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News about ELA Group, Landscape Architects, Land Planners, Transportation, Civil, Municipal and Environmental Engineers, Sports Facilities and Synthetic Turf Professionals
June 9, 2006
Summit tackles density
Speakers promote denser development as key to county's future
BY CHRISTINA OLENCHEK-chriso@journalpub.com
Rick Jackson believes Lancaster County is in a tug of war with itself over development. On one end of the rope is residents' strong support of farmland preservation. On the other is a growing population demanding more houses and businesses.
The only way to stop the tugging is to encourage more intense development in designated growth areas, so revered rural lands remain untouched, said Jackson, who is with ELA Group, a Lititz-based engineering and planning firm. He and several other speakers promoted high-density development during a May 31 summit designed to convince about 200 government and business leaders that such density is the key to Lancaster County's future. The Coalition for Smart Growth organized the event, which was held at the county's Public Safety Training Center in East Hempfield Township.
“We must become more efficient with the use of land,” said Jackson, who also is president of the nonprofit coalition. “We want it both ways, and we cannot continue to have it both ways.”
Higher density refers to increasing the number of housing or commercial units on an acre of land. Examples of the concept include single-family homes placed close together, apartments, townhomes and mixed-use complexes.
The changing demographics of America make this a perfect time to embrace higher-density development, said Michael Carper, president and chief executive officer of Housing Development Corp., a Lancaster-based nonprofit group specializing in affordable-housing projects. Many small families, empty nesters and seniors who want to downsize don't want the acre or more of land that was ideal after World War II. Nor do they want to live in a development where they always have to drive to reach services such as grocery stores or post offices.
Carper acknowledged that there are many obstacles to developing land with greater density. One is that many people fear that high density means more traffic, crime and burden on public services such as sewers and schools. However, such development has the opposite effect in many cases because the developments encourage walking and a greater sense of community among residents, he said.
Zoning is often a major headache for any developer who wants to build with greater density, said Joe Duckworth, a partner with Arcadia Land Co. The Chester County-based firm specializes in what are often called traditional neighborhood developments. The goal of such developments is to build pedestrian-friendly towns with mixed land use and diverse dwelling types. Arcadia is best known in Lancaster County for its plans, announced in 2001, to develop Fairsted in Manor Township. The project would have included about 1,250 houses and a Main Street-style downtown built on land owned by Armstrong Holdings Inc. The plan died when Armstrong refused to sell the land.
Problems arise because many municipalities allow low-density development but make developers go through a conditional use or special exception process to build more compact neighborhoods, Duckworth said. It has taken years for some of his projects to come to fruition because of the red tape.
Municipal officials need to take a more activist approach to approve well-planned higher-density developments and to reject projects that don't live up to their vision for the community, said Anton Nelessen of A. Nelessen Associates Inc. in Belle Mead, N.J. He led a visual-imaging exercise that asked audience members to assign scores to images based on what types of development they prefer. The results showed that many people in the room favored higher-density, pedestrian-friendly development over many of the strip malls and garage-fronted houses easily found throughout Lancaster County.
Nelessen encouraged municipal officials to reject any project that doesn't fit their vision for the area. If a project can't be rejected, officials should find ways to delay it until the developer gives up, he said.
Officials should stand up for what is best for the entire community instead of acquiescing to the complaints of a few citizens, said Jim Miller of Miller-Warner Construction Inc. in East Hempfield Township.
"It comes down to having the political will to do what is right," he said.
There are signs that the path to higher-density projects is becoming easier for developers. A few years ago, Manheim Township-based Charter Homes Group and developer George Desmond worked with West Lampeter Township officials to develop a new ordinance designed to make it easier for developers to create compact neighborhoods. The result of that effort was Millcreek, a traditional neighborhood development with a mix of homes, a general store, a coffeehouse and open space. The success of that project has spurred other developers to consider similar projects, said Ray D'Agostino, manager of West Lampeter Township.
"Developers are using these tools to create places with value," he said.
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April 28, 2006
Richard L. Jackson Serves as Faculty Presenter for Lorman Education Services's Real Estate Land Development - From Beginning to End in Pennsylvania" seminars on April 27, 2006, and June 28, 2006, in Lancaster, PA
This practical seminar gives participants a greater understanding of how to overcome difficult issues involved in developing land. With land and development costs, restrictions on development and permit requirements increasing all the time, this practical course will outline options and methods for tackling tough development problems. It will point to creative ways to profitably develop land notwithstanding the increased costs and restrictions.
Richard L. Jackson, RLA/ASLA, is the principal-in-charge of land planning/landscape architecture at ELA Group, Inc. (Lititz, Pennsylvania). A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (B.S. degree in landscape architecture), he received his professional registration in 1983 from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In Mr. Jackson's more than 26 years of professional practice, he has represented clients' projects ranging from commercial/industrial and residential to institutional and recreational. While primarily working on the private sector side of the table, he has represented the public sector as well. Mr. Jackson most often serves as the chief representative for projects in their zoning approval stages. He also serves as president of the Coalition for Smart Growth, a Lancaster-based coalition of varied interest groups called to promote smart growth initiatives within the countywide region. Mr. Jackson is a member of the County Planning Commission's Growth Management Plan Update Task Force and its Steering Committee, which have been instrumental in crafting a visionary update to guide future land use in Lancaster County. He is also a member of the Lancaster County Building Industry Association, devoting much of his energy to governmental affairs. Mr. Jackson serves on an Advisory Work Group, helping to craft a new model subdivision and land development ordinance for Lancaster County.
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April 27, 2006
A New Director of GIS Joins ELA Group, Inc.: Patrick R. Moulds Joins the Municipal Engineering Division in the Lititz Office
ELA Group, Inc., headquartered in Lititz, PA, is pleased to announce that Patrick R. Moulds has recently joined the Municipal Engineering team as Director of Geographic Information Systems or GIS.
With an Associates of Science Degree in Architecture from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Moulds is a member of the Geo-spatial Information and Technology Association. Moulds was previously employed by Hanover Engineering.
Moulds resides in Lititz, PA with his Wife Carol.
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April 21, 2006
ELA Group Announces a New Project Manager—Brent M. Detter Joins the Landscape Architecture Division in the Lititz Office
ELA Group, Inc., headquartered in Lititz, PA, is pleased to announce that Brent M. Detter has recently joined the Landscape Architecture/Land Planning group as a Project Manager for the Landscape Architecture Division.
With a Bachelor of Science Degree in Landscape Architecture from West Virginia University, Detter will share his experience in site design and construction with ELA Group clients. Detter was formerly employed by David Lynch and Associates.
Detter resides in Landisville with his wife and two children.
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March 29, 2006
Lititz's ELA Group Mixes Up a Recipe for Good Health: Believing That Employee Wellness Efforts Are Essential Ingredients
 ELA Group, Inc., headquartered in Lititz, PA, will be serving up their Wholesome Wellness Fair on March 30, 2006, from 10 am- 12pm in the Lititz Office lunchroom. This is just another ELA Group Wellness Committee effort, trailing the heels of their Winter Office Olympics held in February.
What better time than spring to start cooking up a recipe for good health, or add some flavor to your already healthy lifestyle?
Families of ELA Group staffers are invited to stop in and savor a taste of the healthy day.
ELA Group is pleased to include some of our terrific partners in health who will be adding spice to the day:
Health America — Will provide hand-outs, freebies and answer any health insurance questions.
Universal Fitness — Will offer Blood Pressure Screening, Fitness/Exercise Management and Weight Loss Programs. (They will also have information regarding memberships and a prize drawing.)
Heart of Lancaster — Will provide Body Mass Index and Cholesterol Screenings and will also have a doctor on hand, who specializes in diabetes and hypertension education.
Stoudt Advisors — Will provide health & stress information to help participants
manage their stress.
Chair massages will also be available, which may be the icing on the cake for this event, or, more correctly, the fruit in the yogurt!
Jeff Sweater, ELA Group Health Committee Chair, shares, "The ELA Group Wellness Fair is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our health, reaffirm healthy choices and motivate all of us to remember that actively striving for good health is an essential ingredient for a productive, happy workplace and life."
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February 24, 2006
New ELA Group Partners Named
ELA Group, Inc., headquartered in Lititz, PA, is proud to announce that Daniel S. Hershey and Shawn H. Loose have recently been promoted to partners in the company. The new partners join ELA Group's founding partners, Richard. L. Jackson, RLA, who leads the Land Planning/Landscape Architecture Group; Grant W. Hummer, PE., who leads of the Civil/Municipal Engineering Group and company president; and Douglas W. Plank, who heads the Transportation Engineering Group as well as seven other associate partners.
Joining ELA Group Inc.'s Lititz office in 2001 as a Project Engineer, Mr. Hershey's responsibilities include storm water management design, water and sewer systems design, utility infrastructure design, erosion and sedimentation design and construction drawing preparation. A 1995 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a B.S. in Civil Engineering Technology, Mr. Hershey has recently proven invaluable to the firm through his Potable Water and Sanitary Sewer Design services for the Mill Creek Community, West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, PA, and Overall Site Utility Design of Henderson High School, West Goshen Twp./West Chester Borough, Chester County, PA. Mr. Hershey's previous experience of Lancaster, Bureau of Engineering and his certification of DEP Water Systems Operator Class contribute well to the engineering solutions Mr. Hershey provides to promoting the goals of both municipalities and Mr. Loose joined ELA Group Inc.'s Lititz office in 1999 as a Project Manager/Project Designer and has been serving clients ever since by obtaining Highway Occupancy Permits, Traffic Signal Permits, Flashing Warning Device Permits, and Intersection/Roadway Design. Mr. Loose is an experienced designer and a 1990 graduate of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, PA, with an Associate-Architectural Drafting degree.
While at ELA Group, Inc., Mr. Loose has provided Roadway Improvement services for the intersection of Route 322 and Weaverland Road (East Earl Township), Route 72 and Rocherty Road (North Cornwall Township), Route 322 and Hackman Road (Ephrata Township), Route 61 Improvements for North Pointe Industrial Park (Ontelaunee Township) and Route 926 and Shiloh Road/Westtown Thornton Road for West Chester Area School District (Westtown Township).
ELA Group Inc.'s Grant Hummer attributes the firm's growth largely to the correlation between employee ownership, client service and client satisfaction, saying, "Nothing pleases me more than knowing that, as ELA Group Partners, Dan Hershey and Shawn Loose will contribute even more passionately to the ELA Group legacy of striving to build smarter, well-conceived projects in the communities where we live, work, shop, worship, learn and play."
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January 9, 2006
Zachary S. Noll, E.I.T., Named ELA Group Inc. Project Engineer
ELA Group, Inc. is pleased to announce Zachary S. Noll has recently joined their staff as a Project Engineer. Zachary is a December 2005 graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Structural Engineering and Construction Management. He is also a member of The Pennsylvania State University Alumni Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
ELA Group, Inc. formed in 1996, is a multi-disciplinary consulting Engineering and Landscape Architectural firm specializing in Traffic/Transportation Engineering, Land Development and Subdivision Design, Storm Water Management Design and Civil/Municipal Engineering.
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