Columbia Borough faces $400K repair bill for Columbia Crossing; concerns were raised in 2013

Columbia Borough faces a $400K repair bill for structural rot at Columbia Crossing. The building is plagued by structural concerns dating back to 2013.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Columbia Borough Council voted at its March 24, 2026 meeting to take a step towards repairing serious structural deterioration at the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, (estimated at nearly $400,000) by authorizing staff and the borough engineer to pursue state grant funding to offset the cost. 

Engineering firm C.S. Davidson found extensive internal rot in most of the building’s laminated wood support columns as well as in the lower ends of its sloped beams. According to a borough executive brief, “the cause of the column rot appears to be from water being trapped at the base of the columns behind the stone veneer. The beam rot appears to be from water being trapped in the metal connections.”

Rinaldo: “If the building becomes a risk, then we will take more immediate action.”

However, as long as the building is safe, it will remain open. “If the building becomes a risk, then we will take more immediate action,” borough engineer Derek Rinaldo said.

Lauer Construction estimated the repair work at $399,600 for the removal and replacement of the rotted members, along with structural modifications to prevent the issue in the future. 

To help cover the expense, the borough will apply for a $200,000 grant through the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. (In November 2025, council applied for a $300,000 Local Share Account grant, which is still pending.) The executive brief states: “The grant requires a 50% match, that can be covered by the LSA Grant if successful. CDBG funds are also an acceptable match.” Officials have not yet said how the borough’s share of the repair costs will be funded if the state grant falls short.

Gabel: “It is difficult to figure out who is responsible for what happened down there.”

When resident Frank Doutrich asked if there is a way of “going after” the original contractor, borough solicitor Evan Gabel replied, “It is difficult to figure out who is responsible for what happened down there” due to the way the contract documents were drafted, drawings, etc.

Concerns about the structure date as far back as August 2013, when state-approved inspectors Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson and subcontractor Rigidply raised concerns about the design of glued laminate beams and pin connectors that tie into concrete beams in the building’s crawl space. 

At the August 12, 2013 council meeting, members voted 5-2 to bring back Buchart Horn, the building’s original design firm, to review and address the issues, at a cost of $5,000. At the time, council member Jody Gable defended the move, saying the borough had “too much invested in this project to walk away.” Councilman Jim Smith and Council President Mike Beury voted against the motion.

Smith: “It’s the gift that will keep on taking.” 

[Columbia Spy file photo]

Smith, who had long opposed the project, warned that the 2013 engineering issue was only the beginning of escalating costs, at one point calling the project “the gift that will keep on taking.” The $1.9 million building was funded largely through grants, in addition to about $80,000 contributed by the borough. Results of Buchart Horn’s review are currently not found in available records.

(Note: Columbia Crossing was formerly known as the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail Services Building.)

The building as it appeared in July 2014.

[Sources: LNP/LancasterOnline, Columbia Spy, Columbia Borough Executive Brief and Minutes]

About Town — March 22, 2026

This week’s photos of Columbia

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY

Progress at the Von Hess project on Bank Avenue 

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Wrightsville 41 was in town. 

A view from the Union Street boat ramp

Don’t poke the bear.

Mural 

It’s hard to see, but the back of the truck reads STATE GAME WARDEN. Directly above, it says OPERATION GAME THIEF, along with some contact information. 

Evening clouds 

Daytime clouds 

Company truck on South 9th 

There’s the surveyor, next to the former McGinness property. There’s also a project in progress across the street from him, as well as one further up the street, on the next block. 

Quisp is still around?

Old model

(Photo from the previous week)

Do not fill the observation well.

This company hasn’t been in town in decades. 

Neenah Foundry makes Controlled Pressure Release Manhole Covers, but this doesn’t appear to be one of them, nor would it need to be for a sewer.

Personnel were at Columbia River Park on Friday to remove oil containment booms near the Columbia Water Company and the Lancaster Water Company. The booms were placed a few weeks ago, in response to an oil spill at J&K Salvage in York County in late February. Amanda Hancher, Senior Press Officer @EPA Mid-Atlantic Region, who was on-scene, provided a link to the following information:

“Local, state, and federal emergency response personnel have formed a Unified Command in response to a building fire and associated oil spill that occurred at J&K Salvage in Spring Garden Township, Pa., on February 25, 2026.

Unified Command comprises of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), York County Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT), York Area United Fire and Rescue, York Regional Emergency Management, and Spring Garden Township.

Just before 2 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, emergency responders were dispatched to a commercial fire in Spring Garden Township on the property of the salvage yard located at 1173 Kings Mill Road. Responders extinguished the fire at approximately 4 pm. The fire melted several dozen containers holding thousands of gallons of various oils and damaged several containers of unknown substances. The released oils seeped into the soil and a nearby unnamed tributary that leads to the Codorus Creek, creating the potential for migration beyond the immediate site. 

A local response consisting of firefighters, HAZMAT technicians, and PA DEP representatives responded to the fire that afternoon and in the days that followed, with EPA arriving and establishing Unified Command to jointly manage the incident. Containment, mitigation, and hazardous material removal continues at the site, as well as air and water monitoring and sampling for responder and public health.”

Additional information is HERE.

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CHS grad who won Latin Grammy returns home to join New Holland Band in spring concert

LAURA KNOWLES | For LNP | LancasterOnline

For musician Jim McFalls, performing with the New Holland Band in  its annual spring concert feels like a reunion.

McFalls and Fred Hughes, now director of the New Holland Band, were both teens when they began playing in the band — McFalls on trombone, and Hughes on the tuba.

Later, they joined the U.S. Army Band and toured the world with the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, both encouraged by their time performing in the New Holland Band, the second-oldest community concert band in the nation. 

He’ll soon get a chance to play with the New Holland Band once again.

McFalls will be a featured trombone soloist at the New Holland Band’s Spring Concert, set for 3 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Good Shepherd Chapel at Lancaster Bible College. The band will perform a selection of classic, Broadway, pops and Americana music.

Since his time in the New Holland Band, McFalls — a Columbia High School graduate — has gone on to win a Latin Grammy and perform with musicians from Dave Liebman to Mumford & Sons.

MORE: HERE

Restaurant Inspections — Columbia Borough — March 20, 2026

Emma’s Coffee Corner, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, March 14. Pass. Observed raw shell eggs stored above coffee drinks in the two-door cooler.

Griddles Street Social, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, March 14. Pass. Food Facility is offering for sale foods (cake pops by Caroline’s Cupcakes) prepared in an unapproved private home. Tomato sauce observed in the walk-in cooler is spoiled, moldy and adulterated. Tomato sauce (Jan. 30), and queso (cheese) (Feb. 17), refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature-control-for-safety food in the walk-in cooler, were date-marked by the facility but were beyond the seven-day use- or sell-by date and require discarding. Observed old food residue on the slicer blade and inner rim of the slicer.

JK Simply Cake, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, change of owner, March 14. Pass. Prepackaged oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies are not labeled properly with the ingredient statement. Prepackaged oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies are not labeled to clearly indicate any “Big 9” allergen ingredients and/or the allergen warning statement.

Market House Soft Pretzels, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, change of owner, March 14. Pass. Food employee observed preparing food while not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats or beard covers.

Turkey Hill Experience, 301 Linden St., Columbia, complaint, March 13. Pass. No violations.

Columbia Pizza And Italian Restaurant, 429 Locust St., Columbia, regular/complaint, March 12. Pass. Observed boxes of food stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler, rather than 6 inches off of the floor as required. Cigarettes, cigarette butts and ashtray found on chair in the food preparation area during the inspection. Black mold observed on the stand used for storing food in the walk-in cooler. Observed static dust on the fan guards of the walk-in cooler.

St. John Neumann School For Children And Families, 401 Locust St., Columbia, March 12. Pass. Chili was held at 122 F, in the hot-holding cabinet, rather than 135 F or above as required. Paper towel dispenser empty at the hand-wash sink in the kitchen. Commercially processed, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature-control-for-safety food (turkey bacon), located in the reach-in cooler and held more than 24 hours, is not being marked with the date it was opened. Digital temperature measuring device for the hot-holding cabinet is difficult to read due to some elements of the numbers missing. Observed deeply scored cutting boards (portable green cutting boards) not resurfaced or discarded as required.

Hype Brew, mobile food facility Type 3, 336 Locust St., Columbia, opening, March 11. Pass. The service window is open, unscreened and does not protect against the entry of insects.