Centre County’s newest Sheetz is set to open soon. Here’s what else will be built nearby
Years after some of the Harner Farm land was rezoned from rural agricultural use, new developments are popping up around the Ferguson Township area.
Harner Farm is located on West College Avenue and is bisected by West Whitehall Road. What used to be land zoned for rural agricultural use is now zoned for 27.3 acres of general commercial along West College Avenue and 44.1 acres of single-family residential.
In the works are a nearly completed Sheetz, a commercial shopping center and a housing development. It will add to an area that doesn’t have many commercial buildings and has few eateries.
The Harners, who have owned the farm since 1945, decided to downsize their operation to 34 acres of land in 2016. The $5.6 million sale of 71.9 acres to developer Aspen Whitehall Partners was complete on Nov. 16, 2018, according to Centre County real estate records.
The area is right along two major corridors, College Avenue and Whitehall Road in Ferguson Township, Kristina Bassett, community planner for the township, said.
“It is kind of the gateway between more urban State College region and rural Ferguson Township,” Bassett said. It’s right on the edge of the township’s regional growth boundary; she said some fear more development into the agricultural land.
“This is kind of the last place they can develop,” Bassett said. “People shouldn’t worry about places coming in and taking over more ag land.”
The proposal for the Whitehall Road Sheetz states the convenience store will be developed on 5.7 acres of land. The building will be 6,077 square feet and the site will include a car wash.
The Sheetz is planned to open Sept. 29, according to Harry Hammel, public relations and social media supervisor for Planit, Sheetz’s media relations agency of record.
Housing — Orchard View
A 36-unit housing development, Orchard View, is planned for Apple View Drive, a new road installed for the development. Sanitary, water and sewer lines, as well as electricity, have been put in, Bassett said. In August, a groundbreaking was held for a model home. The homes are listed on Trulia in the $500,000 range.
The semi-custom, single-family homes are “green friendly” and available in four base models, according to the website.
Plans were submitted in May to the township by Penn Terra Engineering, Inc. on behalf of the applicant, Aspen Whitehall Partners LLC.
Commercial shopping — Orchard Square
Plans are under review that were submitted to the township in August to propose the construction of a 19,856 square foot commercial shopping center, parking and utilities. The plans call for three stores and 100 parking spaces. The lot is southeast of the Sheetz.
“We don’t know what businesses they’re trying to bring into it yet, it just has three storefronts,” Bassett said. One storefront is 10,000 square feet, another is 6,000 and one is 2,500.
There isn’t a concrete timeline in place for this as of yet, though Bassett said construction could start in 2022. The plans will be under review by the Ferguson Township planning commission and will likely go before the supervisors in October or November, Bassett said.
This story was originally published September 21, 2021 at 4:55 PM.
