West Cornwall declines to participate in multi-municipal zoning initiative

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West Cornwall Township supervisors nixed joining a Cornwall Borough initiative to explore multi-municipal or joint zoning as a means of addressing development pressures shared across municipal boundaries.

“I’m not in favor of the concept,” supervisor Dennis Tulli said at the board meeting Monday. “I’m not sure it’s an advantage for us to get into the Cornwall-North Cornwall mix.”

Supervisor Russ Gibble said he also was not in favor.

In May, Cornwall Borough contacted the township about exploring what it called “a more unified approach” to issues that cross municipal lines such as housing demand, infrastructure, and transportation.

Besides West Cornwall, Cornwall reached out to South Lebanon and North Cornwall townships. North Cornwall supervisors agreed to explore the concept while South Lebanon supervisors voted not to pursue it.

In Monday’s discussion, West Cornwall chairman David Lloyd noted that township zoning accounts for all uses but “is weak” in industrial, manufacturing and high-density residential zones. With a regional approach, the township might face less pressure to rezone tracts, especially farmland, for those uses zoned with less available land.

 Tulli said regionalization can be beneficial, citing the township’s agreement with Cornwall and Mount Gretna boroughs for police services as “a tremendous advantage for the township.”

“I have no problem if someone wants to go to a meeting to explore it, but we’ve seen as much development as I want to see,” said Tulli before making the motion to not participate.

While supervisors turned down the possibility of a regionalized approach to zoning, they endorsed the Regional Fire Steering Committee’s hiring of a consultant to assist with the development and implementation of a regional fire commission.

Supervisors unanimously approved a contribution not to exceed $5,000 to hire ROBB Consulting LLC of Lemoyne, which specializes in fire department mergers, regionalization and consolidation efforts.

The Regional Fire Steering Committee is composed of Cleona and Cornwall boroughs and Annville, North Cornwall, West Lebanon, and West Cornwall townships.

“Under the commission/authority, each fire company will maintain their own identity,” said Lloyd, adding the commission would be responsible for the acquisition of apparatus. “This is not a commitment to a commission — we are looking for the best opportunity for five years from now.”

Lloyd said that two-thirds of the township’s budget goes to fire, police and EMS services. West Cornwall is home to two fire companies: Mount Gretna and Quentin.

In other business, supervisors accepted a bid of $18,460.89 from Wiggins Paving, Elizabethtown, to pave the township’s property at 67 W. Main St.

The bid includes paving and striping of parking spaces. The back lot will have 17 spaces and the front lot, seven spaces. The work should be completed before the end of August, said Lloyd, who gave the township engineer’s report in the absence of Jeff Steckbeck.

The following updates also were in Steckbeck’s report:

• Wawa, in the Cavalry at Quentin development, is expected to start site work within the month.
• Water utility installations at Cavalry at Quentin are complete.
• Conversion of the basketball court to pickleball courts at the Scenic Ridge playground could begin next week.
• A second test well drilled by the West Cornwall Township Municipal Authority has been abandoned as it only yielded 10 gallons/minute at 500 feet. The authority will pursue another test well on property owned by Hometown Alden LLC, east of state Route 72.

Supervisors directed township solicitor Eric Gibson to develop a template for permits for transient businesses including food trucks. The township currently has a peddlers permit that largely covers door-to-door sales and is issued by Cornwall Borough Police.

Tulli said applications for permits should first go to the township manager and then to supervisors for approval.

At the start of the meeting, Lloyd announced that an executive session was held on July 9 to deal with legal matters. He also noted the township has a new website at wctwp.org.

West Cornwall Township supervisors meet at 73 S. Zinns Mill Road on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held Monday, Aug. 10. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.