3 days ago
Benner Township residents voice safety, traffic concerns about proposed campground
About 50 people gathered at the Benner Township Municipal Building on Thursday night, mostly in opposition of a proposed campground project that would be located at the Bellefonte Airport.
Airport manager John Elnitski is seeking a conditional use permit for a 30-acre campground site located at 225 Snowbird Lane. The site would have as many as 60 RV spaces and 40 'tiny home' spaces. Elnitski said he envisions the campground as an economic driver for Bellefonte, especially during Penn State football weekends.
After a two-hour public hearing that included Elnitski's updated proposal and comments from more than a dozen residents, the Benner Township supervisors did not make a ruling because 'there was too much information' to make a decision.
Elnitski filed two conditional use permit applications in 2021, but they were both denied by supervisors who said it didn't meet all the required ordinances. The Elnitski family appealed the second application's decision in court, but the case was ultimately dismissed.
On Thursday, Elnitski claimed his updated proposal now meets all ordinances required by the township, including the necessary amount of recreation space. He remarked, 'a lot of conditional uses don't have this kind of detail.' Still, those who would live near the proposed campground voiced their concerns, including those relating to traffic, safety, noise and water systems.
Jordan Strassburger, an attorney representing Benner Township supervisor Kathy Evey (who recused herself from the vote because she owns property on Snowbird Lane) and her husband, Jared, butted heads with Elnitski over his previous conditional use permit applications. Strassburger argued that Elnitski hasn't significantly changed his proposal to address public concerns. Elnitski told him, 'I'm tired of playing the game.'
'I don't think this is a game,' Strassburger said. 'They're concerned that this is the third time that you submit an application that you keep losing, and it's not going to change the actual modification of the neighborhood ... you haven't addressed any of that.'
Al Leonori, who would live directly behind the proposed campground, raised concerns that people could climb over the 6-foot tall fence on the perimeter of the campground and enter his backyard. He also said the light pollution and 'party atmosphere' from campers would disturb the locals.
'A campground run well in the right setting is a beautiful thing — this is in a neighborhood,' Leonori said. 'I'm all for progress, but you're isolating yourself from your neighbors. I mean, this is a horrible idea. It's angering everybody.'
Sandy Witt, who is involved with a neighboring horse farm, said the noise of the campground would disturb visitors and the horses themselves. Kathy Evey brought up logistical concerns, arguing that Snowbird Lane is a private road and that Elnitski doesn't have right of way to Raymond Lane, meaning visitors shouldn't be able to use those streets to go to the campground.
Bob Kuhlman was the only resident at the meeting who defended the plan. He said he believed the Bellefonte Airport would remain recreational and warned about the possibility of something like an Amazon warehouse being built there instead.
'I believe it will stay a recreational airport as long as (the campground) is there, and if he doesn't get that, Lord only knows what might come down the pipe,' Kuhlman said.
The Benner Township supervisors will have until Sept. 21 to make a decision on the conditional use permit for the proposed campground.
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