Council approves 99-year ground lease with Partners for Environmental Stewardship for Sunnyside environmental center

Lancaster City Council on Aug. 12 approved a resolution authorizing city officials to enter into a 99-year ground lease with Partners for Environmental Stewardship (PES) to develop an environmental center and nature preserve on the Sunnyside Peninsula.

Councilors said the project implements goals from the city’s 2023 comprehensive plan by expanding public access to the Conestoga River, creating environmental-education programming and restoring habitat on nearly 9 acres of city-owned land. PES will design and build the center; the city will retain ownership of the underlying land and maintain responsibilities for portions of the preserve.

Councilor Craig, who chairs Community Planning, said the action before council followed a conditional award to PES in January 2024 and a request-for-proposals process that began in November 2023. Under the terms discussed in committee and summarized to council, PES will be responsible for all project construction costs and program operations; the ground lease will formalize a long-term partnership and allow PES to seek permits and fundraise to build the center.

Director of Planning and Economic Development Troy Delphs told council the project team and PES had developed a master-plan process. Delphs said PES had hired a consultant team and is coordinating with the city to prepare a master plan for the surrounding preserve. “This has been a long time in the making,” Delphs said. “The Preserve and the Environmental Center are really intended to serve as foundational community assets for generations to come.”

Diana Martin, executive director of Partners for Environmental Stewardship and a Lancaster resident, said PES and seven local environmental nonprofits have signed on to participate in programming and that the site hosts substantial wildlife: “There’s 89 unique bird species we’ve identified out on Sunnyside,” Martin said. She described plans for environmental education, green-job training and public guided hikes.

The ground lease resolution passed on an 8-0 voice vote.

Votes at a glance (actions taken Aug. 12): - Resolution 50-2025: Authorize ground lease agreement with Partners for Environmental Stewardship for Sunnyside environmental center — approved, vote 8–0. - Resolution 54-2025: Approve updated memorandum of understanding between the Lancaster County Conservation District and the City of Lancaster — approved, vote 8–0. Changes were administrative (application timelines and online document access); municipal responsibilities unchanged. - Resolution 55-2025: Grant projection easement to Lancaster Parking Authority for North Prince Street project — approved, vote 8–0; project will retrofit former office space into commercial space and includes an above-sidewalk projection easement with an 8-foot clearance noted in committee. - Historic-district application (134 North Mary Street): Install exterior spiral staircase on second-story rear porch — approved, vote 8–0. - Nominations and appointments (multiple boards and authorities): Approved, vote 8–0.

Council discussion focused on community benefits and how the center will connect to surrounding neighborhoods. Councilor Royal said a recent public guided hike showed the peninsula’s potential to bring community members to an underused area of the city. Councilors emphasized that PES would design the building to green-building standards and that a master plan for the preserve would guide trails, habitat restoration and future programming.

Clarifying details provided to council included: the lease term (99 years), the site size (nearly 9 acres), that PES will bear construction costs, and that the lease allows the city to retain ownership of the land while granting PES development rights. The council packet and the solicitor’s office negotiated the agreement; outside counsel attended the committee briefing and the solicitor spoke to council in committee.

Councilors and residents asked about neighborhood impacts and protections; PES and city staff said community engagement and reporting mechanisms were part of the planning process. PES invited the public to participate in guided hikes and forthcoming master-plan meetings. The resolution and accompanying agreements now permit PES to proceed with design, permitting and fundraising.