Lancaster Township approves comprehensive plan, participation in EMS study
LANCASTER TWP — Supervisors unanimously approved the township’s comprehensive plan at a meeting on Monday, Sept. 16.
The plan, which maps out policy and municipal decisions for the next decade, was crafted by a group of 12 residents with different backgrounds to acquire the broadest sense of where the township is headed.
“We’ve really been serious about it the last 18 months,” said supervisors chairman Greg Kessler. “I think we put together 12 residents from farming to business owners, so it’s a good cross-functional representation of our township. I think we put a lot of work into it and came up with a pretty good working document.”
According to the first page of the 67-page document, the plan renews a foundation for land use and development regulations and provides a framework for decisions regarding transportation, housing, municipal services, utilities, natural resource protection and historic resource conservation.
More than half a decade ago, the township named a Comprehensive Plan Committee to begin preparations alongside Gannett Fleming and YourTowne, LLC, which is a planning consulting firm. The 2023 Comprehensive Committee met bimonthly, according to the plan’s outline.
Previous discussions surrounding the plan’s focus revolved around its timeline and the impact it could have on the immediate future. Kessler emphasized the plan is a modest picture of what could be the long-term future of the township.
“This was really just the framework, kind of a road map of where we see things going,” he said. “It’s not ordinances. It’s not law. It’s just the vision we have for our community for the next 10 years. Quite honestly, with the growth that we’re seeing, we’re going to need to be on top of that every couple of years and revise it. It’s a working document. It’s not static. We’re going to have to continue to develop.”
Being in close proximity to Cranberry Township and the expansion of the Route 19 corridor are just two of the reasons the creators of the plan stated they anticipate future growth over the next several decades.
Most of the in-depth discussion regarding planned residential developments and broad economic opportunities can now begin with the plan passed.
“This is really just the start of a lot of work that has to be done as far as what we’re going to implement,” Kessler added.
The supervisors also unanimously approved participation in the local southwestern EMS study that will involve seven other municipalities.
The board recognized the problem and had no issue with the $1,200 cost to join.
“Obviously, it’s a problem getting those types of services, and it’s a big concern,” said Kessler. “Our first priority is people’s safety, and that’s what we’re looking out for with this study.”
