Several residents and local conservation groups urged the Lebanon County Board of Commissioners on April 17 to postpone any sale or approval of development on county-owned land on the city’s east side that includes about 6 acres of wetland at the headwaters of Quidditch Hill Creek.

Michael Schroeder, president of the all‑volunteer Put It To Heal the Watershed Association, told commissioners the association had submitted a letter outlining concerns about the parcel and its role as “a giant sponge during high rain event[s]” that helps limit downstream flooding and protects a polluted ecosystem that runs through densely developed parts of the city. Schroeder asked that the association “be given a seat at the table in any future discussions” about the property, that the county delay any final sale until an environmental impact review is completed and made public, and that any developer submit detailed plans for the site, including stormwater management details.

Representatives of Trout Unlimited joined the public comment. Rich De Stanislow, president of the Doc Fritchey chapter, and Russ Collins, the chapter’s conservation officer and the chapter representative to the state leadership council, described prior conservation investments in the watershed and warned that development at the headwaters could increase downstream flows and risk stormwater damage. Collins cited recent, multi‑million dollar restoration work the organization and partners have secured in the wider watershed and said placing a gas‑station style facility adjacent to a wetland creates a pollution risk.

Concerned long‑time resident Ken Wolfier said the parcel, near where Walnut Street becomes Eighth Avenue, has been the focus of decades of cleanup and park work and would be harmed by an impervious‑surface commercial development. He suggested alternative uses such as a visitor center and noted local investments to restore nearby stream habitat.

Speakers identified a developer named in press reporting as Bruce Thaler of BT Lebanon LLC and said local reporting first publicized the prospect of a sale. Commenters also said the county’s comprehensive plan is nearly a decade out of date and argued that county staff cannot determine whether a proposed development fits the plan until the plan is updated.

Commissioners acknowledged the comments and thanked the volunteers and organizations for their work; no formal action or vote on the parcel sale occurred during the meeting.

Ending: The public comment makes clear local environmental groups and nearby residents want a formal role, an environmental review, and developer stormwater plans before the county proceeds. Commissioners did not take a final vote on the property at the April 17 meeting.