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Township asks Shippensburg schools to deed 1.78 acres to advance Dykeman Road bypass
Summary
Southampton Township representatives outlined phase-two work on the Dykeman Road bypass and requested the district deed 1.78 acres adjacent to the high school so permitting and stormwater work can proceed; township officials said grants are secured for earlier phases and that phase two could complete in about two years once land/permitting issues are resolved.
Southampton Township officials told the Shippensburg Area School District board on April 13 that they need a 1.78-acre parcel adjacent to the school property to move phase two of the Dykeman Road bypass through permitting and construction.
Scott Mack, speaking for the township, summarized the multi-phase project: phase one (borough property to Baltimore Road) is funded and underway; phase two extends from Airport Road into school-adjacent land and requires stormwater management, easements and permitting; phase three would cross the railroad and is a long-term, federally dependent project likely many years away.
Mack said the township has secured approximately $800,000 in grant funding for phase-two work and has completed wetland, archaeological and bat studies and initial utility coordination. "At this point we're at the point where we need our NPDS permitting process to continue," he said, and asked how the district could assist with deed or access arrangements for the 1.78 acres.
Board members raised concerns about whether gifting the parcel would reduce the district's ability to expand facilities later, how stormwater would be discharged under the railroad, and whether the township could instead purchase adjacent parcels and reciprocate with other acreage that would be useful to the district. Township staff offered to coordinate engineering reviews and said gates and lock arrangements could be tailored for emergency access.
Why it matters: The bypass is pitched as both a traffic/transportation improvement for the community and as added emergency ingress for the school campus; the board asked for drawings and an engineering coordination process before deciding whether to transfer any land or make commitments.
