Help Expand Long's Park -- Latest News: Manheim Township Commissioners’ Meeting Jan. 12, ’09 vote on Request to Infill 100-year Floodplain

February 5, 2009

The remarks I made in my mailing “The Deisley Farm and
The Crossings at Conestoga Creek: Manheim Township
Commissioners’ Meeting Jan. 12, ’09 vote on Request to
Infill 100-year Floodplain”, were inaccurate and I apologize
to Mrs. Keebler and Mr. Flanagan for those erroneous
statements.

-Joan Hawkins

The Deisley Farm and The Crossings at Conestoga Creek: Manheim Township Commissioners’ Meeting Jan. 12, ’09 vote on Request to Infill 100-year Floodplain

To Whom It May Concern:

· I represent a group of concerned individuals who wish to share information, consider options to develop the farm as park space, find a way to work with all the parties concerned/involved with this parcel, and to find funding to purchase the land for a park, restore the wetlands, and locate a potential “anchor” for the site such as the North Museum.

· High has requested “Specific Permission” for approval by the Manheim Township Commissioners with ten provisions under section 305.L of the Manheim Township Floodplain Ordinance. High is requesting to infill a portion of the 100-year floodplain and “to move the storm-water runoff ‘faster’ rather than hold the water in detention basins.”

· Monday September 8, 2008: Manheim Township Commissioners’ Meeting: High’s request for Specific Permission was denied in a three-to-two vote: voting no were Richard Casselbury, Jr., J. Michael Flanagan, Nancy M. Keebler. Those voting yes were Carol S. Simpson, and Larry Downing.

· Mr. Flanagan at the Sept. 8th meeting stated he had inspected the site and upon observing a structure questioned if it was that of an old mill. There is an old corn and flour gristmill on the western side of the Little Conestoga Creek, adjacent to the Deisley farm. “The mill was built by Peter Swarr prior to 1750, was purchased by Isaac L. Brubaker from Henry Miller in 1910. The mill is on Swarr’s Run in East Hempfield Township. Swarr took down a log mill, which stood for 28 years on the same site, before erecting the brick mill in 1778. Mr. Swarr had Hessian prisoners from the Lancaster barracks help build the mill in 1778. In the newer mill, the wheat was hoisted to the upper floor, weighed, cleaned and stored in bins prior to being ground into flour. The mill was always heavily loaded with wheat and at one point partially collapsed and required repairs. ‘A remnant of the Conestoga Indians were selling baskets and brooms and stayed that night at the Swarr farm when the rest of the tribe were massacred at Indiantown, Manor Twp. This small group were removed to the Lancaster jail for safety when the Paxton boys broke into the jail and killed them all, men, women and children.’” 1.

· “The Bureau for Historic Preservation (the State Historic Preservation Office) has reviewed the project: ER 05-2827-071-C, COE: Crossings at Conestoga Creek (formerly Deisley Tract Development), Manheim Twp., Lancaster Co., in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended in … It is the opinion of the State Historic Preservation Officer that the Swarr-Harnish Farm is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The farm is a very good example of an agricultural resource that represents farming practices as evolved through the 19^th century to the early 20^th century. The property contains significant agricultural outbuildings and field patterns. It reflects architectural styles and forms typical of this period and retains integrity.”… Excerpts from the official letter sent to Elizabeth L. Roman (of Rettew, 3020 Columbia Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603) by Andrea L. Mac Donald, Chief, Division of Preservation Services

· Log Structure said to be located on the property: the clapboard house adjacent to Swarr Run and close to Harrisburg Pike is the log structure. It has been said that structure was erected recently as a restaurant. However, upon speaking with a family living within a mile of the structure stated the existing home had been “renovated” and used for a restaurant for a few years before closing. They used to bike past the property on their way to Brookside Park, the oldest spring-fed pool in Lancaster County.

· Indian Settlement in the meadow: This same family who spoke of the log structure stated there used to be a large open meadow, which the widened Rte. 30 cuts through today. The meadow was just west of where Swarr Run joins the Little Conestoga Creek. Early on it was an Indian encampment. When Rte. 30 was going to be widened, an archeology site was set up on a portion of the meadow and significant items were found which now reside in the State Museum in Harrisburg. The Post Office used to hold their summer picnics on the meadow. Things look very different after the country road expanded to Rte. 30’s six lanes!

· Ms. Patricia Strong of the Federal Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore Office, as of October 1, 2008 her office has not received a request review plans for the shopping center on Harrisburg Pike. She recommended the Manheim Twp. Commissioners if not they have asked the DEP to look at this project as our group has requested. As of January 12, 2009 the Commissioners had not asked the DEP to become involved.

· Newspaper article, Sunday News, Lancaster, PA: “Broken Promises on the Chesapeake Bay”, December 28, 2008 page A8, by David A. Fahrenthold, The Washington Post. “Government administrators in charge of an almost $6 billion cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay tried to conceal for years that their effort was failing---even issuing reports over-stating their progress---to preserve the flow of federal and state money to the project, former officials say…. The cleanup’s failure has prompted a coalition of environmentalist and scientists this month to call for replacing the EPA’s approach with firm regulations on farms, sewer plants and developers. A group of watermen has joined environmentalists in threatening a lawsuit, hoping a judge can force the EPA to quicken the pace of the cleanup. For the bay, the consequences are clear: The vast marsh-rimmed estuary has just as many pollution-driven ‘dead-zones’ as it did in the 1980’s and less of the life---crabs, oysters, watermen---that made it famous. The EPA also says it is time for a change. Current EPA bay program director Jeffrey L. Lape said the cleanup did not have enough money or legal muscle for its task. ‘You lack the tools, programs and authorities to get the job done.’ Lape said, paraphrasing a July report from the EPA’s inspector general. ‘I agree with that.’”

· Wetlands Restoration of former mill races/streams with deep embankments, as those on the Deisley farm, would provide environmental, recreational, wildlife habitat development, and monetary benefits (storm-water run-off credits) through increased storm-water absorption, filtration. The Lancaster County Planning Commission in 2008 awarded LandStudies, Inc. of Lititz for ground-breaking-wetlands restoration work.

· The North Museum’s vision of bringing the natural world to their visitors would be a “Good Match” if relocated to the Deisley farm. The North Museum did approach the Deisley family about purchasing the property. The Museum might need financial assistance to acquire such a property as well as maintaining it.

· The Lancaster County Planning Commission has provided the following Seminars to educate local government, developers, builders, landscape architects and the public of changing state government expectations. Each of these seminars was followed by an invitation-only forum the following day:

§ “The Importance of Greenspace In And Around Cities” with Edward McMahon of the Urban Land Institute in Washington D.C. “Where natural growth is the Foundation of Communities.”

§ “Form-Based Codes” with Katz a new form of zoning regulations that specify how a community specifically wants its physical components to look like vs. only who may occupy an area, note the new “Store-front parking garage” on E. King St. is a product of this seminar.

§ “Traffic Congestion Solutions” with Secretary of Transportation, Allen Beiler who emphasized slowing/diminishing traffic by improving alternative public transportation and connectedness, and developing walk-able communities.

§ “Walk-able Communities” held this spring at Millersville University

§ “The Public Forum to develop a new Green Infrastructure Plan for Lancaster County”

· The Committee Reviewing the “Traffic Congestion on the Harrisburg Pike Corridor” hosted several public meetings soliciting input on this heavily traveled state road. Coincidentally, at the hearings on the request by High Industries for the approval of a newly-crafted text amendment which would allow the Deisley farm to remain zoned industrial yet if all conditions, especially have the funds for the necessary road improvements, were met by High, they could build the proposed shopping center on the site. The oppositions lawyer contended “The Crossings at Conestoga Creek will increase congestion on Harrisburg Pike, not diminish it; it is not within walking distance of any neighborhood nor is it bike friendly.”

· Manheim Township held several Town Meetings to develop a “New Comprehensive Plan” spring 2008 to update the 1995 version. The 1995 version stated the Township had sufficient retail development and if a new complex was proposed, it should infill an existing/deteriorating center. Odd timing!

· The Crossings’ “yes vote” on the zoning request for a text amendment is now in court following an appeal by an adjacent landowner.

· At the September 8, 2008 Manheim Township’s Commissioners Meeting, residents were present from Lancaster Township and Manor Township (as well as East Hempfield Township) to protest the flooding on their properties. As one resident, a retired engineer, stated “each year for the last several years water from a bad storm has risen to the 100-year flood plain on my property.”

· Lancaster County Planning Commission has finished its draft of a new county-wide Green Infrastructure Plan, updating the 1992 Lancaster County Regional Open Space Plan, using a “Green Infrastructure” approach to conserve and manage natural areas, working landscapes, greenways, and other ecological resources. It calls for the integration of parks, open spaces, and other green elements into urban, suburban, and rural areas, providing a framework for action at countywide and municipal levels. The Lancaster County Conservancy is supporting this plan as an essential means of protecting our county’s most vital natural lands. To see the plan in its entirety, instructions and deadlines for submitting comments, visit: http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/planning and click on the link for the Draft Green Infrastructure Plan.

· January 12,2009 Manheim Township Commissioners’ Meeting: it was announced at the start of the meeting the commissioners had met in executive session just prior to the public meeting. When the High’s request for special permission was put to a vote, Nancy Keebler and Richard Casselbury, Jr. voted against it; J. Michael Flanagan voted for it. It was passed three to two.

· CALL TO ACTION: CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, WRTIE LETTERS TO YOUR EDITORS, MANHEIM TWP. COMMISSIONERS, VISIT AND OFFER COMMENTS ON WWW.EXPANDLONGSPARK.ORG

· 1. # 28 Swarr’s Run, I.L. Brubaker Mill East Hempfield Township written by Chester Paes, pages 1-4. Old Mills in Lancaster County Edited by Ira D. Landis; Community Historians Annual, Number Three, Franklin and Marshall College Library, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Volume 3__No. 6, December1964