Author: SPY

 This week’s photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

June is Pride Month, but you won’t hear a proclamation from the mayor. 

Love is Love at Lancaster Distilleries 

An upside down U.S. flag can be a symbol of distress or protest or both.

Speaking of flags, there’s a flag frenzy on Bridge Street.

It’s always wise to have a backup.

Tape and wire

There’s a conduit on the side of the bridge. 

It appears to lead from these new panel boxes.

Enjoying the river

Purple pansy

Recycle the Big 4.

Sticker shock

Cryptic graffiti 

Constable

On Wright Street

An aptly named cover 

The yard has reached its limit, obviously. 

This time, the sign is a little more stern. 

Here’s another warning.

Two satisfied customers 

A lost Amazon driver blocking the road at Plane & Franklin after sliding through the Plane Street “tunnel”

An old-fashioned hose reel at Tollbooth 

Obviously a vent

Water beds?

Inscription on one of the bridge plaza cannons

The lights are on again. 

Reading material at the bus stop

What’s coming to the 1100 block of Lancaster Avenue?

The area is zoned Highway Commercial. 

Piles of ties on Heritage Drive 

The former Poplar Street School 

Only rain in the drain

The crane returned to the museum. 

Pleading his case

ASC wants you!

Public Works 

Watching the world go by

None “to” small

They’re back!

The former McGinness Airport site

TRAVIS MUELLER | FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE

When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, June 3.

What happened: Council quelled rumors that the borough is negotiating a partnership or sale of the former McGinness Airport site with a local developer, after resident Frank Doutrich inquired about it. Resident Sharon Lintner also said Mayor Leo Lutz alluded to a possible public-private partnership during a previous meeting.

Possible interest: Council President Heather Zink denied those rumors. She stated that developers may be showing interest, but no agreements are in place and the borough must resolve zoning issues first. She also said the borough’s intention is to eventually sell the property, so they would not be interested in entering a partnership. However, council member Todd Burgard said the borough wouldn’t rule anything out in the future.

Columbia Borough Council had considered employing this development plan for the McGinness Innovation Park before deciding to “pivot.”

Quotable: “To (Doutrich’s) point, anything is possible. We were going to develop it (the McGinness site) into an innovation park and had to pivot. It might require another pivot,” Burgard said. “That’s business.”

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/post/preliminary-car-show-information-06-21-25

Conflicting statements from Columbia Borough officials have raised questions about the borough’s policy on banning former employees from borough property.

The issue was briefly discussed at the May 27, 2025 borough council meeting, when resident Sharon Lintner asked whether former Finance Manager Michelle Jenkins had been banned from borough property after her termination, similar to the action taken against former Market House Manager Chris Vera earlier this year. Council President Heather Zink said she could not answer the question, citing lack of knowledge about the matter.

A month earlier, at the March 27, 2025 council meeting, Mayor Leo Lutz said such bans are “standard procedure” that had occurred “quite a few times in the past.” When asked by a resident about who had been banned, Lutz responded: “Probably everybody that left, including officers. It’s a standard management decision.”

Councilman Eric Kauffman: “That’s not a standard policy.”

However, a different picture emerged at Tuesday’s council workshop. In the mayor’s absence, Councilman Eric Kauffman contradicted Lutz’s earlier statements when responding to resident Frank Doutrich’s question about Jenkins’ status.

“I don’t believe that is the policy,” Kauffman stated, adding that Jenkins had not been banned from borough property. “That’s not a standard policy.” Kauffman prefaced his remarks by saying he did not want to misrepresent the mayor but maintained that banning is not standard policy. Councilman Kauffman’s statements suggest no such blanket policy exists.

The discrepancy raises concerns regarding communication and clarity about borough policies, particularly given the mayor’s role as a public representative. Perhaps the matter will be resolved if the mayor attends next week’s borough council meeting.

Richard W. Eichhorn conveyed property on a public road to Elvan Investments LLC, Sepa Ventures LLC for $735,000.

Borough Columbia conveyed property on a public road to Columbia Borough for $1.

Glenn E. Keller Jr. conveyed 565 S. 13th St. to Steffish Wyatt A, Steffish Brianna N. for $285,000.

 This week’s photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

Joe’s Steak Shop opened its doors in 1958 at the Five Points intersection (Fourth and Perry Streets). The restaurant, owned and operated by Joseph Tomcavage, built its reputation on a promise: “Our sandwiches can’t be duplicated.” Joe’s specialized in Italian steak sandwiches, subs & pizzas, according to an advertisement.

Joe’s became popular with the weekday lunch rush and late-night dining crowd.
Back in the day, the business hours were Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Customers could reach the establishment at MU4-9671, using the telephone dialing convention of that era.

Now called Mr. Joe’s Steak House and Restaurant, the establishment is still in operation. 

******************

The bluebird of happiness is looking sad.

View from the Helen L. Schlossman Memorial Garden at Mount Bethel Cemetery. 

*****************

U.S. Armed Services emblems at Locust Street Park 

The backstory is HERE.

Art by Butcher

Damaged flagpole base at the Shannon Armory 

Lancaster Distilleries in Columbia 

At times like this, you can’t see the readout on the meter, but neither can the parking enforcement officer – leading one to conclude it’s possible to park for free (?)

*****************

17512

Squash blossom blooming

Something’s happening under the bridge. 

Someone left their drinks there.

*****************

Looking down Manor Street 

The rain was heavy at times over the past week.

Growing on the gate.

Workers moved utility wires from one side of South 2nd Street to the other.

More evidence of rain

The cover’s off.

Was someone messing with the cables?

A spider web full of raindrops 

Here’s another one.

The fountain’s running at the VFW.

*****************

Another curiosity at Columbia Curiosities 

Who says there’s no such thing as a conspiracy?

Kayaks for rent at Columbia River Park 

The bridge is leaking . . .

. . . and leaching. 

More “wire work,” this time on North 2nd 

A fallen tree damaged a resident’s boat and a fence on South 9th Street Sunday morning (6/1/25). 

The tree might have been on the property at 700 Franklin Street, now owned by Columbia Borough.

###

Two of the proposed duplex-style townhomes, at 5th Street & Avenue K. Another duplex will be built at Church Avenue and Avenue K. 

Columbia Borough Council unanimously approved the construction of four new townhomes at a meeting Tuesday, marking another step forward in efforts to revitalize vacant properties in the borough.

The development, proposed by the Lancaster County Land Bank Authority, will be built at 154 and 156 S. Fifth Street and 461 Avenue K. The project received approval with no conditions after the borough’s Historical Architectural Review Board recommended council’s endorsement. 

Photos showing the locations of the proposed townhomes 

The Land Bank Authority, a subsidiary of the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, specializes in transforming abandoned or deteriorated properties into functional housing and commercial spaces. The organization’s mission focuses on neighborhood improvement and reducing urban blight.

Sean Krumpe, representing the Land Bank Authority, told council members that the townhomes will serve as rental units managed by a property management company. “We are planning on using fair market rent wherever that is for the year the project is completed so we’ll be looking at those rates at that time,” Krumpe said.

Construction will begin once the project secures full funding, though no specific timeline was provided. “I think all the public needs to know is this project here is four buildings…each of them are about a half a million dollars a piece so that’s why you don’t see a lot of new construction in infills, because it is so darn expensive,” Borough Manager Steven Kaufhold noted. The cost of the project is currently estimated at a little over $2 million, which will be partially offset by $500,000 from the state’s Housing Trust Fund.

The development plan calls for two duplex-style buildings containing four residential units total. One building will face Fifth Street, while the second will front Church Avenue. The space between the structures will accommodate parking areas, backyards, and patio space for residents. The Avenue K address will eventually be changed to reflect a Church Avenue location.

According to architectural plans prepared by Tippetts/Weaver Architects, the design draws inspiration from historical development patterns shown in 1886 and 1904 Sanborn Insurance maps. Those maps revealed that two residential structures previously occupied the Fifth Street frontage, with two smaller homes facing Church Avenue.

The proposed townhomes will be constructed as two-and-a-half-story structures featuring gabled roofs with ridges running north to south. The Fifth Street building will include an entry stoop and dormers on the eastern roof slope. Exterior materials are planned as either masonry bases with composite siding or entirely composite siding, both of which architects say align with the surrounding neighborhood character.

The development maintains required zoning setbacks, including a five-foot side yard on the property’s northern edge. Windows will be pultruded fiberglass, with roofing materials consisting of asphalt and fiberglass shingles.

The project is the next step in rebuilding after two fire-damaged houses at 154 and 156 South 5th Street were demolished on July 10, 2023 due to a fire that occurred there on July 22, 2022.

View from 5th Street and Avenue K

View from Avenue K 

View from Church Avenue and Avenue K

Columbia Borough is moving forward with a soil remediation project at the former McGinness Airport, where decades of fill and buried debris have created conditions that must be addressed before development can proceed.

The borough is currently accepting sealed bids for the Phase I soil remediation work, with proposals due by on Thursday, June 19, 2025, through the online PennBid Program.

Engineering assessments have found issues at the site, according to Jason Best of ELA Group and Derek Rinaldo, the borough’s engineeer who has overseen the project since its inception. During a February 25, 2025 Columbia Borough Council meeting, Best described the scope of the problem as including “deleterious materials, including whatever junk was buried through the course of all the flattening for the runways years and years ago.” According to a borough legal notice published in LNP/LancasterOnline (10/13/22), “the site has been found to be contaminated with metals which has contaminated soil on the site.” 

According to Rinaldo, the southern runway was built with improperly compacted fill material that was “just dumped,” creating what he characterized as “fluffy soil” with compaction levels that are “all over the place.”

The cleanup
Remediation will involve stabilizing the ground to support future buildings through a multi-step process. Teams will sift contaminated areas to remove materials that don’t belong in the soil, while buried organic matter such as trees will be chipped on-site rather than transported elsewhere.

Best explained that the goal is to create a “blank slate” for future development by removing all fill material placed at the site and returning the soil to its original condition. The process is expected to take three to four months once work begins.

The project operates under an NPDES permit obtained in January, which provides the legal ability to “move dirt around” at the site. The remediation work is also subject to Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Act.

Contractors interested in bidding must provide financial security equal to 5% of the maximum bid amount, either through a surety bond or certified check made payable to Columbia Borough. Complete project documentation is available at no cost through the PennBid Program website.

Development plans remain “up in the air”
Borough officials have said that specific development plans for the business park remain undefined. Council President Heather Zink noted that officials will work on site-development plans over the winter, commenting, “Who knows what a developer will want to locate there.”

Mayor Leo Lutz advocated for selling the property as a blank slate instead of installing any infrastructure, allowing developers flexibility.

JACK PANYARD/LNP Staff Writer

A Columbia man will spend up to five years in state prison after pleading no contest Wednesday to stabbing a Pennsylvania State Police trooper with a kitchen knife.

Michael Allen Smith, 55, of Union Street, attacked the trooper on Aug. 31 last year after officers tried to take him into custody at his home during an involuntary mental health commitment, according to police.

Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and four other offenses Wednesday. Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle sentenced him to two to five years in state prison as part of a plea agreement.

While not an admission of guilt, a no-contest plea is considered a conviction. Smith acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence that a jury could convict him had the case gone to trial.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-borough-man-charged-with-stabbing-state-trooper-pleads-no-contest/article_8ba43907-a448-4514-82af-fc8ab8b2168e.html