It's hard to sit down and talk just about growth, and only growth, at a regular township supervisors' meeting.
Brett Miller should know — he's an East Hempfield Township supervisor who has wanted for several weeks to talk with his four fellow board members about the growing suburb's future growth.
This coming Monday, it will happen.
The East Hempfield supervisors will get together to kick around ideas on "land use, traffic, and the effect of growth on infrastructure," or roads and bridges, Miller said Wednesday.
Monday's meeting is open to the public and will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the township building in Landisville.
The "goal is to talk together in a work session," Miller, who first proposed having such a session earlier this fall, said after Wednesday's board meeting.
"There'll be no action taken; it's just letting us sitting down and talking about this topic instead of a multitude of topics," as usually happens at the board's twice-monthly meetings, he said.
Board Chairman John Bingham said he hopes the session addresses such topics as agricultural holding areas, or those set aside for future growth, and how best to develop township "targeted growth opportunity zones."
Also, East Hempfield wants to look at whether the township is ahead of or behind its projected rate of growth over the next generation, Bingham said.
Monday's session comes as East Hempfield is grappling with three key projects within its borders.
One is a multimillion-dollar development eyed for the 115-acre Lime Spring Farm, just west of Rohrerstown.
The supervisors in October approved several rezonings to pave the way for for the mixed residential, retail, commercial and light-industrial project planned there by Oak Tree Development Group, led by developer Mike O'Brien.
Plans call for 305 homes in one section, along with a Greenfield Corporate Center-type development in another.
The second project is a 275-home community to be built by Charter Homes & Neighborhoods near Route 283 in Landisville.
It was presented to the supervisors, but has been postponed twice, and no final vote has been taken.
The last plan is from developer James Nardo. Called Cheswicke, it's a residential and commercial project eyed for a 58-acre site near Route 30 and Marietta Avenue.
When considering one of the projects earlier this fall, Miller said, "Wouldn't it be better for us to have a meeting in the next week or two or three, no long-term thing," and discuss overall development of the township.
"We're talking about a large decision with huge ramifications, and I think it's just reasonable to get together so we can hash out these ideas before taking a vote" on major land plans, he added.
The other three supervisors are Doug Brubaker, Bernard Krutsick and Heidi Wheaton.
Wheaton has expressed concerns that growth could put pressure on the township's rural area north of Route 283. "And the fact that there aren't sewers there now doesn't mean there couldn't be in the future," she said recently.
Also at Wednesday's 50-minute meeting, the board announced it will consider adopting East Hempfield's 2010 budget at its next meeting, on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Township officials have said they do not expect a real-estate tax increase for 2010.
But, like other communities, the township does have some major financial issues to deal with in the next few years, its officials said Wednesday.