During their meeting on Tuesday, August 13, Allen Township supervisors approved the final plan for the Jaindl Watson warehouse development between Howertown and Seemsville Roads.
The project, which proposes 2.4 million square feet of warehouse, started three years ago. Several updates have been made to the plan since it was first introduced.
“[We are] entitled to final plan approval as long as [we] live up to the preliminary plan and conditions,” attorney Erich Schock reminded supervisors.
“The plan has really advanced,” he added. “[We did] the best we can do to be a good neighbor.”
Before voting, one request was made by Supervisor Gary Behler. He asked that the money the developer set aside for a right turn lane southbound on Howertown Road be saved and used for an extension on Savage Road. The township has had difficulty obtaining the right-of-way for the turning lane.
This was a suggestion that David Jaindl had no issue with.
Behler made the motion to approve the final plan. However, he told residents it was not a decision he took lightly.
“Nobody wants a warehouse,” he said. “It comes down to a legal issue. We really have no choice. If there was any legal way around it, we would vote no.”
The township is required to provide zones for every use. The Jaindl Watson property is zoned for industrial use. Supervisors are legally required to approve the project if it meets certain conditions.
All supervisors agreed and voted yes on the motion, except for Supervisor Dale Hassler.
“My convictions are it does not belong there,” he said. “Morally, it does not belong there.”
The township still does not know who the tenants of the warehouse property will be or how much truck traffic it may bring in. It was a decision that residents were not happy with.
“Our township did not put up a good fight,” said resident Maggie Kemp. “Tonight it was liberty and justice for Jaindl.”
Supervisor Gerald Montanari told residents none of the supervisors are happy about having more warehouses in their township.
However, Behler tried to console residents. He said the zone between Howertown and Seemsville Roads is one of the last industrial zones left in the township.
During the same meeting, supervisors also took action to restrict truck traffic on local roads. They approved the $1,700 purchase of “No Truck” signs to be placed at intersections along Walker Drive, McNair Drive, Buckingham Drive, Adams Street, Atlas Lane, John Drive, Savage Road, and Willowbrook Road.
“If [these signs] stop one truck, it was worth it,” said Behler.
