A Chester County judge has reversed Willistown Township's 2024 denial of a preliminary plan by developer Rock Hill Farm Acquisition LLC to build up to 22 luxury homes on the 246-acre Rock Hill Farm, ruling that the township erred in applying its open space conservation district overlay to the property's rural zoning district, since "residential district" isn't a designated zoning classification within the township. The ruling gives developer J. Brian O'Neill, who bought the land for $25.4 million, the green light to submit final plans, while Willistown's supervisors say they plan to explore an appeal. The grassroots "Save Rock Hill Farm" campaign—which has long fought to preserve the land as public open space—is urging residents to push the township to appeal.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/20/2026