Rick Breneman of Breneman Site Construction, who has been overseeing the McGinness remediation project for the borough, provided options for the future of the site at Thursday’s Columbia Borough Council Workshop. Breneman characterized the endeavor as “a tricky thing to navigate.”
(Breneman didn’t delve into the progress of remediation, except to say the project is expected to be done by Thanksgiving. Based on introductory remarks by Heather Zink, council president, he was asked to speak about the sealed bid process and restrictions, and how fast to proceed.)
Developers require 2-3 years for due diligence
Breneman explained to council that developers typically need 2-3 years for due diligence, permitting, and planning before construction begins, and they generally won’t pay for the property until they’ve secured development approval and identified tenants or buyers. He cited the Belmont Shopping Center as an example, which took eight years from concept to breaking ground.
Breneman also said that in the development industry, the due diligence period is when developers are creating conceptual designs and developing a budget for all costs of the project. “And then they’re going to look at what the return on investment is going to be,” Breneman said.
Borough zoning reduced the pool of developers
Breneman noted that the borough’s zoning change from housing to commercial/light industrial reduced the pool of potential developers. “And quite honestly, there has to be a demand. There has to be a demand for what it is that land is zoned for,” Breneman explained.
Two potential sales approaches
He discussed two potential sales approaches: a public auction (which likely won’t meet the borough’s financial expectations and could result in buyers sitting on the land), or working with the EDC’s proposed schedule (which will require negotiating on timelines and payment terms).
Of the first option, Breneman said, “You can go down the road of public sale and advertise and see if there’s any interest, but my guess is that the interest you’re going to see, you’re not going to be happy with the return.” He emphasized that developers need flexibility on timelines, because they can’t afford to carry land costs for years without generating income
Over-55 housing
Breneman said council could also consider over-55 housing as an option, because it wouldn’t burden the school system and would expand the number of potential buyers. “That’s not a bad idea, because again instead of just looking at a group of people this big, it opens it up a little bit more and maybe makes it a little bit more appealing,” Breneman said.
Commercial realtor Kevin Wolfe presented options to council in August 2025.
In August, council heard from commercial realtor Kevin Wolfe, who laid out several options for the site, including data center, industrial, recreational, retail, and office space. Of those, only office, retail, and recreational were considered feasible and would require “significant marketing,” according to Wolfe.
The mural was designed by artist Cesar Viveros, as Columbia Spy reported HERE.
Volunteers helped paint it.
At Coffee & Cream
This keeps getting worse (at Rotary Park).
A message at Columbia River Park
Ghost pumpkins
Near miss
How not to spear a coworker
Full moon
Evening clouds
Left behind
Back on track(s)
A Weber surveyor at South 9th & Avenue X
An apartment building is planned for the lot there.
Clouds and hints of clouds
Iron Eagle was knocking down the treeline between the two runways at the former McGinness property.
Rick Breneman, who is overseeing the project for the borough, gave a report to council at Thursday’s council workshop. He said the project (remediation/stabilization)
is expected to be finished by Thanksgiving.
Any development of the property is at least 2-3 years out—if a developer is interested.
GUEST COMMENTARY [Name withheld by request out of fear of retaliation]
For two decades, Leo Lutz has occupied the mayor’s office in Columbia, and his supporters are quick to credit him with every positive development in our borough, but leadership is a two-way street. If Mayor Lutz is going to accept praise for Columbia’s successes, many of which, frankly, he had little direct involvement in, then he must also be held accountable for our failures.
The facts paint a troubling picture. Despite the mayor’s repeated assurances that our streets are safe, we’ve witnessed a disturbing rise in assaults, shootings, and vandalism. His promises have fallen by the wayside: the foot patrol we were promised never materialized, nor did the bike patrol that was supposed to increase our sense of security.
Fiscally, the situation is equally dire. Taxes have increased at least twice during Mayor Lutz’s tenure, yet the borough now finds itself millions of dollars in debt. This isn’t the record of effective stewardship. It’s a pattern of decline masked by rhetoric about prosperity.
There’s an inconvenient truth that property owners understand all too well: every time taxes rise, property values fall. That’s not prosperity; that’s a slow erosion of our community’s economic foundation.
Columbia needs vigorous, forward-thinking leadership. Instead, we have a mayor whose age and lengthy tenure raise legitimate questions about his ability to efficiently fulfill the demanding role ahead.
He’s one of the last of the good old boys that unfortunately ran this town. If voters return him to office, we can expect more of the same: continued decline, mounting debt, and broken promises.
The choice before Columbia’s voters is clear: we can either maintain the status quo and watch our borough continue to deteriorate, or we can demand accountability and choose a new direction.
Mayor Lutz has had 20 years to prove himself. The results speak for themselves.
Columbia Borough residents may face another property tax increase in 2026, following a significant hike approved last year, according to indications from borough officials.
In 2024, borough council raised property taxes by 2 mills for the 2025 budget year, bringing the total millage to 10 mills—the current rate. Now, less than a year later, signs suggest another increase is possible.
Council approved an $8.33 million general fund budget for 2025 by passing a 25% property tax increase, with warnings that further increases would likely be necessary.
“It’s going to be 2 mills this year, 2 mills next year,” Council Vice President Eric Kauffman said in 2024, according to LNP/LancasterOnline. “I just don’t know what else to do.”
Particularly alarming were statements by Mayor Leo Lutz, who suggested the borough may need to implement a multi-year plan for tax increases. “You’re almost gonna have to set a plan. It might be 2, 2, 2, 2. I don’t know. It might be 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, whatever,” Lutz said at a November 20, 2024 budget meeting. Those amounts could add up to 6 more mills over the next three years.
In addition to raising the millage, council could borrow from reserves, but doing so at this point would reduce the amount to a critically low level. Council has traditionally maintained reserves at 15% of the budget (about $1.1-1.2 million) as a financial safety net.
A recent budget draft for 2026 shows a budget amount for 2026 expenditures for the general fund alone at 9,151,171, compared to 8,311,717 for 2025—an increase of $839,454. A 2-mill tax increase ($876,000 in revenue) would more than cover that amount. (Each mill of property tax generates approximately $438,000 in revenue for the borough.)
Currently, not all numbers are available, and council still has to vote on a final budget.
Columbia Spy 
![Rick Breneman to council: “I’m not trying to paint a doomsday picture for you—which it sounds like that’s what I’m doing—but this is a tricky thing to navigate, no doubt, for you guys to try to maximize your investment.” [Columbia Spy file photo]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBMJ_c7ZAwQOirhi4gyjXNe0PjY8Gyc8n3HvLv_0wmxxPDeNYJUIkMUL6TlBeBKxGp1IxncoH1wep_xnFUzL6dxJjalsU6UrI4PSBksWKGftaxKHItpI0m2iZVjkoQcNS2BrlpVAoBEMw7tN66g4vytVv0N4Wzd_3GNeXB7J8njwgpwoyr1b-pf5qm1Q/s4000/1000026822.jpg){kind=link}
