Development - and more development - dominated York area business news in 2023
York County had another big year for business, but the buzzword of 2023 had to be "development."Then again, it could have been "rezoning," "warehouse," "storage facility," or "luxury apartments."
It might have even been "Inch and Co.," "cemetery," or "protest."
As we take a look back on the biggest business stories of the year, these 10 stand out:
Inch and Co. and Prospect Hill Cemetery
Among the most-read business stories of the year were those focused on the feud that played out between development company Inch & Co. and Prospect Hill Cemetery owner Matt Seyler.
The basis of the fight was that land next to the historic cemetery was rezoned and subdivided in what Seyer alleged was an illegal case of spot zoning. That land was sold to Inch & Co. to allow the company to potentially build a large warehouse or other industrial facility.
Seyler says he was unaware of this rezoning when he bought the cemetery on Dec. 30, 2021 from former owner Jack Sommer. At the time, Seyler said he was not aware of specific development plans for the 52-acre plot that Inch & Co. had purchased.
Background: Timeline: How did land next to Prospect Hill Cemetery get rezoned to allow a warehouse?
Once plans for the possible warehouse were made public, protests erupted from people who live near the cemetery and those who have loved ones buried there.
Seyler challenged the validity of the rezoning. His challenge was heard by the Manchester Township Zoning Hearing Board, and it voted to reverse the rezoning, stating that it did constitute a case of illegal spot zoning.
In early December, Inch & Co. filed an appeal on that decision, so this is an issue that will continue into 2024.
More background: Rezoning of land next to historic Prospect Hill Cemetery ruled to be improper spot zoning
Yorktowne Hotel finally opens
Yorktowne was closed in November 2016 for major renovations, and it was originally expected to reopen in 2019. However, budget problems, a pandemic, supply chain issues, labor shortages and even the death of a worker caused the opening date to be pushed back multiple times.
The historic hotel finally opened Feb. 1 − complete with its popular rooftop bar. It has not yet secured a tenant for the first-floor restaurant or its retail spaces.
More on Yorktowne opening: Yorktowne Hotel reopens after six-year restoration with huge crowd of supporters
Second solar farm approved for Dover
The Dover Township Zoning Hearing Board approved a special use exception for Solar Renewable Energy’s proposal for a 27-acre solar farm on Harmony Grove Road. The new solar farm was the second Dover has approved in as many years will feature 10,500 solar panels, which would be monitored remotely.
The first solar farm in Dover was proposed by Enel. It was approved in June 2022 after months of heated debate.
More on the Dover solar farm: Second solar farm proposed for Dover Township: Residents ask why here?
Warehouses of every kind
There's more than 1.8 million square feet of vacant warehouse space in York County, and much more on the way.
Local residents have pushed back against developing more warehouses, such as the hotly debated potential warehouse at Prospect Hill Cemetery and a failed rezoning effort in Hellam Township for proposed warehouses there.
About 4.5 million square feet of space was under construction in York County and an additional 2.3 million square feet have been proposed.
Among those under construction, the largest is Building 1 at Trade Center 83 North, 1025-1035 Locust Point Road, York. It is due for completion in the second quarter, and the 1.8-million-square-foot warehouse is pre-leased to United Natural Foods, Inc.
More on warehouses: York County has over 1.8M sq. ft. of empty warehouse space. Why do they keep building more?
Kinsley brothers die
The Kinsley family and the York community mourned the death of brothers Jonathan and Timothy, who were killed during a skiing trip in British Columbia in January.
The brothers died after being caught in an avalanche during a backcountry heli-skiing trip near Revelstoke, B.C., according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They were flown to a hospital but efforts to save their lives were unsuccessful.
The Kinsley family has left an imprint on York County as one of the most influential business leaders in the community. Jonathan Kinsley was an executive of Kinsley Enterprises. Timothy Kinsley was president of Kinsley Properties.
More on the Kinsleys: Kinsley family mourns the death of two brothers killed in skiing accident in British Columbia
York market houses at capacity
Penn Market, downtown York's oldest public market house, reached capacity for the first time since the early 2000s, making it the third market house in York to have a full vendor roster and a waiting list. The New Eastern Market in Springettsbury Township, which has been in operation for nearly 55 years, struggled during the pandemic, but in just three short years it reached capacity, again.
Central Market as been in operation for more than 130 years, and it maxed out their vendor space in 2021.
More background: Three York market houses all at capacity for the first time in nearly two decades
Stewartstown hotel/apartments
The Stewartstown Zoning Hearing Board heard several nights of testimony from the developers of a hotel located at 100 Bailey Drive in Stewartstown, and people who live near it on a potential variance to allow the developers to change the hotel into apartments.
The board voted to deny the variance.
In 2020, the York County Planning Commission recommended a developer's plans to construct an extended-stay hotel in a shopping center, Bailey Springs Plaza. Since then, that developer sold his business to his sons, and they wanted to construct apartments instead, citing a change in potential business due to the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Developer John Juffe said that they expected to get a lot of hotel customers from business travel, but the pandemic "changed the landscape of business" and now they are not confident they'd get as many clients from that sector.
Juffe also said that, from a management perspective, they'd have "more control with apartments" and that the apartment complex is "more consistent with the community and what it needs."
Construction on the half-built hotel will proceed. Ryan McKinley, one of the developers, said that he expects it to be done by the end of the year, but it was not completed as of Christmas Day.
More on the hotel: Stewartstown will get a hotel after all - not an apartment complex
Red Lion Country Club
Land that once housed the former Red Lion Country Club will not be rezoned after the York Township Board of Commissioners voted against a rezoning ordinance asking that the 58-acre property be changed from a commercial district to a residential high density district.
The vote came after months of vocal protests from York Township and Red Lion residents who were against the rezoning, which would have resulted in the sale of the land to a housing developer. In July, over 100 community members attended a meeting to voice concerns about how developing this site would harm local wildlife, have a negative impact on traffic and decrease quality of life for current residents.
The land, which is owned by the Red Lion Area School District, was listed for $1.6 million. The sale to the housing developer was contingent on the rezoning. It was not immediately clear what would happen with the land now that the rezoning ordinance was denied, but there is widespread community speculation that the developer may come back with a new plan.
This is a story that will remain an issue in the new year.
Dave's Hot Chicken
Dave's Hot Chicken, a fast-food chicken restaurant specializing in spicy chicken, opened its first location in the state.
But it took some time.
Corporate headquarters previously said the site would open July 7, but it was delayed by state inspections to July 14. Then that opening date was also delayed.
The new chicken restaurant is housed in a former Pizza Hut. Carpenter said that old building did not have a drive-through, so the building was a completely new build to add that amenity.
When it did open, there was a line around the building for several days.
More on the opening: Dave's Hot Chicken opens this week in York - for real this time!
Newberry Township sewer sale
Newberry Township Board of Supervisors unanimously voted no on the sale of the township's sewer system. In June, the board delayed making a decision on the matter after two nights of debate that attracted hundreds of township residents.
The board began considering privatizing the sewer system last year in order to cut infrastructure costs and to allow someone with "more experience" to run it. The township received three bids for the system, and officials narrowed it down to York Water based on the bid.
In the end, the board chose to "reject all bids" related to the sale of the sewer system and specifically denied the sale of the system to York Water for $53 million.
More on the sewer system: Newberry Township to hold special meeting on proposed sale of sewer system
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Development dominated York, Pa. area business news in 2023
