LANCASTER TWP — A handful of people gathered Tuesday evening for a community forum, where they debated whether or not the township should encourage development.

The meeting discussed input that had been collected from residents on candy-colored sticky notes during an Oct. 5 open house and presented on poster boards for public consideration. Many of these boards made reference to housing, infrastructure and regulations on development.

All of those sticky notes compiled in October aimed to give form to Lancaster’s evolving comprehensive plan, but on Tuesday, county residents apprised the implications of those results.

“First, we need a plan,” said planning consultant Barb Ciampini, working with the township to effect the plan. “First, we need to figure out what parts of this we’re going to keep. What parts of this we’re going to change.”

The township had drafted a plan in February of 2020, but since then residents had asked for revisions, as well as certain elements the township hoped to keep intact, she said.

Ciampini read results from the Oct. 5 open house, all of which were submitted anonymously.

“’‘What areas of the township are best suited for future development?’” she read.

Responses included both sides of Route 19, Whitestown Road, Lancaster Road and Scott Ridge Road, along with public and water sewage routes, Ciampini said.

“’What words would you use to describe Lancaster Township?’” Ciampini read. “’Peaceful, farmland, country, rural, quiet, unspoiled, rural, bedroom community, no traffic jams and charming.’”

“When you leave Lancaster Township, what items or services do you leave for most often?’” she read. “And people said ‘work, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, small and large retail, doctor, dentist.’”

Discussions that followed would highlight the varying opinions on development, the pros and cons of zoning and even which people present at the meeting could qualify as taxpayers or residents.

Other divisions highlighted some residents’ concerns about overdevelopment, weighed against other residents’ wishes for development.

“The laws in this state protect the developer,” said resident Connie Domhoff. “It does not protect a homeowner that borders a property to a developer, whether it is residential or commercial development. So they can come in and dump whatever they want on your property.”

“The landowner has the right to do what they want,” said resident Bob Brennan. “All we’re doing is saying, ‘Wow. This is the kind of area that should have some commercial stuff. We should start making sure that we’re going to start working utilities that direction. We’re going to get road infrastructure that direction, so that [development] could occur if the landowner chooses to sell to somebody who also chooses to put that in.’”

Brennan also questioned the benefits of zoning in Lancaster Township.

“Zoning by its very nature takes property rights from individuals,” Brennan said. “That’s just the way it is. I’ve mentioned it before. I’m actually not a fan of zoning. A lot of people have the property rights to do what they want, but there is a balance that has to occur between those two things.”

At a separate special meeting Wednesday evening, Lancaster’s board of supervisors offered a full-time position of road department operator to Ryan Trugan, whose duties will include supervision of road maintenance work.

The board also offered a position of part-time seasonal road department operator to Lucas Langer.

Both Trugan and Langer will begin their work at a rate of $18.57 hourly.

The new hires aim to cover duties previously fulfilled by former roadmaster Mike Spiker, who resigned from his position on Nov. 14.