Upper Darby Residents Challenge Proposed Rezoning of Mozino Tract

Upper Darby residents are urging Township Council to reject a proposed rezoning of the Mozino Tract, a change that could determine whether the property is developed with single-family homes or a broader mix of housing, commercial space and recreation.

Residents publicly pressed the council to reject the proposal in early August, including Aug. 6, 2026. The property is identified in the community dispute as being owned by Rockwell Development Group.

What the proposal would change

The tract’s existing zoning is described as allowing construction of 56 single-family homes. The requested mixed-use plan would instead include townhomes, apartments, retail space and a park.

The proposal therefore raises questions about more than the type of housing permitted on the site. It could also change the amount and variety of residential development, introduce commercial activity and establish a different layout for the property.

The number of townhomes and apartments proposed, as well as the amount of retail space, has not been established. The precise acreage and final zoning classification requested also have not been confirmed in the public information describing the dispute.

Open-space concerns and next step

Residents and other community participants have characterized the Mozino Tract as Upper Darby Township’s last forested open-space parcel. That description has made the rezoning debate a dispute over the future of one of the township’s remaining wooded areas, as well as over the density and uses that could be allowed there.

The existing and proposed plans represent different possible outcomes. Under the description of the current zoning, the site could accommodate 56 single-family homes. Under the requested plan, it could contain a combination of townhomes, apartments, retail and a park. The proposal itself does not establish that either outcome has been approved.

As of Aug. 10, 2026, Upper Darby Township’s public agendas-and-minutes portal had not established a final council vote on the rezoning. The township’s portal is also where a hearing, agenda item or formal action would be confirmed.

No hearing date or next council decision date had been established at that point. Until the council takes formal action, the rezoning remains a proposal opposed by residents rather than a completed change to the tract’s zoning.