Relocation of Freight Yard Revisited

The June 21st New Era headline aptly described the reaction at Thursday's public gathering of those most affected by the choice of re-location of the Norfolk-Southern freight yard as "skeptical."

Mark Whallon, a member of TRRAAC, an organization consisting largely of those most impacted, made a halting presentation at the meeting but clearly set forth his concerns in a letter published in today's Intelligencer Journal entitled "F&M misstatements."

He criticizes:

1) Franklin & Marshall vice president Keith Orris twice referring to the project as eliminating 55,000 truck trips which currently do not exist (but might in the future if the rail yard is not relocated);

2) F&M for implying that cars stored in the new area would be empty which was refuted by the Norfolk-Southern train master; and

3) The claim by F&M that they would be removing the community dump, because the portion on the other side of Conestoga Creek is to remain.

He comments "F&M President John Fry suggested, in relation to property-value questions, that our neighborhoods are better off with a rail yard in place of a dump. How considerate of him. It would appear we are now to have both."

Whallon most importantly states: "One begins to wonder what other misstatements or half-truths may be floating around this project, such as presenting averages for noise levels rather than maximum levels that will be heard."

It is this last point that most resonates with NewsLanc. There is no way that a group of a dozen or so neighbors, unless one or more happens to be a fabulously wealthy, can afford to vet the statistics and plans that have been developed over five years by specialists at a cost of millions.

And while relocation of a rail yard might seem to be a most improbable task, it is actually simpler than other major projects because it does not go through a normal governmental vetting, since railroads are exempt from local zoning and regulations.

So the alternative approaches proposed by TRRAAC will not be subject to review and approval by the township or county.

To some, it was Quixotic for neighbors to try to alter the juggernaut of a program backed by F&M, Lancaster General Hospital and Norfolk-Southern. But to the extent that TRRAAC has brought the important matter to the public's attention and challenged basic assumptions, it made it more likely that F&M, LGH and N-S will live up to the commitments made at the public meeting and, should future circumstances prove them wrong, will endeavor to make good on their promises.

And the controversy has spurred the creation of a formal greater School Lane Hills neighborhood association with scores of members.

Democracy doesn't guarantee the best possible outcomes. But over the long run, an informed public will tend to make better decisions.