'I'm all for any form of alternative energy,' East Hempfield official says as board OKs solar panels

When: East Hempfield Township Board of Supervisors meeting, March 18. Supervisor Tom Bennett was absent.

What happened: About 1,100 solar panels will be installed to power a nearby Stauffers of Kissel Hill storage facility after supervisors held a conditional use hearing and approved the measure for 640 Graystone Road.

Details: Stobro Co., a Lititz-based real estate management firm that includes former Stauffers executives, submitted plans to locate the panels in 1.6 acres of a grass field. The company will sell any excess power to PPL Electric Utilities, said Kevin Varner, who owns Diehm & Sons, a land surveying firm in Lititz.

More info: The venture will represent the largest solar installment in East Hempfield, Varner told supervisors.

Quotable: “It was nice to see that a renewable energy source like solar can be an economically viable endeavor locally,” Chair Bob Johnson said after the meeting. “I look forward to seeing how it develops.”

Appearance: Seven rows of south-facing solar panels will stand about 8 feet tall, with about 13 feet between each row, Varner said. Plans call for Stobro to plant 15 evergreen trees around the area. An 8-foot fence will surround the panels.

Quotable: “I think it’s a great idea,” Supervisor Darren Landis said after the meeting. “I’m all for any form of alternative energy.”

Maintain plants: East Hempfield will pay $27,750 to Spring Hill Partners to suppress invasive plants for about 21 acres surrounding the Little Conestoga Creek floodplain restoration project.

More info: Spring Hill will promote diverse native plants in the area between Manheim Pike and Flory Road, Cindy Schweitzer, township manager, told supervisors. The Lebanon-based company, which manages vegetation near water, will make two visits during 2026, Schweitzer said.

New HVAC: The township will pay Red Truck Heating & Cooling about $23,000 to replace a leaking boiler and a 21-year-old air conditioning system with a cold climate heat pump with air conditioning at the Amos Herr House, 1756 Nissley Road.

Quotable: “Red Truck is the lowest bidder for the cold climate heat pump,” Schweitzer said. “We felt that it was prudent to include the AC unit.”

Why it matters: New equipment will consistently maintain cooler temperatures needed to protect the house’s many antiques, Schweitzer said.

More info: Red Truck, Ranck Plumbing, Heating, AC & Excavation, and Brubaker Plumbing and Heating submitted bids. The Amos Herr Foundation maintains the house, although the township owns the property, Schweitzer said.

Next: Supervisors will meet at 6 p.m. April 1 at the municipal building, 1700 Nissley Road, Landisville. The public can view meetings on the township’s YouTube channel by accessing a link on the East Hempfield Township website.