Elizabeth Moro, who co-founded Neighbors for Crebilly with her husband to help save the historic 206-acre property from residential development, was back at it this week, showing up to make sure the community’s voice is heard on the future of the farm’s 19th-century inn.
At a Westtown Township public meeting, residents pressed officials to reconsider any commercial development around the preserve, even as the township moves forward with plans to auction off the two-acre parcel containing the historic Darlington Inn. Officials clarified that there’s no active plan to rezone the broader Crebilly Preserve, easing some concerns that had been circulating after an email mischaracterized the scope of a related agenda item.
Elizabeth said her phone had been “blowing up” ahead of the meeting as neighbors worried the whole corridor might be opened to commercial use. While some of those fears were addressed, she made clear the community isn’t stepping back. She said it was a happy outcome, but that everyone is still on alert and needs to stay engaged and informed as the process continues.
The inn itself, vacant and in need of a new use, remains an open question. Elizabeth noted that neighbors are engaged on finding a path forward that honors the building’s history and its place within the larger preserved tract, rather than seeing it sold off without community input.
Crebilly Farm was saved from dense residential development five years ago after sustained community pressure, opening the door for the township to purchase the land using a mix of federal, state, and county grants along with a resident-approved tax referendum. The Darlington Inn parcel was later sold separately for $200,000 in taxpayer funds, a move officials say was necessary to avoid grant-mandated demolition and preserve the possibility of adaptive reuse.
No vote was taken on the township’s proposed comprehensive plan at Monday’s meeting — discussion was postponed, meaning residents, including Elizabeth and her fellow Neighbors for Crebilly members, will have more opportunities to weigh in before any final decisions are made.