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Lancaster County BZA reviews draft manual, stresses member attendance as no cases are on the docket
Summary
The Lancaster County Board of Zoning Appeals had no active cases at its meeting and spent the session reviewing a proposed BZA manual presented by Director Shannon. The board approved the agenda and Jan. 6 minutes, discussed quorum concerns and plans to provide members with binders and code walkthroughs.
The Lancaster County Board of Zoning Appeals convened with no active appeals on the agenda and spent the meeting reviewing a draft Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) manual presented by Director Shannon.
Director Shannon told the board the manual, prepared by Allison Harden, compiles the board’s rules and procedures, explains the different types of BZA cases, and outlines how members cast votes. "We have a copy of the manual that Allison Harden put together that’ll include our rules and procedures and then the different types of BZA cases," she said, and invited members to take a binder home and bring questions to the next meeting.
The board approved the evening’s agenda and later voted to approve the minutes from its Jan. 6, 2026 meeting. The transcript records motions, seconds and the chair’s announcement that both motions passed unanimously; the transcript does not specify who seconded the motions or provide a roll-call vote tally for those approvals.
Chairman De's used much of the meeting to urge members to maintain regular attendance so applicants are not turned away for lack of a quorum. He recounted an earlier occasion when applicants traveled for a hearing that could not proceed because the board lacked enough members to sit. "I don't want that name on me and this board," he said, stressing that members should plan around known meeting dates and notify staff in advance about unavoidable absences.
Staff offered to add hands-on reviews of code sections, the county’s plan-review and permitting workflow (including the Evolve software), and sample variance applications to future meeting agendas so members better understand when variances are required and how to help applicants assemble complete submissions. The board discussed communicating with applicants—providing clearer guidance, application checklists and visual materials—so that hearings focus on substance rather than procedural confusion.
No formal cases were heard during the meeting. With the manual distributed and staff committed to additional orientation on process and code sections, the board adjourned after brief closing remarks.
