Ferguson supervisors approve Penn State START Lab final plan after residents press noise concerns

The Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors voted July 15 to approve the final land development plan for the Penn State START Lab at 3127 Research Drive, concluding a public discussion that included resident worries about turbine test noise and questions about how compliance will be monitored.

Planning Director presented the final plan and said the planning commission had recommended approval on June 23 with mostly administrative conditions that the applicant has met. After staff and the applicant’s consultants answered procedural questions, the board took public comment.

Resident Beth Van Horn, reading comments from neighbor Rick Edmondson, said she and nearby residents were "very concerned that this facility will be able to meet current noise limits established by Ferguson Township if they will be running two turbine tests simultaneously," and asked how Penn State and the township plan to mitigate noise, confirm ordinance compliance, and whether any negotiations to change ordinance limits were underway. Kyle Harpster, another resident, raised unrelated concerns about local road drainage during public comment earlier in the meeting.

Township staff responded that Ferguson’s noise ordinance sets a 60-decibel threshold and that Penn State has retained an acoustic consultant to integrate noise mitigation into the building design. "Our noise ordinance indicates that anything exceeding 60 decibels would be considered a violation," the township manager said, and staff recommended residents first contact Penn State operations so the university can determine whether a failure is a transient problem (for example, an exhaust fan) before escalating to the township. Planning staff also noted the project includes landscape buffering — roughly "140-ish" additional trees along the three sides of the facility — and that certain administrative items (signatures and final reporting) are completed only after final approval.

Craig Luther, director of facilities for the College of Engineering, encouraged residents to contact him directly if they hear concerning noise, saying the college "manage[s] the operation of the facility" and will investigate and, when possible, turn equipment off or change operations to mitigate noise.

Supervisor Patterson moved to approve the final land development plan; Patty Stevens seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote.

The board emphasized that the approval followed the standard two-step planning process — preliminary approval with conditions followed by final plan acceptance once conditions are met — and reiterated that enforcement of the township’s noise rules is available to residents through the township’s non-emergency number if mitigation measures fail. The meeting record indicates staff will attach resident comments to the agenda packet and follow up with residents who provided contact information.

The planning director and the Penn State representatives are expected to remain available to respond to follow-up questions and to provide monitoring results or updates to the township if residents report ongoing problems.