Bethel Twp. officials field questions on tentative affordable housing project

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story reported that the housing project is on this week’s Planning Commission agenda, but it is not. LebTown sincerely apologizes for the error.

Bethel Township supervisors shared comments on a recently reported affordable housing project a local ministry would like to build in Fredericksburg.

Their comments were spurred by public comment at the beginning of the May 15 public meeting that referenced a recent Lebanon County Commissioners’ workshop where the housing project was discussed. At that workshop, Everlasting Rock Ministries representatives discussed their desire to build 47 units on about four acres the nonprofit owns near North Center and Poplar streets in Fredericksburg.

Read More: Local ministry proposes affordable housing project in Fredericksburg

Local builder and land developer Dave Hanula and daughter Nancy Hanula Evans, who are the ministry’s principals, told county commissioners they had tentative approval from township officials but their plan has stalled due to an availability of water in Fredericksburg.

At the supervisors meeting Thursday, a larger-than-normal crowd of local residents wanted to know more about the project and the status of available water within the municipality.

Board chairman Richard Rudy, who also sits on the township’s sewer and water authority, answered a woman who asked if the LebTown article was accurate.

“I do know that those people came to a stormwater meeting because I’m part of that board as well, and, of course, what was reported in the newspaper as far as the water capacity is accurate,” Rudy said. “So … the stormwater authority had directed our engineer and we saw the letter they sent to (them) that they would have to do one of two things.”

Rudy listed the options presented to the ministry’s representatives. 

“The authority would have to buy additional capacity from the city elected to get out of the water. Which is, I don’t even recall what the figure is, but it’s over a million. Or they could go do it themselves and give us the permit and then we’ll sell them the water back,” he said. “Well, none of that’s happened. Someplace along the line, I believe, I recall somebody had asked a question here at a meeting. It was simply a question of how that (is) zoned up there and the rest of that is zoned for high-density residential like the other surrounding things.” 

Township engineer Matthew Mack explained what has occurred so far concerning this potential housing project, which is in the very early stages of development.

“They submitted an informal sketch plan, that’s all they submitted and that was around May of 2024,” he said. “So they brought an informal sketch plan in. We did a prepared letter for that that identified some preliminary items with it.” 

Mack provided a further explanation that defined what sketch plans are.

“Sketch plans hold no legal authority, you know what I mean, you can’t vote on them or approve them or anything –  they’re basically an informal sketch,” he added. “So in May of 2024 they did attend the planning commission around that time, the planning commission discussed the plan. There was no motion of approving any plan, you know, approval of the sketch plans and that’s all that happened.” 

He also provided details about what has to occur for any plan to be officially considered by township officials.

“We haven’t seen a new plan since then, an official plan. So for the plan to be officially acted on by the planning commission and then the board, it would have to be a preliminary plan or a preliminary final or basically (one of) those two items,” Mack said.

Mack also told the residents that when an official plan, like a preliminary or a preliminary final plan, is submitted, the “clock starts, a 90-day clock, and it stays on until it’s either approved, disapproved, or a time extension” is granted.

“Sketch plans carry no power. It’s basically, ‘Here’s our plan. Give us some comments.’ You can’t approve, like, to record a sketch plan. So it’s not on the agenda currently, nor will it be on the agenda until they submit another plan back to us,” he said. “So, this board, to be clear, the supervisors, it never came before (them). Sketch plans don’t go before the supervisors. It’s just before the planning commission, (and) so they never voted (on it).”

Ministry officials told county commissioners they would like to begin the housing project in March 2026.  

Bethel Township pool’s 2025 season

In other business, supervisors voted unanimously on several items concerning the municipal pool.

They voted to open on June 6 and set pool membership prices, group rates and menu prices at the concession stand for the 2025 season. They set pool staff wages and agreed to reimburse half the lifeguard certification fee after 100 hours worked at the pool. They tabled setting a closing date for the 2025 season until a later date based on when their employees, who are college students, begin their fall semester.

They also approved the following expenditures for work projects at the facility: Pay Dan Boyer to acid wash the pool at a rate not to exceed $2,400; River Valley to install playground wood carpeting, $4,434; and approve a tree trimming quote from Lutz Tree Trimming totaling $800.

Other township business

Supervisors also unanimously voted to:

• Grant a waiver request until June 14 for the planned cook facility plant at Bell & Evans. 
• Approve moving four letters of credit from Univest to Fulton Bank for Bell & Evans.
• Pass a time extension request until Aug. 16 for a planned transportation center for Bell & Evans.
• Close School Drive from June 11 through July 16 for the installation of a sidewalk following proper emergency notification to all first responders, including state police and the local Emergency Management Agency.
• Release a letter of credit totaling $1,261.75 for Lloyd Brandt/David Pond.
• Accept several motions for the Donnie Zabinski commercial operation land development plan.
• Provide a time extension to June 16 for the Travis and Holly Berger subdivision and stormwater management plan.
• Agree to numerous waiver requests for the Paul Nolt land development plan for a chicken house for his business.
• Grant numerous waiver requests for the Lynford Steiner land development plan.
• Pay existing township invoices.
• Approve three Mount Zion fire police applications for Dean Fackler, Gregory Kuhns, and Kristin Kuhns.
• Place a single application advertisement for bituminous seal coat.
• Approve a bid from Asphalt Maintenance Solutions LLC for type 2 slurry sealer for two projects. The first is for Sharpsville Road from Blue Mountain Road to Route 343. The second item is a standing order from Route 22 to Chestnut Hill Road. The total amount of the bid is $88,810.56.

The next meeting of Bethel Township supervisors is scheduled for June 12 at 7 p.m. at the township municipal building, 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.