Two major projects are making their way through the land-development process in Lower Oxford Township in 2018.

Lower Oxford Township supervisors recently held a conditional-use hearing regarding G.M. Leader Corp., which is seeking to locate a nursing home on a 12.5-acre parcel at 175 Limestone Road, near the Oxford Commons Shopping Center. Conditional-use approval has been secured, with conditions, and now the project must go through the subdivision and land-development process. As that project continues to move forward, Landhope Farms is looking to open its third convenience store in Chester County, and fourth overall, at the southeast corner of the intersection of Limestone Road (Route 10) and Conner Road.

Because the two projects are large in scope, it will take some time for the plans to be finalized and approved by the township.

The Landhope Farms convenience store will include a gas/diesel station. A traffic study was conducted in 2017, and a traffic light will be installed at the intersection. There will also be improvements to Conner Road.

Coincidentally, both projects are planned for Limestone Road. Once the Landhope and the nursing home are constructed, they will be located only about a half a mile from each other.

The Leader family has been in the business of operating quality retirement services since 1962. It was founded by George M. Leader and Mary Jane Leader. George M. Leader served as Pennsylvania’s governor from 1955 to 1959, and while he was governor the state made strides in promoting safety and personal welfare for residents. The state’s Office of Aging was first established under Gov. Leader, and he and his wife were both interested in helping older adults maintain and enjoy personal independence and the highest possible quality of life. The family currently oversees eleven different retirement communities throughout the state, including locations in Allentown, Bethlehem, Mechanicsburg, Hershey, Lancaster, Wyomissing, and York.

During their most recent meeting on May 14, the Lower Oxford Township Board of Supervisors—Ron Kepler, Joel Brown, and Kevin Martin—handled a full agenda of items, including the opening of sealed bids, addressing some issues raised by residents during public comment, and more.

In his report about the Oxford Regional Planning Committee, Brown discussed how the most recent meeting of the committee focused on some issues related to the opioid epidemic that are impacting the local community. Emergency responders, the State Police, the Oxford Borough Police Department, and others shared information about the opioid epidemic at the meeting. Brown said that a public meeting to discuss the opioid epidemic in the Oxford area might be scheduled for some time later this year.

Supervisor Ron Kepler offered an update about the Oxford Area Sewer Authority's activities. He explained that the sewer authority has finished up a DCED grant application for funding that would be used for the 6th Street pumping station. Additionally, Kepler said, the sewer authority has put on the market two of its properties—the building that it owns in Oxford and the property on Brick Road. The sale of the properties is part of the sewer authority's efforts to pay off about $1.2 million in past-due debt-service payments on a $27 million loan that was used to expand the sewer system.

The supervisors also unanimously appointed Jeremy McKinney to serve as the township's representative on the Oxford Regional Recreational Authority board.

Codes enforcement officer Terri Dugan reported to the board of supervisors that there were six zoning permits in the last month.

The Lower Oxford Township supervisors will hold their next meeting on Monday, June 11.