Westtown Development News

Preservation Alliance Presents on Historic Preservation Easements to Westtown Supervisors

The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors workshop included a presentation by Jennifer Robinson, director of preservation services for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, on preservation easements. The presentation explained what a preservation easement is, how it works, its benefits, and provided examples of easements held by the Alliance. Key aspects discussed included the voluntary legal agreement, its perpetual nature, the owner's rights retained, and the restrictions on altering or demolishing historic features. The process involves baseline documentation, a legal agreement, and ongoing monitoring. The Alliance, a 501c3 and one of the largest easement-holding organizations in the US, enforces these easements. The presentation also covered the motivations for property owners to donate easements, such as a love for a place, potential tax deductions, peace of mind, and to preserve legacy. Examples like the Squire Cheney Farm, Wharton Esurik studio, a former school for girls in West Chester, and a property in Chestnut Hill were detailed. The discussion also touched upon easement modifications, financial aspects like donations and potential future sales percentage models, and the criteria for properties to be considered historic. The property in question, identified as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, was discussed in the context of a potential auction, with the timing of placing an easement before an auction being crucial for full disclosure to buyers.