Details of a rumored multi-use development proposed by the founder of Fredericksburg poultry producer Bell & Evans remain elusive.
Lancaster Newspapers reported on Oct. 1 that Scott Sechler, Sr. spoke to the board of directors of Lancaster’s Rocky Springs Carousel Association in August to ask if they would allow him to use their 1924 vintage merry-go-round, which has been in storage for over 20 years, as part of a proposed multi-use development in Bethel Township, Lebanon County.
The report did not say whether Sechler appeared on behalf of Bell & Evans or in some other capacity.
According to the LNP report, Rocky Springs president Tracy Artus said the project would include shops, a national chain grocery store, a hotel, a restaurant, a train ride, and an amphitheater. Artus did not respond to LebTown’s request to confirm those details.
The carousel association’s August meeting minutes say Sechler was “interested in making the carousel a centerpiece of his Sechler Village project in Fredericksburg, Lebanon County. Mr. Sechler provided personal and professional background information and briefly discussed the village concept where he would like to place the carousel.”
The minutes added that “[t]he Board accepted an invitation to visit the location for its September meeting.” A specific location was not mentioned.
Attempts to determine whether or not the carousel association’s board has in fact visited a proposed site, or exactly where it might be, have so far been unsuccessful.
Bell & Evans officials did not reply to LebTown’s request for an interview with Sechler. LebTown sought to understand where the development might be located.
LebTown also contacted Bethel Township supervisors Richard Rudy and Bruce Light to ascertain whether the municipality has been contacted about the project.
Rudy, who is board chairman, said he had no knowledge of the project and refused to discuss it further. Light also would not discuss the project when asked during a break in a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 2, concerning a proposed solar farm in the township.
Read More: Bethel Twp. supervisors approve four solar farms for two land parcels
Bell & Evans owns numerous parcels in Bethel Township, with overall holdings totaling hundreds of acres, including 75 acres on the south side of Route 22 located in the highway commercial district. With much of the land acquired in transactions since 2020, the company’s plans for many of these parcels remain unclear.
Where the project would be located within Bethel Township may hinge on developing it on land that is already zoned commercial. That’s because the township supervisors denied a request by the poultry processor’s realty division to rezone a parcel of land from agriculture to commercial in 2023.
A map of the zoning district within Bethel Township indicates that most of the commercial areas are between Interstate 78 and US Route 22, which run parallel through the township.
Late in 2023, township supervisors voted “no” on a zoning change from agriculture to commercial for a 63-acre farm the company purchased for $2.5 million earlier that year. That property sits along Blue Mountain Road, adjacent to an existing Bell & Evans plant.
Following the July 11 meeting of the township supervisors, LebTown asked Rudy and Light why the board voted against that zoning change request after it was forwarded to supervisors from the township’s planning department.
Rudy said supervisors felt the company already owns other land that should be used to develop commercially instead of a parcel that is zoned agriculture. Light said at that time that while the supervisors are not dictators, they are charged with acting in the best interest of the township whenever a decision is made.
LebTown also reached out to other officials to see if they had heard about the project.
Carousel association manager Mike Berk did not respond to LebTown’s emails seeking details, and minutes of the association’s September meeting were not posted on its website at publication time. The association’s next board meeting is set for Oct. 15.
Lebanon County planning director Julie Cheyney and county administrator Jamie Wolgemuth said on Thursday, Oct 3, that they were unaware of any proposed development connected to Sechler or Bell & Evans.
Meanwhile, word of the project that has spread on social media since the LNP article was published is favorable – at least on one page where the news story was shared.
On the Lebanon, PA Happenings Facebook page, there are 253 likes and loves as of Oct. 5 and the comments are overwhelmingly positive. In fact, no negative comments appeared in that page’s feed.
Comments ranged from “great” and “wonderful” to “exciting” and “awesome.” One commenter noted Sechler would be doing for his employees what Milton Hershey did for his own, in the nearby village once known as Derry Church.
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