Jackson Twp. receives appeal for South Ramona warehouse application rejection

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

The Jackson Township Board of Supervisors heard an attorney’s presentation at the July 8 meeting about an appeal after the board rejected an application for the proposed three warehouses at 50 S. Ramona Road.

Supervisors heard a presentation in March about a broad plan for the project, which included three warehouses on the 104-acre property. Representatives at the March meeting said they didn’t have a final tenant in mind.

Read More: Jackson Township supervisors voice concerns about warehouse development

Township officials expressed concerns about the increased truck traffic, possible environmental impact, and the safety of the nearby Jackson Elementary School students.

Then, on May 19, supervisors approved an ordinance regulating warehouses and truck terminals. The township rejected the application on May 27, according to solicitor Paul Bametzreider.

Read More: Jackson Township approves regulation for warehouses and truck terminals

Attorney Esch McCombie with McNees Wallace & Nurick presented the reasons they are asking for an appeal.

He said the township started the zoning ordinance following the initial March presentation. He said they submitted the plan and application on May 16, having taken some of the township’s feedback into consideration by removing the development closest to the school, reducing impervious coverage by scaling the total buildings from 920,000 square feet to 750,000, and eliminating one of the planned rail spurs.

McCombie said the grounds for rejection were based on “sufficiency,” which he said was subjective, and that the deficiencies outlined in the rejection letter were minor and could have been easily addressed through communication.

He said the edited plans show his clients are willing to work with the township.

“My client already has a lot into this project. They have no intention of going anywhere else,’ McCombie said. “They are happy to work with the township and come up with a plan that is reasonable. I think they’ve shown that by eliminating one of the buildings, but they aren’t going to go away just by having a plan and application rejected. So, I’m hopeful that we can come to some terms and find a way to keep this project moving forward with collaboration and further discussion.”

After the meeting, supervisor Thomas Houtz said the ordinance was in the works for a while before the March presentation and was not targeting this specific development.

“The discussion on the ordinance started when we began talking about the other warehouse that was being proposed on West King Street, which goes back some time,” he said.

Supervisors didn’t take action on the appeal at the first July meeting.

Houtz said the township’s legal representation and engineer will discuss and bring a suggestion to the next meeting, where the board plans to take action on the appeal.

“What the township has to consider is, was the decision of the township staff to reject the application, was that correct in accordance with the ordinance?” Bametzreider said.

The possibility of new warehouses brought public discourse. For several months, residents have spoken up at public meetings to express concerns and urge supervisors to stop the development process.

Houtz said he has not heard any positive comments regarding warehouse development from township residents. He said he doesn’t know enough about the situation to say if the township is willing to work with the developers, but the “citizens of the township don’t seem willing.”

In other business, supervisors:

• Approved the 2025-26 winter maintenance agreement. The projected amount the township can earn this upcoming winter season is $26,334.43.
• Appointed Bryan Weaver as the assistant road foreman at an hourly rate of $36.60. Houtz announced that current road foreman Tim Hibshman is planning to retire at the end of the year, so Weaver is taking on this new role with the aim of having a smooth transition.

The Jackson Township Board of Supervisors will meet next at 60 N. Ramona Road on July 21 at 7:30 p.m.