The Straban Township Planning Commission met Wednesday, September 24, hearing plans for upgrades to a local ag business and discussing possible edits to their own codes.
Agricultural Commodities, Inc. — 1596 Granite Station Road
Employees from Ag Com gave a presentation about their proposal to build new structures to improve their fertilizer business, which serves area farmers.
Their land development plan is for a site they already own, currently used as a parking and storage area across the street from the Gettysburg plant.
The plan proposes one building for dry granule fertilizer storage, and another for office and warehouse space. In addition, there would be a double-walled storage tank for liquid fertilizer and a small detached receiving building for the adjacent rail line.
Joe Rickrode, who was representing Ag Com at the meeting, said most product for the fertilizer part of the business is currently trucked into the site, but with this expansion, they could start receiving some through rail.
By expanding into new space for the fertilizer operations, the company hopes to improve the efficiency for their farmer customers and improve the traffic flow on site, Rickrode said.
He said the building currently housing the fertilizer operation was built in 1969 or 1970 and has become too expensive and impractical to continue repairing. It will likely be torn down in the future to create needed truck parking, but that has not been finalized.
After a hearing in July, Straban’s Zoning Hearing Board approved use of the site for the “manufacturing, processing or production of goods,” which is allowed by special exception the zoning district where the site is located.
Ag Com describes itself as a 6th generation family owned business, providing Adams County and surrounding areas with feed commodities, agronomic products, and seed. Their other location is in New Oxford.
The township has until December 23, 2025 to approve or deny the land development plan, unless an extension is requested.
Other business
The commission also discussed making some updates to the township’s zoning ordinance.
Chair Alan Zepp said that the township has collected a list of possible changes based on communications with residents.
Rather than going through the formal process to change the code for every small edit, the township tends to make a batch of edits at once, he said.
No specific language changes were proposed Wednesday night and the discussions will continue in future meetings. Zepp said the purpose of the discussion was “planting a seed.”
One substantial change the Township may consider is related to affordable housing. Given a number of discussions with developers about apartment projects in the township, the commission may consider requiring any project proposing a substantial amount of units to include a percentage of smaller, lower cost units.
John Hartzel said a reason to consider it would be to give residents an alternative to relying on government/non-profit programs because they may be able to afford to rent a smaller, lower-cost apartment unit. Zepp said he is neither pro or con the idea, but had heard other municipalities reason that it creates housing opportunities for service industry workers.
Member George Mauser said if the idea was discussed further, he would have questions about how the township would be able to enforce the requirement.
Hartzel said they could look to other municipalities for models of how their zoning codes are written and data on whether those ordinances have benefitted the area.
Zepp said the township would have to consider whether they have the legal authority to impose such requirements; and whether the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors think it would be beneficial for Straban.
“A concept is all it is right now,” Hartzel said.
Hartzel will resume duties as chair of the Planning Commission next month, having returned from a personal leave. Zepp will continue to serve on the Township’s Board of Supervisors.
The Board of Supervisors will meet Monday, October 6 and the Planning Commission will meet Wednesday, October 22, both at 7:00 p.m. at the township office.
Catalina Righter, freelance reporter, lives in New Oxford. She previously wrote for the Carroll County Times and the Kent County News, covering crime, education, local government and arts. She works as a legal assistant.
That would be a good place for low income highrise housing. There is a low income housing high rise in Chambers urg that could be a template for a n#Adams County project. With a high rise the minimal space needed for building space would leave extra space for parking.