Etown Borough Requests a 60-90 Day Hold on Bear Creek School Project
May 1, 2008
Jamie Rowley Chairman
Elizabethtown Area School District
600 East High Street
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Dear Jamie:
On behalf of Borough Council, I am writing to request that the School District (District) place a sixty (60) to ninety (90) day hold on pursuing the Bear Creek Intermediate School in order to explore alternatives with the community. While the District may be conforming to all of the standards and/or conditions of the Mount Joy Township (Township) subdivision and land development ordinance, the members of Council believe that concerns with regard to transportation warrant a more detailed review.
We want to be clear about our concerns regarding this proposed new school construction. Council is certainly aware of the impact that this school will have on our existing road network. To date, we have not seen a traffic study that addresses these concerns. In fact, the traffic study that the District needs to provide the Township may not necessarily address these concerns. We would hope that in the spirit of serving the greater community that the District would want to do everything in its power to mitigate traffic concerns in the Borough as well as conform to Township requirements. However, the impact of the re-routed and/or additional traffic on Borough roads is secondary to the location of the proposed intermediate school.
The main concern we have is the fact that the proposed school does not appear to be in conformance with Smart Growth goals of the Borough, Township and Lancaster County. As we understand the plans, it appears that almost no students grades 4 to 6 will be able to walk to this school. The proposed location is too far removed from the existing campus and located in such a way to preclude pedestrian access to the school from those that will be attending it. Notwithstanding the improvements that may be made pursuant to plan approval, the pedestrian network does not exist that would allow the thoughtful parent to permit their son or daughter to walk to school.
The Warwick School District recently constructed a new school within the limits of Lititz Borough. Similarly, Ephrata School District proposed the construction of a new school in Ephrata Borough. These districts worked hand in hand with their municipal officials to achieve the goal of Smart Growth that serve the needs of the community and school at the same time. Borough Counsel is willing and prepared to offer that same assistance to the District.
We applaud the District for re-thinking the previous plan for the sale of the existing land to raise funds for the environmental center. That decision displayed your ability to re-examine issues and make better decisions on behalf of the community. We also understand the time constraints that the District faces in regard to existing school enrollment. Furthermore, we appreciate that there must be a myriad of issues that the District must address with regard to school construction that are unknown to us at this point in time. We would like to have the opportunity to explore those issues with the District beyond the information detailed in the Act 34 pamphlet. Council is merely looking twenty to forty years into the future and seeing school property that requires the increased use of busses and vehicles each and every year.
We are requesting a brief moratorium on the decision with regard to this project and encourage the District to explore all potential alternatives with a team of municipal officials and community representatives from each of the four municipalities. Through the comprehensive planning process currently underway—of which the District is a valued partner—we are encouraging regional solution for regional issues. We may arrive at the same conclusion as the District given all of the factors involved.  Or we may open the door to new opportunities that have not been explored.
 Thank you for your consideration.
 Sincerely,
 Meade G. Bierly
Council President
 Cc:Â
School Board members
Amy Slam Superintendent
George Longridge Business Manager
Casey Kraus
Mount Joy Township Supervisors
Nick Viscome
West Donegal Township Supervisors
Conoy Township Supervisors
