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Bell & Evans officials requested two separate meetings with Bethel Township officials concerning future construction projects within the municipality.
Mike Bracrella, chief operating officer of Bell & Evans, requested two meetings for separate projects during last Tuesday’s Bethel Township Planning Commission regularly scheduled March meeting.
Company officials requested a discussion between the township’s solicitor and theirs to discuss a new planned plant near their existing headquarters on Chestnut Hill Road, and a second, public meeting with the planning commission to discuss road improvement options for the intersection of Chestnut Hill and Blue Mountain roads.
That particular intersection leads to Plant 3, which also serves as company headquarters, and Plant 4 would be constructed behind the existing facility. The intersection is also in proximity to a farm entrance owned by Bell & Evans where the company plans to construct within the next 10 years a packaging and cold storage facility.
Bracrella told commission members that officials want to discuss whether any regulation changes have occurred since an original agreement was made between the township and the company concerning Plant 4.
“We’re one year to one and half years from beginning to move dirt for Plant 4, which is behind the Chestnut Hill Road plant,” Bracrella said. “I just wanted to see if we should get the solicitors together to discuss what the path forward should be and just try to get in front of this so that we’re all on the same page.”
Planning commission chairman Beverly Martel noted the supervisors had provided an exemption that was good for up to 10 years that would allow them to build behind their existing plant. Martel added she couldn’t remember the exact language in the original agreement, but believes that the plan for the new plant could move forward as long as there are no changes to it.
Bracrella answered when asked that Plant 4 would be the same design as Plant 3.
“We don’t see any red flags,” said Alex Kinzey, an engineer with Steckbeck Engineering, about Plant 4 plans. “We just want to get those gears to start turning.”
It was recommended that township engineer Matthew Mack and Kinzey review the original land development plan for Plant 4 before the solicitors meet via a Zoom call meeting. The attorney’s meeting would be to ensure that the company can move forward with the construction project and that no regulations have changed from the time the plant was originally approved.
Concerning the intersection, Martel asked if Bell & Evans was willing to purchase a newspaper ad to announce that meeting, which Bracrella agreed to do. The planning commission voted unanimously to approve the two requested meetings.
In other business involving Bell & Evans projects, the planning commission was told the company is proposing five small building additions to Plant 2. Additionally, the company would like to extend operations as far behind that plant as is permissible to allow the flow of truck traffic. That same area would contain a truck dock and some storage, according to Kinsey.
Another item concerned a building front stormwater basin that the company would like to convert to a subsurface basin so additional parking can be built there.
Martel noted subsurface basins are being used elsewhere, with Kinzey stating at “twice the cost” of a surface basin.
“For something like this, it really helps us because we have a parking situation over there,” Bracrella said about Plant 2, which is located adjacent to Esther’s Restaurant. “This will really help that.”
Bracrella also informed the board that the company wants to add a kitchen at Plant 2 to end the practice of bringing food from Plant 3 to feed employees at Plant 2. “This will help team members get food during break and lunch and things, and we want to put a full service cafeteria there so we can prepare food,” he said. “And the parking, we’re just to the point where there’s no (available) parking there.”
The planning commission approved three of four waiver requests for the additions to Plant 2.
- They agreed to waive a preliminary/final land development plan.
- The project scale is not to exceed 20 feet.
- While the frontage along state Route 22 requires a shoulder of 10 feet, it is owned by PennDOT. (Commission member Christine Spangler abstained from voting on this waiver request since she is a PennDOT employee.)
The fourth request that requires curbing/sidewalks be constructed was tabled since there’s already a tentative plan to construct a sidewalk near Plant 2 as part of the company’s planned construction of a Cook Plant. The cook operation of ready-to-eat foods would be built at the intersection of state Route 22 and Fredericksburg Road.
Read More: Rezoning request by Bell & Evans tabled by Bethel Twp. Planning Commission
The commission also tabled a discussion concerning the rezoning of the farm it purchased at 241 Blue Mountain Road.
Although the company has requested that the farm be rezoned from agricultural to commercial, planning commissioners and township supervisors have denied that request on two occasions.
During the most recent request earlier this year, company officials requested that the land be rezoned before the intersection project moves forward. Martel reminded them that an agreement between the commission and company requires the intersection to be addressed, and that the township has been waiting for that to be resolved. A date for the public hearing to discuss options for that intersection has not yet been set.
The planning commission also voted to:
- Grant Paul Nolt’s preliminary/final land development plan. Nolt plans to construct two broiler chicken houses on his property.
- Approve the minutes of their Feb. 18 meeting.
The Bethel Township Planning Commission meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Bethel Township municipal building, 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.
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