Bethel Twp. officials updated on traffic plan for two hazardous intersections

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

Plans have been paved for traffic improvements to the intersections of Blue Mountain and Chestnut Hill roads in Bethel Township.

That announcement was one of several concerning several projects of local poultry producer Bell & Evans in the Fredericksburg area that were made at the Tuesday, July 22, meeting of the Bethel Township Planning Commission. 

No vote was taken but a plan to improve sight lines on Blue Mountain and Chestnut Hill roads was discussed with commission members by Steckbeck Engineer Alex Kinzey.

The plan is to improve sight lines to the north and south on Blue Mountain Road by clearing land the company owns on the east and west sides of Blue Mountain Road. Both plots of land abut the two intersections comprising the non-linear intersection for the two township roads.

Mike Bracrella, chief operating officer for Bell & Evans, told LebTown after the meeting that no vote was required by commission members because his employer owns the land. The corrective action being taken is in response to fulfill zoning ordinance requirements when new construction occurs within the municipality. 

Additionally, Bethel officials at the planning commission and board of supervisors have insisted for quite some time that the traffic concerns be addressed at those intersections before Bell & Evans is allowed to proceed with construction of a new cold storage and processing facility at 241 Blue Mountain Road. 

Bell & Evans officials have said in the past that they plan to avoid using the section of Chestnut Hill Road that runs in front of its Plant 3 facility to Blue Mountain Road for vehicles going to and from the cold storage and processing facility at 241 Blue Mountain Road once it is operational.

That traffic will travel on company property to Fredericksburg Road, which connects to U.S. Route 22 when product is to be shipped.

Bracrella noted the traffic improvements at the intersections are trial solutions to address the hill on the north side of Chestnut Hill Road that prohibits vehicles from seeing vehicles until they are almost at that intersection.

“We’re just trying to see as far as we can to that hill, basically, if you’re at the lower view, the eastern side of Chestnut Hill or the lower one when you’re parked there, you can’t see right now. So we’re gonna whack that all back so you can see the crown while you’re sitting there at the stop sign,” Bracrella said. “And the same thing with sitting at Chestnut Hill Road to the west when you’re looking to the east. We’re gonna pull that back as far as we can to help out, too.”

Bracrella said that solution was offered by a township resident.

“That’s kind of what we can do. We don’t have any other frontage that we can really open up. So it is a very minimal thing, but there’s a chance it helps out a lot for daily use. It won’t make it conform necessarily to all the regulations, but we’re going to see if it makes it better,” he added.

Bracrella believes whether the fix works or not will be determined by residents and township officials.

Discussions need to occur with the county conservation district, and work is expected to commence on the intersection in an estimated 30 to 90 days.

Walking path update

Bell & Evans officials also provided an update for a walking path proposed to run west from Esther’s Restaurant at Blue Mountain Road and U.S. Route 22, ending in town. An issue has been trying to obtain permission from Sherman-Williams officials for a right of way near its warehouse along U.S. Route 22, where the path tentatively would pass.

The walking path would run in front of Esther’s and the company’s Plant 2 to the Fredericksburg Legion, which would be tied into the walkway, and eventually to Main Street in town, which is several miles from the starting point.

“We continue from Esther’s all the way over to Legionnaire (Drive), cross (Route) 22, go in front of the (proposed) Cook Plant, and then get to the Fredericksburg Bridge,” Bracrella told LebTown after the meeting. “Go to the Fredericksburg Bridge, and then you cross again, and then you jog down. That’s like a three-way intersection there now. So you got 22 and we got Main Street. So we have a jog down Main Street, just about to the creek where the Dale Richard property is (located).”

“This would be the plan if we can’t get approval from Sherwin-Williams, this would be what we would approve,” Bracrella said. “Now we’re going to try to go back to make a request from PennDOT to allow us to go into their right of way.”

Plant 2 stormwater plan update

The planning commission approved a preliminary/final subdivision and land development plan for stormwater management at the company’s Plant 2, which is adjacent to Esther’s Restaurant. 

At the July 17 meeting of township supervisors, Bracrella notified the board that the stormwater management plan at that site is now a priority over other projects given the weather this year. The company submitted plans to construct a sub-surface drainage system that would address surface flooding.

The plan is strictly for the stormwater basin and associated parking at Plant 2. It was noted that no other work, for example, ground-breaking for a second facility at that site, can occur under this approval. In a separate action, the planning commission voted unanimously to approve a waiver for the construction of sufficient monuments as required by the township code under the planned stormwater plan at Plant 2.

County of Lebanon communication tower site

The planning commission took several actions concerning the planned construction of an emergency communications tower on what is now former Bell & Evans’ land near Fredericksburg and Chestnut Hill roads. Now that the land is in the possession of Lebanon County, commission members unanimously approved removing the poultry producer’s name from the project. 

Additionally, the commission approved two waiver requests for the project. 

The commission waived a provision that “existing streets, utilities, topography and natural features within 100 feet of the proposed subdivision shall be illustrated on the plans.” The second approved waiver request was for a requirement that “the developer improve the existing street to the cartway width established for new streets of the same classification set forth in the zoning ordinance.”

There will only be a small unpaved access road to the tower.

Other business

In other business, the commission voted unanimously to: 

• Sign over to Jackson Township plans submitted by Paul E. and Janice S. Lehman, following formal approval by Bethel Township supervisors.
• Table seven waivers submitted by Dew-Mist Farms since a time extension waiver was granted at a prior meeting. 
• Table four waiver requests for the Michele Grumbine ag operation.
• Approve the minutes of their June 17 meeting, as amended.
• Announce that Lebanon 22 Solar project plans had been submitted on June 24. 

Read More: Bethel Twp. supervisors approve four solar farms for two land parcels

The next meeting of the Bethel Township Planning Commission is Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at the township municipal building at 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.