Columbia Spy

Agenda – Columbia Borough Council Meeting – August 27, 2024

The meeting packet is HERE.

Columbia Council reschedules hearing after failing to publicize it in advance

When: Columbia Council meeting Aug. 13.

What happened: Although council unanimously approved two zoning exceptions for a proposed residential project at 750 S. Ninth St., members discovered three days later the borough failed to comply with its municipal planning code by not notifying nearby property owners or advertising and holding a public hearing on the matter.

[Note: The issue came into question when former council member Sharon Lintner asked how the neighbors had been notified.]

Quotable: “A mistake was made,” Heather Zink, council president, said during an Aug. 19 phone interview. “We have since rectified it.”

Solution: A public hearing will happen during the Sept. 3 meeting, after the borough notifies property owners and advertises the matter twice, Zink said during the phone call.

Details: The company planning the rental development could have proceeded to build, but Eli King, who owns Valley View Capital LLC in Strasburg, said in an Aug. 21 phone interview that he wanted to be open with residents and business owners.

Quotable: “We believed it to be in the best interest of all parties to reschedule the hearing, allowing the public to hear what the project is all about and to weigh in with any feedback,” King said.

Project: Valley View Capital applied for two conditional uses to build nine rental town homes on just under half an acre on South Ninth and Avenue X. One two-story building would contain five town homes, while the other two-story building would house four. The 1,500-square-foot units would have two or three bedrooms and two or three bathrooms. Plans include 19 parking spaces.

Changes: The property, zoned for medium-density residential use, must consist of separate lots or have a condominium association, according to the planning code. Since King plans to offer town homes for rent, he asked council members to let him retain ownership of one large lot because doing so would save the borough and his company paperwork.

More: In addition, Valley View seeks a waiver to plant five trees on the property instead of the required eight trees due to a lack of space.

What went wrong: The borough’s planning and zoning board recommended the development, but neither borough officials nor the contractor handling Columbia’s zoning issues noted the project needed a public hearing, Zink said Aug. 19.

Quotable: “We are outsourcing our zoning assistance, and we don’t have a borough manager who has that kind of experience,” Zink said. The person hired for the zoning officer position is obtaining certifications, Zink said Aug. 19. In addition, council members continue to search for a borough manager after Mark Stivers resigned in July.

[Source: LNP/LancasterOnline]

Deeds Recorded – Columbia Borough – August 26, 2024

McBride Michael P, McBride Erica J. conveyed 128 N. Eighth St. to Giger Tylor Scott for $255,000.

Fritz Ronald W. Jr., Fritz Michelle M. conveyed 434 Manor St. to Edwin P. Daughenbaugh Jr. for $75,000.

Valley View Capital LLC conveyed 216 S. Fifth St. to Proverb Realty LLC for $120,000.

Andreas Heisey conveyed property on Poplar Street to Tmmt Holdings LLC for $685,000.

Benjamin E. Otterbein conveyed 123 N. Eighth St. to Wandell Faith, Dunn Andrew for $280,000.

Mannino Guiseppe, Mannino Filomena conveyed 429 Locust St. to 429 Locust St. LLC for $150,000.

Vera Carol A, Benedict Scott D. conveyed 220 River Front to Carol A. Vera for $90,000.

About Town – August 25, 2024

This week’s photos of Columbia

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.)

At least four people climbed across a stopped train to enter or exit Columbia River Park Friday morning. A woman leaving the park narrowly avoided tragedy when the train began moving as she was crossing.

Here’s why you shouldn’t try to cross a stopped train. Another train could be traveling on the track beside it, as happened here.

The train was stopped for about an hour. According to a post by the Columbia Borough Police Department, the train became disabled and stopped for repairs.

Police arrived to monitor the situation.

Adding to matters, a second train had stopped behind the first.

At about the same time the train incident was happening, a tree in front of the Lloyd Mifflin House up the street was damaged by a vehicle. According to witnesses, a moving van delivering furniture hit the tree. The photo above shows the result after the Columbia Borough Public Works crew cut the damaged tree trunk.

Workers also removed the debris shown here and below.

Here’s the final result.

Earlier in the week, the doors and part of the facade at Tollbooth Antiques still remained.

By Friday morning, that part of the building was gone, too.

On Sunday morning, things looked like this.

Meanwhile, near South 4th and Manor, these two car carriers have been squirreled away in the weeds for about a week.

Bridge inspectors were back yet again at the Veterans Memorial Bridge this past week.

Traffic on Front Street was delayed when the bucket from the inspection truck hung under the bridge for several minutes.

Speaking of the bridge, it’s not looking too healthy in several spots.

Super ego or superego? Some people have super egos without justification.

Why park your FedEx truck in or at that open parking space when you can park it at the turn on Route 462?

Work continues on the billboard project at the former visitors center.

Meanwhile, at the National Watch & Clock Museum . . .

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Cloudy skies

Memorial at Rotary Park

This sign might become useful again, since Covid is making a comeback.

Two items at Columbia Curiosities on the 300 block of Walnut

Be happy.

A “squirrel” guarding the squirrel trap

Late afternoon sun

At the same time firefighters were fighting the fire at 2nd & Walnut on Wednesday, other emergency personnel covered a river rescue. Personnel staged at Columbia River Park.

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Here are a few more photos from the fire.

The day after the fire, the scene looked like this . . .

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Restaurant Inspections – Columbia Borough – August 23, 2024

King’s Country Flavorites, 15 S. Third St., Columbia, Type 3 Follow-up, Aug. 17. Pass. Prepackaged (Oreo desserts, garden salads, red beet eggs, red beet deviled eggs, coleslaw, and angel food cake dessert) is not labeled to clearly indicate any “Big 9” allergen ingredients and/or the allergen warning statement; repeat violation, Dec. 12, 2023, and Aug. 10. Prepackaged (Oreo desserts, garden salads, red beet eggs, red beet deviled eggs, coleslaw, angel food cake dessert) are not labeled properly with the name of product, ingredient statement, net weight, distributed by statement; repeat violation, Dec. 12, 2023, and Aug. 10. New food facility in operation more than 90 days and has not employed a certified food employee as required.

Several departments respond to fire at North 2nd & Walnut Wednesday evening

Several fire departments responded to a fire call at North 2nd & Walnut this evening just before 7 p.m. Residents were evacuated from the building. Personnel were still on scene as of 8:30 p.m.

The property, at 209 Walnut Street, was recently listed for sale at $495,000.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.