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The Concerned Citizens to Preserve Zoning
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[This letter appeared in the March 11, 2004 edition of the Hershey Chronicle] Residents Need to be Involved in Zoning Issues Editor, Hershey Chronicle: The future of Derry Township is taking shape right now. Decisions are being made about land use in the Township that will affect residents for generations. It is critical for the people of the community to participate in the discussion of these issues, or we may end up with a future town that none of us wants. One example is the flurry of recent requests by developers to rezone agricultural/conservation land in the Township. Just over a decade ago, with much community input, the Township established a Comprehensive Plan-a plan for land use in the Township that determines where new housing, commercial, and industrial development will occur. Now, however, that Plan is being attacked. Developers are seeking to amend it to allow them to build large housing developments where the Plan and the zoning ordinances do not permit such developments. A January 2004 report by the Harrisburg Patriot News stated that, over the past decade, nearly 1,500 new homes were built in Derry Township-making it among the fastest growing communities in the region. Because it is in their economic interests, developers want to continue that pace of building. But is it in our interests, the people who live here? If you don't think so, you need to speak up-now. Township residents need to begin (or continue) a serious discussion about the issues of the Comprehensive Plan, sprawl, rezoning, and proper land use. Regardless of where people live, these issues will affect them-because of traffic, the tax burden of new developments, water drainage and quality, the existence or disappearance of open spaces, and general quality of life. I am hopeful that as friends and neighbors talk more about these issues, our community will have the kind of discussion that is necessary for good decisions to be made. On behalf of our community group, Concerned Citizens to Preserve Zoning, I commend the Hershey Chronicle for its coverage of rezoning issues, including the February 4 article on Rezoning Procedures. Such local coverage can encourage the kind discourse that is necessary if the people here are to have a voice in how this Township will look ten years from now. I hope that you will continue to cover these issues and keep residents informed about other proposed rezoning and land use matters. I firmly believe that if people are informed about land use and zoning issues, they will support only carefully planned new construction in properly zoned areas and oppose the wholesale rezoning of farm and forest land. Moreover, I believe that residents will support initiatives-like the newly established Derry Township Land Trust-to preserve open spaces in the Township. If residents agree that these issues are
important, they need to make their voices heard by
writing to our Township Supervisors. If residents
oppose rezoning agricultural and conservation land
to build large housing developments, they need to
say so. When people speak up, local leaders will
listen-they live here too. At their April 7 meeting
[Note: that meeting is now scheduled for April 22 at
6 p.m.], the Supervisors will be considering a
developer's proposal to rezone over 120 acres of
mostly forest land at the southern end of the
Township (known as the Nye and Hart tracts) to allow
for the construction of a large housing development.
I urge Township residents to attend and let the
Supervisors know where they stand on the importance
of the Comprehensive Plan and the harms brought
about by rezoning and sprawl. Joe Miller
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