1039 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, PA  19382.   

November 8th, 2022, Westtown residents voted 2-1 to pass the referendum necessary for the preservation of Crebilly Farm.  March 20, 2023 the BoS will give an update at their public meeting regarding the latest grants secured on behalf of Crebilly Farm and a revised timeline for what to expect in the upcoming year.  For updates, please sign up at the bottom of the page to receive the Crebilly Farm Friends blog.  

Thank you to all those who helped make this happen and profuse thank you to the Robinson Family for their willingness to conserve their magnificent property.    

DONATIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CREBILLY FARM MAY BE MADE DIRECTLY TO NATURAL LANDS

Click here: Preservation of Crebilly Farm

April 4th, 2022  an agreement of sale was reached between the Robinson Family, owners of Crebilly Farm and Westtown Township for the purchase of 208 acres to be preserved in perpetuity as open space for the public to enjoy.  The success of the agreement is contingent upon the passing of the open space referendum in Westtown Township this coming November 8th, 2022.  Westtown residents must VOTE YES! to the referendum.  At which time, Natural Lands will ease another 104 acres into four parcels for single home residents.  Please stay tuned for more information and you may follow the blog for more detailed, regular updates. 

December 29, 2016

Crebilly Farm is an historic landmark in Chester County and part of the Brandywine Battlefield.  She is one of the last three large, open spaces left in Westtown Township and is currently threatened by mass development.  Located North and South between West Pleasant Grove Road and Route 926 and East and West between Route 202 and South New Street, her breathtaking, 322 acres of rolling hills, streams, woods, open land and wildlife have been farmed since prior to World War II.  For Crebilly Farm to fall victim to mass development would be an iconic loss.

In June of 2016, an agreement of sale was reached between Toll Brothers and the owners of Crebilly Farm.  The sale is contingent upon ‘conditional use approval’ by the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors.  That means THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL!

Crebilly Farm Friends respects the rights of land owners and believes in fair compensation.  It is our hope the township and the developer will devise a thoughtful and balanced development plan that does not compromise this incredible piece of American History:  conserve the open space and preserve the Brandywine Battlefield.

We, the community, need to hold our townships and developers to the highest standards in order to preserve the integrity of unique land such as Crebilly Farm. This website was created to inform and empower concerned citizens by providing a resource to turn to for upcoming meetings, news and educational information as we navigate this journey through the Planning Commission meetings and Board of Supervisors ‘Conditional Use’ hearings.  Our goal is to work toward achieving the best possible outcome.

Massive public outcry is our best ally against permanent destruction of Crebilly Farm.  Knowledge is power.  Please make the commitment to attend as many meetings as you can.  Read and educate yourselves and others about this heart-wrenching, potential loss.  Together we are making a difference.  This is how we maintain the values of what makes Chester County such a desirable place to live.

Sincerely,
Mindy Rhodes

RECAP OF EVENTS, 2016-present

In July of 2016, Toll Brothers and the Robinson Family, owners of Crebilly Farm, reached an agreement of sale contingent upon Conditional Use approval by the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors. October 2016, Toll Brothers submitted the application to the Westtown Township Planning Commission. December 2017, the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors denied Toll Brothers’ application for Conditional Use.  In February 2018 the BOS written decision was issued. Toll appealed that decision to the Chester County Court of Common Pleas and lost the appeal.  Toll appealed to Commonwealth Court and in May 2019 the case was heard before a panel of three judges in Pittsburgh.  In December 2019 Toll lost their appeal in Commonwealth Court when all three judges voted to uphold the lower courts decision. (Click here for Commonwealth Court Decision 12/12/19) Crebilly I was ‘resolved’ and Toll Brothers did not appeal to Supreme Court. During that time period, a second application, Crebilly II, was submitted by Toll Brothers to the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors. In February 2020, an ‘Alernative Conceptual Plan’ (ACP) was presented by Toll Brothers to the Westtown Township Planning Commission. The two plans ran congruently together for many months. July 8th 2020, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the Board of Supervisors deny Conditional Use of the ACP. September 8th 2021, it was announced that Toll Brothers was no longer the equitable owner of Crebilly Farm and the agreement of sale became null and void. As a result, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to deny Conditional Use and Crebilly II was also ‘resolved.’

Monday, December 20, 2021 Westtown Township officially announced Natural Lands and the Robinson Family, owners of Crebilly Farm, are negotiating possible conservation of the entire 322 acres of Crebilly Farm. Thank you, Robinson Family, for your incredibly generous consideration.