HARRIS TOWNSHIP — A request for a new church development to receive public sewer service received initial approval this week, inspiring a bigger-picture discussion about growth in the township and the region.
Calvary Baptist Church maintains a site called Harvest Fields south of U.S. Route 322 and the Boalsburg Technology Park, more than 100 acres that contain several buildings, but mostly open space and forest. For several years, the church has planned an expansion on part of that property, described in three phases during a meeting Wednesday by PennTerra Engineering President John Sepp.
Some supervisors were, at first, alarmed to see an 86,000-square-foot project, but Sepp said that’s total build-out. The first phase of construction, including a worship space, chapel, and child care facilities, would total 26,000 square feet.
The church would not move all activities to the site; it operates at the main church on University Drive, and holds services in Grays Woods, Warriors Mark and State College Area High School.
“You hear 80,000 square feet, and I know the first thing you think about is Home Depot,” Sepp said. “It’s not going to be a box. It’s going to be a very pleasing, architectural building.”
The meeting Wednesday was to discuss the church’s request to extend the public sewer line to its site. It sits outside the Centre Region’s sewer service area and previously determined growth boundary. The sewer line sits about 300 feet from the site and the church’s access road is within the sewer service area. To gain access to public sewer, Calvary must receive unanimous approval from the six Centre Region municipalities, based on an agreement to consider all such requests related to regional growth.
The Council of Governments will receive the request next month, after Harris supervisors unanimously gave the go-ahead Wednesday to move it on.
The request must stand up to multiple reviews before Calvary could hook into public sewer. However, it will use an on-lot sewage system, which already has Harris board approval, if the request is denied. Sepp said such a system, the type currently allowed on developments outside the sewer area and growth boundary, would support the project.
Sepp said he always recommends using public sewer, and assured the board it will not lose “one cow, one ear of corn, one lettuce leaf” in the process. The site sits in agricultural and forest zones.
Supervisors Bud Graham and Nigel Wilson said the plan makes sense and that the church should be able to hook up. However, Wilson and members of the Planning Commission urged the township to discuss greater growth issues.
Bob Igo, planning chairman, said the township should encourage growth, but not sprawl, and further discuss in which areas the township wants to develop. He said the process of approving sewer service area expansions is impulsive and not planned.
“We need to be taking a long-term perspective on this,” he said. “What is the economic impact? If this is approved, what is the next step? I’m not disagreeing with what they want, the concept, I’m just asking that we develop a long-range plan.”
