Last night the Manheim Twp. Planners approved the zoning amendment requested by High Real Estate, needed for the Diesley farm on Harrisburg Pike across from Long’s Park that High wants to develop. Considering that it is a safe guess that the Manheim Twp. Commissioners will approve High’s new “village” plan for the Crossings that includes a 75,000 – 90,000 sq. ft. hotel, 260 apartments and 20 “or more” stores including restaurants, I’d like to know if you think:
(1) That the Marriot in downtown Lancaster as well as city stores and restaurants will be adversely affected by this development with presumably free parking less than 3 miles from downtown and
(2) If the new Crossings plan will result on less traffic on Harrisburg Pike than the earlier all-retail plan for the Crossings, as predicted by the developer, High Real Estate?
EDITOR: Seems like the process is working as it should. A developer proposed, the authorities rejected, the developer came back with something consistent with the requirements, and the project will likely get built.
We doubt that a Rt. 30 hotel will have much of an impact on the downtown Marriott. Two separate markets. It will likely compete with the Best Western Eden Resort.
There likely will be less traffic at any given hour, since it will be spread over twenty-four hour rather than just shopping center hours.
Had the Convention Center project not gotten off the ground, we believe that a mixed used condominium / retail / parking plan would have followed and it would have not only proved profitable for the developers but also would have brought real estate tax revenue rather than expenses and risks to the city and county.
The “authorities” did not reject the first plan. The Manheim Twp. Commissioners gave it a conditional approval that included a requirement to rebuild the Rt. 30/Harrisburg Pike interchange. High Real Estate expected that to be paid for with federal transportation funds, but they didn’t get the money.
Does this mean the US30/Harrisburg Pike interchange plan is history? If so, thank goodness!
This construction will hobble traffic at the 30 interchange.
If by “this construction”, the writer means the new “village” plan for the Crossings (hotel, apartments, stores/restaurants), this will not only cause back-up traffic at the Rt. 30/Harrisburg Pike interchange but will also cause gridlock on Harrisburg Pike. High Real Estate plans to widen Harrisburg Pike from the interchange to the entrance to the Crossings (with the help of federal and state money) but has said that the railroad bridge on Harrisburg Pike is NOT BEING REBUILT.
There will be a bottleneck at this bridge, resulting in congestion and no doubt accidents. “Narrow the nozzle of a hose and you increase the pressure.”