Everlasting Rock Ministries representatives presented a plan to Lebanon County commissioners on Thursday to develop 36 one- and two-bedroom rental units and nine three-bedroom townhouses on a 3.7-acre site in Fredericksburg, but said the project is stalled by uncertainty over water supply and regulatory approvals.

The presentation, by Nancy Hanula Evans and contractor Dave Panyola, outlined the ministry’s goal to provide affordable housing with on-site support services. "So what we wanna do with Everlasting Rock Ministries is affordable housing," Evans said. She described social-worker support for tenants and optional classes such as financial literacy and Bible study, and said some units could accept government vouchers if needed.

The project has "preliminary approval" from the Bethel Township supervisors and a site at Center Street and Popper Street, Evans said, but she and Panyola told commissioners they are waiting for water capacity to be confirmed. "By the end of 2025, the water would be available," Panyola said; a county commissioner responded, "No. If he's asking for support, I can't support something that doesn't have a source of water." Commissioners discussed asking the water authority or engineering consultants to brief the county on regional water capacity.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff framed the proposal as an example of local affordable-housing development that could use the county's Act 137 housing trust fund and other sources, but they emphasized the project cannot proceed without a reliable water source and clarified that certain funding choices can trigger additional procurement rules or prevailing-wage requirements.

County staff (Dan) told the presenters that "depending on your funding source, you may have additional strings, and you may be required to competitively bid portions of it," noting that some grant or public funding can require competitive subcontractor procurement and prevailing wages on qualifying contracts. The presenters said their current professional cost estimate for the overall project is "probably around $12,000,000 total" and that some earlier, lower estimates excluded potential prevailing-wage and procurement costs.

Evans described the housing mix as 36 rental units of one and two bedrooms, with a portion of first-floor units intended for accessibility, plus nine three-bedroom townhouses. She said the organization plans to operate the construction business that funds the ministry and to provide on-site social supports: "The money from the construction business goes to Everlasting Rock Ministry," she said. She also said the ministry's affordable definition is tenants who spend no more than 30% of income on housing, and that tax-exempt program requirements would generally target lower-income households.

Commissioners urged the presenters and county staff to seek a detailed update from the water authority or engineering consultants about well drilling, dam expansion, or other water-supply options and timelines; one commissioner suggested a future workshop to have the water authority or a consultant brief the board on supply and DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) approvals. No formal county approval or funding commitment for the project was made at the workshop.

The discussion also covered zoning and local approvals: Evans said Bethel Township supervisors provided preliminary approval and that the next steps include planning commission review and final approvals. The presenters said they hope construction could begin in 2026 and move residents in by the end of 2026 if approvals and water are secured, but those dates were presented as contingent and not firm.

The meeting closed with a motion to adjourn. No formal action on the housing project, funding, or water study was taken.

Sources: Presentation to Lebanon County commissioners by Nancy Hanula Evans and Dave Panyola; staff comments by Dan (county staff); public discussion in the commissioners' workshop.