Land development plans for Bell & Evans’ cold storage, tray pack facilities approved

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Bethel Township supervisors unanimously voted Thursday, March 12, to give conditional approval to Bell & Evans’ final subdivision land development plan for construction of cold storage and tray packing facilities at 241 Blue Mountain Road.

In discussing the terms of the conditional agreement, Bethel Township solicitor Andrew Morrow called it unique because, while overall approval was given for the entire site, the project is being split into two phases, 1A and 1B, and specific approvals at this meeting were for phase 1A only. 

“This plan, as you’re looking at it up there, proposes the development of a 63.99-acre parcel located at the corner of Chestnut Hill Road and Blue Mountain Road, and again, the address is 241 Blue Mountain Road. Our proposed development plan includes 455,000 square feet of cold storage warehouse, and I’ll explain that in a lot more detail shortly, and a 208,000-square-foot tray pack facility for product packaging for Bell & Evans,” Morrow said while providing an overview of the agreement.

He then noted the plan also includes new truck parking, a maneuvering area, five stormwater drainage basins and other site improvements. 

“There also are additional improvements. And just to understand, 241 Blue Mountain Road is the overwhelming lion’s share of the improvements we’re talking about,” added Morrow. “Additional improvements are proposed on the adjacent Bell & Evans’ Plant 3 property, located at 520 Chestnut Hill Road.”

He said improvements there include a truck bridge to connect the two properties, a new access road into the bridge, widening of the truck entrance to Plant 3 along Chestnut Hill Road, a 9,168-square-foot building addition, and a new water line connection to the PW5 well, which is at the northwest corner of Blue Mountain Road along Chestnut Hill Road. 

Morrow then discussed the “deviation from the norm” with what Bell & Evans proposed to township engineer Matt Mack and him in February with the final land development revisions being completed on March 5. 

“Specifically, Bell & Evans had indicated that they are not looking to develop the entire 241 Blue Mountain Road at this time. Again, you know, if you take a look up there on the left-hand side, you’ve got the cold storage warehouse on the left side there, the tray pack facility on the right, you’ve got a truck loading area, parking spaces, and the five (stormwater) basins. So, that’s the plan,” he said. “However, they are not looking to develop all of that at this time. So what Matt and I had requested and what has been agreed to is classifying this as phase 1A and phase 1B.”

Morrow said phase 1A’s development, which is what the land plan agreement concerns, includes the cold storage warehouse along with 57 truck loading parking spaces, a team member access parking area, a truck access drive, and multiple stormwater management facilities, which extend onto Plant 3’s property.

“This phase also includes the 9168-square-foot overbuilding expansion that I referenced earlier, along with associated paving and driveway expansion. So that’s what phase 1A is,” he said. 

He noted that phase 1B would involve a proposed future construction of, among other things, the tray packing facility. 

The four conditional approvals as provided as part of phase 1A are: 

• Bell and Evans Realty II LLC must provide the township with construction security in the amounts set forth in paragraph 2.1 of the land development improvements agreement approved by the solicitor.
• Bethel Township and Bell & Evans Realty II LLC must sign the land development improvements agreement phase 1A and the stormwater management agreement declaration of the easement phase 1A.
• Bell & Evans Realty II LLC must either have an approved sewage planning module or waiver from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (It was noted a provision prohibits them from reporting the plan until they have fulfilled one of these two terms.)
• Bell and Evans Realty II LLC shall receive a letter of approval from the Fredericksburg Sewer and Water Authority approving the plans and providing any required escrow for sanitary and water. 

Mack said the township would not release the plan until Bell & Evans gets water and sewer authority approval at their March 16 meeting.

“They get the plan module from DEP, and then they post the escrow and execute all of the agreements. So there’s no chance for us to get something and then accidentally record it until they (Bell & Evans) physically show all (requirements) are met. So you’re holding all the cards at the top,” Mack said.

Morrow said construction is also prohibited until all four conditions have been met by the poultry producer, and also pointed out that phase 1B will require submission and approval of its own land development plan once the company decides to construct the other tray pack facility.

A slew of waiver requests or deferrals were also presented for the 241 Blue Mountain Road project, which all had been previously recommended by the Bethel Township Planning Commission and forwarded to supervisors for their approval.

Those waivers or deferrals are: 

• Waive the required 1-to-800 scale drawing for a 1-to-2,000 scale.
• Waive a buffer plan to allow planting along the north frontage a pattern of deciduous trees that conform to existing greenery on adjacent Plant 3 for uniformity. This waiver includes an alternate buffer on the south side of the existing driveway for a topsoil burn in lieu of the required evergreen and fence plant installation.
• Defer all required widening, curbing and sidewalk along Blue Mountain Road since the entrance at 241 will only be used, per the land development plan, during construction and as an emergency entrance/exit once phase 1A is completed. It was noted this deferral would be revisited If the company comes back with a separate plan requesting vehicular access at this location. 
• Waive the required 200-foot monument marker placement since property boundary lines at this address have already been established and are not being changed.
• Defer the required concrete curving and sidewalk along the property frontage along Blue Mountain Road.
• Waive the 10-foot required commercial project sidewalk to allow five-foot-wide sidewalk, which is consistent with existing sidewalk built along Plant 3.
• Waive required street lights along Blue Mountain Road since 30-foot-tall aerial lights will illuminate the property.
• Waive the required onsite shade tree ordinance of least one shade tree provided each 300 square feet or fraction of the interior parking lot. This was waived in lieu of shrubbery in the parking lot and planting of trees along the top side of the plant along Chestnut Hill Road.
• Waive the required separation distance between the bottom of one of the stormwater facilities and the limiting zone from three feet to two feet, which is inline with state regulations. 

Supervisors also approved a sewage planning exemption with the caveat that it must be reviewed and approved by the township’s planning commission at its March 17 meeting. The exemption was requested since the company plans to treat wastewater from its tray packing facility onsite. 

“We just need to re-approve their planning module exemption request letter application based upon the updated narrative that they provided us,” Mack said. “The goal is to send it to DEP then. (Your approval) comes with the condition that it goes before the planning commission next Tuesday and they’re okay with it.”

Other Bell & Evans’ projects

Also involving the poultry producer’s future plans, two waiver requests were tabled for their proposed Cook Plant for a required walkway/path as part of this project. A time extension request was also granted for the land development plan for this plant until Oct. 9. 

A separate agenda item saw a time extension request to May 15 provided for the company’s proposed grain storage facility project along Legionnaire Drive. 

Other township business

In other business during a marathon meeting that lasted nearly 2.5 hours, supervisors voted unanimously to:  

• Enter into a contract with Eldon R. Stolzfus Architect for design plans for the new municipal garage to be constructed on the township’s municipal headquarters in Fredericksburg. The conceptual design costs are $3,500. Construction documents run $5,800. Bidding services are $2,400. Additionally, a rate schedule, depending on change of plans and for different designs, were set at an hourly rate of $95 to $165, depending on the level of architectural expertise the township may need.
• Agree to allow PennDOT to detour traffic onto Shirksville Road the last two weeks of April during a pipe replacement project on Frystown Road. 
• Grant a financial security reduction request for the Northern Lebanon School District elementary school project by $726,144.83 and continue to hold $92,796.76 for other items detailed in a March 9 letter to the district.
• Reduce a financial security escrow account for the school district’s field house and concession stand project by $537,093.76 while retaining $125,302.87 for work still to be performed.
• Provide numerous waiver requests for the Lebanon Solar projects at School Drive and U.S. Route 22. The waivers involved required curbing, sidewalks, and street lights, with the latter waiver in lieu of a payment of $115,000 to the township.   
• Release an escrow amount totaling $103,056.14 for the Lynfdord Steiner poultry project land development plan while continuing to hold $185,379.39.
• Advertise the bid packet for a water sprinkler system to be installed at the township’s baseball field. Bids are slated to be opened on May 14. 
• Receive the roadmaster’s report, including announcements that trees around the township have been cut back, and potholes that were created in the winter months have been filled.
• Table an agenda item for approval of the Copart of Connecticut Inc. agreement. Copart is a business that deals with automobile auctions. 
• Provide an exemption of a 2026 municipal real estate tax bill for a township-owned property at 137 S. Center St., Fredericksburg.   
• Allow an event flyer/registration form for a planning upcoming township event called Paint the Town Red, White & Blue to be released.
• Permit shirts to be purchased at a cost of $550 for the Spring Fling event at the township park.
• Agree to purchase five reusable signs to be purchased at a cost of up to $100 for event parking in the township.
• Purchase a 12’-by-12’ easy-up canopy tent at a cost not to exceed $200.
• Print community pool coupons for distribution at the Spring Fling for reduced rates on season passes and free passes to vendors to be given as door prize.
• Approve the Buckman’s price list for Hypochorlite solution for the community pool. 
• Grant Fredericksburg Fire Police a special duty request authorization for an event at Fredericksburg Fireman’s Park. 
• Grant Mount Zion Fire Police a special duty request authorization for an activity from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 18 at 237 Freeport Road. (Supervisor David Brubaker abstained since the event is on his property. The motion passed by a 2-0 vote.)
• Provide a time extension request to Dew Mist Farms’ proposed dairy operation project to June 30.
• Allow the township business manager to sign the low volume road funding grant application totaling $136,458 for the Camp Strausse culvert replacement project. It was noted the township contributed $32,873.75 for the project, which brings its total value to $169,329.79.
• Pay bills totaling $91,118.69 through March 12.
• Approve the minutes of their Feb. 12 meeting and the financial report.

Executive session

It was announced at the start of the meeting that an executive session to discuss personnel matters was held Feb. 9 following the end of a public board meeting. 

Next meeting

Bethel Township supervisors meet the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the municipal building at 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg. The next meeting is scheduled for April 9 at that location.