Millersville council tables zoning hearing on 60‑acre development after residents say venue couldn’t hold everyone

The Millersville Borough Council on Monday tabled a public hearing on proposed text amendments to the borough zoning code for a roughly 60‑acre traditional neighborhood development after residents asked the council to reconvene in a larger venue so everyone who wanted to speak could take part.

Council President (speaking for the council) opened the hearing on proposed amendments to the Millersville Borough Code (zoning chapter) that would allow standalone apartment buildings within the traditional neighborhood overlay rather than requiring apartments to sit above commercial space. The council president said the hearing would focus on the ordinance text amendments and that detailed traffic and school‑planning decisions would be handled by PennDOT and the local school board during later review and land‑development stages.

A representative for the project summarized the proposal as a set of dimensional refinements intended to reduce development intensity compared with a strictly by‑right commercial‑first scenario. The presenter said the subject property is “approximately 60 acres” and told the council the by‑right commercial‑first plan shown earlier in the zoning review would have produced substantially more commercial floor area and, in the presenter’s estimate, “over 1,500 additional daily vehicle trips” compared with the amended plan before the council. The presenter said the borough and county planning commission had reviewed the text amendment and recommended approval as drafted but that traffic impacts would be subject to PennDOT review during land‑development submissions.

Several residents asked the council to delay the hearing because people remained in the building lobby and could not hear or participate. Melissa Strassky told the council, “we would like to reconvene this meeting at a time when everybody can participate.” Another resident urged that the borough hold the public hearing in a larger venue so that all speakers could be accommodated.

Council President responded that, because of public‑access concerns, the hearing would be tabled and rescheduled at a larger location; he said the borough would post updates and try to hold the reconvened hearing at a larger site, noting Eshelman as a likely venue. The president closed the hearing and the council continued with its regular meeting agenda.

Why it matters: The proposed text amendments would change how multi‑family housing can be arranged within a traditional neighborhood overlay along key corridors the borough and residents say are already experiencing congestion. Residents’ requests to reschedule the hearing underscore public demand to participate in land‑use decisions that can affect traffic, school enrollment and neighborhood character.

What’s next: Council staff said the developer will provide land‑development plans later and that any traffic mitigation measures, lane alignments or signaling would be subject to PennDOT review and approval during the development review process. The council said it would announce the rescheduled public hearing date and venue on the borough website and in posted FAQs.