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County reviews three Benner Township development MOUs including 50-lot subdivision
Summary
Centre County planning staff on Tuesday presented three memoranda of understanding for projects in Benner Township, including a 50‑lot subdivision, a two‑lot commercial development near the Benner Pike traffic signal and a small warehouse park; the Board of Commissioners voted to place the MOUs on next week’s consent agenda.
Centre County planning staff on Tuesday presented three memoranda of understanding for projects in Benner Township, including a 50‑lot subdivision, a two‑lot commercial development near the Benner Pike traffic signal and a small warehouse park near State College Regional Airport; the Board of Commissioners voted to place the MOUs on next week’s consent agenda.
The items matter because they signal near-term growth along the Benner Pike corridor and could require traffic and stormwater work by PennDOT and township engineers. "These are three‑party agreements in which the developer, the township and the county agree that the developer will reimburse the township for the cost associated with the township engineers processing, reviewing, inspecting, and approving the engineering detail," Chris, planning office staff, told the commissioners.
Planning staff described the first project — Fox Lane Homes at Buffalo Run — as a preliminary subdivision plan for 50 single‑family lots plus one homestead lot, with access from Fox Ridge Boulevard and stormwater management areas shown on the conceptual plan. "There will likely be modifications to this as the engineer preparing the plan will address additional stormwater and access concerns," Chris said.
The second MOU, described as the Stuckey Pool commercial development, is a preliminary plan for two commercial lots along the Benner Pike near the Giant grocery store signal. Lot 1 is proposed for a motor‑vehicle sales and service building; Lot 2 is shown for two fast‑food restaurants and two retail buildings. Planning staff noted the traffic signal would be modified from a three‑way to a four‑way at a future stage.
The third MOU covers property on High‑Tech Drive (near the State College Regional Airport) for a 7,000‑square‑foot warehouse building with four bays for Borough Street LLC (formerly the Handy Delivery site), described as storage for construction equipment and HVAC supplies.
Commissioners asked planning staff about likely commercial interest and regional impacts. When asked whether businesses had expressed interest in the Benner Pike lots, Chris said, "No. We have not been told of any either retail or restaurants or commercial businesses that will go there" at this preliminary stage. Commissioners and staff noted the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization has begun a corridor study of Benner Pike to track traffic and safety needs as development proceeds.
The board took a single motion to add planning and community development items 1–3 to next week’s consent agenda. The motion passed. The MOUs are preliminary agreements to reimburse township engineering review costs and do not constitute plan approval; staff said engineering detail, stormwater design and access will be refined as the review proceeds.
Next steps described by planning staff include engineering revisions by developers, PennDOT review where state roads are affected and a traffic/stormwater review by Benner Township engineers under the MOUs. The board emphasized coordination with township supervisors and with emergency services to ensure adequate access.
