Warehouse, residential development plans being reviewed by Cornwall Planning Commission
Jonathan Byler and Michael Swank of the limited liability corporation "Cornwall Properties" presented a concept development plan to the Cornwall Borough Planning Commission this week for a portion of the more than 400 acres of mostly forest land it purchased in May 2022 from H&K Group Inc.
H&K (Haines & Kibblehouse) of Philadelphia, purchased the land in 2008 with intentions to build a hotel, water park, and homes. But other than doing some logging and infrastructure work, the company did not carry out their development plans.
With an engineering plan in view of the commission members, Swank focused on two areas of the newly-purchased land. The western land is located south/southwest of the residential area known as Miner's Village. It is zoned "Limited Industrial." Swank said Cornwall Properties (CPLLC) considered building warehouses in that area, but then decided that due to its natural appeal, it would be better suited for residential development.
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The decision was then made to consider building a large warehouse on land to the east, a forested triangle located between Route 322 and Boyd Street. That area is zoned "General Industrial." Tentatively, the warehouse would have 800,000 square feet of interior space. For comparison, Byler said the newly-built DHL warehouse, a few miles away in South Lebanon Township, contains a million square feet.
The corporation plans to build a road south from the warehouse to Route 322 to carry the truck traffic, according to Swank. H&K had planned a similar access road, and after more than a year of meetings with PennDOT officials, received a permit to construct a new intersection at Route 322. That permit, however, has expired, so CPLLC will need to submit a new application to the state. Corporate executives have a meeting scheduled with PennDOT this week.
Thomas Sheridan, who owns a home on Iron Valley Drive in close proximity to the possible warehouse site, asked if there will be bright lighting on the warehouse property and noise. Swank said there will be lighting around the building for security and "some noise".
Sheridan expressed doubts that the state will allow the new intersection to be created at the state road but prefers that it will happen so that truck traffic does not travel on Boyd Street, close to Iron Valley Drive.
Swank said, if all permits and approvals are received for the warehouse it will become phase 1 of the development and will begin as soon as possible.
Development on the western part of land will center around the lake created when an open iron ore pit mine filled with water. The lake itself is owned by the Elizabethtown Water Authority and is used as a reservoir.
Swank said tentative plans call for a hotel with 125 units, two apartment buildings with 130 units in each building, 24 townhouses, 50 duplex homes, and 43 single family homes.
Some members of the commission expressed concern about the amount of traffic that would travel through the narrow roadway of Miners Village. Swank said CPLLC would build a new road, at the point where Boyd Street goes to the right towards Miners Village, to take traffic directly to the hotel and residential areas.
Commission member Bruce Conrad asked if CPLLC would plan to have private roads in the residential development, as is the case of Iron Valley Drive, or public streets. Shank said the roads would be built to conform to borough standards with the intention that they are dedicated to the borough.
Commission chairman Raymond Fratini told the members of the public in attendance that if a developer complies with permitted uses in a zoning district, the planning commission and the borough council cannot reject the plans without a valid legal reason. He said he has lived his entire life in Cornwall, and while he liked the feel of the village in the forest during his younger years, time brings change.
He said he would carefully review the plans presented by Cornwall Properties, just as he reviewed the plans submitted by H&K Group in 2009. "I'll recommend what is best for Cornwall Borough," said Fratini.
It is likely that Fratini and representatives of Cornwall Properties will attend the next borough council meeting, if the council president adds it to the agenda. The next borough council meeting is at 6:30 p.m. July 11.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Warehouse, homes, hotel all being considered by Cornwall officials
