The development, proposed by the Lancaster County Land Bank Authority, will be built at 154 and 156 S. Fifth Street and 461 Avenue K. The project received approval with no conditions after the borough's Historical Architectural Review Board recommended council's endorsement.
Photos showing the locations of the proposed townhomes
The Land Bank Authority, a subsidiary of the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, specializes in transforming abandoned or deteriorated properties into functional housing and commercial spaces. The organization's mission focuses on neighborhood improvement and reducing urban blight.
Sean Krumpe, representing the Land Bank Authority, told council members that the townhomes will serve as rental units managed by a property management company. "We are planning on using fair market rent wherever that is for the year the project is completed so we'll be looking at those rates at that time," Krumpe said.
Construction will begin once the project secures full funding, though no specific timeline was provided. "I think all the public needs to know is this project here is four buildings...each of them are about a half a million dollars a piece so that's why you don't see a lot of new construction in infills, because it is so darn expensive," Borough Manager Steven Kaufhold noted. The cost of the project is currently estimated at a little over $2 million, which will be partially offset by $500,000 from the state's Housing Trust Fund.
The development plan calls for two duplex-style buildings containing four residential units total. One building will face Fifth Street, while the second will front Church Avenue. The space between the structures will accommodate parking areas, backyards, and patio space for residents. The Avenue K address will eventually be changed to reflect a Church Avenue location.
According to architectural plans prepared by Tippetts/Weaver Architects, the design draws inspiration from historical development patterns shown in 1886 and 1904 Sanborn Insurance maps. Those maps revealed that two residential structures previously occupied the Fifth Street frontage, with two smaller homes facing Church Avenue.
The proposed townhomes will be constructed as two-and-a-half-story structures featuring gabled roofs with ridges running north to south. The Fifth Street building will include an entry stoop and dormers on the eastern roof slope. Exterior materials are planned as either masonry bases with composite siding or entirely composite siding, both of which architects say align with the surrounding neighborhood character.
The development maintains required zoning setbacks, including a five-foot side yard on the property's northern edge. Windows will be pultruded fiberglass, with roofing materials consisting of asphalt and fiberglass shingles.
The project is the next step in rebuilding after two fire-damaged houses at 154 and 156 South 5th Street were demolished on July 10, 2023 due to a fire that occurred there on July 22, 2022.
According to architectural plans prepared by Tippetts/Weaver Architects, the design draws inspiration from historical development patterns shown in 1886 and 1904 Sanborn Insurance maps. Those maps revealed that two residential structures previously occupied the Fifth Street frontage, with two smaller homes facing Church Avenue.
The proposed townhomes will be constructed as two-and-a-half-story structures featuring gabled roofs with ridges running north to south. The Fifth Street building will include an entry stoop and dormers on the eastern roof slope. Exterior materials are planned as either masonry bases with composite siding or entirely composite siding, both of which architects say align with the surrounding neighborhood character.
The development maintains required zoning setbacks, including a five-foot side yard on the property's northern edge. Windows will be pultruded fiberglass, with roofing materials consisting of asphalt and fiberglass shingles.
The project is the next step in rebuilding after two fire-damaged houses at 154 and 156 South 5th Street were demolished on July 10, 2023 due to a fire that occurred there on July 22, 2022.
View from 5th Street and Avenue K
View from Avenue K
View from Church Avenue and Avenue K
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