East Lampeter supervisors grant $255,000 fee reduction to redevelop Shops at Rockvale property
When: East Lampeter supervisors meeting, Oct. 7.
What happened: Supervisors granted a $255,000 fee reduction to redevelop the Shops at Rockvale property on South Willowdale Drive, Lancaster.
Background: Last year, supervisors conditionally approved a $120 million plan for Fernmoor Homes to redevelop the Shops at Rockvale into a mixed-use community by consolidating retail use in the shopping center and converting half of the 537,000 square feet of commercial space on the property into apartment buildings. This construction will provide nearly 500 new housing units to East Lampeter.
More: That project also includes erecting four apartment buildings containing 128 luxury units at the former Lee/Wrangler site west of South Willowdale Drive, to be known as Mi-Place at Rockvale.
Why it's important: As a condition of approval, applicants must pay park and recreation fees, or a fee in lieu of dedication of park land, because the future Mi-Place site does not allocate enough acreage towards natural resources or recreational space. Fernmoor Homes representatives said they encountered issues establishing appropriate fees on the parcel, due to inconsistencies in the township's zoning ordinance that assess fees more favorably when applicants develop vacant plots of land rather than existing commercial properties.
Why it's important: Upon further review, board members voted in favor of the applicant's request to reduce the fees from $375,000 to $120,000. This reduction includes $42,000 for developers to install a pedestrian biking trail through the Mi-Place facilities.
What's next: Supervisors said they expect to reevaluate the zoning ordinance at a later date to revise any and all oversights in the fee structure. No timeline for construction was made available.
