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Board Advances Solar-Farm Text Amendment, Debates Rezoning Along Rt. 114/Texaco Road
Summary
The Board voted 3-2 to forward a zoning text amendment allowing solar farms as a conditional use and set a public hearing for Aug. 27, 2025, while separately discussing potential rezoning around Rt. 114/Texaco Road amid resident concerns about heavy truck traffic and property impacts.
The Silver Spring Township Board of Supervisors on June 25 moved to advance a zoning-text amendment to allow solar farms as a conditional use, and separately opened a discussion about revisiting zoning along the Rt. 114/Texaco Road corridor.
On a Griffie/Lenker motion the Board forwarded Ordinance No. 05 of 2025 (R2025-1) to amend §415-25.C (and related code sections) to accommodate solar farms as a conditional use subject to criteria and review by the Township Planning Commission, Cumberland County Planning Department, and the Township Engineer. The Board set a public hearing for Aug. 27, 2025. The motion carried 3-2, with Supervisors Harry D. Kotzmoyer Jr. and Laura Brown recorded as dissenting. Supervisor Kotzmoyer expressed skepticism about on-ground solar efficiency and environmental impact; Supervisor Lenker asked about alternatives such as rooftop or parking-lot solar, which Mr. Aaron Moyer and Mr. Scott Maldonado discussed in the context of the current ordinance.
In a separate agenda item, Chair Machamer opened discussion about rezoning the Rt. 114/Texaco Road area, which is currently designated General Industrial (I2). Residents urged reconsideration to Light Industrial (I1) to reduce heavy truck impacts near homes. Rikki McLaren of Steven Drive and Mark Potteiger of Texaco Road said they have seen truck volumes and expressed concern about residential impacts; Potteiger described large warehouses operating 24/7 with "over 1,000 tractor trailers a day," a resident claim recorded in public comment. Solicitor Sean Shultz cautioned that rezoning must leave properties usable to meet legal standards and that the township should seek fairness for property owners.
Why it matters: The solar-text amendment would create a conditional pathway for larger ground-mounted solar in township zoning; rezoning discussion targets a corridor where residents say industrial-scale truck traffic and proposed uses may be incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods.
Next steps: The ordinance will be the subject of a public hearing on Aug. 27, 2025. The Board did not adopt a rezoning change on June 25; staff and residents will continue discussions about the Rt. 114/Texaco Road area and potential zoning revisions.
