In a surprising turn of events, plans for a $6 million agricultural center in Cherry Ridge Township have been put on hold. Wayne County Commissioners cited a lack of support from the local dairy farming community and high costs as primary reasons for shelving the project.
Commissioners Brian Smith and Jocelyn Cramer revealed on Friday that the proposal faced challenges due to the need to construct on leased land and insufficient backing from farmers. As a result, the county will not seek a special use exception for the project from the township. The decision was finalized during Thursday’s commissioners meeting.
Smith elaborated, “At this point in time … [with] the way the economy is, and the money that we have, and what we thought we could accomplish, we’ve reevaluated [the project.] And we’re going to take another look at it. But we did pull our application, and are no longer going to have that located on the same property as the YMCA.”
Initially, the agricultural center was designed to function as a warehouse, pantry, and kitchen to extend the shelf life of farm products. However, plans to build it alongside a new YMCA facility in Wayne County have been halted. The YMCA aims to construct a 38,000-square-foot facility on a 40-acre site, gifted in part by Wayne Memorial Health System.
Project Developments and Community Reactions
The YMCA project continues to undergo conditional use hearings, with the next session planned for January 26. The county’s withdrawal as a co-developer for the agricultural center has been a focal point in these discussions.
Wayne Memorial Health System had agreed to lease part of the land for the agricultural center, but recent decisions have halted these plans. Efforts to confirm the status of this lease with county officials remain unresolved.
Local residents, including attorney Ronald Bugaj, expressed relief at the decision. “This is news to us, and I’m hopeful that they realize … that although the YMCA itself is a very noble project, on that location … the type of project they have planned, it just doesn’t make any sense,” Bugaj stated.
Dennis Cheng, another resident, voiced his support for the commissioners’ decision. He noted concerns about stormwater management and the necessity of leveraging land still owned by Wayne Memorial for effective project completion.
Challenges and Future Considerations
Initial plans for the agricultural center faced financial hurdles, with original design estimates reaching $18 million. Despite attempts to reduce costs, a $6 million proposal was still deemed unfeasible. Cramer emphasized the difficulty of committing to such a significant investment on leased land.
The county also confronted challenges in gaining agricultural community support. A feasibility study from a decade ago suggested potential in soft cheese production, but local interest was minimal. Smith noted, “We’ve not been able to get anybody to take ownership of that project and actually put that in place.”
Despite setbacks, the county remains committed to supporting local agriculture through initiatives like the AgroLegacy program and other community services.
While there are no immediate plans for a meat processing plant, the commissioners did express interest in exploring this option in the future. The need for strategic reevaluation was highlighted as essential for future success.
