The High Real Estate Group (HREG), under the umbrella of the Harrisburg Pike Transportation Coordinating Committee, last September applied for $21,278,000 of federal incentive funds for the reconstruction of the Route 30/Harrisburg Pike interchange. HREG believes that the present interchange is inadequate to handle the traffic expected to be generated by the million-dollar shopping center, named “The Crossings at Conestoga Creek”, that HREG wants to build. This same interchange, including ramps, was rebuilt only eight years ago with over $45 million of state taxpayer money.
The public, by and large, does not support a new shopping center – second largest in Lancaster County and the size of 13 football fields – this close to Park City Center, the county’s largest shopping center. Two petitions with hundreds of names opposing The Crossings shopping center were presented at meetings of the Manheim Township Commissioners, but they were ignored by the Commissioners.
If competition from The Crossings causes Park City Center to become less profitable, the loser will be Lancaster City, which gets tax money from Park City Center. The taxes from The Crossings will go to Manheim Township, which is undoubtedly why the Manheim Township Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to give conditional approval to the project.
The per capita income from Manheim Township ($28,730) is almost double that of Lancaster City ($15,813). Clearly, the City is in greater need of these taxes than is Manheim Township. Also, East Hempfield Township, whose local roads stand to be more affected than those in Manheim Township by The Crossings traffic, will receive none of this tax money.
The Crossings will be built in a flood plain. Many homeowners in the School Lane Hills and Barrcrest neighborhoods have been experiencing water run-off problems due to past development. At one time, School Lane Hills was designated a 500-year flood plain, but a few years ago that was changed to a 100-year flood plain. At a meeting in January, 2009, the Manheim Township Commissioners waived the storm water ordinance that had been recently passed by the township, upon the request of HREG.
Noise and light pollution from The Crossings shopping center will adversely affect Long’s Park, located directly across the highway from the proposed shopping center and the site of a well-attended music series on weekends throughout the summer.
Using taxpayer dollars to fund the redesign of the bypass was opposed in an editorial, “A proper rejection”, published in the Intell on June 28, 2006. This editorial stated: “Federal funding is nothing more than taxpayer dollars – even if they come from Alaska and Arkansas, as well as Lancaster County. Just six years ago, Pennsylvania taxpayers rebuilt the Route 30 ramps at Harrisburg Pike as part of the widening and reconstruction of the bypass. In our view, if road access is such a major part of The Crossings plan, then the developer has to assume the financial responsibility for putting the necessary infrastructure in place.”
If public opinion is ignored – as is often the case – and High’s shopping center is built, at least the taxpayer should not have to pay for the rebuilding of the Harrisburg Pike interchange and other roadway changes needed to handle the added traffic. As the editorial states, that should be the responsibility of HREG.
AMEN !!!!!!!