Lancaster Township set to temporarily lease portion of new municipal campus
LANCASTER TWP — Township officials are planning to lease one of the five buildings at the newly acquired municipal campus at 600 Perry Highway.
During a meeting Monday, Nov. 17, supervisors authorized the execution of a lease agreement with Twisted Ink, a screen printing company that existed on the property prior to the township’s $1 million purchase.
Township solicitor Michele Cromer said the agreement will be for a period of six months at $1,000 a month plus utilities.
She also said the lease could be extended beyond that amount of time “at the township’s discretion.”
Lancaster manager Mary Hess confirmed the owner of Twisted Ink came to the township seeking to work out a deal that would benefit both sides.
“He was looking for a new location, and he said it would just be easier to stay,” said Hess, who said money from the lease will go directly into the township’s general fund. “I said, ‘We’re not using it. Let’s take advantage of the income for the township.”
Hess said that, eventually, as the township begins performing construction work and other renovations on the site, the building Twisted Ink currently operates in will be torn down.
As for the property itself, Hess said the township has completed every necessary step involving the debt ordinance unanimously approved last month.
Township officials will secure the funding from WesBankco Bank this week, Hess said. At that point, they’ll know what the interest rate will be for the property purchase. Hess also noted the rate will be locked in for five years.
In other business, supervisors unanimously approved the posting of right-to-know requests on the township’s website, which is still in the process of being fully updated, according to Hess.
Chairman Gregg Kessler called it “a move to be totally transparent” since the township receives multiple right-to-know requests per week from its residents.
