LANCASTER : City Limits New Housing on 71 Acres

The Lancaster City Council has voted to add 71 acres to an area north of Air Force Plant 42 where the city earlier this month drastically limited new housing construction because of jet noise from the airfield complex.

The council, in a 5-0 vote Monday night, approved a General Plan amendment and zone change for the Harris Homes property at Avenue L and 25th Street East. The company had proposed building a 267-house tract, but will be limited to about 60 houses under the council’s action.

The land was left out of a Dec. 7 council decision limiting development to one or two houses per acre--instead of up to five--on 730 acres north of Plant 42. City officials had wanted time to study how downzoning the Harris Homes property would affect a local tax assessment district. Council members said that even if the zoning did adversely reduce tax revenues, they had no choice but to restrict housing so close to the airfield.