Columbia Borough Planning Commission members voted on Sept. 16 to clear a Lancaster County Land Bank Authority plan to resubdivide three properties at South Fifth Street, Church Street and Avenue K into four new rental units, approving three requested modifications and recommending borough council negotiate any fee in lieu of parkland dedication.

The commission approved a modification to process the application as a preliminary final plan, a modification to the borough’s monuments requirement, and a recommendation that council consider a fee in lieu of dedicating parkland. The commission then granted conditional approval of the preliminary/final subdivision and land development plan, conditioned on satisfying the borough engineer’s review letter; the commission later recorded a voice vote approving the final plan as presented.

The Lancaster County Land Bank Authority presented the application through consultant Steve (Harbor Engineering) and Sean Crump of the Land Bank. The plan covers three adjacent lots where two previous dwellings were demolished after fire damage; the Land Bank proposes creating four lots with two “twin” (duplex-style) dwellings — two facing South Fifth Street and two facing Church Street — for use as rental housing. The design includes a shared driveway and parking area accessed from Avenue K and eight off-street parking spaces. The shared parking area will include a stormwater infiltration bed beneath it, the applicants said. A sidewalk will be provided along Church Street; an existing sidewalk remains on South Fifth Street.

Commission and applicant discussion noted that the subdivision requires dimensional variances previously granted by the zoning hearing board — the plan does not meet the borough minimum lot size (the code’s 2,500-square-foot standard; some proposed lots are roughly 2,200 square feet) or the minimum 30-foot lot-width requirement. The Land Bank told the commission it pursued variances and worked with the borough and the project architect (materials submitted for design review) to refine the proposals. Borough staff and the applicant said Columbia Water has granted approval, the applicant is working through LASA (sewage) processes, and a sewage-planning exemption and conservation-district review remain to be completed.

Borough planning staff (Derek) provided an updated engineer review letter dated Sept. 16 from CS Davidson. County comments were summarized as standard items that largely mirrored the borough engineer’s comments, including ensuring clear sight triangles and recording required easements. The applicant said they will provide required financial security and that staff will forward the security amount with the project to borough council. The Land Bank said it intends the units to be rentals and that construction timing will depend on completing contracts and approvals; the applicant stated a goal of beginning work in spring but said the schedule is not firm.

Commissioners made three separate motions: to grant the modification to treat the submission as a preliminary/final plan; to recommend that borough council accept a fee in lieu of parkland dedication under section 190.36; and to grant a modification to section 190.43(b) to permit fewer concrete monuments than normally required. Commissioners then moved and approved the preliminary/final plan conditioned on the borough engineer’s review letter, and recorded a voice vote approving the final subdivision/land development plan. No roll-call vote with individual yes/no tallies was recorded in the transcript; the record shows unanimous voice approval by those present.

The applicants said they will finalize bid specifications and advertise for construction contracts after remaining approvals and that winter conditions could delay ground work. The commission placed administrative follow-up — engineer sign-off, county/conservation/LASA clearance, and council action on financial security/fee negotiations — as conditions before recording or issuance of permits.

Why it matters: The project replaces fire-damaged structures with four new rental units and off-street parking in a dense block of Columbia Borough. The Land Bank’s work to return vacant or damaged lots to active housing is part of the borough’s redevelopment and blight mitigation activity; the commission’s votes move the project to borough council and the permitting stage.

For next steps, the applicant and borough staff will complete remaining agency clearances (LASA, conservation district, sewage-planning exemption), finalize financial-security figures for council action, and prepare bid documents for construction.