Council grants waivers for 'Lofts at York Creek' and defers recreation‑space decision

The York City Council on Oct. 21 approved Resolution 71 granting waivers to subdivision and land‑development rules for a project called the Lofts at York Creek and deferred the requirement to provide on‑site recreation space until a later phase of the development.

Nancy Groves, the city planner, told council the waivers would not result in the city losing regulatory protections. "You're not gonna lose anything," Groves said when asked by a councilmember whether approval would cost the city protections.

Joe Stein, project director for Warehouse Civil representing York Realty Partners, said the Lofts portion of the redevelopment will include rooftop amenities, courtyards, dog parks and "significant acreage of land dedicated to the Codorus Creek Trailway," and that the developer is deferring the recreation‑space calculation until the townhome portion of the project (identified as 550 West College Avenue) is brought forward.

The resolution, introduced by Councilmember Queen of Washington, granted waivers to multiple sections of the city's subdivision and land‑development ordinance and approved a deferral of section 13‑36.10 until the final plan for the townhome phase is submitted. Council approved the motion by roll call.

Council members asked staff for clarity about whether the action removes green space; planning staff and the project representative said the decision defers that determination rather than eliminating recreation provisions. Planning commission had recommended conditional approval, and the project team said they are finalizing engineering and minor outstanding items required for final plan approval.

The resolution passed on a recorded vote; council did not modify the waivers during the Oct. 21 meeting.