Housing Development Along Pennsylavnia AT

In the (Carlisle and Shippensburg, Cumberland County, PA) Sentinel, on 10 January 2007, there was an article by Jennifer Marrs entitled "Reduced housing plan is delayed; developer says planners won't consider it tonight." The developer spoke about "preliminary plans for 262 homes on South Mountain in Monroe Township" Pennsylvania. Lot sizes are slated to be less that half an acre, so this will be fairly dense development.

This is within spitting distance (i.e., about 3 miles) south of the AT Regional Office in Boiling Springs, PA, right near Center Point Knob.

"The Cumberland County Appalachian Trail Club also has many concerns, club secretary Melanie Wertz said Tuesday night. She and other club members were prepared to speak at tonight’s meeting. ...

"Club members treasure South Mountain and the beautiful White Rock Ridge, which has a breathtaking view of the 17-mile stretch of Cumberland Valley in between South Mountain and North Mountain, she said.

"The development 'goes right up and (would) greatly impact the White Rock trail,' an offshoot of the Appalachian Trail, which also runs through South Mountain’s forests, she said. 'It basically goes in and bulldozes the whole side of the mountain.'

"Yentzer’s [the developer's] proposed central site covers the entire White Rock Ridge, Wertz said, adding the corridor around White Rock Ridge is owned by the National Park Service.

"Wertz said club members are concerned about all of the threatened species, vernal pools and wildlife habitat areas on White Rock Ridge, as well as run-off that could affect the Yellow Breeches Watershed.

"While Monroe Township’s entire South Mountain area is in a conservation zone, Wertz said, the 'township zoning language for the conservation zone is very weak,' with just a half-acre required minimum per lot. In South Middleton Township, the minimum is 10 acres per lot, she said."

What is it about Pennsylvania townships and developing land right up to the AT corridor?