There where be a Board of Supervisors Meeting on Aug 15 2012 at 7:30 pm

Item 5 on the agenda is

Subdivision and Land Development:

o   Plans: Elmwood Partners (10-01-PP) – modifications, preliminary plan approval

I may have to work that day/evening and might not make it.
I suggest anyone and everyone attend, and I am not there, please catch me up on what was said/done.

Thanks!

Tom

It appears that Elmwood Partners have purchased the farmland at 99 Elmwood Ave for $900,000.00

Here is what was posted on Lancaster Online

“Herr & Sacco Inc. conveyed property on a public road to Elmwood Properties Ltd. Partnership for $900,000.”

Something seems a bit fishy to me about all of this…I will keep digging.

The Sheriff

At 1:30am on March 1, 2012, I heard a blast from a train horn. I looked out of my back door and found 2 rail cars stopped on the track with their lights flashing.

  I ventured down to the railroad tracks to see what was going on. I talked with one of the workers for Amtrak and he said they are raising the elevation of the tracks because they are planning on taking the speed of the train from 90mph to 110mph.

They can only work on the tracks at night so the train schedules are not interrupted.

I also asked about last summer about seeing a bunch of spark flying and hi screeching noises and he said it was a sub-contractor that Amtrak hires to grind down the tracks to smooth them out. I asked how often they work on the tracks and he said usually every couple of months.

The reason I am posting this is because they want to build homes less than 200 feet from this railroad track and I believe it is going to be an issue when it comes time for the homes to be sold.  Would you want to live less than 200 feet away? I live about 500+ feet away and I can hear what goes on, I can only image what it would sound like living near the tracks.

Yesterday we had some rain, about an inch to inch and a half and flooding has occurred in the lot for the proposed development.

  I may not be a storm water engineer, but common sense tells me you don’t build houses in a floodplain.

Thanks for reading,
Tom

The latest article from LancasterOnline.com about the meeting last night.

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/592168_Planners-deny-proposed-Landisville-development.html

I want to thank the press for coming out and covering this important issue.

And again, thank you to all the Neighbors for showing up.
Tom

I want to thank everyone from Naomi Ave that showed up tonight. Your support is greatly appreciated.
For those that attended, you may not know, but 2 of the Township Supervisors where sitting in the crowd
and I believe they took notice to how many of us are against this development.

The only argument we should have won tonight is the Cul De Sac not being allowed to be built on Township property
due to the terms and conditions of Amos Herr’s will and the land being used for parks and recreation.

I was glad to see the planners not being able to approve whatever it was the planner/architect gave them as it will cost them more money to have their plans re-engineered, and his frustration as well as one of the partners.
Witch by they way, they are not telling us who the other partners are, apparently it’s a secret.  I believe it falls under a right to know law. Don’t we have a right to know who is building in our backyard?

It was also nice to talk with the board members of the Landisville Swimming Pool and having their support, they do not want to see this either.

And of course, a special thank to the press for showing up and hearing what we have to say.

I believe their a Board of Supervisors Meeting on March 7th.  and another Planning Commission on March 14th. However they do not have anything on the docket listed for Elmwood Partners Ltd. at this time.

Keep following the site, news papers and meetings for more information on this project.

Thanks again for coming out!
Tom

There was a Board of Supervisor meeting tonight at the Township building.

I went so I could ask a few questions about how things actually worked pertaining to
the planning and approval.  I am glad I went, because on the docket was the Elmwood Partnets Ltd.
to talk about the plan some more.

From my understanding, nothing has been approved yet, it is all in the planning stages.
I was able to voice my concerns and let them know about things that they may or may not know about.

From where I sit, there seems to be some concern from the Board of Supervisors on the Traffic Issue,
the Cul de Sac and Parking.

I believe we as neighbors that are against this need to go to the Planning Meeting (Feb 22) as well as the
next Board of Supervisors Meeting (March 7) so everyone will know where we stand.

If you need more information about East Hempfield Township, please visit EastHempfield.org
If you can NOT attend, I suggest you write a letter or an email to the Supervisors to let them know
why you are against this development and why.

Thank You,
Tom

On Feb 8th an article was posted on LancasterOnline.com about the Township meeting on the 8th about
the Elmwood Partners Ltd. development project.

You can read the article here
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/583978_East-Hempfield-planners-table-talk-on-development.html

I just sent off an email to the writer of the article asking him or any other media reporter to attend
the next meeting Feb 22 at 7pm at the East Hempfield Twp.

I along with other residents plan on addressing the board with our “Real” comments, not what someone
from the board has said.

I also have uncovered some information about the project and what the township is planning on allowing
that will make them change their plans for this project.

I have also invited the reporter to call and/or come to my home so I can show them the information ahead of time.

If you live on Naomi Ave, Elmwood Ave, you should attend this meeting and voice your opinions.
If you live in East Hempfield Twp. you might also want to attend and hear what the zoners are approving, or should I say,
trying to approve and take away from you and your children.

Thank You,
Tom

I just did a search on the Pennsylvania Department of State Website and found the following information.

https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?2781815

It looks like a Martin Y. Sponaugle is a General Partner in Elmwood Partners Ltd.

A search for a Martin Y. Sponaugle on Google points to a Lancaster Attorney.
http://lawyers.legalhelpmate.com/PA-Lawyer-Martin-Sponaugle-562590.aspx 

If anyone else has any information about the Elmwood Partners Ltd, please let us know.

Thanks,
Tom

March 15, 2010

Case #2226 – Request of Elmwood Partners, Ltd., Lancaster, PA, for a variance to Article 2, Section 205.4 of the Zoning Ordinance, to grant relief from the minimum required lot width, in order to permit the development of parcel # 2907173700000 containing four flag lots on Elmwood Avenue, Landisville, in the (R-3), Village Residential Zone.

Link to page found – http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/easthempfield/ical/eventDetail.asp?date_ID=CACEC9CACA83CDC9CD 

Meeting Minutes PDF – http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/easthempfield/lib/easthempfield/minutes/Zoning/2010/ZHB.2010.03.15.pdf

April 12, 2010

Variance Granted PDF File – http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/easthempfield/lib/easthempfield/minutes/Zoning/2010/ZHB_2010.04.12.pdf

If you did not already know, the plans to build a 38 Duplex Complex in the farm field behind the swimming pool is well under way.

I was at a town meeting on the 8th and a lot of information, plans and possibilities where thrown out by the developer, GD Keener LLC.

I was at the meeting specifically for the purpose of trying to get an issue taken care of with a weed and erosion  problem being created because the owner of the property (farm land) left it up to me for the past 20 years do deal with their land. After I spoke about the problem I stated that I was not against this project. Well, after I had time for the information to set in, got a copy of the plans and a lot of research, I am now TOTALLY AGAINST this project and for many reasons.

I plan on attending the next meeting at the East Hempfield Twp. Building located at A.Herr Park. The meeting is Feb. 22 at 7pm. I hope that you will show up and voice your concerns, ask questions and let the township know where you stand.

Here are issues that I have, and you might also.

Here is a map of the field where the complex is going.

The Blue Line represents the creek and treeline.

The White Line and circle represent the street and Cul de sac for the development.

Here are some issues/questions that I have and why I am opposed to this project.

1. They plan on having the Army Corps of Engineers come in and move the creek to run parallel to the train tracks.
There is wildlife that lives in this treeline, Racoons, Possum, Red Tailed Hawks (and others), Owl, Bats and Ground Hogs. Last summer we seen 3 deer walking along the treeline eating and drinking and I have seen a fox from time to time.   If this treeline and creek are moved, will this wildlife come into our neighborhood? I already have enough problems with ground hogs, I don’t need any more.

2. The Army Corps of Engineers in 1948 moved waterways in the everglades that wound up destroying the wildlife and ecosystem and are now into a 30 year project to restore the everglades back to where it was.
What guarantee do we have that the ecosystem and wildlife won;t be destroyed by the moving of this creek and the tax payers and the county have to foot the bill for it down the road?

3. Has an environmental and community impact study been conducted and if so, when can we see it?

4. For every home that is built, there will be approx. 2 vehicles per house that will now spill onto our roadways.
We already have enough issues from people from the black night tavern and grill parking on Elmwood as well as the swimming pool during through summer months they are parked all the way up Naomi Ave during swim meets.

5. As of this post (Feb. 11, 2012) there are 175 houses for sale posted on Zillow.com in East Hempfield Twp.
Why do we need more houses when the ones that are for sale, aren’t selling?

6. What will happen to our property value when half the homes won’t sell because people can’t take the noise from 283 and the trains that fly past, sometimes even screeching their brakes for miles?  Will this now drive down property values on Naomi Ave?

7. How many children will be living in this community? Our schools are already full and looking at a 4.4 million dollar shortfall in their 2012-13 budget ( http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/561953_Hempfield-facing–4-4M-budget-shortfall.html )

8. The homes that are going in are being called Duplex, but nobody has said how many stories high they will be.
This means anyone living on the north side of Naomi Ave, even if they put up a fence, will lose their privacy from people looking out their windows in the new development. Privacy is just one reason why I bought my home on Naomi Ave.

9. Duplex homes are typically associate with Low-Income residents or considered “row homes”. Will this development bring down property values?

10. At the last meeting their was talk about them putting in a road that would connect their cul de sac to the end of our street and possibly take it through the park down to main street.

11. There was also talk of a 3 way stop sign at the end of Naomi Ave.

12. I can’t believe the Twp. is giving away land to put in a Cul de sac for this development that is specifically for twp recreation.

13. As fast as I see this project moving, and the board approving or providing variances for this project to go through, tells me alot.

There was a lot of talk about how they could do this, or they could do that but I am not sure of what they actually agreed to or settled on.

I hope after reading this you have a better understanding of what is going on and come to the next Township Meeting on Feb 22 at 7pm at the Township building at A. Herr Park and voice your concerns.

In the newspaper it stated that residents within a few hundred yards of this project are for it. SO far, everyone on Naomi Ave. I have talked to has never had anyone ask them what they thought, now it’s your time to be heard. Speak up at the next Twp. Meeting!!

Thank You Neighbor
Tom