Quick Take:
Several land development plans have been submitted to North Lebanon Township, including a 1,000,000-square-foot warehouse, 122-lot residential development, and 144-unit, 18-building apartment plan.
North Lebanon Township has several developments working through the approval pipeline. Here’s our review.
The plans
- Warehouse and Trailer Storage Project
- The Estates at Hearthside
- Briar Ridge Commons Apartments
- Martin Narrows Drive
- Manor View Estates
- Flexo-Pack
- Sunny Lane Foods
What say does the government have in development?
A municipality’s role in development is to ensure that incoming development creates adequate stormwater management facilities and meet zoning requirements.
Zoning requirements can range from what types of development can go in what zoning district, to the amount of space a building can take up, to the distance between structures and property lines or the street.
North Lebanon’s code of ordinances can be viewed here.
New plans are submitted to a municipality’s planning commission, which works with the township engineer to review plans and make necessary changes until a plan meets requirements.
Some uses are guaranteed by right, meaning that if a developer meets zoning and stormwater requirements, the township does not have the legal right to veto the plan.
Other uses require special exceptions or variances, though municipalities (whether the zoning hearing board or governing body) are still legally required to grant these if certain conditions are met.
Municipalities do have the right to reject requests or plans that include uses not guaranteed by right.
For instance, had a plan for the Jubilee headquarters at agriculturally-zoned 420 E. Kercher Ave. reached NLT supervisors, they would have had the right to reject it because processing centers and residential are not guaranteed by right in an agricultural district.
Read more: North Lebanon residents overflow township meeting with Jubilee concerns
Developers can also request waivers for certain requirements, for things as small as the size of printed plans or as large as waiving or deferring requirements for sidewalk or curbs. A reason is generally provided.
Generally, the planning commission will recommend approval of certain waivers alongside the overall preliminary/final plan. A municipality’s governing body can reject these if it does not think the waivers are necessary.
Municipalities can also implement language in their ordinances regulating certain uses, though this can be legally tricky if a plan for this use has already been proposed.
For example, North Lebanon Township preemptively placed restrictions on future solar and wind farms by creating an ordinance regulating them in 2022.
While solar and wind farms could still be developed by right in North Lebanon, this ordinance established that they can only be placed at least 100 feet from the property line in 50+ acre lots.
Read more: North Lebanon Township places restrictions on new solar & wind farms
When asked at the August board meeting if there was anything the township could do to curb an influx of development, chairman Ed Brensinger said the township does not have the right to stop developers.
However, he referenced Bucks County, which held a referendum in which residents voted to increase income tax and real estate rates to go toward farmland preservation.
He said North Lebanon could hold a similar referendum to buy up and preserve farmland before it falls into the hands of developers.
“That’s a sure way of stopping it, and I’ve suggested it to my fellow supervisors as a point to look at for the future,” said Brensinger. “But the future, I think, is here.”
Read More: What officials can and can’t do when it comes to approving land development
Warehouse and Trailer Storage Project
What is it? The plan details a 1,000,000-square-foot warehouse with 456 parking spots for trailer storage and 340 parking spots for employees, with access onto Weavertown Road and East Cumberland Street.
Where is it? The 2225 E. Cumberland St. industrial-zoned site is 90.37 acres. Its existing use is agricultural.
Whose is it? The property is owned by KR&S Realty LTD and equitably owned by Inch’s Properties LLC.
How far along is it? The plan has been stagnant since March 23, 2023. Several plan review extensions have been granted in the meantime.
The Estates at Hearthside
What is it? The plan includes the creation of 122 single-family residential lots, to be constructed in five phases. The majority of these homes will be around 2,400 square feet on around .4-acre lots. The subdivision plan also includes several roadways connecting the homes.
Where is it? The 1415 Jay St. low-density residential-zoned site is 72.93 acres. Its existing use is agricultural.
Who is it? The property is owned by Mount Pleasant Ventures LLC.
How far along is it? The preliminary plan was approved April 22. Final plans for phase one were submitted July 8 and are still under township review.
Briar Ridge Commons Apartments
What is it? The plan includes 18 buildings totaling 144 apartment units and 432 parking spaces. The site is accessed from North 8 Avenue and Kimmerlings Road, with 12 5,440-square-foot apartment buildings, five 2,400-square-foot apartment buildings, and a 1,600-square-foot community center.
Where is it? The plan, encompassing lots at 1674 and 1682 N. 8 Ave. as well as 828, 830, 832, and 834 Kimmerlings Road, lies in low-density residential and high-density residential zones. At present, the land is used for agriculture.
Whose is it? The property is owned by Kimmer Green LLC.
How far along is it? The plan was approved July 9.
Martin Narrows Drive
What is it? The plan subdivides a .6462-acre lot from the larger 5.33-acre lot, to be used for a new 2,400-square-foot house and driveway.
Where is it? The 275 Narrows Drive property is zoned high-density residential.
Whose is it? The property is owned by Stanley Martin.
How far along is it? The plan was approved July 9.
Manor View Estates
What is it? This subdivision plan divides the 35.56-acre property into 30 lots, to be used for 30 homes.
Where is it? The site is located along Grace Avenue, encompassing land in the rural residential and low-density residential zoning districts. Most of this land is currently used agriculturally.
Whose is it? The property is equitably owned by Escambia Properties LLC and by Bryan and Barbara Perry and Bernard Ridilla.
How far along is it? The plan is still under review, with the township waiting on revised plans, agreements, fees and financial security.
Flexo-Pack
What is it? The site includes a 212,000-square-foot manufacturing building (to be built over three phases) and 62 parking spaces, including three ADA compliant spaces.
Where is it? The industrial-zoned 21.667-acre site is along Hanford Drive.
Whose is it? The site is owned by the Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corp. The plant will be used by Flexo-pack, a Greek food manufacturer looking to establish its first site in the U.S.
How far along is it? The plan is still under review.
Sunny Lane Foods
What is it? Sunny Lane Foods & Bakery, a food and beverage manufacturer, plans to construct a 109,628-square-foot addition to the existing building and some additional parking.
Where is it? The 2750 Hanford Drive site, 22.83 acres in total, is zoned for manufacturing.
Whose is it? The site is owned by Scout Cold Storage Lebanon Hanford LLC and operated by Sunny Lane Foods & Bakery LLC.
How far along is it? The plan was approved Aug. 19.
Editor’s note: This article was updated after publication to clarify the size of planned houses in The Estates at Hearthside. An earlier version of the article referred to lot size instead of house size. We sincerely regret the error.
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