This is a diary of the lobbying efforts of High Real Estate Group and the weakness of the Manheim Twp. Commissioners in their dealings with this corporate giant. It also gives evidence of widespread public opposition to the construction of a large shopping center at this location, directly across from Lancaster City’s largest park.
TIME LINE ON HIGH REAL ESTATE’S PROPOSED SHOPPING CENTER (“The Crossings”)
March 23, 2006 – The High Real Estate Group, an affiliate of High Industries, proposed a 650,000 sq. ft. complex, size of 13 football fields, called The Crossings at Conestoga Creek, to be constructed on farmland directly across from Long’s Park on Harrisburg Pike. This would be Lancaster County’s second-largest shopping center after Park City Center. High is linking the center to a total redesign of the Harrisburg Pike interchange and said it would seek $20 million in federal funding for this highway work. (Note: the Route 30/Harrisburg Pike interchange, along with the ramps, were rebuilt in year 2000 at a cost to the taxpayer of more than $45 million dollars.)
June 28, 2006 – An editorial in the Intelligencer Journal, headed “A Proper Rejection”, states, “The Manheim Township Planning Commission made the right decision when it refused to endorse a request by a developer [High Real Estate] to create a new zoning category – a planned commercial development area – to permit the construction of a shopping center on Harrisburg Pike across from Long’s Park.”
Aug 29, 2006 – In a news story headed “Shop hub hearing closed,” it was reported that a High representative “has been pressing the township” to change the zoning of the 90–acre farm tract, currently zoned industrial, to “planned commercial development”.
Nov. 11, 2006 – A news story announced a Manheim Township commissioners meeting to be held the following Monday on a zoning text change on the $100 million shopping center. This story revealed that High has sales agreements with current landowners (who are farming the area.) A petition with 200 signatures opposing the shopping center was presented to the commissioners. The commissioners approved the zoning text change but required that High would have to resubmit its plans.
Feb 13, 2007 – Manheim Township commissioners announced a public hearing Apr. 9 to discuss revised plans for shopping center.
Apr 7, 2007 – New Era story – East Hempfield township officials receive a petition from 170 residents opposed to “The Crossings” shopping center in neighboring Manheim Township.
June 12, 2007 – Intell staff story, “Center of attention”, reported on a public meeting on Harrisburg Pike. At this meeting, citizens objected to using tax money to reconstruct ramps recently rebuilt with tax money. Also cited was traffic congestion that would be caused by the shopping center, and the potential impact of the shopping center on Long’s Park. Preserving Long’s Park’s natural setting and enabling the city to continue to host concerts at the park in warm-weather months are prime concerns of Lancaster city, said Mayor Rick Gray. He said he wanted sound and light barriers around the shopping center.
June 15, 2007 – Letter-to-the-editor voicing concerns about impact on other nearby shopping centers in the Lancaster area.
June 28, 2007 – The Manheim Twp. Planning Commission refused to endorse a request by the High Real Estate Group to create a new zoning category, “planned commercial development area”, to permit the construction of the shopping center.
July 14, 2007 – Sen. Specter announced $2 million had been earmarked for Route 30 interchange to add lanes and eliminate traffic signals to reduce delays “that would likely ensue if a proposed $100 million shopping center is built near there”.
July 17, 2007 – The Manheim Twp. Commissioners held the second conditional hearing on The Crossings shopping center. Residents voiced their concerns about gridlocked traffic. On the following Monday, a final conditional-use hearing was held. The developers, High Real Estate Group, reported that they intend to link the Center to a total redesign of the Rt. 30 ramps the Harrisburg Pike interchange. HREG announced it will seek $20 million in federal funding to improve the intersection and ease congestion. This was reported in an Intelligencer story, “Traffic fears still beset Conestoga Creek’ plan”.
July 24, 2007 – Att. Wm Cluck grilled Don Jacobs, senior vice president of Traffic Planning and Design – a traffic-engineering company hired by High, over TPD’s proposed improvements for intersections on Harrisburg Pike from Dillerville Road to Plaza Boulevard (at Park City Center)
Aug 1, 2007 – Carol Simpson, chair of Manheim Twp commissioners, was criticized for okaying a project that would to “logjam Harrisburg Pike by allowing development across from Park City”.
Aug. 15, 2007 – US Rep Joe Pitts said he refused to support High’s request for a $2 million federal earmark for road improvements that would benefit the proposed shopping center.
Sept 1, 2007 – The developers, HREG, successfully “lobbied” MT commissioners to amend its zoning ordinance by adding “Planned commercial development” as a permitted conditional use. HREG sought approval under that amendment.”
Nov. 6, 2007 – Meeting of PennDOT with High Real Estate Group and its engineers and lobbyists discussing the single point urban interchange for Harrisburg Pike/Route 30 and related roadwork.
Dec, 13, 2007 – A New Era editorial, “There’s no such thing as good pork” praised Rep. Pitts for turning down High Real Estate Group’s request for $2 million in earmark funds for the Harrisburg Pike/Route 30 interchange.
May 22, 2008 – Letter/editor in the Intelligencer Journal states that “a very unnecessary shopping center – the Crossings – is being challenged in Lancaster County Court”. The letter said that HREG plans to use tax dollars to “construct roads necessary to serve [the shopping center] is a license to steal”.
Jan. 13, 2009 – Manheim Twp Board of Commissioners, in 3- 2 vote, approved High’s storm water runoff plan even though it included provisions that were in variance of the township’s recently adopted storm water ordinance.
Jun 3, 2009 – Letter/editor Intell, Stan Buch, Lancaster City businessman, “When big and successful malls like Park City have empty spaces…what sense does it make to plan more malls opposite Long’s Park.”
Sept. 15, 2009 – The Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee submitted a $91.5 million grant application for federal transportation stimulus funds. This application included a request by HREG for $21,278,000 to reconstruct the US 30/Harrisburg Pike Interchange to ease traffic created by The Crossings shopping center.
Feb. 18, 2010 – A news story headed “No TIGER Funds Here,” reported that the US Department of Transportation was not funding any of the projects in the LCTCC grant application. John Sandy, a spokesman for High Real Estate Group, called the US DOT decision “unfortunate,” but noted there are other means to pay for the roadwork needed around the planned shopping center. “The Lancaster County TIGER grant was one of several potential sources of funding for the off-site infrastructure improvements to support The Crossings at Conestoga Creek project,” Sandy said in a prepared statement.
