About Town 12/1/19

This week's photos of Columbia

 She flew into a window and knocked herself out, but five minutes of doctoring brought her back to her senses.

 Buckets of coal are ready for the bad kids this Christmas.

 Just in time for Christmas, wise guys down at the corner.

 Three-quarters of the way down the 400 block of Locust, you'll run into this.

 Looking back up the street, you'll see why the sidewalk is blocked.

 Even though there was enough space for the barriers to be pulled outward and allow people to walk - especially on Small Business Saturday.

Even Columbia Borough had more sense than that down on the 100 block of Locust Street.

 The concrete barriers here were placed due to a planned construction project that has apparently failed. Construction projects do that sometimes. The excavated area, which is now affectionately known as "The Hole" by Columbia residents, was to become an apartment building, as Columbia Spy reported HERE. 

 According to the notice shown here, the "premises" are now determined to be "blighted," and remedial steps must be taken.

However, there's no mention of consequences if the owners fail to comply.

The following is from a December 27, 2017 Lancaster Online article about the project:

In Columbia Borough, Eberly Myers would raze an empty, four-unit apartment building at 134 Locust St. and construct a four-story building there, with 33 apartments all offering views of the Susquehanna River.
The new building also would feature nearly 3,000 square feet of commercial space plus underground parking. 

The project was hailed by Columbia Mayor Leo Lutz as “just what we need” to accelerate the borough’s revitalization. 

Funding for the Locust Street project is coming from the three developers, other investors and a Centric Bank loan. 

Monthly rents would start in the mid to upper $800s for one-bedroom units.A land development plan for the project won conditional final approval Monday from the borough Planning Commission. The demolition is subject to Borough Council approval. 

“We think it’s great. I can’t wait to see some dirt being moved. ... We think this project could really push us along. This will send a message to other developers and investors to come to Columbia — we’re open for business and willing to work with you,” said Lutz.

One last sign of Thanksgiving on South 2nd

 Enter: Santa

 Getting the trees early

 And that quickly, Santa loaded his sleigh.

The snowflakes and garlands have been installed along several blocks of Locust Street.

 Here's an evening view.

 That's not really what that's for, but it could be for Rep. Hickernell's window flag, shown below.

 At Rep. Hickernell's office, the leaves are falling - from artificial plants

 And in the window is the aforementioned Old Glory - the good ol' "Orange, White, and Blue."

 This unsightly mailbox was impertinently shoved into this tiled entrance to one of Columbia's historic buildings several years ago. 

 Snowflakes - they'll be coming soon enough.

 At the Borough Office

 Ideal location for a hotel

 Another of the town's historic buildings

A cracked Abraham Lincoln sidewalk insert. Some people believe that Trump is a better president than Lincoln.

 The light shineth forth.

 And this must be a historic table.

 Yes, it's a real cat, complete with food.

 NOOM - 300 PM

 Lights ready for hanging

 This truck is still down at Tollbooth Antiques.

 Sky above and below

 Parking spaces on the 300 block of Avenue F

 State Police flying over

 Newly installed signs at Coffee & Cream

 "Wired" starlings - 

But why are they wired? Could it be because of that hawk next door?

 There he is now.

 One of the ornaments on the roof of the Saint Peter Roman Catholic Church

 Something's coming soon.

 Construction continues on the 400 block of Locust.

 Up high

 5 priorities

 Hangin' at the boat ramp

Here are a few of Columbia's crosses:

 Saint Paul Episcopal Church

 Saint Paul Episcopal Church

 Holy Trinity Catholic Church

 Our Lady of the Angels School

 Saint Peter Roman Catholic Church

 This stop sign seems like more of a suggestion.

 Things are looking festive own at Tollbooth Antiques.

 Sometimes the only way to stop a train is with a stop sign.

Makes sense.

 West Hempfield hanging out in our Locust Street/Bank Avenue lot

 Beauty in the Beast Pet Grooming on the first block of South 3rd

 It's brine time again.

 So that's what the back of the (former) Amvets building looks like.

A recently passed ordinance says satellite dishes in the historic district must go when a property changes hands. This one is at a 7th & Chestnut property currently being renovated.

Is anyone paying attention?

 A naked organ, apparently discarded on the 200 block of Walnut

[Submitted photo]

The following photos were posted on Facebook last week and are used here with permission. They show the condition of the 400 block of Avenue H after high winds, due to poorly secured trash and recycling materials:

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The signs shown below have been posted at the apartment residence of Columbia Borough Councilwoman Pamela Williams for the last several days. The signs pertain to the upcoming hearing and vote on December 16 about a proposed borough-wide rezoning. Due to the obvious bias shown in posting these signs - even before all parties have been heard - Williams should recuse herself from the vote. A copy of the sign was originally posted last week on a crackpot Facebook page run by newly appointed Zoning Hearing Board alternate Nate Bunty.

Columbia Public Library Calendar of Events - December 2019

Incoming Columbia council members aren't happy with 2020 budget proposal

Sharon Lintner and Heather Zink, two of the four newly elected members joining the seven-person council in January, say they appreciate the current council inviting them to the table during three special budget meetings to develop the spending plan, but they were frustrated by not actually having a vote. Both indicated they would have preferred more spending cuts, especially given the incumbents' plan to spend $870,000 of the borough's reserves while at the same time publicly warning the new council members of the need to rebuild the reserves, which were estimated in October at $2.1 million.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/incoming-columbia-council-members-aren-t-happy-with-budget-proposal/article_2783edf0-12c3-11ea-81b7-275772a970eb.html

Chip Factory Hotel gets smaller, Zoning Board ok's all requests

The Columbia Borough Zoning Hearing Board met Wednesday night to consider requests from Cimarron Investments LLC relating to the Chip Factory Hotel project. 

The proposed Chip Factory Hotel has been cut down to size. The hotel, which was to encompass 6 stories and 91 rooms, is now projected to have 4 stories and 80 rooms and will stand 70 feet high, according to architect Paul Nikolaus. The change was requested in a last-minute submission to the Columbia Borough Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday night by applicant Cimarron Investments LLC. After a nearly four-hour hearing that included testimony by, and cross-examinations of, parties to the hearing, the board granted all special exceptions and variances requested.

Board member David Brumbaugh made the motion to grant Cimarron's requests on all conditions stated by the solicitor. The motion, as read by board solicitor Josele Cleary, was as follows:

"A motion to grant the special exceptions and variances identified in Exhibit A3, as well as a special exception for parking as a principal use in the HDR District, and a special exception to allow the applicant 18 months from the date of the decision to obtain a permit, and 18 months from the date of obtaining a permit to complete construction, and the conditions on that would be:  1. Applicant shall continually provide not less than 77 off-street parking spaces for the hotel use. If the applicant ceases to have access to the off-street parking spaces on the lot provided by a lease, applicant shall have 90 days to provide the zoning officer with evidence that applicant has obtained a location for an equal or greater number of off-street parking spaces. Applicant shall require all employees to park in the pocket parking lot at the greatest distance from the hotel and shall prohibit employees from using on-street parking.  4. Applicant shall restrict the use of the meeting room associated with the hotel to hotel guests unless the applicant provides additional off-street parking.  5. Applicant shall restrict the use of the rooftop terrace to hotel guests unless applicant provides additional off-street parking.  6. Applicant shall maintain the existing number of off-street parking spaces for the dwelling units at 150 Walnut Street.  7. As part of the land development approval process, applicant shall address stormwater management for all new impervious surface areas.  8. Applicant shall provide a copy of the land development plan to the fire company and ask the fire company for any comments.  9. The hotel shall not exceed 80 guest rooms. And then the standard conditions that applicant shall comply with and adhere to the testimony presented this evening, that any violation of the conditions is a violation of the zoning ordinance and punishable as such. Applicant shall obtain all other necessary permits and approvals, including, but not limited to, approvals under the subdivision and land development ordinance, stormwater management ordinance, and uniform construction code. The condition shall be binding on the applicant and its successors and assigned, and applicant shall pay one half of the appearance fee of the court reporter."

Newly appointed board member Jazz Preston seconded the motion.

The roll call vote was as follows:
David Brumbaugh - Yes
Jonathan Lutz - Yes
Steven White - Yes
Jazz Preston - Yes
Terry Doutrich - No

(Board President Donald Haines recused himself at the start of the meeting and was replaced by Alternate Terry Doutrich.)

[Note: The solicitor did not state the numbers of items 2 and 3 in the motion.]

Santa comes to the library Saturday, November 30