Supervisors Pass Jaindl Zoning Swap

, following contentious debate Tuesday night, passed a resolution that could allow the Ocean Spray company to build a new facility at the southwest corner of Schantz Road and Route 100.

Land developer David Jaindl and project engineer J. Scott Pidcock, asked the  board to rezone a to light lndustrial from highway commercial after it received the

Forty-four of the 60 acres will be used for the so-called Project Pilgrim, which could allow a 315,000 square foot industrial building for use by Ocean Spray. That matter is still before township planners.

Supervisor chairman Edward Earley and Kathy Rader voted in favor of the zoning measure. Supervisor Samir Ashmar voted against the measure and voiced the most opposition.

"This is a total injustice to the township," Ashmar said. "We don't have a traffic study in front of us. We're getting in the middle of a deal between a developer and Ocean Spray."

Supervisors heard on the proposal, much of it negative due to traffic concerns, on Dec. 21.

"I believe it would be naive to think this land will remain agricultural in perpituity and it would be preferable to see it zoned light industrial," Earley said.

A full traffic study, paid for by the township had not yet been completed, although Keystone Consulting Engeering's Scott Stenroos said the traffic trips created by the light industrial zoning would be bearable.

Rader said she agreed with Ashmar on most of his traffic points, but the zoning swap was a better alternative than having highway commercial development near .

Much of the land in question, located on Route 100 between the Route 222 bypass and Interstate 78, surrounds the elementary school.

"There could be (highway commercial) uses like hotels, nightclubs and restaurants with drive-throughs and those uses would be better away from the elementary school down by the bypass," Rader said. "We've got to get the traffic relief, because if we don't nobody's going to get product out to the Interstate, but that's a matter aside from this."

Ashmar polled engineers and township planner Ken Maloney on whether they thought the township was rushing into things without looking at a full traffic study. Maloney and both township solicitors said yes, but the remainder concurred with Earley and Rader.

"The township voted properly on this," Jaindl said. "It's a re-zoning application and it was approved by the township's planning commission."

Jaindl declined to comment on whether or not a development deal was pending with Ocean Spray.

He did tell supervisors he would be happy to help put together meetings to have some of the existing traffic concerns quelled.

"Any way the the township needs me, I will be happy to help," Jaindl said.

The next where Project Pilgrim could be discussed is scheduled for Jan. 18.