COLUMBIA SPY

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  The Columbia Borough Planning Commission will meet Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m., with a review planned for the proposed ordinance to prohibit data centers in the the light business zoning district. Item 8(a) on the agenda calls for the commission to review "a new ordinance to prohibit Data Centers in LB": the light business zone that includes the former McGinness property along Manor Street. The issue has already divided borough council and residents and drawn hundreds of attendees to public meetings this year. Columbia Borough Council voted 4-3 on July 14 to advance the ordinance, which would remove data centers from the list of permitted uses in light business zoning districts, a move that could block a data center from being built on the long-vacant former McGinness airfield property. Council members Byers, Cooper, Ziegler and Geesey voted in favor, while Kauffman, Zink and Murphy voted against. The motion was introduced by Councilman Ethan Byers...

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  A source has told Columbia Spy that the owners of the former Colonial Metals building on North 2nd Street are considering leasing the property. According to that source, the building is not currently on the market for sale. In addition, Columbia Spy has found no public listing, filing, or other confirmation indicating the property is for sale at this time.  Property records show the site at 500 N. 2nd Street, along with several adjoining parcels, is held under the name Columbia Reduction Company, a Pennsylvania domestic business corporation first registered in 1950 and still listed as active with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Corporate filings list Craig Friedman as secretary and treasurer, David Serls as president, and Richard Sanger as vice president. The plant has a long industrial history under several names: Colonial Metals Co . operated the foundry beginning in 1946, growing into one of the largest brass and bronze ingot makers in th...

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  Columbia Spy has learned that Columbia Borough's new finance manager recently changed course and stepped away from the position after council voted to hire her.  Columbia Borough Council voted 5-2 at its June 23, 2026 meeting to hire Tracey Weaver as the borough's new finance manager, filling a post that had sat vacant for roughly six months. Council members Heather Zink and Joanne Geesey cast the two dissenting votes. The position also carried human resources duties in addition to its finance responsibilities, including payroll, benefits administration, and personnel matters. According to a borough executive brief, Weaver first applied for the position on May 20, 2025, and applied again on January 30, 2026. She was interviewed by the borough manager, the assistant borough manager, and the borough's finance consultant, all of whom recommended moving forward with her hiring. Council members and staff also conducted separate interviews with her, a...

Chief Holly Arndt presented a report to council at its July 14 meeting . JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  Columbia Borough Chief Holly Arndt presented a report to council at its July 14 meeting, noting that officers took two wanted suspects into custody, recovered two firearms, and responded within minutes to a shooting that left one victim hospitalized. Bus Suspect Arrest On July 1, Officer Frank Ember spotted a suspect wanted in connection with a Lancaster City police shooting riding a Red Rose Transit bus during daytime hours. Ember called in the sighting and took the suspect into custody without incident. A search turned up a stolen firearm in the suspect's possession. Charges related to the weapon are pending. Shooting at 4th and Cherry Streets On July 4, Columbia Borough police responded to a shooting at 4th and Cherry streets. Sergeant Snyder and Officer Nate Miller arrived at the scene within two minutes and rendered aid to the victim, who has since been released from the hospit...

Above: one of several signs posted on Manor Street, across from the former McGinness property.  JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  Columbia Borough Council voted 4-3 Tuesday night to advance an ordinance that would remove data centers from the list of permitted uses in light business zoning districts. The move could block a data center from being built on the long-vacant former McGinness airfield property. (Byers, Cooper, Ziegler, and Geesey voted for the motion. Kauffman, Zink, and Murphy voted against.) The motion was introduced by Councilman Ethan Byers and seconded by Councilman Tom Ziegler. If ultimately adopted after review by county and municipal planning commissions, the ordinance would designate data centers as "Not Permitted" in light business zones and shift them to "Conditional Use" status in general industrial zones instead. In a written statement dated July 14, Byers laid out his reasoning for pressing the issue now rather than waiting for a broader zoning ov...

Councilman Ethan Byers introduced a motion to remove data centers from the list of permitted uses under light business zoning. JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  At Tuesday night's council meeting, Councilman Ethan Byers introduced a motion to remove data centers from the list of permitted uses under light business zoning. The change could potentially prevent a data center from being built on the former McGinness Airfield property. The motion received a second from Councilman Tom Ziegler before the 4 to 3 vote in favor of the motion.  The proposal sparked discussion among council members, including some pointed exchanges. Councilman Kelly Murphy raised concerns that the motion hadn't gone through the proper legislative process. Byers pushed back, arguing that as a councilman, he himself represents part of that legislative process, and that crafting legislation isn't the sole responsibility of any one council member. While the motion is being viewed as an early win for residents op...

Eli Krouse was sworn in as a Columbia Borough police officer by District Justice Miles Bixler during the July 14 borough council meeting. JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  Eli Krouse was sworn in as a Columbia Borough police officer by District Justice Miles Bixler during the July 14 borough council meeting.  The swearing-in follows Krouse's graduation from the Reading Police Academy on June 26. The Columbia Borough Police Department announced he completed the program's demanding 919 hours of training over six months to earn his certification. Krouse's path to law enforcement includes both military and academic credentials. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, having served from 2018 to 2024. He also graduated from Antietam High School before going on to earn a bachelor's degree in emergency management from Millersville University.