Mobile Homes Coming Soon?
Huntington Twp. planning commission about to hear renewed proposal for trailer park

by STEVE MARRONI, The Evening Sun

A group of residents oppose it, and the township once rejected it, but a higher court gave plans for a 273-unit trailer park the go ahead five years ago.

And on Monday, the Huntington Township Planning Commission will meet to discuss the revised plans for the park, called Peakview, which is proposed to go in at Route 94 and York Springs-Idaville Road.

The plans are then expected to go before the Board of Supervisors at a special meeting set for 7:30 p.m. March 3.

The project has been an issue in Huntington Township for more than a decade, though it might have seemed to fall off the radar after about five years of silence.

Preliminary plans for the project had come before the township in 1998, a year before Huntington had its current zoning ordinance in place. Current zoning would not allow for a project like Peakview and the township rejected preliminary plans in September 2000.

Supervisors at the time cited the lack of a plan for a drinking-water supply and the development's proximity to a quarry. Peakview developer Robert Mumma appealed the township's decision to the Adams County Court of Common Pleas, where the township's decision was upheld.

Mumma then appealed to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, where Huntington Township's decision to reject the plans was overturned.

The township, in turn, appealed to the state Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case, forcing supervisors to approve the preliminary plans Jan. 3, 2005.

There is a five-year window of opportunity between preliminary-plan approval and final-plan adoption. Nothing was heard for close to five years, but just before the deadline, the developer came back with plans in the fall.

Last month, revised plans that addressed some of the township engineer's notes were submitted. Those revised plans are up for discussion with the planning commission Monday night.

A group of residents called Save Our Rural Heritage opposed the park when it first came before supervisors, and continues to oppose it. Members say the park would harm the agricultural and rural nature of the township, overcrowd the schools and create traffic problems.

The group's attorney, Nathan C. Wolf, said the developer still needs several state approvals, which he said constitutes a technical violation that has not been corrected over the course of several revisions.

"They shouldn't be given more time to correct anything," Wolf said. "They had five years."

Wolf said too many deficiencies remain in the plan for the planning commission to recommend it for approval by the supervisors.

Mumma's attorney, Charles M. Suhr, could not be reached Friday for comment.

Even though the preliminary plans were court-ordered, Wolf believes there is enough wiggle room in the court's decision to turn down the plans if they are not up to standard.

The supervisors passed a motion last month by 2-1, giving itself until April 30 to make a final decision on park plans, but had indicated a decision could come as early as the March 3 special meeting.

Supervisor Roger Sowers voted against the extension, and said the developer has had enough time to make a plan.

IF YOU GO

The Huntington Township Planning Commission is meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday to discuss plans for the proposed 273-unit mobile-home park. Supervisors then have a special meeting set for 7:30 p.m. March 3 to discuss the plans. Both meetings are to be held at the township building, 750 Trolley Road.