MINUTES

 DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY                              LOWER ALLEN TOWNSHIP

REGULAR MEETING                                              JULY 16, 2018

 

The following were in ATTENDANCE: 

AUTHORITY MEMBERS                                        TOWNSHIP PERSONNEL

John Eby, Secretary                                                     Erin Trone, Township Assistant Manager

Salvatore F. Marone, Treasurer                                     Mary Ellen Banks, Recording Secretary

Edward Black Steven Miner, Solicitor

 

Max Stoner and Peddrick Young were absent with excuse.

 

PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE

Zac Yearick, Triple Crown Corporation

Art Campbell of Campbell Commercial Real Estate, Inc.

Tom Ritchey

John Eby, Secretary called the meeting of the Lower Allen Township Development Authority to order without a quorum at 6:11pm and announced Proof of Publication was available for review. The Board was expecting a quorum momentarily; therefore, a change in the agenda was done beginning with the Staff Update.

STAFF UPDATE:

• Trone:
• Abandon Property Notification Ordinance – Staff has been discussing this for about a month; the idea is that this ordinance would require banks to notify the township that they have an abandoned property. Most of these properties that have been abandoned, the staff must spend significant time trying to find the caretaker of this property having to call various people at the banks and is very time-consuming. This ordinance would also include a fine for the banks if they do not notify the Township. Other municipalities have enacted an ordinance such as this. The staff has not taken this to the Board of Commissioners at this time; will be approximately sixty days until there will be anything to act on. Discussion ensued.

• Eby:
  • Arcona – the Strand apartments are 2.1 and 2.2; several apartment buildings are underway, the club house and maintenance building have been started. Over at Chelsea which is the townhouse development and also has three planned commercial buildings and numerous townhome buildings which have been started.
  • Restaurant Pad at mall – Tomorrow night the Planning Commission will be considering a plan for a restaurant pad site at the mall which will be on the south west quadrant, out from Dick’s Sporting Goods. At this time, this will be an unnamed tenant/restaurant.
  • Cliff’s Tavern – is all up and running including the underground portion. They have a sign permit underway which ties into the Starbucks report.
  • Starbucks – unfortunately the site contractor didn’t follow the approved plans so they have some corrections to make. They are beginning drywall now, but they are a ways off. When those these two properties (Cliff’s Tavern and Starbucks) are done, the makeovers of the store fronts done and most of the signage is in then the mall will have done a significant redevelopment of their curb appeal at that location and gotten a new tenant or two.
  • Dave and Buster’s – construction continues at the Capital City Mall; their sign permit package is chugging away, but missing a couple of compliance issues. Work continues on target for a fall opening.
  • Theo’s – their patio opened recently under a temporary provisional occupancy.
  • Building Height Amendment – there was a preliminary discussion with the Commissioners in their last meeting and they authorized staff to start working on the ordinance which is a rather simple fix to adjust this height limit to amend the C2, general commercial and C4, regional commercial maximum building height because we have had applications for variances for building heights for office buildings and hotels; even three-story office buildings and hotels that have large first floors. We will be taking this to the Commissioners next Monday to see if we are at a point where they are comfortable with moving ahead to the public hearing process.

Mr. Black entered the meeting at this point.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 18, 2018

Mr. BLACK made a motion to approve the minutes of the June 16, 2018 meeting. Mr. MARONE seconded the motion. Motion carried, 3-0.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Zac Yearick, Triple Crown Corporation, informed the Board they have put a bid in on the Bon Ton property. They have no set development plans at this time. They do know it is prime real estate and probably the Bon Ton box would go, but everything else would probably remain as is.

RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Regular Meeting of the Development Authority recessed into Executive Session to discuss real estate transactions @ 6:25pm.

RECONVENE REGULAR MEETING

The Regular Meeting of the Development Authority reconvened @ 7:30pm. Note for Public Record: The Board chose not to discuss item 5b on the agenda, Yetter Court Property Listing Price; this will deferred to a later meeting.

Mr. BLACK made a motion that we authorize the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Lower Allen Township Development Authority to sign and finalize the Letter of Intent as developed by Campbell Commercial Real Estate, Inc. for the purchase of the Capital City Commons and Burger King parcel, Camp Hill, PA, Lower Allen Township. Mr. MARONE seconded the motion. Motion carried, 3-0.

PURCHASING OF 5226 ROYAL DRIVE:

Mrs. Trone and Mr. Eby discussed the property at 5226 Royal Drive with the Board. This is a blighted property where there was a fire and the owner died in that fire. It has been boarded up for two years and owned by the daughter of deceased. The house has been boarded up, the grass is not getting cut, executrix will not respond to letters, arrears on sewer and taxes. Staff is not aware of what damage there is from the fire; the house was owned outright so there wasn’t any insurance. Discussion ensued. Mr. Eby and Mrs. Trone suggests making an offer to buy the property rather than go thru the blighted property process at this time. Mr. MARONE made a motion to authorize Mrs. Trone to make contact with the owner of 5226 Royal Drive and discuss interest in the potential purchasing of said property. Mr. BLACK seconded the motion. Motion carried, 3-0.

NEXT MEETING OF THE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

The next meeting of the Development Authority is scheduled for Monday, August 20, 2018 at 6:00pm.

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. MARONE made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. BLACK seconded the motion. Motion carried, 3-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:50pm.