Lancaster Township is planning to build a fire station on part of the Community Park located in my neighborhood, between Atkins Ave. and Millersville Pike. I went to a township meeting last week and saw a map display, produced by the township, showing two proposed subdivision scenarios that would give them a parcel on which to develop this fire station. You should be able to see these in the map file that I’ve attached to this e-mail.
One scenario involved taking a rectangular area of about 7 acres, the other scenario involved a triangle of about 4 acres.
Needless to say a lot of the people who showed up at the meeting were pretty upset about this and frankly I’m not very optimistic about the effect that such a development would have on real-estate prices as well as on the community at large in this area.
An interesting note regarding this issue is that the Lancaster newspaper reported about this meeting saying that there was only lukewarm opposition to this proposal. I was there and that is not what I saw. Furthermore the newspaper also misstated the location of the proposed development asserting that it is on the northwest corner of the park, it’s actually the southwest area.
All of the presenters at the meeting talked about how it was only 4 acres that they wanted and downplayed the fact that their own map display showed a scenario with 7 acres! They also made mention of a possible future expansion of the site to include a police and ambulance station but were very vague about it when pressed.
All I would ask is where do you want it built if not there? Please give an alternative location that makes sense.
I must have been at a different meeting. There are, never were, and will not be any future expansion of additional stations. This is a rumor that continues to be spread by those opposing the project.
One building, possibly multi-use.
There might be an ambulance or police usage of the structure, which is why it’s called an “Emergency Service Center” rather than just a fire station. But there are no plans for additional structures on the property.
Nobody from the township or fire department were vague about it, except the opponents, who were vague because they continue to make up things to get nice folks like you all excited when they just are not true. Regarding the size of the center, it has not been firmed up, but it will be between 4-5 acres out of the almost 100 acre tract. The building footprint will probably be less than 1 acre, with the balance parking lot and landscaping.