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 townhomes. Joe Stein, the project manager, told the commission the applicant seeks to “repopulate that portion of the city” and has coordinated with the York County Economic Alliance on extending the Codorus Creek Trail through the site and transferring land for the trail.

Stein described amenities for residents and the public, including internal courtyards and rooftop decks, and said the project team has tried to negotiate options for satisfying the city’s subdivision and land‑development ordinance requirement for public recreational space. ‘‘We’ve been trying for several weeks, if not months, to try and resolve the recreation fee issue,’’ Stein said, noting that the ordinance’s formula and its application to dense infill redevelopment created ambiguity about whether on‑site space, off‑site improvements (such as trail extension), or a fee in lieu should apply.

Staff and the applicant also discussed a stormwater‑related pump station at the southeast corner of the property that is currently accessed through the former Dentsply parking lot. Stein said the project team had been coordinating with Bukart Horn (the trail engineer) and the York County Economic Alliance to accommodate service access along the Codorus Creek Trail, but that no easement or recorded right‑of‑way currently appears on the development plans. The commission required that an appropriate easement or access plan be recorded or otherwise resolved before final approval can be sent to council.

Commissioners voted to waive the preliminary‑plan stage and to recommend approval of the preliminary plan for 500 West College Avenue; they then voted to recommend approval of the final land‑development and subdivision plan for 500 West College Avenue conditioned on resolution of the outstanding engineering comments and the recreation fee. For 550 West College Avenue the commission approved waivers including (1) a waiver of the preliminary plan, (2) a waiver of the 75‑foot clear‑site triangle on internal streets (reduction to 45 and 30 feet at stop‑controlled intersections was requested), and (3) a waiver tied to projects greater than one acre. The commission also recommended final approval for 550 West College Avenue conditioned on the same two outstanding items: satisfactory engineering comments and payment or negotiated accommodation of the recreation fee.

Commissioners and the applicant discussed a limited set of engineering and zoning waivers requested for the townhome plan, including a requested variation from the stormwater‑management requirement and the clear sight‑triangle reduction on internal streets; Stein said the Fire Department had reviewed vehicle‑tracking plans and that staff had reviewed most engineering comments.

A member of the public, James Campbell, asked about the status of several small, unimproved grass lots in the neighborhood; Stein said York Realty Partners is not acquiring those unimproved lots and that some parcels will remain with the Redevelopment Authority of York for future action. The commission’s approvals were by roll call; votes recorded for the motions to recommend approvals and waivers were unanimous on the board members present.

The commission’s conditional approvals mean the projects can move forward in the review process but will not be transmitted to City Council until both the recreation‑fee issue and the pump‑station easement/access are resolved and the outstanding engineer comments are satisfied.

Votes recorded during the meeting reflect the commission’s conditional path forward: the body approved preliminary waivers and motions to recommend final plan approval conditioned upon satisfaction of engineering comments and recreation‑fee arrangements. The applicant and staff said they intend to continue negotiating the recreation‑fee calculation and the trail/pump‑station access plan ahead of the next review steps.

The commission’s recommendations now become part of the administrative record sent to City Council and to permitting staff; the council and the city engineer will review the engineering corrections, easement language, and any fee‑in‑lieu calculation prior to final municipal approvals.