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Residents urge Lancaster County to prioritize infrastructure, jobs and affordable housing during CDBG needs hearing
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Summary
At a public hearing on the county's Community Development Block Grant needs list, residents and planners urged council to prioritize public safety, transport, affordable housing and neighborhood infrastructure as Lancaster manages rapid growth in the Northern Panhandle.
At the Lancaster County Council meeting, residents used the community needs assessment public hearing to press officials to align federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) priorities with pressing local needs including public safety, transportation and affordable housing.
The hearing, led by Kristen Swartz, community development planner with the Catawba Regional Council of Governments, reviewed CDBG rules and funding categories and presented the county's draft prioritized needs list for 2025. Swartz stressed that CDBG-funded projects must benefit low‑ and moderate‑income (LMI) residents and explained typical grant sizes and categories, from infrastructure to community enrichment.
Why it matters: Lancaster has experienced rapid population growth in parts of the county, notably the Northern Panhandle and Indian Land, and several residents said that growth is outpacing infrastructure and services. Without targeted investments, speakers warned, the county risks congestion, displacement and safety gaps.
Speakers from across the county told the council what they wanted prioritized. Libby Sweet Lambert said public‑safety staffing is already insufficient: "EMS and fire does not have enough coverage for the county," she said, urging more stations and staffing where growth is concentrated. Jean Doyle and other residents echoed concerns about emergency coverage and noted parcels set aside for EMS or fire stations that have not been funded or built.
Jane Alford, representing the Lancaster County Council of the Arts, described an arts‑integration pilot at Kershaw Elementary and said arts programming improves student engagement and supports teachers; she asked that community‑enrichment funding remain available for projects that support schools. Susan Dolphin, of Hope in Lancaster, said the nonprofit served more than 16,000 county residents last year and that nearly a quarter of clients come from Indian Land; she urged the council to prioritize sustainable employment, transportation options and practical affordable housing.
Jokema Kuritan, a member of the county planning committee, framed the choice facing the council this way: "Growth without infrastructure is just congestion," and urged adherence to the Lancaster 2040 comprehensive plan so that growth delivers benefits rather than burdens to current and future residents.
Council members asked staff for details about active CDBG projects, how LMI benefit is documented (income surveys vs. census tract analysis), and whether housing and transportation should move higher on the prioritized list. Staff said surveys are often needed to demonstrate benefit, but that census‑tract approaches may be used in some cases. Council members agreed to review the draft list again and vote on a prioritized list at the next meeting.
Next steps: Council asked citizens to provide input and requested staff return an amended prioritized list for a formal vote at the next meeting.
