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Preserve the Beauty. Stop the Traffic.

Preserve the Beauty. Stop the Traffic.Preserve the Beauty. Stop the Traffic.Preserve the Beauty. Stop the Traffic.

Keep our community safe, peaceful, and green.

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The Revised Land Development Plan 6/15/26

Why This Matters to Concord and Chadds Ford Residents

Why This Matters to Concord and Chadds Ford Residents

Why This Matters to Concord and Chadds Ford Residents

 The debate surrounding the Shoppes at Concord is not about opposing all development. It is about ensuring that any development of this scale is thoroughly evaluated and that its impacts are fully understood before approvals are granted.


The questions being raised by residents are fundamentally about:

  • Public safety 
  • Health and welfare of the community 
  • Environmental protection 
  • Infrastructure capacity 
  • Responsible planning 


These are the issues that regulatory agencies are charged with evaluating, and they will shape the future of the Route 202 and Ridge Road corridor for decades to come.


As the review process continues, Save Ridge Road remains committed to providing residents with accurate information, encouraging public participation, and advocating for a transparent and thorough review of all outstanding issues.

Traffic Impacts at an Already Congested Intersection

Why This Matters to Concord and Chadds Ford Residents

Why This Matters to Concord and Chadds Ford Residents

 The Route 202 and Ridge Road intersection is already one of the most heavily traveled and challenging intersections in the area. The proposed development is expected to generate thousands of additional vehicle trips each day, adding substantial pressure to an intersection that already experiences congestion and delay.


Key concerns include:

  • Increased traffic volumes on Route 202 and Ridge Road 
  • Longer queues and delays during peak hours 
  • Increased crash potential at an intersection previously identified as high-risk 
  • Additional turning conflicts associated with multiple commercial entrances and exits 
  • Increased cut-through traffic on local residential roads 


Although roadway improvements have been proposed, PennDOT's review process remains ongoing, and the project has undergone multiple review cycles and revisions.

24 Acres of Nearly 70% Impervious Coverage

Why This Matters to Concord and Chadds Ford Residents

24 Acres of Nearly 70% Impervious Coverage

The current plans propose converting approximately 24 acres into a largely paved commercial center with nearly 70% impervious surface coverage. Impervious surfaces include:

  • Parking lots 
  • Roads 
  • Sidewalks 
  • Building rooftops 


When rainfall can no longer naturally infiltrate the ground, runoff increases dramatically.

This raises concerns regarding:


  • Stormwater management 
  • Flooding 
  • Water quality 
  • Long-term maintenance of stormwater facilities 
  • Increased pressure on downstream waterways 


While engineering models are designed to predict performance, residents remain concerned about how these systems will perform during real-world storm events, especially as rainfall patterns intensify.

Impacts to the Environment

Scale and Intensity of Development

24 Acres of Nearly 70% Impervious Coverage

 The development site contains environmental features that have been the subject of ongoing public concern, including:

  • Wetlands 
  • Streams and drainage corridors 
  • Forested areas 
  • Wildlife habitat 
  • Groundwater recharge areas 


Residents have also raised concerns regarding:

  • Potential impacts to private wells 
  • Protection of the fractured-bedrock aquifer system that serves the region 
  • Long-term water quality impacts 
  • Habitat fragmentation and loss 


Environmental reviews are intended to identify and mitigate these impacts, but many residents believe additional scrutiny is warranted given the scale of the project.

Scale and Intensity of Development

Scale and Intensity of Development

Scale and Intensity of Development

 The proposed development would significantly alter the character of the corridor.


Current plans include a large retail center featuring major commercial tenants, extensive parking areas, multiple drive-through uses, and high levels of daily vehicle activity.


Questions raised by residents include:

  • Whether the scale of development is appropriate for the location 
  • Whether the surrounding infrastructure can adequately support the project 
  • The cumulative impact of nearly 1,000 parking spaces and associated traffic 
  • The long-term effect on nearby residential communities 


These concerns are not simply aesthetic; they relate directly to traffic, safety, infrastructure capacity, and quality of life.

Unresolved Regulatory Reviews

Scale and Intensity of Development

Scale and Intensity of Development

 Perhaps the most significant concern is that several important regulatory reviews remain ongoing.


PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit Application No. 375666 has been under review for approximately one year and has progressed through multiple review cycles. As of the latest submissions, the project remained in the Traffic Impact Analysis/Traffic Impact Study (TIA/TIS) Mitigation Scope Review Phase, indicating that traffic-related issues are still being evaluated.


Residents are also closely monitoring:

  • Stormwater permitting 
  • Environmental reviews 
  • Wetland and waterway approvals 
  • Infrastructure and utility considerations 


Before major approvals are granted, residents believe it is essential that all regulatory agencies complete their reviews and that any outstanding deficiencies be fully addressed.

Thank You for Your Support Rep. Williams

 PA State Rep. Craig Williams, thank you again for advocating on behalf of homeowners regarding PennDOT Application No. 375666 (Shoppes at Concord development on Ridge Road). We sincerely appreciate your time, your public opposition to this project, and your recognition of the need for an independent, unbiased traffic study that comprehensively evaluates the impacts on all affected residential roadways and 

About Us

Our Story

Our Mission

Our Story

 We  represent more than 1,100 homeowners, and are committed to protecting the character, safety, and long-term well-being of our community through thoughtful advocacy, informed engagement, and responsible planning. 


 We do not oppose growth; rather, we advocate for development that is thoughtful, responsible, carefully planned, and proportionate to the capacity and character of our community. 



The Issue

Our Mission

Our Story

 A major developer, Retail Sites LLC, based in New Jersey, has proposed a 24-acre retail development at the corner of Ridge Road and Route 202. 


This project threatens to permanently alter the rural character, safety, and natural beauty that make our community home.

It will bring increased traffic and congestion to already overburdened roads, heighten the risk of flooding from stormwater runoff, threaten groundwater quality, and disrupt local wildlife habitats.

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our Mission

 As planned, this commercial development will erode the quiet, scenic character that defines our community. 


 Our mission is to protect the safety, well-being, and quality of life of residents of Chadds Ford and Concord Township.


To date, this site has logged more than 21,000 visits - people who want to learn more about and support our work—and we’re just getting started!





Quick Links

May NewsEnvironmentTownship Roles - Concord & Chadds FordPennDOT and Trafficzoning & Public Hearingsparcel information and historyLink to Chadds Ford Township Documents

We are Working Hard for Our Community

Legal Representation

Environmental Advocacy

Environmental Advocacy

We have ensured the community is not on the sidelines—but formally present and legally recognized in this process.


By securing Party Status in the Concord Township Zoning Hearing through counsel representing affected homeowners, we gained the right to present evidence, question witnesses, and respond on the record—placing community concerns on equal legal footing with the applicant.


We have consistently appeared at public meetings in Concord Township and Chadds Ford Township so decision-makers hear directly from residents who will live with the consequences.


We have also filed formal written objections with the Delaware County Planning Commission, the applicant, and both Townships, ensuring our concerns are preserved in the official record for accountability and any future review.


Together, these actions protect the community’s voice, its legal rights, and its future.






Link to Zoning

Environmental Advocacy

Environmental Advocacy

Environmental Advocacy

Victory: The developer has withdrawn the NPDES permit application placing this process on hold.  Environmental damage, once approved and built, is often irreversible. Wetlands, mature woodlands, wildlife habitat, and natural drainage systems cannot simply be replaced once disturbed. That is why environmental reviews must rely on accurate, complete, site-specific data—not assumptions.


We have formally raised serious concerns with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and other permitting authorities regarding deficiencies in the applicant’s environmental submissions. These filings, as presented, may not fully or accurately reflect the true environmental conditions of the site.


We have requested that the review process be re-evaluated using corrected, site-specific information—particularly concerning wetlands and woodland resources that provide critical flood protection, water quality safeguards, habitat, and ecological stability for the broader community.


At its core, this is about preventing irreversible harm and ensuring environmental protections are properly applied before decisions are made that cannot be undone.

View Letters

An Involved Community

Environmental Advocacy

An Involved Community

Our community effort now encompasses more than 20,000 people—proof that protecting a neighborhood is never the work of just one voice. Longtime residents, families, seniors, local workers, environmental stewards, and neighbors have come together with a shared purpose.


Over 20,000 visits to this site reflect a strong, growing demand for information and ways to get involved. 


More than 1,100 residents have formally signed petitions and submitted letters, and several have taken the additional step of being represented by Save Ridge legal counsel at the Concord Township Zoning Hearings—demonstrating collective resolve, not just concern.


Beyond the numbers are thousands of coordinated actions: emails, calls, letters, meetings, and outreach to elected officials, the developer, potential tenants, and the media. 


Together, these efforts reflect sustained, organized commitment from a community united in protecting the place we call home.




Link to Appeal

Community Advocacy

An Involved Community

Decisions that permanently affect a neighborhood should never happen without the people who live there fully informed and able to participate. 


Through community information rallies and direct outreach—including flyers to the 250 residents closest to the proposed development—we are ensuring those most impacted understand what is proposed, when decisions are being made, and that they have rights in the process.


Visible support from homeowners and business owners—lawn signs, tee-shirts, and bumper stickers—demonstrates broad community engagement.


Public awareness drives participation, and participation is how communities protect themselves.





Donate

Media Attention

Public awareness is essential when decisions of this scale can permanently reshape a community. Zoning and land-use proceedings are complex, but their impacts on safety, the environment, and quality of life are lasting.


By engaging with local media, we have helped ensure this proposal—and the approval process behind it—remains transparent and understandable. 


Published coverage has amplified resident concerns while explaining the technical process, empowering meaningful public participation.


Informed engagement is not optional. Transparency and accountability depend on a community that understands what is at stake and is prepared to speak up.





Link to Press Coverage

PennDOT Intervention

PennDOT intervention is critical because it ensures community concerns are formally recognized and legally considered.


By filing written objections and Petitions to Intervene regarding the proposed Highway Occupancy Permit and its deficient traffic study, we placed resident concerns directly into PennDOT’s official record—where they must be reviewed and addressed before any decision is made.


Several homeowners have already secured limited intervention status, giving them the right to receive notices, submit materials, and participate in the process. This guarantees transparency and prevents decisions from being made without public awareness.


 These filings are not symbolic. They become part of PennDOT’s administrative record, meaning they must be reviewed, weighed, and addressed before any final determination is made. 

Link to PennDOT

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

Join Our Lawn Sign Campaign

A huge thank you to all homeowners and businesses posting Save-Ridge.org lawn signs to raise awareness! We love our new SAVE RIDGE song! As you drive through Concord and Chadds Ford Townships, take note and join us in protecting our community. We also have bumper stickers, t-shirts, and buttons with even more lawn signs on order. 


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125 Commons Court, Chadds Ford, PA 19317

saveridgeorg@gmail.com

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