I must say that I have now gotten to a point where I sinply cannot stand Lower Paxton Twp. or CD School District, and I am sooo happy I no longer live in that area. Let the sprawl continue!!!
LOWER PAXTON TWP.
Farmland sale spurs debate over development
Monday, October 17, 2005
BY JACK SHERZER
Of The Patriot-News
It's all but certain that yet another one-time family farm will, in the coming years, yield a bumper crop of houses.
Last week, almost 300 acres of the whimsically named Stray Winds Farm in Lower Paxton Twp. was auctioned off, with two developers buying the lion's share of the land.
And the perceived nearness of the bulldozer's breath again is fanning the fires of the debate over development versus preserving open space.
It's to be expected this would be a hot topic in Lower Paxton, where conflict over limiting commercial buildup on Route 22 -- sparked by plans for a Wal-Mart -- have made the debate a discussion staple.
Township officials stress there are no plans on the table and residents need not fear a sudden surge of houses. Officials with Central Dauphin School District say they're prepared to deal with increased growth.
But there are concerns.
"I think there is such apathy in Lower Paxton Township because of the concentrated development that people have just given up" arguing against it, said Patricia Olenick, co-chair of the Lower Paxton Residents for Responsible Growth.
The 60-member organization was formed to fight the proposed Wal-Mart supercenter at Route 22 and Blue Ribbon Avenue, now in litigation between the retailer and the township, which rejected the plan. Now, Olenick said, she expects the group to expand its horizons and address other development issues.
Though the township recently completed its comprehensive plan to address future growth, Olenick said many residents didn't participate at the time and would like to have input.
"There is not that much farmland left in the township for open space," Olenick said. "I just really want to stress they don't make land anymore."
At Tuesday's auction, John and Mark DiSanto of Triple Crown Corporation spent $9.2 million for the largest tract, 218 acres that includes the main farmhouse and barn on McIntosh Road. Florino Grande of Grande Construction in Berks County spent $4.1 million for the second-largest tract and said he intended to build homes in the $250,000-to-$450,000 price range.
The "low density residential zoning" on the land limits construction to no more than two houses per acre, and George Wolfe, the township manager, pointed out there are also other constraints on development.
Under an agreement with the Swatara and Harrisburg sewer authorities, the township is limited to adding no more than 175 connections per year. In the Paxton Creek area, where the farm is located, that limit is no more than 60 connections a year, Wolfe said.
Developers also need to submit plans through a review process, which includes studies on the proposal's impact on the surrounding area.
Wolfe said he's received calls from people concerned about development. But last year, 100 acres a quarter-mile off Route 22 at Devonshire Road was sold, and no eyebrows were raised, though it is zoned for a higher residential density than Stray Winds Farm.
Almost 36 percent of the township -- more than 6,000 acres -- is undeveloped but buildable in some fashion, Wolfe said.
"This Stray Winds Farm tract, of course, has been one that's been notable in the community because of the auction and because of its location," he said. "But we have a large number of sites in Lower Paxton that have been going through a similar development process, and that process is one that began many years ago and is expected to continue into the future."
Supervisors Chairman William Hawk said he thinks the township has planned as well as possible for development, which, he said, a municipality is limited in its ability to control.
Hawk said he is satisfied with the low-density zoning covering the area. "The calls I've gotten is from people saying they don't want to see a lot of high density and they don't want to see big box stores, shopping centers, things of that nature."
Ironically, if residents are worried about property taxes, they should crave commercial development.
A 1997 Penn State University study showed that, on average, for every dollar a municipality receives in taxes, fees and other revenue from residential development, it spends more than a dollar in services -- mainly because of the impact on school districts.
Timothy W. Kelsey, professor of agricultural economics, who did the study, cautioned against making generalizations and said that higher-priced homes might not be the same kind of drain on resources.
"The general rule of thumb is the more bedrooms in the house, the more cost," Kelsey said. "That's because the biggest impact residential properties have on local taxes is the school district."
Officials with Central Dauphin School District aren't sounding the panic button.
Superintendent John Scola said the district will soon get a report from the Pennsylvania Economy League looking at projected housing growth in the area. In addition to Lower Paxton, the district covers Middle Paxton, West Hanover and Swatara townships and Dauphin, Penbrook and Paxtang boroughs.
"Currently, we feel that we have the capacity to house our students," Scola said. "Actually, you can look at it as a positive, that developers and people are choosing the Central Dauphin School District to buy land and purchase a house and send their sons and daughters to our schools."
Board member Garry L. Esworthy agreed, saying that the district's size allows it to fairly spread out the costs of increased development on the district.
"I'm glad people are coming to Central Dauphin," Esworthy said. "It says we offer a quality education to people -- developers don't purchase property without looking at the school district they are coming into."