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 Neighborhood News: 

UPDATE: F&M's Neighborhood Meeting on the Proposed Rail Yard Relocation!

Franklin & Marshall recently advised us that the public meeting they planned to hold in March on the proposed Rail Yard Relocation will likely not be held until April, or possibly later.

At a recent focus group meeting to preview the presentation, some Township officials promoted a station type of format (residents would go from one station to the next to pick up some materials on air quality, sound, lighting, etc.).  An expert would be available at each station to answer any questions.

TRAC members find this proposed meeting format totally unacceptable.  We feel strongly that all in attendance need to hear the entire presentation, with ample opportunity for questions and answers in a public forum. Franklin and Marshall is non-committal regarding the format of the meeting they will hold.

Please help us persuade Keith Orris to hold an open meeting so everyone can hear the suggestions and concerns from our neighbors all at once.

Please contact Keith Orris at:
Email: keith.orris@fandm.edu  or
Phone: (717) 291-3868

Please also give this information to your neighbors who do not use email, or are not on this email list.  We need your help!

Thank you!
The Rail-Yard Action Committee (TRAC)

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Did you know? The proposed sites of both the  shopping center and relocated Dillerville rail yard  were granted by William Penn to Hans Brubaker and Peter Swarr, Sr. in 1717.

Did you know?  At dawn on Dec. 14, 1763, fifty members of the Paxtang Boys (a border patrol/vigilante group) came to Lancaster and killed 6 Conestoga Indians in their cabins.

Did you know?  On that morning, four more Conestoga Indians were safely lodged at Peter Swarr, Sr.'s property where they were bartering and trading.  From the proposed development sites, these Conestogas were taken to Lancaster's Work House for their protection.

Did you know?  On Dec. 27, 1763, about 150 Paxtang Boys overpowered the Work House guards and massacred the last community of  free-living American Indians in Lancaster County. 

Did you know?  On this site, during the American Revolution Peter Swarr, Sr. and his son, Peter Swarr, Jr. owned and operated a brick grain mill with the labor of Hessian prisoners-of-war!    

Do you believe this history should be preserved?                                ___________________________________

3/5/08 - East Hempfield Township Manager Bob Krimmel reported that the documents reclassifying Farmingdale Road as a local road and Good Drive as a collector road are near completion!  Final  approval may be requested at the  March 19 Supervisors meeting.

12/20/07 - Neighborhood qualities and historical significance of the proposed shopping center site were presented at the Manheim Twp. Public Hearing.

12/19/07 - E. Hempfield Twp. Planning Director and Solicitor presented a possible negotiated agreement in case of The Crossings at Conestoga Creek.  Much neighborhood discussion eventually resulted in the acceptance of  a financial agreement with High Industries to be used for traffic alterations if Conditional Use is awarded to The Crossings. 

12/17/07 - Manheim Twp. Public Hearing - High Real Estate's and Dori and Mike's attorneys concluded rebuttal testimony.

 11/20/07 - Manheim Twp. Public Hearing continued with cross examination of Dori and Mike's traffic expert, John Nahn.  Nahn's opinion is that many details in TPD's traffic study are unclear. It is possible that $20 of state and federal taxes will allow  traffic that is little different than present traffic problems.

11/ 7/07 - East Hempfield Twp. Supervisors meeting.  Several neighbors were in attendance, and a request was made to formally reclassify Farmingdale Road as a local road, in light of the forensic center announcement.  Township supervisors voted to reclassify the road and will begin the process without delay.  It was also requested that Farmingdale be closed north of the RR crossing if/when the forensic center is built.  This will protect the neighborhood from traffic, should the Miller Farm ever be developed.

10/31/07 - Lancaster County Commissioners announce that the site of the new forensic center will be on Farmingdale Road!

 10/3/07 - East Hempfield Twp. Supervisors meeting.  Twp. manager, Bob Krimmel, reported that there is no lengthy process to reclassify Farmingdale Rd.  He also stated that now that Good Dr. serves as a collector, Farmingdale probably should be reclassified to reflect the nature of the roadway.

9/25/07 - The Manheim Twp. public hearing continued.  Clarification and additional cross-examination of High's traffic expert explored changes to the pedestrian crossings at Long's Park entrance, as well as extensive questioning by the Board of Commissioners regarding the Harrisburg Pike/Dillerville Rd./President avenue intersection.  Of note: necessary right-of-ways have not been arranged and SPUI information was presented and then rescinded by High's attorneys. High/Rettew's landscape architect offered projected views of the multi-level parking as seen from neighbor Dori's home.

9/19/07 -  East Hempfield Supervisors meeting - Sarah F. presented a petition to reclassify Farmingdale  Rd.  as a local road, instead of a collector road.  Supervisors voted to accept the petition and look into the process of making the change.  No final decision was made.

        Therese R. discussed the switching yard project with the Supervisors, and asked for suggestions to try to dissuade NS and F&M from using the site behind the post office.  It was advised that we as a neighborhood use our voices with our representatives and the news media to try to get out word of our opposition.

8/21/07 - The Manheim Twp. public hearing continued.  Rettew's Historical/Cultural research supervisor responded to questions about Rettew's historical reports - written for submission to the PA Historical and Museum Commission.  The expert knew nothing about Peter Swarr, Jr., the one-time owner of the proposed shopping center land, who  lodged some of the last few Conestoga Indians on his property in 1763 on the night of the first "Paxtang Massacre." 

8/1/07 - East Hempfield Township Supervisors reported an executive session to discuss strategy in regard to The Crossings public hearing in Manheim Township.  The strategy was not revealed to the public.

7/31/07 - Traffic Impact Study testimony continued during cross- examination by East Hempfield Township attorney Mongiovi.  Questions included evaluation of the dangers of Farmingdale residents backing into hazardous traffic, dispersal of  "overflow" traffic into the Gentry and Barrcrest streets, dangers at the Good/Oreville intersection, and effects of railroad traffic on the street traffic.

 7/23/2007 - Traffic Impact Study testimony continued during cross-examination by Attorney Cluck.

7/20/2007 - Article in one of Lancaster's newspapers describing the moving of the switching yard in glowing terms!  Let's keep writing letters to let the county know how this affects our neighborhoods.  Also - please contact your legislators - use the links to the left. 

 7/16/2007 - a marathon session of the ongoing public hearing was held.  Attorney Cluck asked to be permitted to ask questions of each Township Commissioner to determine judicial impartiality while hearing the evidence for Conditional Use of the Deisley property.  He also asked the Commissioners to recuse themselves from the proceeding based alleged documentation of bias in favor of High Real Estate Group. Testimony was largely from the creator of the Traffic Impact Study. 

 7/9/2007 - Public hearing continued at Manheim Township.  The developer's landscape architect was the primary witness. 

 6/20/07 - E. Hempfield Twp. Supervisors agreed to hire Heinrich and Klein Assoc. from Ambler, PA, to do an independent traffic study review on the effects of The Crossings project.  The Supervisors also voted to hire an area engineering firm to look into possible solutions to traffic in our neighborhood caused by the potential project.

 6/18/07 - Public hearing on The Crossings project continued at Manheim Township.  East Hempfield Twp. was represented by legal counsel for this process. 

In a neighborhood meeting, 6/14/07, we learned about Lancaster for SmartGrowth (a group opposed to the planned development across from Long's Park) and the group's attorney, Bill Cluck. Bill met with a group of us and answered many questions regarding the public hearing process in general, and many specifics regarding the Crossings at Conestoga Creek project.

Southbound traffic on Farmingdale Road, May 11, 2007 - 3:30 PM

Barrcrest, Farmingdale and Gentry Heights - a cross-section of Americana.  Living here are retirees, doctors, programmers, mechanics, managers, shift-workers, lawyers, at-home mothers and fathers, psychologists, teachers, architects, engineers, financial consultants, and business owners. Increased traffic like that seen above threatens to change this residential area into a commercial artery.  We are united in our desire to keep commercial traffic out of our neighborhood.