Springettsbury supervisors approve settlement with York Suburban on 701 Erlin Drive after heated public comment on traffic and parking

SPRINGETTSBURY, Pa. — The Springettsbury Township Board of Supervisors on April 24 approved a settlement and land‑development plan conditions agreement with York Suburban School District for a proposed school at 701 Erlin Drive after an extended public‑comment period in which neighbors and an attorney for adjacent property owners said the plan would create traffic, parking and safety problems.

The board voted to approve the revised settlement, which removes bleachers and a stage from a roughly 7,200‑square‑foot interior space and incorporates a program‑use proposal that limits unscheduled large events. The settlement as revised sets 174 off‑street, striped parking spaces for the school and designates the frontage off Erlin Drive as a no‑parking drop‑off lane.

The settlement grows out of a zoning calculation dispute. Under the township zoning ordinance, a “public assembly” area such as an auditorium or stadium triggers a larger parking requirement; that calculation initially produced an estimated 343 spaces for the assembly portion and an overall 399‑space requirement. The district revised its plan to remove a stage and bleachers and relabel the space as a gym/multipurpose room; township staff retained the public‑assembly calculation during negotiations. The settlement requires the district to provide the zoning officer, at the start of each school year, a written list of planned district events outside normal school hours (dates, times, grade levels) so the township and police can monitor potential surges in parking or double‑parking.

“There's too many loopholes,” said Justin Tamivi, the attorney representing adjacent homeowners, who urged the board to send the matter back to the zoning hearing board so residents would retain the ability to enforce the outcome. Tamivi told the board the draft he’d reviewed lacked objective limits on event size and rental uses that could generate parking demand beyond what the settlement addresses.

Tamivi’s clients, who live adjacent to the site, asked the board to preserve resident enforcement rights in addition to any township remedies. "What this settlement does for my clients is really tries to take away the ability for my clients and the taxpayers here to have an opportunity for redress," he said.

The township representative presenting the settlement noted the agreement provides the township enforcement remedies, including civil action or injunctive relief, and that the district had agreed to an unlimited time extension for plan review to allow incorporation of the settlement terms into the land‑development approval. The presentation also stated the district had calculated that if 100% of parents attended a particular event, the attendance could equate to 138 cars and that the 174‑space count would still cover typical parent‑attendance scenarios.

Neighbors described recurring congestion, blocked mail delivery and safety risks from parents parking on both sides of narrow residential streets during drop‑off and pick‑up. Resident JJ Miller said recent bridge and utility‑work detours have turned 11th Avenue into a “highway,” with "50 cars in 15 minutes" when news crews visited. "Something has to be done before somebody gets killed out on that road," Miller said.

Several residents argued that the school’s siting and event plan would shift traffic onto streets that are not built for high volumes and that alternate sites or configurations (including using existing facilities) should be reconsidered. Supporters of the agreement said the district had made concessions and held numerous public meetings. "I hope not," said resident and former reporter Steve Vermeer when asked whether he was alone in supporting the project; he urged the board to approve the agreement and noted the district's many public meetings since 2016.

After a brief executive session for legal counsel, Supervisor Charles moved to approve the settlement and the revised program‑use proposal; the motion was seconded and carried on recorded 'Aye' votes.

Votes at a glance

- Settlement and land‑development plan conditions agreement (701 Erlin Drive): motion carried (vote recorded as 'Aye' — motion moved by Supervisor Charles and seconded by S12). The revised agreement sets 174 off‑street parking spaces, designates Erlin Drive frontage as no‑parking, and incorporates program‑use limitations and notification requirements for off‑hour events.

- Consent agenda (items A–E): approved (motion moved and seconded; recorded 'Aye' responses in transcript).

- Resolution No. 2025‑39 (recognition of John H. Beck): adopted (motion moved and seconded; recorded 'Aye' responses).

- Authorization to advertise Springettsbury Township emergency services provider cost‑reimbursement ordinance: approved to advertise (motion moved and seconded; recorded 'Aye' responses). A supervisor noted the ordinance is not expected to generate revenue.

What happens next

The settlement and the shortened program‑use proposal are to be incorporated into the final land‑development approval and recorded as part of the plan. The township's enforcement options were described as civil action or seeking injunctive relief in court if the agreement is violated; the settlement also contemplates that the district would withdraw its zoning appeal upon approval and that the township would withdraw its prior determination letter.

The board debriefed longer‑running neighborhood traffic issues under old business and said staff will continue to evaluate traffic‑calming options, noting legal and practical limits (sidewalk funding, delivery access, and mixed resident sentiment about closures or one‑way proposals). The meeting adjourned.