《Adhesives manufacturer wants to open plant in Richland》：
When a company came to Richland this week seeking a new manufacturing plant, borough council wanted to roll out the red carpet, but instead, it rolled out the red tape.
Donald Berlin, northeast regional manager for Specialty Adhesives and Coating Co., said his company wants to purchase a vacant building at 300 Poplar Street to set up the company’s fifth manufacturing facility.
“We have been looking for a site for two years, and this building is the best we have found,” he said.
The current property owner, Charles Haddad, told council the building had been used for textile manufacturing by Ocello Inc., producing 20,000 garments a week, until the 1990s.
“But as you know, the textile industry went the same way as the shoe making industry,” Haddad said. “We could compete with competitors in any state and in some countries, but we could not compete with China.”
Haddad said he had gone to the Lebanon County Planning Department previously and had gotten an unofficial opinion that adhesive manufacturing would be a use similar to textile manufacturing, so there would be no problem with it being established in the “limited industrial” zone.
But an official opinion rendered later determined it was not a similar use, and a special exception or conditional use zoning hearing would be required.
Haddad said that according to his research, council had the right, with the three-day notice he provided, to convene an immediate hearing and allow a “conditional use” for the property.
Borough solicitor Thomas Harlan agreed with Haddad on that point but recommended to council members that they consider the water requirements of the company.
Berlin said the company would use between 6,000 and 18,000 gallons of water a day. Harlan said the borough’s water system is sensitive and would likely not be able to spare the amount of water demanded by the new company.
Engineering consultant Jeffrey Steckbeck said Harlan was correct about the century-old water system and then suggested the company could have a well dug for most of its water supply. He estimated the cost of the well to be about $20,000.
While Haddad, Berlin and an attorney were discussing the matter outside of the meeting room, Steckbeck, in a discussion with maintenance department officials Dwight Bellman and John Johnson, suggested installation of a large water supply tank to be filled each night, so it would not affect the already low water pressure in the borough’s water system during the day. The tank would supplement the well.
Berlin said he would return to the company with the suggestions, and Harlan and Steckbeck will work on a tentative contractual agreement. A special meeting of the council will likely be held later in the month to give further attention to the matter.
Berlin said the facility is expected to employ 8 to 10 workers, with the majority hired locally.
《Adhesives manufacturer wants to open plant in Richland》：
When a company came to Richland this week seeking a new manufacturing plant, borough council wanted to roll out the red carpet, but instead, it rolled out the red tape.
Donald Berlin, northeast regional manager for Specialty Adhesives and Coating Co., said his company wants to purchase a vacant building at 300 Poplar Street to set up the company’s fifth manufacturing facility.
“We have been looking for a site for two years, and this building is the best we have found,” he said.
The current property owner, Charles Haddad, told council the building had been used for textile manufacturing by Ocello Inc., producing 20,000 garments a week, until the 1990s.
“But as you know, the textile industry went the same way as the shoe making industry,” Haddad said. “We could compete with competitors in any state and in some countries, but we could not compete with China.”
Haddad said he had gone to the Lebanon County Planning Department previously and had gotten an unofficial opinion that adhesive manufacturing would be a use similar to textile manufacturing, so there would be no problem with it being established in the “limited industrial” zone.
But an official opinion rendered later determined it was not a similar use, and a special exception or conditional use zoning hearing would be required.
Haddad said that according to his research, council had the right, with the three-day notice he provided, to convene an immediate hearing and allow a “conditional use” for the property.
Borough solicitor Thomas Harlan agreed with Haddad on that point but recommended to council members that they consider the water requirements of the company.
Berlin said the company would use between 6,000 and 18,000 gallons of water a day. Harlan said the borough’s water system is sensitive and would likely not be able to spare the amount of water demanded by the new company.
Engineering consultant Jeffrey Steckbeck said Harlan was correct about the century-old water system and then suggested the company could have a well dug for most of its water supply. He estimated the cost of the well to be about $20,000.
While Haddad, Berlin and an attorney were discussing the matter outside of the meeting room, Steckbeck, in a discussion with maintenance department officials Dwight Bellman and John Johnson, suggested installation of a large water supply tank to be filled each night, so it would not affect the already low water pressure in the borough’s water system during the day. The tank would supplement the well.
Berlin said he would return to the company with the suggestions, and Harlan and Steckbeck will work on a tentative contractual agreement. A special meeting of the council will likely be held later in the month to give further attention to the matter.
Berlin said the facility is expected to employ 8 to 10 workers, with the majority hired locally.