Developer plans to build 4 warehouses near several central Pa. schools
A Lemoyne-based developer is planning to build four warehouses in York County — three in Carroll Township and one in Franklin Township.
Crossroads Commercial Development is proposing to develop two warehouse/distribution centers on Golf Course Road and one warehouse/distribution center at 700 S. Baltimore St. in Carroll Township.
Two conditional use hearings were held in front of the Carroll Township Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night.
Two warehouses consisting of 360,000 square feet of space and 306,000 square feet of space are planned for the eastern side of Route 15 on Golf Course Road in Phase 1 of Northern Business Park. The property consists of about 206 acres, and Crossroads Commercial Development plans to develop about a 99-acre portion of the land.
Crossroads Commercial Development also plans to develop a 273,600-square-foot warehouse at 700 S. Baltimore St. on about a 25-acre portion of the property located along the eastern side of Route 15 in the vicinity of the area between Golf Course Road and Glenwood Road in the second phase of Northern Business Park.
The three buildings are primarily to be used for the receiving, storage, and distribution of consumer goods. The property is in the Industrial Zone. Crossroads Commercial Development submitted two conditional use applications to build warehouses and/or distribution centers.
During the first hearing 10 people signed on as parties to the case, meaning they can question witnesses and provide testimony. Most of the parties lived near the proposed warehouses but also included officials from nearby municipalities who are worried of the possible impact that the proposed warehouses would have in their boroughs. Those officials that signed on as parties included Franklintown Borough Council President Anthony Vasco III, Dillsburg Mayor John Richardson and Tim Knoebel, borough engineer for Dillsburg.
“We have significant concerns with the traffic coming in and out of the [proposed] development coming to the borough,” Knoebel said.
William Aiello, owner of Crossroads Commercial Development, was the only witness called in the first hearing for Phase I on Tuesday night. He said he doesn’t have any tenants lined up for the two buildings in Phase I.
The distribution centers would be open 24 hours a day, five to seven days a week depending on the specific tenant. Aiello said that the warehouses would be for consumer goods and he said no ammunition, explosives, fireworks or hazardous substances would be stored in them. And he said no manufacturing would take place there either. He said he expects each building to employ at least 200 people depending on the tenant. The maximum height of the buildings would be 60 feet. There would be loading areas on one side of each building.
Aiello was questioned by township supervisors and staff as well as most of the parties in the case. Officials and residents asked Aiello questions about noise, traffic, landscaping, and security, among other concerns.
Supervisor Kelley Moyer-Schwille asked Aiello why he wanted to come to the area to build a warehouse.
“Those are two high demand generators for the specific end users that are going to occupy [the warehouses],” Aiello said. “They have a use and they need employees. So they want to go where there is a good solid base and then also access to the I-81/I-78 corridor, and the land is zoned for Industrial and it allows distribution warehouses. That’s why I came.”
Supervisor Kelly Wall asked Aiello if he was concerned about the truck traffic and he said he wasn’t worried because improvements done relative to the traffic impact study would make traffic at or better than what it is today.
The warehouses are planned for properties near Northern High School, Northern Elementary School and Northern Middle School. Aiello said he has met with school officials to hear their concerns.
Resident Sara Westhafer had asked Aiello why the proposed parking lot was so close to the road; he said it was due to the limitations of the property.
“I can assure you that when I started this project over a year ago that I looked at every opportunity to get things away from residents as best as I can relative to the physical constraints of the property,” he said.
Westhafer then asked if this specific property was a good location for a warehouse.
“Given all these constraints, the fact that it’s close to residential areas, pretty much on top of my house, pretty much on top of the school, do you think this is the best property for you to be developing this very large warehouse?” she asked Aiello.
Aiello said that the properties have been zoned to allow distribution centers for a long time.
The conditional use hearing for Phase I will continue at 6 p.m. March 2 with additional witnesses.
The conditional hearing for Phase II was only held briefly and more than a dozen people signed on as parties. No testimony was taken in the second hearing, which will be continued at 6 p.m. March 14 with Aiello and two other witnesses set to testify.
Aiello said he has a contract to purchase the two properties pending township approvals. He said he doesn’t have any tenants lined up for the two buildings at the moment.
Aiello also confirmed at the hearing that a fourth warehouse is also planned in nearby Franklin Township but didn’t offer additional details about that proposed facility.
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