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Palmyra council enacts Ordinance 841 to allow live-work and redevelopment-track housing
Summary
After developer testimony that the measure would unlock adaptive reuse and help address a local housing shortage, Palmyra Borough Council on May 26 voted to adopt Ordinance 841, amending Chapter 380 to authorize live-work residential development and a 'redevelopment tract' in the town residential zone.
Palmyra Borough Council on May 26 adopted Ordinance 841, a zoning amendment intended to permit live-work residential development and a new "redevelopment tract" category in the town residential zone.
The measure, read into the record at a public hearing required by Section 609 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, adds definitions and regulations to Chapter 380 to authorize live-work residential projects and redevelopment-tract developments. Vice President Ryell said the ordinance had been reviewed by the Palmyra Planning Commission, which recommended approval, and that the proposal was sent to the Lebanon County Planning Department and advertised in the Lebanon Daily News.
Developer Jack Dico, representing Ventur Real Estate Development and the property owner at 101 North Harrison Street, urged council to approve the change. He told council that Ventura had acquired several underused industrial parcels and surface parking lots and that previous efforts to redevelop the site with multifamily housing had been economically infeasible. Dico said the ordinance would allow "creative redevelopment," convert vacant or obsolete buildings, and help address "a critical housing shortage" in the borough and surrounding communities.
"We fully and enthusiastically support Borough Council's adoption of Ordinance number 841 as drafted," Dico said, adding that the changes would provide flexibility for adaptive reuse and amenities that reflect how people live and work today.
Council closed the hearing and moved to enact the ordinance. A roll-call vote recorded "yes" from Councilors Andrews, Flegel, Nye, Pearson, Ryell and Sheer; the motion passed. President Denver Wilson was absent.
The ordinance authorizes live-work residential development in the town residential zone and establishes regulatory text for redevelopment-track development. The council may take final administrative steps required by the municipal planning code, including any required advertising and further reviews, as it implements the change.
What happens next: Council discussion indicated the ordinance will proceed to any remaining administrative steps required under state law; council members and staff did not identify additional amendments at the May 26 meeting.
