Planning commission recommends conditional approval for redevelopment of former Dentsply campus, asks parties to resolve recreation fee and pump-station easment

The York City Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended conditional approval of two linked land‑development plans to redevelop the former Dentsply campus along College Avenue, but commissioners said outstanding engineering comments — in particular a recreation-fee calculation and an easement for a stormwater pump station — must be resolved before the plans advance to City Council.

City staff told commissioners it had identified two “big items” that remain unresolved: the computation and possible payment of a recreation fee in lieu of on‑site public recreational space, and a dedicated easement or subdivision agreement to assure long‑term access to a pump station at the southeast corner of the site. Staff recommended tabling the items until those issues were resolved, but the commission voted instead to grant several conditional approvals and waivers and to require the outstanding items be satisfied before final approval is transmitted to council.

The proposals cover two separately filed plans on adjoining parcels west of Grantley Road. York Realty Partners is proposing a conversion of the former campus buildings at 500 West College Avenue (branded in the filing as “The Lofts at York Creek”) into 178 residential units with some commercial space, and a new infill subdivision on the adjacent lot at 550 West College Avenue (the “Towns at York Creek”) for 62…