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The Union Township Board of Supervisors had an active public comment session at its Jan. 8 meeting, during which residents shared their concerns about incoming industrial development in the township.
Some people said the area cannot handle the increased truck traffic that comes with more warehouses.
Melodie Favinger, owner of Envy Hair, Nail and Tanning Studio on State Route 72, said the vehicles are a safety concern for her employees and customers.
“It’s to the point now where it’s so hard for my clients to pull out because of all the truck traffic,” she told supervisors. “We can think about less industrial and maybe reroute them somewhere else.”
She said the traffic is already bad, but it will be even worse with additional large warehouses.
Resident Tammy Boltz also spoke up, saying she wasn’t at the previous meeting where they discussed warehouses, but her frustrations remain.
“My interest in fighting any warehouse has not diminished at all, I just want you to be aware of that,” Boltz said. “I don’t want to see any of this up here rezoned to industrial anymore.”
She said she is looking into contacting a land-use attorney to “see what rights [she] has” to ask for the existing industrial land to be rezoned.
Township manager Brent McFeaters said he understands residents’ safety concerns. The intersection at Lickdale is small, and despite improvements, wasn’t built to withhold heavy truck traffic.
He said they already have two warehouses and are adding a third, but they’re also looking at sketches for another piece of property.
“We were trying to force them to go to Old Forge [Road] when the warehouses were put in play,” McFeaters said after the meeting. “Old Forge was designed and built for that reason so it wouldn’t interfere with the residents here in this area. Unfortunately, that doesn’t and did not happen.”
With technology, he said drivers are directed to take the fastest route.
“They come through this intersection and do not take Old Forge,” he said. “Their GPS tells them to go the shortest route, which shoots them out on 72.
In other business, supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Robert Rehman to the North Lebanon County Authority Board for a five-year term.
Union Township supervisors will have their next regular monthly meeting at 3111 State Route 72 on Feb. 12 following the 6:30 p.m. sewer meeting.
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