Lancaster Township to subdivide recently purchased Perry Highway property
LANCASTER TWP — The board of supervisors approved a motion during its meeting on Monday, Aug. 17, to authorize the manager to engage a surveyor to start the process of subdividing a property on Perry Highway which the township purchased last year for the purposes of one day turning it into a new municipal campus.
The township purchased the 13-acre parcel from Davina S. Myers and Frank Baric in October 2025 for exactly $1 million. As of August 2026, one of the buildings on Perry Highway is still being utilized by screen-printing business Twisted Ink, which is leasing the space from the township.
According to board of supervisors Vice Chairman Rich Marcotte, the subdivision — if the township follows through with it — could lead to tax savings for the township.
“If we can subdivide part of that parcel, we don't have to pay taxes on it,” Marcotte said. “That's the overriding concept.”
Supervisor Mike Doban — who was telecommuting for Monday’s meeting — added the subdivision might allow the township to sort out the property’s septic situation.
“There are, I believe, three wells on the property and two septic systems,” Doban said. “The idea was that we properly subdivide those properties with the associated well and septic systems.”
Board of supervisors Chairman Greg Kessler said after the meeting the township has no time frame for when it can start work on the new municipal campus.
“We're looking at what grants we have to apply for to fund the project,” Kessler said.
Last year’s transaction did not come without controversy, as many residents strongly criticized the purchase as a reckless use of municipal dollars.
During the public comment portion of Monday night’s meeting, former township Supervisor John Perry criticized the board for the lack of progress on the project over the past year.
“I applaud the township for investing in the future,” Perry said. “I don't applaud the way that the investment was made and I don't applaud the price per acre that we spent, especially knowing how we underestimated what’s going to need to be done on those buildings.”
Marcotte stood firm on the township’s previous stance that the current municipal building on Kings Highway is outdated and in need of replacing soon.
“This facility doesn’t accommodate voting. This facility doesn’t accommodate any of the community needs that people want here in the community,” Marcotte said. “Nothing has changed here. We can’t drink the water. The air conditioning sucks. We don’t have room for the road crew.”
