Lebanon County farm owners tell commissioners PennDOT road plan threatens preserved farmland

Owners of farmland near the intersection of Thompson Avenue and Hill Church Road told the Lebanon County Commissioners on March 20 that a PennDOT intersection project could permanently harm preserved farmland and make daily farm operations hazardous.

The most direct concerns came from Becky (last name not provided), who said she and family members own land at the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection in North Anvil Township and that the current plan would “raise the road so high and change the grade so much that simply entering our fields from the road is going to prove to be a great great feat.” Amy Stevenson, another property owner at 3901 Pilch Bridal Road, told commissioners, “We preserved our land for this very moment right here,” and said PennDOT’s inclusion of preserved parcels in the plan devalues local farmland preservation efforts. Longtime farmer Jim Hoffman, of Heilbron Farms, said his family preserved nearly 400 acres and described possible impacts…