The Jaindl Domino Effect has Begun

The expected domino effect from the Jaindl re-zoning has begun. A land owner has sent a letter to the Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners requesting that his 8 acres of farmland at the intersection of Quarry Rd. and Rt. 100 be changed from agricultural zoning to commercial.

The letter last month from the attorney of the unnamed landowner pointed out the nearby 14-acre Jaindl frontage property that was re-zoned as part of the massive 600 acre rezoning deal.

So here we go. the dominos start to fall.

This is exhibit 'A' why the commissioners’ decision not to fight Jaindl’s quarry threat was so terrible. Not only would fighting the quarry have been supported by the public, (Of this I am certain, based on polls, surveys and petitions) it would also have been a justified expenditure of tax money keeping the area protected as suggested by local and regional land use planning. Instead the BOC chose spending tax money to fight it's own citizens who are only fighting to protect their home values and quality of life.

It’s also important to mention that the appeal of the zoning change will be heard by the state Commonwealth Court in June. The commissioners voted unanimously last August to appeal the county judge’s ruling that the change was invalid because it was not properly advertised. The commissioners could have accepted the ruling and walked away from their unpopular unilateral zoning decision. Instead, they dug in.

So here we go.

I would advise Longswamp Township and all points west to pay attention to what's happening in LMT. The dominos will continue to fall if the appellants lose and the Jaindl zoning deal remains. Sewer and water lines will spread west into Berks County. Open space and farmland preservation has supermajority public support. Public officials are elected to represent the communiy.

Does it matter? As Paul Carpenter said in his Morning Call op-ed a few months ago, “The Public be Damned.” Now we begin to see the collateral damage.