MINUTES OF THE HANOVER BOROUGH COUNCIL CONDITIONAL USE PUBLIC HEARING APPLICATION OF NORTHRIDGE ASSOCIATES Wednesday, April 16, 2025 President Reichart called the public hearing to order at 6:00 PM in the Hanover Borough Municipal Building, 44 Frederick Street, Hanover, PA. Attendance: In attendance were Council members Bubb, Funk, Fuentes, Greenholt, Hegberg, Kress, Lookenbill, Reichart, Roland and Ruppi Mayor Whitman; Solicitor Shultis; Staff members Assistant Borough Manager Adler, Secretary Felix, Manager Lewis, Planning & Engineering Director Mains and Water and Wastewater Treatment Director Thomas; Stenographer Deb Zepp. Attorney Paul Minnich of Barley-Snyder, and GHI representative Kevin Barnes were present on behalf of the applicant, Northridge Associates. President Reichart read the following Statement: "This is the time set for the continued conditional use hearing regarding an application filed by North Ridge Associates for a hotel at property located generally at 319 Wilson Avenue, Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania and located in the Planned Development Zoning District. At this point, I will turn the hearing over to the Solicitor. 1 Solicitor Shultis referenced the following exhibits to be presented: Exhibit 6: Proof of Publication Exhibit 7: Notice to applicant Exhibit 8: Notice to adjoining property owners Exhibit 9: Proof of posting Solicitor Shultis called for silence during the hearing if not testifying, and urged all those present to please be silent while someone is testifying. When asked by Solicitor Shultis, Attorney Minnich stated his approval for the admission of the Borough's exhibits as stated. Attorney Minnich called Brian Miller to testify. Mr. Miller represents the company that will oversee the management of the hotel. The same owner owns the other two (2) adjacent hotels, and Mr. Miller's company manages them as well. Mr. Miller was sworn in by Stenographer Zepp to give testimony. Mr. Minnich questioned Mr. Miller on the following items: Continuation of the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 2 Mr. Miller stated that he instructed Mr. Barnes to draw the plans to fully comply with Borough ordinances, and based the number of parking spaces on one parking space per room. Mr. Miller stated he believes that one space per room is sufficient parking for the hotel, but he is prepared to add additional parking spaces if possible, via landscaping relief. The planned outdoor swimming pool is proposed to be 1500-2000 SF, and will be screened appropriately. Fencing requirements will be incorporated, and additional landscaping screening can be provided, if necessary. The adjacent Hampton Inn has an indoor swimming pool. Mr. Miller confirmed that he was present at the previous meeting when the criteria for conditional use approval was covered with Mr. Barnes. Mr. Miller stated that he believes the application is fully compliant with the Borough's ordinance. Mr. Miller confirmed that in his opinion the existing hotels are operated in a safe and efficient manner. In regard to the proposed land swap, Mr. Miller stated that the project will not disturb wetlands, will not encroach on the stream, and confirmed that the land swapi is necessary for proper stream restoration while benefiting the hotel. Borough staff approached the owner about the land swap, and the owner was in favor of the proposal. The current owner had at one time owned the wetlands including the stream and later donated the wetlands to the Borough. The applicant is requesting to acquire a small piece of the Borough's property, but will be providing the Borough with a slightly larger piece in return. Mr. Miller confirmed that in his opinion the proposed hotel use is consistent with the operation of the adjacent hotels. Mr. Miller addressed the proposed parking area for the hotel. He recently took an inventory of the parking area at the Hampton Inn, noting that the hotel was sold out, and the rear parking lot was empty, with less than 80% full at the time. The Borough's ordinance is consistent with similar ordinances from other municipalities that specify that one parking space per room of a hotel is sufficient. Continuation oft the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 3 Solicitor Shultis stated that the floor is now open for Council to cross-examine the witness. Mrs. Greenholt asked what "landscape relief" means. Mr. Miller stated that if the parking islands in between could be eliminated, in order to increase the number of parking spaces, it would no longer meet the requirement for landscaping, SO relief from that requirement could be sought. With more impervious area, there is a possibility that relief from stormwater regulations may also be needed if the amount of parking spaces would be increased. Mr. Fuentes asked if the back lot adjacent the wetlands would be cleared, since this portion is what the existing residences would face. Mr. Miller stated that a fire lane would be installed on the southern border of the lot. Mr. Fuentes stated that he understands residents are concerned that they would see the hotels with the trees being removed. He stated that he is unaware with the stream restoration project, the amount of green space that would need to be removed. Dr. Rupp asked about screening for the pool area. Mr. Miller stated that four (4) foot high vinyl fencing is proposed. Pools are typically closed by 10:00 PM. Although pools generally open in the morning, pool use does not normally begin until afternoon. President Reichart asked when the current developer acquired the property. Mr. Miller stated that the current landowner has owned the property for approximately 40 years. Mr. Roland asked why cars are often parked along Wilson Avenue. Mr. Miller stated that he has not seen cars parked along Wilson Avenue. Mr. Roland questioned if there would be a parking conflict with the proposed landscaping, and if it was possible for the paved areas to be pervious as opposed to impervious. Mr. Miller stated that they will treat and filter their own stormwater on site. Continuation of the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 4 Mr. Roland asked if there was a possibility for hotel guests to share the indoor pool at the Hampton Inn. Mr. Miller replied that the Holiday Inn already shares the pool at the Hampton Inn, and three (3) hotels utilizing the same pool would be excessive. An outdoor pool needs to be provided to add as an amenity. Mr. Miller confirmed that there are no parking issues at the other two (2) hotels. Attorney Minnich asked Mr. Miller to address employee parking. Mr. Miller noted that typically occupancy is fullest between 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, and that is when hotel staff is at its bare minimum. Mr. Miller confirmed that the fire lane will not be a through street, it is only for maintenance personnel or emergency equipment. Mrs. Funk stated that it is good to hear that when the hotel was full, it only occupied 80% of parking. She asked how this is possible. Mr. Miller explained that sometimes people travel together, or utilize Uber services, but it fluctuates. The hotels would share overflow parking between them. Mrs. Funk asked if wedding receptions would be held at the hotel, and Mr. Miller confirmed that there are room rentals only, SO no wedding receptions would be held. Mr. Fuentes asked if the parking would be managed. Mr. Miller replied that he was not aware of any parking issues. Mrs. Funk expressed concerns about parking on Wilson Avenue and noted that there is currently no signage prohibiting parking. Mayor Whitman suggested that if cars are parked along Wilson Avenue, it may be a meeting point for a bus trip. Mr. Fuentes asked how many homes are adjacent to the back side of the lot. Mr. Miller stated that he did not have that information. Solicitor Shultis questioned Mr. Miller on the following items: Contimuation oft the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 5 Solicitor Shultis stated that the Hampton Inn has 83 rooms with 90+ parking spaces, and the Holiday Inn has 63 rooms with 63+ parking spaces. He asked if it was the intent to have cross easement agreements between the three (3) hotels. Mr. Miller stated that no cross easement agreements are proposed at this time. Mayor Whitman asked about lighting, and if the applicant would be willing to reduce the lighting or brightness to some degree. Mr. Miller pointed out that the hotel faces Wilson Avenue, SO there is only emergency lighting in the rear, and all parking lot lighting would be downcast. Light from the front of the hotel should not be cast behind the hotel. Mayor Whitman asked if the entire lot would be totally cleared up to the wetlands. Mr. Miller replied affirmatively. There was no redirect from Attorney Minnich. Attorney Minnich called Mr. Christopher Schwab to the stand, and he was sworn in by Stenographer Zepp. Mr. Schwab stated that he has 27 years of experience as a traffic engineer, with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Penn State University. He is a licensed professional engineer and has performed roughly 200-300 traffic studies. Mr. Schwab has been employed by Transportation Resource Group (TRG) for 27 years. He works with John A. Sites, president of TRG. Mr. Schwab is present here this evening in Mr. Sites' absence, and has worked on this traffic study jointly with Mr. Sites. Attorney Minnich asked if Mr. Schwab could be accepted as an expert witness, and Council had no objections. Attorney Minnich referenced Applicant Exhibit E, the traffic study, and distributed copies for Council review. Attorney Minnich questioned Mr. Schwab, and he responded as follows: Mr. Schwab stated that Exhibit E represents the traffic study prepared by TRG, a report of approximately 200 pages, and that he had an active role in the study. The purpose of a traffic study is to determine the impact of the proposed development on the surrounding intersections. Study intersections were confirmed with the Borough engineer, via email. Contimuation oft the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 6 The proposed hotel would generate less than 50 trips, SO it does not meet the requirements for a full study. However, a thorough traffic study was completed for better accuracy. Mr. Schwab described the anticipated impacts of traffic flow and peak traffic flow analysis during busiest hours of 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM; and 4:30 PM-5:30 PM. Attorney Minnich noted that traffic should not be significantly impacted to the point that it would add to substantial traffic congestion or safety issues. Mr. Schwab stated that the study has met that criteria. Mr. Schwab stated that in his professional opinion, there would not be a risk of traffic congestion that will be impacted by the hotel use. Council members questioned Mr. Schwab: Mrs. Funk noted that there were cars parked along Wilson Avenue between 2:30 - 3:30 PM today. The traffic lights were not functioning properly, and traffic was backed up. Mr. Schwab noted that the traffic lights could have been affected by high winds, although they seem to work consistently otherwise. The signal cameras are not police cameras, only for traffic flow. Traffic counts were done with video cameras at Wilson Avenue and Eisenhower Drive. There is a shared driveway at the hotels on private property. Mr. Schwab noted that the peak hours were determined to be from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, but peak hours could vary on Saturdays. Mr. Hegberg pointed out that weekends are busier, SO the traffic counts would be higher. Mr. Hegberg asked what the cumulativei impact would be with the other hotels. He added that there was no study on any proposed development at the corner lot at the former Rite- Aid property, since there is no data on what will occupy that space. Mr. Fuentes noted that the traffic study was done prior to the Tractor Supply store opening, but Mr. Schwab confirmed that the data from the Tractor Supply traffic study was incorporated into this traffic study. Mrs. Greenholt stated that she understood that a proposed convenience store could not be taken into consideration, since it was not there yet. She opined that if a Wawa occupies this space, it will definitely increase traffic. Contimation oft the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 7 President Reichart asked if Mr. Schwab's company completed other traffic studies for businesses in the area, and Mr. Schwab replied that TRG completed a study for Texas Roadhouse at that intersection. President Reichart asked if Mr. Miller would be able to provide the traffic study from the Texas Roadhouse at a future date, to compare that study with the present one. Mr. Schwab pointed out that traffic volumes have changed significantly since Texas Roadhouse was constructed. President Reichart asked if, taking into consideration that the Level of Service Cis 20 to 35 seconds wait time, how many more trips would it take to increase to a new level. Mr. Schwab noted that the range was 20.4 - 21.6 seconds wait time in the morning, and in the afternoon the wait time was 27.2 seconds to 28.4 seconds. It would be highly unlikely that the wait time would increase by 7 seconds to get to 35 seconds wait time at Level of Service D. Attorney Minnich stated that although all testimony has been taken, he would like to reserve the right to redirect and perhaps have Mr. Mains address the buffer in relation to the stream restoration project. Attorney Minnich moved to enter Exhibits A-E into the record. Solicitor Shultis noted they are already in the Borough exhibits, SO they don't need to be readmitted. 7:06 PM: Solicitor Shultis announced that the public hearing will temporarily recess, and the regular Finance & Personnel Committee will be held. The public hearing will resume after this meeting. 8:20 PM: President Reichart announced that the continuation of the public hearing is ready to be held. Councilors Bubb, Funk, Fuentes, Greenholt, Hegberg, Kress, Reichart, Roland, Rupp, and Junior Council Day were in attendance. Councilor Lookenbill was not present. Solicitor Shultis noted that public comment will be taken this evening, but there may need to be an additional meeting for further questioning. Solicitor Shultis announced that if any citizen submitted a letter and would like their comments to be heard, they need to provide public comment in person. No one can cross Contimation of the Conditional Use Public. Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 8 examine a letter. However, the letters provided can be admitted as exhibits and may be considered as part of the record. Sarah Messer, Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce stated her support for the project. She stated that she was able to collect some data for the existing hotels, and a third hotel would be essential to attaining and maintaining the current tourism boom. The hotel excise tax is 4.5% and this would serve to put tax dollars back into the community. 8:26 PM: Mr. Lookenbill re-entered the meeting and then left the meeting. Ms. Messer reported that the region experiences 194,700 visit nights annually. There is an average of 2.8 nights per stay. Mr. Hegberg asked how much hotel tax is generated from Hanover Borough and how much of the tax income comes back to the municipality. Ms. Messer did not readily have that information, but she will provide it at a future date. Public Comment: Merle Feder asked if she could show a picture of cars on Wilson Avenue, taken by George Hubbard who had to leave the meeting. Solicitor Shultis noted that the witness who took the photo would be the only one who would be allowed to comment on the photo. Other citizens could comment about the cars parked on Wilson Avenue, but not in reference to the actual photo. Peggy Miller: Ms. Miller asked if Peg Sennett' S public comment could precede her public comment. Peg Sennett: Ms. Sennett brought copies of a summary of comments from various citizens and asked if they could submit. Solicitor Shultis noted a verbatim transcript will be taken. Ms. Sennett continued with her comment, stating that there are 32 homes in the area that are adjacent to the wetlands, with 44 homes close enough to be impacted. She stated that she is speaking for these citizens. She noted several environmental and wildlife concerns regarding the wetlands. She voiced concerns of the outdoor pool, mainly with noise issues, especially at night, in proximity to the residences in the area. She voiced concerns about a tavern style restaurant which will add public traffic to the hotel complex. Compressors currently run all night in the hotel parking lots and fire lanes from vehicles. Contimation oft the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 9 HVAC units from the hotel also create noise pollution. Ms. Sennett asked for the application for the hotel use to be denied. Mr. Fuentes asked how the current hotels affect the residential homes. Ms. Sennett noted that she can see the lighting issues at night, and there is noise from compressors at night. Peggy Miller: Ms. Miller's home is immediately adjacent to the properties in question. She stated concerns about wildlife habitats, environmental issues, and the value of wetlands. She asked if the delineation noted on the map of the land swap was submitted to the Army Corp of Engineers. She referenced table 5.7 of the Comprehensive Plan. She voiced concerns about the fill needed between the hotel and the wetlands, which may force stormwater to the residential properties. She asked if a retaining wall would be added, and ifi it would create a damming effect. Placement of fill is prohibited in wetland areas by Federal regulation. She feels that other locations for this project should be utilized instead, such as the mall property or the former Bon Ton building which would have little effect on the wetland area. Ms. Miller noted that she would urge Council not to approve this conditional use application. Edward Darragh, President of Deerfield Condo Association: Mr. Darragh stated that the Deerfield Condominium development is adjacent to the project area. He feels that removal of the trees will adversely affect the residential areas, and will result in the water table rising. He stated that lighting from the existing hotels can currently be seen from Wilson Avenue and Eisenhower Drive, along with noise, which will only increase if the project is approved. He was concerned that property values would decrease as a result of this project. He was concerned it will cost the taxpayers with little benefit to the community in the area. He asked for a raise of hands who were opposed to the conditional use application, and most of the citizens present were against the approval of the project. Councilor Fuentes asked Mr. Darragh if flooding affects his area. Mr. Darragh noted that a tremendous amount of rain flows down Deerfield Drive and into the stormwater system. His backyard gets extremely wet and squishy when it rains hard, and it takes considerable time to dissipate. Mr. Fuentes asked Ms. Sennett if flooding impacts her property. She replied that the streets are flooded when it rains, and her backyard absorbs a great deal of water. There were no further questions or comments from Council or citizens. Contimation of the Conditional Use Public Hearing 319 Wilson Avenue April 16, 2025 Page 10 9:05 PM: Solicitor Shultis recessed the public hearing until another meeting can be scheduled, according to the regulations of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Respectfully submitted, DK (/hi Dorothy C. Felix Borough Secretary