This page includes a wealth of information regarding all aspects of the current situation. You’ll find details on all of the major players involved as well as history of the events and our current strategies. Information is grouped into tabs. On a mobile device, you may have to click arrows to the left or right to view more.
Residents of North Manheim Township are sounding the alarm about a proposal to convert hundreds of acres of Pennsylvania farmland into Mega warehouses. This project poses several threats, including severe traffic congestion, decreased air quality, increased noise and light pollution, and disruption to local wildlife. Additionally, it would harm soil that has been cultivated for generations.
Crossroads Commercial Development plans to acquire farmland and adjacent parcels along Adamsdale Road and Greenview Road in Schuylkill Haven, which runs parallel to Route 61 in Southern Schuylkill County. This proposal includes the construction of two or more Mega warehouses, that may be over 100 feet tall and tower over the properties. Currently, the land and surrounding properties are zoned for residential and agricultural use. However, the developer is urging township supervisors to change the zoning to allow for industrial use. The developer personally prepared a plan for our supervisors to establish an Enterprise Overlay District to facilitate this change. This will essentially change our agricultural zoning to industrial. Unfortunately, despite numerous requests and a right to know demand from residents, the supervisors did not share this plan with the community until December 5th and continue to fast-track it behind closed doors. This hasn’t, however, stopped them from communicating with the developer (See Email Below.)
The Stop61Warehouses group, consisting of North Manheim Township residents and other concerned community members, are opposed to the proposed warehouse project. Our website aims to raise public awareness, demand transparency from township officials, report on relevant activities, provide ways to help, and fundraise to cover legal costs. We call upon all Schuylkill County residents who wish to preserve the safety and beauty of our community to support us. If a developer can come in to or our community and change zoning on demand they can do it in your community too. We must take a stand.
The developers seem unconcerned about the negative impacts on our community, such as loss of homes, increased heavy truck traffic and crashes, road damage, drainage and runoff problems, decreased property values, and rising levels of noise, light, and air pollution. Their primary focus appears to be entirely profit at the expense of the quality of life of others. We urge all community members to stand with North Manheim residents in opposing these warehouses. This is our home, and if we don’t fight for it, who will?
Crossroads Commercial Development is the developer in question. The Principal is William A. Aiello. We are compiling a comprehensive background on this man and his history with similar companies. Please check back often or follow on our Facebook page for further updates. Most of what we have discovered so far is alarming and will be worth the read.
Wayne Bowen, Chairman
William Webber, Vice Chairman
William Searle III, Supervisor
Mark Koch. Township Solicitor
610-378-9002 217 N 6th St, Reading, PA 19601
Steve Moyer, Township Engineer
(610) 916-8500
Systems Design Engineering ,Systems Design Engineering
1032 James Drive, Leesport, Pennsylvania 19533
Tami M. Stump Secretary/Treasurer
(570) 385-2778 Ext 201
Marcie Schultz Administrative Assistant
(570) 385-2778 Ext 200
(570) 385-2778
303 Manheim Road
Pottsville, PA 17901
The map above is based on the zoning overlay district draft that the supervisors have been considering. It was created and submitted by Crossroads Commercial Development to serve their own interests of building a massive mega warehouse complex across over a square mile of current residential and farmland.
It is worth noting the proposed overlay draft exceeds the current area of properties assumed to be part of the initial warehouse complex. One can reasonably assume the intention is to lower the value of surrounding homes and properties only to then absorb them into their enterprise park at a later date without the need of a future rezoning. We know for a fact some property owners in this area had no idea they were included in this plan.
The full draft can be read and downloaded below
enterprise-opportunity-overlay-district-draft-2024-10-01The pdf below shows the map included in the plan proposal submitted by Crossroads Commercial Development.
You can download it here:
Under the state Constitution, municipalities can’t block warehouses outright or make rules so restrictive that the buildings are effectively banned.
But local governments can require conditional use or special exceptions. PennFuture suggests using zoning overlays, which limit warehouse development within zones to places where they are most appropriate.
This strategy could keep distribution centers away from homes and environmentally sensitive areas. The North Manheim Township supervisors are trying to use a zoning overlay to invite warehouse developers INTO our township.
Specific examples of overlay zones:
You can learn more about overlay zones by reading this document provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (dced.pa.gov):
According to PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development an Overlay zones can be included among the various districts created in a zoning ordinance; the distinction is that an overlay zoning district is mapped over an underlying base zoning district. The overlay district contains regulations that apply in addition to the regulations of the underlying base district. An overlay district can be placed over part of one base zoning district or across multiple base zoning districts. It’s important to remember that overlays:
• supplement underlying zoning, not supplant it
• address specific issues and objectives, and are not simply another layer of general regulations
Pennsylvania zoning overlay is designed to preserve productive farmland from commercial development.It limits the number of dwellings and lot sizes for non-agricultural use, preventing the fragmentation of farmland while accommodating agriculture and ag-related tourism use.Pennsylvania has statewide initiatives to protect farmland from municipal and private pressures. Agricultural zoning is typically found in rural areas and is essential for preserving the state’s rich agricultural heritage and supporting the farming industry.
Agricultural Zoning Factsheet 2019 – PA De…
dced.pa.gov
Farmland Zoning – Penn State Extension
extension.psu.edu
Understanding Pennsylvania’s Zoning …
garvillo.com
#5 land use – planningpa.org
planningpa.org
Tip Sheet – Overlay Zoning – 2019 – PA Dep…
dced.pa.gov
