New Red Lion Country Club development proposal rejected by zoning board

The land that housed the former Red Lion Country Club is once again safe from development – for now – as the York Township Zoning Hearing Board voted 3-2 to reject a new development proposal.

Last year, the York Township Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 against a rezoning proposal asking that the 58-acre property be changed from a commercial district to a residential high-density district.

The land, which is owned by the Red Lion Area School District, was listed for $1.6 million. The sale to the housing developer was contingent on the rezoning.

The Zoning Hearing Board met Tuesday night and heard from the same developer about a new proposal to create an "age restricted community" on the property. That would have resulted in 91 duplex units, which would have been 181 houses.

Each unit would have come in at 4,000 square feet, which would put each home at 2,000 square feet. All of them would have been one-story and would have had a two-car garage.

The developer planned to leave 22 acres of the 58 as open space, and there would have been a 2,500-square-foot community building.

The York Township zoning laws allow an age-restricted community to be built in a commercial area through a special exception, as long as the development meets the requirements.One of those is that at least 80% of the units must be occupied by someone age 55 or over.Around 50 residents showed up to voice concerns about this development, with many the same concerns they shared about the last proposal. Residents say that developing this site would harm local wildlife, have a negative impact on traffic and decrease quality of life for residents.

The local schools use this land for sports practice and science classes, and residents often use it for recreational purposes.

With the current zoning, the land can be developed as a strip mall, medical office, restaurant and more, and it would not need a special exception or a rezoning to use it in that manner. The developers don’t think that is a good use of the land, though, and they said that it would be better suited for residential use.

In the end, the board members all acknowledged that this land is a source of high-conflict and that the only one to blame is the Red Lion Area School District.

Best use of the land?

Vice Chairman of the board John Myers said he does not feel that this is the best use of this land and that it’s the school district’s problem.“They are trying to find a solution for them, and it’s not what’s best for the community,” he said.

“The ire is for the Red Lion School District,” board member Timothy Salvatore said. “The commission’s rejection of the residential development speaks volumes. I don’t think it’s in the highest or best use for the community, so I can’t support this.”Board member Anthony Pantano said that this land can be bought and developed at any time, and as long as the developer follows the current ordinances and zoning laws, there’s nothing that can stop a property owner from doing what they want with their own property. He felt that the developer met the criteria for this request.“I don’t have to like it, but I think they met it,” he said.Board Chairman James Barnes agreed with Pantano and added that this would be the first in a long line of steps to development. He and Pantano were the only two in favor of the special exception.Myers, Salvatore and board secretary William Descar voted no to the proposal on the grounds that the plan doesn’t align with the township’s comprehensive development plan and that this type of development is not in the best interest of the community at large.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: New Red Lion PA Country Club development proposal rejected