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The North Lebanon Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first phase, or 29 lots, of the Hearthside Estates final land development plan at its meeting Monday.
Phase One also includes the connection of public sewer and public water to the development.
While the homes will be accessed through Rolling Meadows Road, chairman Ed Brensinger clarified that construction vehicles will access the site through an existing farm lane connecting to Jay Street.
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 approximately .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 owns it? The property is owned by Mount Pleasant Ventures LLC.
Members of the board present (supervisor Gary Heisey was absent) also unanimously agreed to advertise the township’s drafted 2025 budget after a thorough budget presentation.
The budget, which does not include a tax increase, maintains all current levels of services, noted township manager Lori Books during her presentation.
Expected revenues total $5,266,114 (with 2024 at $5,088,338) and expenses total $6,060,323. The township has $4,888,390 stockpiled between cash and CD’s on hand. This is over a million over last year’s $3,507,700, which Books attributed primarily to excellent CD rates.
North Lebanon is planning two major projects for 2025: A Lion’s Lake Restoration Project and the replacement of the Jay Street Wall. Both will be paid for partially by grant monies.
Supervisor Ardy Snook emphasized a chart in Books’ presentation that lists police expenses as taking up 39 percent of expenditures — far lower than the 51 to 52 percent NLT has seen in some previous years.
Snook cites the Lebanon County Regional Police Department, which is officially launching in January, for the reduced cost, with Brensinger (who was opposed to regionalization) in humorous agreement.
Read More: N. Lebanon, N. Cornwall move toward Lebanon County Regional Police Dept.
“You can thank North Cornwall for that,” Brensinger said, referencing North Cornwall’s agreement to pay for 50 percent of police cost despite its smaller population, before adding, “for now.”
Critics of regionalization have argued that a merged department will generate more expenses in the long run due to the eventual need for a new headquarters or the possibility that the governing body could change the share of payment.
Brensinger asked Books about the township’s assessment value (totaling both cash value and amount of parcels), as her presentation reflected a slight increase in value from $921,254,100 to $932,774,700 (consistent with most years’ increases) even as parcel count increased from 4909 to 5104, much more than the 23 parcel increase last year.
Books said that she did not know the explanation for this data.
In other news, the board:
- Heard a presentation on MS-4 from Darren Heisey on the purpose of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System and the role of the township in its maintenance.
- Heard that the house at 801 Kimmerlings Road, which the township recently acquired, has been demolished to improve sight distance at the intersection of Kimmerlings and 8th Avenue.
- Unanimously agreed to announce intention to appoint Brown Plus as a CPA firm to perform as auditors in 2025 and advertise the intent.
- Unanimously agreed to place employee Amber Roles-Eby off her probationary period and give her a 50 cent raise.
- Heard the police and fire department reports. Brensinger advised residents that the countywide burn ban is still in place, noting the potentially dangerous conditions for firefighters.
- Unanimously authorized Books to apply for a PA Local Share Account grant to purchase a backhoe loader, as the current one is 15 years old.
- Unanimously agreed to approve a tree dedication.
- Unanimously agreed to approve minutes and payroll subject to audit.
North Lebanon Township meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.
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