Springettsbury supervisors approve Mount Zion Commons conditional use with multiple modifications and conditions

Springettsbury Township — The Board of Supervisors voted to approve the Mount Zion Commons conditional use application (KCU-2023-0003) after debating eight requested modifications and attaching conditions intended to protect pedestrian access, limit light intrusion and preserve options for future traffic and site-work reviews.

The board approved relief on front-yard setbacks on East Market Street and Mount Zion Road, allowed a fuel canopy and limited front-yard parking, and accepted alternative interior parking-lot landscaping locations with conditions intended to mitigate light impacts and provide screening for adjacent properties. The board also authorized larger curb cuts for delivery and emergency vehicles, allowed a PennDOT scoping application in place of an immediate full traffic impact study (while reserving the right to require a full study later), and placed requirements on plaza placement and play space for children.

Why it matters: The Mount Zion Commons proposal will change how a key intersection functions in the township and add up to 170 rental units, retail and fueling facilities at Mount Zion Road and East Market Street. Residents who addressed the board warned that the project, as proposed, could increase traffic and diminish walkability. A number of board conditions were framed to give the township leverage during the later land-development process.

What the board approved and required

- Setbacks: The board approved the applicant’s request to increase the front-yard setback on East Market Street to roughly 186 feet and on Mount Zion Road to roughly 144 feet to provide vehicle circulation for a convenience store and fuel canopy. (Modification approvals.)

- Fuel canopy and fueling stations: The board allowed a fuel canopy and fueling stations as accessory structures in the front yard along East Market Street, on the condition that the canopy and fueling stations not impede traffic flow as outlined in Exhibits presented at the conditional-use hearing.

- Transparency and patios: The board granted relief from the requirement that at least 25% of exterior walls be transparent on Building 2’s East Market side, accepting the developer’s plan for a screened patio that would reduce visible glazing.

- Parking and landscaping: Limited parking in the front yard was permitted, subject to the board’s reservation to revisit the change during SALDO and land-development review. The board also approved alternative locations for interior parking-lot landscaping trees, while requiring mitigation of light impacts and screening per township landscaping ordinances (section 3-25-61).

- Traffic review: The board allowed a PennDOT-approved scoping application in lieu of an immediate full traffic impact study for the TCO application but reserved its right to require a full traffic impact study for subsequent land-development applications. Several supervisors said this was a concern because PennDOT controls the adjacent roads and the township could be 'wearing a blindfold' without a full study.

- Plaza and recreation: After extended discussion about the location and usefulness of the proposed public plaza (including concerns it sits too close to Market Street and dumpsters), the board moved to request that the developer revisit the plaza location and consider adding a more centralized plaza in future land-development submittals. Separately, the board required a children's recreation area at or near the apartment buildings that is satisfactory to the township.

- Road realignment: The board moved to require the developer to realign the north side of East Market Street to reflect the intent of the most recent PennDOT alignment plan, pending PennDOT approval.

Board reaction and public comment

Residents spoke during public comment with mixed views. Jonathan Stair (98 Eisenhower Drive) urged supervisors to vote the application down, saying it "violates both the spirit and the letter of the town center overlay and mixed use district ordinances" and would "increase, not minimize, traffic and congestion." Marta Peck (90 Jamieson Drive) told the board she had lost faith in supervisors' representation of residents and criticized prior zoning changes and the planning process. By contrast, Dakota Fallver (2450 Crystal Lane) said the site was appropriate for "gentle density," arguing that more compact, mixed-use development could support walking.

Final action

A supervisor moved to approve the conditional-use application for Mount Zion Commons LLC with the modifications and conditions the board had outlined; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Supervisors recorded affirmative votes during the roll calls following the motion.

Next steps

The approvals made at this meeting are conditional and several board members noted that detailed technical reviews (notably a potential full traffic impact study and SALDO/land-development reviews) will follow. The board reserved the right to require additional studies or alterations as part of subsequent land-development approvals.

(Reporting based on the Springettsbury Township Board of Supervisors meeting transcript.)