Conewago Online Report
Conewago Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Hershey Trust Hijacks Conewago Comprehensive Plan

On Wed., Oct. 15 at 7pm, the Conewago Planning Commission will meet at the Conewago Elementary School and receive public comment on its new Draft Comprehensive Plan , which guides changes to township zoning. Unfortunately, the new zoning is much worse than the old! It benefits the Hershey Trust to the detriment of the community as a whole.

Click here to see Enhanced version of Future Land Use Map

High-Density Commercial/Residential Zoning

The Mixed Use Zone, 100 acres of Trust land just south of the Elementary School, allows high-density commercial and residential lots smaller than a quarter acre. This would allow nearly 400 housing units.
[Note: this is labeled MU on the Enhanced version of Future Land Use Map.]

MegaWarehouse Zoning

In 1998, the Planning Commission disapproved a request by the Hershey Trust to rezone 160 acres of agricultural land for a MILLION SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE. In 2004, the Board of Supervisors rejected the Lower Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Plan which included this same rezoning. In 2008, it’s back! The Draft Plan once again proposes rezoning most of this parcel from Agricultural to Commercial.
[Note: this is labeled C-LI on the Enhanced version of Future Land Use Map.]

Trust Zoning

The new Eleemysonary Overlay (or Trust) Zoning District would affect about 600 acres, mostly farmland. “The Eleemosynary Overlay allows for additional uses to be permitted in certain areas, regardless of the underlying use.” The Trust would be allowed to ignore certain current zoning restrictions and bypass the normal review process which allows the public to comment before a decision to allow changes is made.
[Note: this is labeled EO on the Enhanced version of Future Land Use Map.]

These changes provide NO BENEFIT to the community and should be rejected!

I urge Conewago residents to attend the meeting and contact their Supervisors. The Draft Comprehensive Plan can be viewed online at Conewago Online, or Conewago Online.

Sincerely, Joel Buckley