Bethel Twp. officials accept feed mill operation land plan from Bell & Evans

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

Bethel Township officials received a land development plan on Tuesday for a proposed feed mill operation for Bell & Evans that potentially could include construction of 175-foot tall silos.

How many silos would be that high is unknown after Alex Kinzey, an engineer with Steckbeck Engineering, told the township planning commission the plan is a work in progress. Additionally, a variance would have to be approved by the township’s zoning board at a hearing before those structures would be permitted to be constructed at that height.

In what was a five-minute presentation during a two-hour meeting, Kinzey offered a few highlights of the project on Legionaire Drive. The proposed operation will sit adjacent to the Sherwin Williams plant and across the street from Fredericksburg American Legion Post 915. 

Company officials had submitted and the planning commission unanimously voted to accept the poultry producer’s preliminary/final land development plan, which was submitted to the township on Oct. 7. 

As part of the presentation, Kinzey noted that Bell & Evans would file a variance request with the township since the township ordinance restricts buildings in various zoning districts to a height of 50 feet.

“The feed mill, very tall silos. We’re gonna be applying for a variance here, for height, to have them permitted. And other than that, it’s mostly space for storage and for whatever the future may hold kind of thing,” Kinzey said.

Kinzey was asked by township engineer Matthew Mack to briefly discuss some of the project highlights. “We’re gonna try for 175 (feet), taller than the water tower,” Kinzey said. 

It was noted that steel structures can’t be built that high. Kinzey agreed with that assessment. 

“I know we’re doing extensive geo-tech work out there today and all this underground, we’re in bedrock and stuff, so…” said Kinzey, also agreeing that there’s limestone under the surface in that area. “It’s just the property that they used for their feed for the chickens. So they’re gonna harvest and store there, distribute there, do all their own mixes and stuff there. That way, quality controls (are) under their own.”

LebTown asked Kinzey to provide an explanation of the orange markings on the land development plan that was displayed on a large television screen in the township’s board room.

There were 12 large circles, 4 medium-sized and 16 small circles on the plan design that Kinzey said represent the proposed grain silos, meaning that if all are constructed, the property will contain 32 silos.

“So those would be the structures and the properties. So these would be silos, typical grain silos like you see in any grain store. … All the circles are silos. They’re different sizes for different feeds and different mixing purposes,” Kinzey said. “Again, not my realm, I don’t really know much more than that.”

He did add, however, a little more insight into the project.

“Other than that, the building is intended to have drive-through bays on either side. And I’m not sure if it’s back, I don’t think the back is a drive-through,” Kinzey added. “But that’s why it has the wings on them. They’re more like drive-throughs, whereas this is the main building (large square design that looks like a cross on the design plan).”

There apparently will also be a weigh station for trucks as noted on the smaller orange box on the design.

“From my general understanding, that’s where they’ll be filling the trucks in these bays,” Kinzey said. “Again, some of those details are still getting hammered out. They’re getting designed as I’m processing these plans.”

241 Blue Mountain Road project

There was also a lengthy discussion about Bell & Evans 241 Blue Mountain Road project, which is the site of a proposed future tray packing facility and cold storage operations. 

Read More: Traffic plans for hazardous Bethel Township intersection revealed

Discussion focused on highway improvements on Blue Mountain Road at the two intersections encompassing Chestnut Hill Road. 

The project plan includes highway improvements at the intersections even though the company plans to use the entrance at 241 Blue Mountain Road only as an access point for first responders in emergencies. The highway improvements were required by the township in approving the plan to move forward.

In recent months, Bell & Evans, which owns the land on the east side of Blue Mountain Road, had performed some enhancements along the road to help motorists with sight distances at the lower of the two intersections, which is on the road’s east side.

However, as reiterated Tuesday evening, an existing problem is limited sight for vehicles turning from the portion of Chestnut Hill Road that runs in front of the company’s headquarters and to that intersection left and traveling north on Blue Mountain Road towards U.S. Route 22. 

Planning commission members Christine Spangler and Bruce Light discussed the dangers that exist at that intersection, with Light saying the stop sign there has had to be replaced four times. Spangler reiterated the dangers there and asked Kinzey when Bell &  Evans is going to improve the intersections. 

Kinzey said company officials also wish to move forward with the project. Discussion went back and forth between planning commission members and Kinzey about possible solutions, with no clear answer to fix the safety issues adequately.

All were in agreement, however, that the best solution is to remove the limited sight distance by shaving down the hill on the north side of the first of two Chestnut Hill Road intersections. 

Three waiver requests presented by the poultry company, all pertaining to traffic, were tabled since a final plan concerning the intersections has not been presented to the township. The waivers would have removed the following requirements:

• The frontage along Blue Mountain Road requires improvement. 
• Concrete curbing and sidewalk shall be installed along all existing streets.
• Street light shall be provided along all new streets and along all streets abutting a subdivision or land development within all zoning districts with the exception of the agricultural district. 

Three other waiver requests for this project were granted. The removed ordinance requirements are:

• Submission of a preliminary plan. 
• Plan scale shall not exceed 20 feet to the inch for land development plans.
• All pipes shall have a minimum diameter of 15 inches.

At an April planning commission meeting, Bell & Evans officials mentioned a cul-de-sac off Chestnut Hill Road near Plant 3, which is also the company headquarters, as a possible solution to the traffic safety issue. The cul-de-sac option was not discussed Tuesday.

Lebanon 22 Solar Projects

In other business, planning commission members granted a waiver request concerning how the project is classified and tabled three others following discussion with officials representing the company. Another waiver request was removed for an in lieu of payment of $1,500 per acre or for an assessment of the lot. (The project owner will most likely opt for the lot’s assessment since one has already been completed, according to Mack.)

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

Lebanon Solar 22 plans to construct two solar farms along School Drive near Northern Lebanon High School. One solar array would be on the east side of School Drive across the street from the high school, while the other would be on the south side of Route 22 directly across from the high school.

Micah Bucy, attorney for Lebanon Solar 22, requested the waiving of the ordinance requiring concrete curbing and sidewalks along all existing streets. That and related waiver requests that were tabled included improvements of existing streets and intersections and installation of street lights.

Bucy said installation of a sidewalk along the solar arrays – even though they are fenced in – would potentially put users in danger. Other company officials said there is little development on the south side of Route 22, which is why they are seeking the waiver request that requires sidewalks.

Planning commission members Light and Spangler, however, both voiced concerns, as did Mack, that the township has required others to install sidewalks, including Bell & Evans.

“Currently, the sidewalk from the school ends right at their property on the east side, and they are correct, there is a walkway on the left-hand side, it’s set off the road, it’s a macadam walkway from the school that runs down in front of the tennis courts and all. Lighting goes the whole way down,” said Mack. “So this is the discussion I wanted, I warned them, or prepped them, that this would be the discussion for tonight. What waivers we’re supporting and which ones would need further clarification or discussion with.”

Mack said he had “mixed feelings” concerning sidewalk installation.

“I mean, we made this school put in the lighting and the sidewalk. I kind of think, you know, you get the lighting on the other side of the road there if you put it in here,” he added.

While those items were tabled for further discussion next month since commission member Dale Snader was not present Tuesday, the commission granted a time extension until Dec. 21 for land development plan submission and waived the required project classification ordinance. 

Other business

Planning commission members voted unanimously, unless otherwise noted, to grant the following waiver requests or tabled them until future meetings.

Dew-Mist Farms

Waivers approved include:

• Submission of  a preliminary plan.
• Scale to not exceed 20 feet to one inch for subdivisions and land development plans. 
• Installation of a landscape buffer. 
• Installation of pipes with a minimum diameter of 15 inches. 
• A partial waiver for the requirement for all headwalls to utilize protective grating for Pipe 4 (12-inch diameter). 

Two other requested waivers were tabled until next month. The requirements that were tabled were: 

• Make improvements to existing streets.
• Make roadway improvements, including sidewalks, curbs, and street lights.

More waiver requests

• Grant a request to waive an on-lot planning exemption for the Jay L. and Miriam Weaver project.
• Table a waiver for plan signatures for the Weaver project.
• Provide by a 2-1 vote a pavement extension waiver request of 30,000 square feet to Greenview Tractor. Spangler was the lone no vote while Light and temporary planning commission chairman David Brubaker approved the request. 

The next meeting of the Bethel Township Planning Commission is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the township municipal building at 3015 S. Pine St., Fredericksburg.