Greble Road closure, sidewalk project drive Bethel Twp. supervisors meeting

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

Bethel Township supervisors agreed to close a road for one week for repairs and also approved installation of a sidewalk along Airport Road near Shirk Drive. 

These two highway projects were among the many actions approved at the township board’s meeting on Thursday, July 9.   

Greble Road closure

Supervisor and township roadmaster Michael Saphore announced that about a mile of Greble Road will be closed from July 13 to 17 for base and other repairs. The stretch of highway runs from state Route 343 west to Fortna Drive, Saphore said.   

Chairman Richard Rudy asked township manager Melissa Johnson to post a sign at the township office to inform the public about the closure. 

Airport Road sidewalk project

After lengthy discussion, supervisors passed three motions concerning installation of a sidewalk on Airport Road to connect Fredericksburg to the elementary and high schools.

Supervisors unanimously approved the release of an escrow check totaling $71,106 to Bell & Evans, which has agreed to build the sidewalk in lieu of another sidewalk project that is stalled.

Other approved motions were for Bell & Evans to perform the work and for the roadway to be closed at a future date, with the stipulation the township be informed beforehand. 

Many municipalities include ordinances allowing certain community enhancements to be required as part of approving construction projects. In Bethel Township, one requirement is building sidewalks within the municipality, generally near the new construction. A public sidewalk or an in-lieu-of payment for the township to use at its discretion for other beautification efforts are ways to meet the terms of the ordinance.

Northern Lebanon School District is required to install a sidewalk on Airport Road after building a new elementary school and making major renovations at the high school, both of which sit along School Drive, which intersects with Airport Road to the north.

While the district has installed sidewalks along properties on both sides of School Drive and portions of Airport Road, they did not complete the project to Shirk Drive, which would unite the existing sidewalk along the east side of Shirk Drive to the schools.

The agreement to do Airport Road is part of a formerly approved waiver for the district to skip installing a sidewalk along U.S. Route 22 in areas in front of the two schools, a move that township officials said Thursday didn’t make sense. 

What complicated the completion of the Airport Road project is a nearby stream and a low-lying area west of Shirk Drive that’s prone to flooding. Officials said they have been discussing this project for several years.

The poultry producer is willing to perform the work on Airport Road, according to Mike Bracrella, chief operating officer of Bell & Evans, which is basically equal to a required sidewalk along Route 22 at Fredericksburg Road that has hit a roadblock for obtaining a right-of-way agreement.

Bracrella told LebTown after the meeting that the company plans to have two sections of the Airport Road sidewalk completed by the start of school in late August. Another section requires a Department of Environmental Protection permit due to the waterway and required installation of a stormwater drainage system to address flooding.

He said that, given the time needed to secure a permit for the last 415-foot section, which is half of the length of the project, it likely won’t be completed until 2027.

Meanwhile, Bell & Evans has been trying to comply with installation of a sidewalk across Fredericksburg Road on the north side of Route 22 towards Fredericksburg, with the goal of connecting that area of the township to Esther’s Restaurant.

Bracrella said Bell & Evans officials have been working to get about 830 feet of the sidewalk completed per approval for construction of its new Transportation Center, which is being built on the south side of Route 22 on Fredericksburg Road.

However, the inability to reach that ROA agreement for a portion of the walkway to cross Sherman Williams’ property near the intersection of Fredericksburg Road on the north side of Route 22 has left it in indefinite limbo.

Meanwhile, the school district has proposed giving the township $57,000 in lieu of doing the Airport Road sidewalk. During Thursday’s meeting, all three supervisors expressed concerns about the school district’s failure to complete a sidewalk that they agreed to build more than three years ago.

The Airport Road project is estimated to cost around $310,000, officials noted. 

The $57,000 the school wishes to contribute as an in-lieu-of payment can’t be co-mingled with Bell & Evans’ funds since the company can hire its own contractors to perform the work, officials noted.

No action was taken at the meeting. LebTown will monitor this developing story.

Other business

In other business, supervisors unanimously moved to: 

• Table a motion due to a lack of a second for acceptance of a letter from the planning commission seeking funding through Act 209 for traffic fees on new construction. The letter request was approved by the planning commission several months ago in lieu of reviewing and making potential revisions to the existing comprehensive plan. Supervisors said they are planning to review the comprehensive plan, which is from 2002, according to prior LebTown reporting.
• Pay monthly invoices totaling $193,600.90. Top expenses include placing $75,000 in the township’s building fund, two payroll payments totaling $41,174.45, and a payment of $20,000 to the township’s recreation fund.
• Accept the financial report, including $597,575.53 in the general fund.
• Approve updated box cards with the Lebanon County Department of Emergency Services with Fredericksburg Fire Co. #1.
• Provide a time extension request from Aug. 13 to Feb. 9 to Bell & Evans Realty for a proposed feed mill operation on Legionaire Drive.
• Grant a waiver of land development for Shady Lane Farms, 1020 Houtztown Road, for a new chicken house and removal of a manure storage pit. 
• Pass four motions for the acceptance of signature for a preliminary/final land development plan for a proposed trailer and house addition on the Chris Lantz property in the 900 block of Greble Road. Related motions included signing a stormwater management agreement and declaration of easement, authorizing chairman Richard Rudy to sign the agreement, and approve and sign the July 8 land development improvements agreement.
• Give a time extension from Aug. 14 to Oct. 14 for a minor subdivision and land development plan for the Jeff Brubaker project at 2288 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.
• Pass a resolution to accept an agricultural security area application for Elvin & Lenna Martin and Joseph & Dawn Detweiler, 65 Halteman Lane.
• Accept the water authority report. 
• Agree to a financial security request for the Paul Nolt Land Development plan to release $152,396 while maintaining $36,841.58 until the project is completed.
• Enter into a rental contract with Groff Tractor & Equipment for a tandem roller for $2,350.
• Require pesticide application licenses for the township maintenance crew. 
• Hire Bryce Yocum as a community pool lifeguard for $15 per hour, and Ryleigh Hopkins and Nicholas Oliver as concession stand workers for $10 per hour. Additionally, they terminated an agreement with Hannah Stoner as a no-show and accepted the resignation of Kara Miller, who declined a job offer at the pool.
• Approve to pay a deposit and budget up to $12,000 with Wicked Kolors to make repairs on the pavilion floor at Lions Park. It was noted this is the “big ticket” expenditure for 2026 for the township’s recreation department. 
• Approve the June 11 meeting minutes. 

Executive sessions

Executive sessions were held from 7:50 to 8:45 p.m. June 11 and from 1:30 to 2:19 p.m. June 22 to discuss possible litigation. In attendance at the first meeting were Johnson, supervisors David Brubaker, Saphore and Rudy, and solicitor Andrew Morrow. The same individuals, minus Saphore, attended the second session.

Next meeting

Bethel Township supervisors meet the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the municipal building at 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m.