Manheim Twp. OKs final subdivision and land development plan for housing development

When: Manheim Twp. commissioners meeting, Sept. 23.

What happened: The board unanimously approved the final subdivision and land development plan for a 90-unit housing development on a 26.23-acre tract along Buckwalter and Koser roads in Lititz.

Background: The second tract of the Stonehenge Estates development, known as Stonebriar, will consist of 52 detached and 38 semi-detached homes.

More: Sharyn Young, planning and zoning director, confirmed in an email on Sept. 24 this is the last phase of the development, which has encompassed several phases.

Details: Derrick Musser of ELA Group said the developer, Stonehenge Development LLC, is required to purchase Transferable Development Rights. This means developers must pay to preserve agriculturally-zoned land elsewhere in the township in exchange for increased building density, Young said after the meeting.

Other modifications: The developer is also working with the school district for a new crosswalk for students of Reidenbaugh Elementary School, Musser said. There are plans to relocate three utility poles along Buckwalter Road. He also shared a visual of two proposed access drives and five stormwater basins.

Firefighters' contract: The board unanimously approved the collective bargaining agreement between the township and its professional firefighters, retroactive to Jan. 1.

Background: The contract negotiation process started in January after the National Labor Relations Board recognized the new local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Rick Kane, township manager, said by email Sept. 26. The contract covers both full- and part-time firefighters; it phases out the part-time program by 2027. The new wage scale is based upon years of service. The contract also provides health screenings, recognizing that firefighters are 68% more likely to have certain types of cancer than the general population.

Quotable: Fire Captain Dan Wagaman, who said he attended negotiations, said he was, "proud of the collaboration with the board."

Conditional use hearing: Commissioners scheduled a conditional use hearing for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 for the Neffsville Veterinary Clinic. The owner plans to build a 4,500-square-foot building.

Traffic concerns: A resident of Bushong Road asked township officials to look into a roundabout at the intersection of Oregon Road, Bushong Road and Oregon Pike because he said there are "so many accidents" there. Ralph Stone said he wrote to the state Department of Transportation twice about the intersection.

Quotable: "People would like to get into Oregon Dairy (but) they can't," Stone said. "Horse and buggies are having issues."

Commissioner response: "We're aware of that intersection," President Stacy Morgan Brubaker said. "Something needs to be done," said commissioner Carol Gifford.