The management of the Willow Valley Resort & Conference Center already has made its decision.

It's chosen to invest $8 million to turn the complex into two hotels, a dramatic change for the landmark property.

But whether a cent gets spent could hinge on a decision to be made this spring by another group:

The voters of West Lampeter Township.

They might have to agree to allow retail sales of alcoholic beverages in the township, dry since 1935, for the project to go forward.

Here's why.

As the New Era reported Wednesday, Willow Valley wants to turn half of its complex into a DoubleTree hotel.

The DoubleTree is a Hilton Hotels chain that requires its franchisees to have an upscale restaurant that sells alcohol.

To make that possible, Willow Valley intends to put a referendum before township voters in the May 19 primary, asking them if they approve switching the township from dry to wet.

A "no" vote might mean no DoubleTree — or any other major full-service chain for that matter.

"We would have to continue to work with Hilton. We don't know what the outcome would be," said Sheryl Holzbauer, executive vice president of Willow Valley Associates, which owns and runs the complex.

"We haven't crossed that bridge and we haven't asked Hilton to cross that bridge either," she added.

Spokesmen for Hilton and DoubleTree could not be reached for comment by press time on whether they'd allow an exception to their alcohol-availability rule.

Alcoholic beverages are part of the package of a national brand, or "flag," an attribute Willow Valley feels it must add to compete in times when most travelers prefer "flagged" hotels.

"If we want to stay viable and be able to support the local community with (jobs and taxes), we need to invest in a national brand and get all the support they bring...," said Diane Poillon, president and chief operating officer.

West Lampeter residents voted to ban liquor sales in 1935, less than two years after Prohibition was repealed.

They added beer sales to the forbidden list in 1936, according to state records.

West Lampeter residents have voted to stay dry four times since: 1943, 1947, 1951 and 1957.

Willow Valley expects the referendum to be a sensitive topic for many township residents.

"It's going to be a controversial issue for our township. We understand that. For us, it's about protecting the jobs of our team members and protecting the community," Poillon said.

Said Holzbauer, "We want a wholesome community like everybody else. But we also want a prosperous and stable community."

If the voters approve the switch, Willow Valley still would have to obtain a liquor license from the state Liquor Control Board.

Township officials are taking a neutral stance on whether West Lampeter should remain among the county's 11 dry municipalities, said Jim Kalenich, chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

"Let the people decide. That's the position the board is taking," he said.

If the voters opt to change, the township is ready with restrictions on where businesses that sell alcoholic beverages to the public could operate, thanks to a July 2006 update of its zoning ordinance.

The township's consultant for the update recommended that such measures be included, in case someday the township went wet, "even if it's 20 years down the road," Kalenich recalled.

"Here it's only 2!-W years" until the possibility surfaced, he said.

If the township goes wet, the update would allow only restaurants, taverns, nightclubs and beverage distributors in certain zoning districts to sell alcoholic beverages to the public.

Depending on the type of establishment and zoning district, such sales could be allowed in one of three ways, explained Karen Zaporozec, the township's deputy zoning officer.

They could be permitted by right, require a special exception from the township Zoning Hearing Board or require a conditional use from the township supervisors.

The zoning ordinance spells out what would be needed where, and by whom.

For instance, a restaurant without a drive-through window would be allowed by right to sell alcoholic beverages as part of a meal if the restaurant is in one of five zoning districts, Zaporozec said.

They are: the industrial-mixed use district; the office technology residential district; the Main Street and Main Street Limited district; the commercial neighborhood district; and the commercial highway district.

Willow Valley is in the commercial highway district, she said.

Kalenich noted that the township already has one business that sells alcoholic beverages, albeit privately. Meadia Heights Golf Club sells them in its members-only clubhouse.

Meadia Heights, which has had a catering club license since 1962, is allowed to sell them because part of its property is in a wet municipality, Lancaster City, said LCB spokeswoman Francesca Chapman.

Willow Valley's plan is to spend $7 million to convert the north side of its complex into a 184-room DoubleTree resort and $1 million to make the south side into the 160-room Willow Valley Family Inn & Restaurant.

The bold plan, intended to appeal to visitors that want either a national "flag" or a local flavor, would be completed in June 2010. Both properties would be owned and operated by Willow Valley Associates.

Willow Valley Associates, which also runs retail, office and residential projects, but not the Willow Valley retirement communities, has grown into a major presence here since its modest start as a 30-room motel in 1966.

With 550 workers, it pays more than $3.6 million a year in local, state and federal taxes. That includes more than $930,000 in real estate taxes. It also buys more than $32 million in goods and services a year from other businesses.


Staff writer Tim Mekeel can be reached at tmekeel@LNPnews.com or 481-6030.