East Petersburg Local Info

Council Meeting Notes

March 27, 2025 - Committee Meeting & $6700 Pickleball Sound Experiment

The East Petersburg Borough Council Committee revisited the ongoing pickleball noise issue at their monthly meeting on March 27. For those who haven't been following along, here's the quick backstory:

In 2024, residents living near the borough's pickleball courts approached Council members to voice their frustration about several issues linked to the newly installed courts. Complaints included the location of the courts themselves, excessive noise, increased litter in adjacent yards, and a significant decline in their quality of life. According to LancasterOnline, one resident remarked that "the only way to solve the pickleball sound problem is to place acoustic barriers completely around a court." Since these initial complaints surfaced, Public Works Supervisor Jeff Moseman and Borough Manager Karen St. Clair have been actively researching potential solutions to address the noise concerns. At the recent committee meeting, Moseman presented the four products that could possibly help provide some sound relief:

Pickleball courts - by J Schick on EP Watchdog

• Acoustiblok – The premium option, priced around $16,000.

• Rubber World – Another higher-end solution, though slightly less exensive.

• NoiseGard - Another noise reduction option, but nothing that makes it stand out from other products.

• FenceScreen – This was the most budget-friendly option at $6567, which includes all necessary installation equipment and hardware. The company is also offering a 10% discount ($650) along with complimentary shipping.

Moseman's report compared these products by focusing on their price versus claimed decibel noise reduction. Acoustiblok turned out to be the most expensive on a per-decibel basis, at $646 per decibel reduced. FenceScreen offered a far more cost-effective solution, coming in at around $232 per decibel. Council Vice-President Schick and Moseman also pointed out that FenceScreen's material was notably thicker than the others, suggesting it might provide better overall noise mitigation.

However, Councilman Adam Gochnauer expressed some reservations and reminded attendees that earlier conversations revealed the primary annoyance wasn’t necessarily volume, but rather the repetitive "ting ting" sound of pickleball play. This point was supported by a resident whose property directly borders the park, close to the courts. Gochnauer emphasized, "I think it needs to be understood before we spend any kind of money that both sides need to realize this is a good intent and doing what we can to help, but it is not going to just make the sound go away." Other community members asked if FenceScreen provided references from past installations, and Moseman promised to follow up on that question.

Product appearance - from Fencescreen.com

Interestingly, the resident initially quoted by LancasterOnline in November 2024, advocating for full acoustic barriers, had shifted her stance. She stated clearly, "there’s no real solution to this except how far homes are from the courts." She instead proposed swapping the locations of the tennis and pickleball courts, suggesting this would be more effective than investing in sound barriers, which she felt "is not gonna make one bit of difference." Council President Debra Miller sought clarification from this resident on whether she no longer supported the sound barriers, to which she replied, "I don’t think it’s gonna change much." The discussion expanded to cover the cost implications of moving the courts, with Moseman estimating the project would run at least $38,000. Additionally, residents suggested adjusting the permitted pickleball playing hours as another possible approach to reduce noise disturbances.

Quote from nearby resident in Nov. 2024 to LNP

Moving forward with efforts to reach a resolution, Miller requested each Council member's perspective on two key points: their proposed pickleball operating hours and their position regarding the FenceScreen sound barriers. Responses were as follows:

• Will Sharp: 7am-9pm and for screening

• Randy Rannels: 7am-8pm and for installing screening

• John Herr: 7am-8pm and for screening

• John Schick: 7am-9pm and for screening

• Debra Miller: 7am-9pm, but against screening

• Adam Gochnauer: 7am-9pm, for screening

• Sandra Valdez: 7am-9pm, for screening

No action was taken at this meeting on the issue.

Graystone Road Tennis Court Removal

Moseman presented two options to Council regarding the removal of the tennis courts on Graystone Road. The first option is to remove all fencing and tennis court items, then re-asphalt the area for about $400. The second option would be to take everything out, purchase topsoil, and plant grass at a cost of $6890. Council discussed turning the area into some green space with native plants that is low maintenance, rather than an asphalt slab. Moseman agreed that they could do something like that where Public Works would only have to mow the area 1-2 times per year, at most.

Overhead view of the tennis court location - from Google Maps

Other Meeting Notes

EMS - Life Lion EMS submitted a report outlining their response activity over the past year. Out of 441 EMS calls made within East Petersburg, Life Lion responded to 292. During the meeting, both Borough Council members and residents questioned how many of the remaining calls should have been handled by Life Lion but weren’t. It was discussed the importance of Life Lion having adequate coverage to prevent responses by services Municipal EMS Authority, which has been known to sue municipalities over mutual aid arrangements.

County Drug Task Force - The Drug Task Force is requested an annual donation for $4,573 this year, which is the same amount as last year.

Graystone & Main Traffic Signal Improvement - The bulk of the utility work will be completed in 2025, and the contractor will begin the final construction in early 2026. The date of construction slipped due to PennDOT providing the utilities a year to finish their work.

February 27, 2025 - Special Council Meeting for Pine Street Project

There were few empty seats at the February 27 special meeting concerning potential traffic flow adjustments on the 5900 block of Pine Street. With a water main replacement and repaving project on the horizon, Borough Council opened the listening session to residents, allowing them to voice concerns and ask questions before any official action was taken.

For years, the 5900 block of Pine Street, between State Street and New Street, has been a source of frustration and debate among residents and Borough Council members. The issue resurfaced between late 2022 and early 2023 when Councilmember Gochnauer urged fellow Councilmembers to consider safety improvements in conjunction with the upcoming water main project. One proposal involved converting this section of Pine Street to one-way southbound traffic to preserve on-street parking. With the project near the implementation phase, Council recognized that any traffic-related decisions needed to be made soon, as changes to borough ordinances take time to implement.

One of the most-attended Boro meetings in years, perhaps since the police department change

What Do Residents Really Want?

Since 2023, two informal surveys have gauged resident sentiment on the issue. Early that year, Councilmember John Herr, himself a Pine Street resident, reported that most of his neighbors supported making the street one-way southbound. Supporters cited benefits such as maintaining on-street parking, improving emergency vehicle access, and easing winter snow plowing.

2023 informal survey and subsequent Council discussion

However, by early 2025, Councilmember Will Sharp, another Pine Street resident, presented a starkly different perspective. At the February 4 Borough Council meeting, he claimed that a more recent survey, conducted by both him and Herr, indicated that nearly all residents now opposed the one-way proposal. This contradiction fueled skepticism among many in attendance at the meeting at how the proposal was being presented to the public, prompting requests for a public meeting to clarify the issue.

Approximately 30-35 residents attended the special meeting, many arriving visibly tense, some even hostile. However, it soon became clear that uncertainty was the main driver of their frustration. Some feared that Borough Council had already made up its mind, citing misleading social media posts. Others wanted to express their opposition to any change or simply sought clarity on how potential adjustments would impact their daily routines.

Community Concerns

To set the record straight, Zoning Officer Michael Bingham outlined three primary options for consideration:

1. Maintain the current traffic pattern – While the simplest solution, Bingham warned that ignoring a known safety issue could expose the Borough to legal liability in the event of an accident.

2. Convert Pine Street to one-way southbound – This change could improve traffic flow and ease congestion at the busy Pine & State intersection.

3. Restrict on-street parking on at least one side – This would preserve two-way traffic but at the expense of making parking more difficult for residents, especially those who don’t have driveways.

Bingham and Council members assured attendees that no decision had been made, and that community input was a critical part of the process.

East Pete Zoning Officer, Michael Bingham, P.E. - from LinkedIn

Residents voiced a variety of concerns about both the current conditions on Pine Street and the potential changes being considered.

• Many pointed to the difficulty of navigating the narrow street when cars are parked on both sides, particularly in winter when snow piles further restrict space.

• Some worried that making the street one-way would only encourage speeding, as drivers would no longer have to slow down for oncoming traffic.

• Parking was another major concern as many residents do not have off-street parking, and any change that could reduce available spaces would create significant hardship.

Additionally, some residents felt that the discussion had unnecessarily focused on the entire 5900 block rather than addressing the specific issue of sightlines at the Pine & State intersection. However, since State Street (Route 772) is controlled by PennDOT, rather than the Borough, implementing intersection changes would be a complicated process according to Schick and Bingham. Suggestions such as restricting left turns or straight-through travel from Pine onto State were met with mixed reactions, as some argued that traffic laws in town were often treated as "suggestions" rather than strict regulations.

Pine Street facing north at State Street

East Petersburg FD Chief Rohrer expressed concerns that making Pine Street one-way could delay emergency response times. Currently, 12 first responders use Pine Street to travel north to the fire station. If the street became one-way southbound, they would be forced to take a longer detour via Reeves Road and then turn left onto State Street, a maneuver complicated by heavy traffic. Further delays could arise from congestion at the Pine & State intersection during rush hours.

Ultimately, the prevailing sentiment was that while change might be necessary, any solution needed to take the needs and daily realities of Pine Street residents into account.

Impact on First Responder route to EPFD if Pine St. becomes one-way

Beyond Opinions - The Traffic Study Speaks

While much of the special meeting focused on personal experiences and opinions, a traffic study conducted from November 7-12, 2024, provided hard data about how much traffic Pine Street sees, when it peaks, and how fast vehicles are traveling. The results offer a clearer picture of the concerns residents have been raising for years. Link to traffic study report.

Note: Some of these statistics were discussed at the meeting. This section reviews the traffic study, provides the documents for review, a dives into the data.

Study Setup

To gather objective data, an automatic traffic recorder (tube counter) was placed along Pine Street, approximately 140 feet south of Center Street. The recorder was active for seven days, measuring traffic volume, vehicle speeds, and vehicle classifications in both northbound (NB) and southbound (SB) directions. The results confirmed what many residents have long said: Pine Street is a busy cut-through, especially during peak commuting hours.

Location of speed study equipment

Traffic Volume Trends

Over the course of seven days, 1,981 vehicles passed through the monitored location, painting a clear picture of the area's daily traffic flow. While weekday traffic dominated the volume, weekend numbers dipped significantly, showing that this street caters primarily to work-related travel rather than personal, leisure, or retail-driven movement.

Tuesday emerged as the busiest day of the week, counting 468 vehicles, and should come as no surprise to locals. Roots Market, a well-known family-run farmers' market and auction house just north of East Petersburg, has long been a magnet for both locals and out-of-state visitors. Open exclusively on Tuesdays, the market draws heavy traffic as people flock to purchase fresh produce, meats, baked goods, and handcrafted items. The influx of shoppers contributes to the sharp rise in Tuesday traffic, differing from the otherwise commuter-driven volume patterns.

Total vehicle volume by day and direction for one week

Northbound vs. Southbound: Who’s on the Move?

A closer examination of the data shows that southbound traffic slightly outweighs northbound, making up 54.6% of the total weekly volume. However, this percentage alone doesn’t tell the full story, understanding peak hour traffic patterns is key. Peak hour traffic is determined by breaking volume into 15-minute intervals, with four consecutive intervals equaling one hour. The highest consecutive four-interval period during the morning (6am – 9am) and evening (3pm – 6pm) rush hours is used to identify the peak hour, which can vary from day to day. The table below provides an example of how these calculations are made.

In this example, we’ve made up some numbers to determine the peak hour traffic volume during the Monday morning rush period. Each column represents 15-minute intervals, and the vehicle counts by travel direction are listed beneath. For northbound traffic, the peak hour is 7:15am – 8:15am, whereas southbound traffic’s peak hour is slightly earlier, from 7:00am – 8:00am.

Peak hour sample data table

During the morning rush, the heaviest traffic flows southbound every day except Tuesday, reflecting a pattern of commuters passing through East Petersburg on their way to larger metropolitan areas for work. This peak period also coincides with heavy pedestrian activity, as families wait with children for school buses and commuters pull out of driveways and parking spaces, adding to the congestion.

While it would be logical to assume that peak evening traffic moves northbound on Pine Street, in reality, much of it does not. The cut-through primarily benefits drivers stuck on westbound State Street trying to avoid the traffic light at the square. Without a dedicated left-turn signal at the intersection, westbound vehicles waiting to turn left often cause backups, pushing drivers to seek alternative routes like Pine, Geneva, and Reeves. Meanwhile, eastbound State Street traffic benefits from a short, dedicated left-turn arrow, which helps ease some congestion on that side of the square.

The Need for Speed

The average speed for northbound vehicles was 18 mph, while southbound vehicles averaged 20 mph. However, a key metric in the study was the 85th percentile speed, which was found to be 25 mph for northbound traffic and 26 mph for southbound traffic.

The 85th percentile speed is a standard measure in traffic engineering used to determine the speed at which most drivers travel under normal conditions. In simple terms, it represents the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles are moving. This is important because it reflects the natural flow of traffic and is often used to set speed limits and evaluate road safety. For example, if the 85th percentile speed is 25 mph, it means that 85% of drivers are traveling at 25 mph or slower, while the remaining 15% are exceeding that speed. This threshold helps traffic planners assess whether speeding is a widespread issue and whether additional enforcement or road design changes are necessary.

Average speed overall, by direction of travel

According to the study, a notable percentage of vehicles exceeded 25 mph, with 15.7% of northbound and 18.8% of southbound traffic surpassing this speed. These figures indicate that while most drivers adhere to reasonable speeds, a significant minority are traveling at higher speeds, which could be a factor in traffic safety considerations for the area.

Statistics and Reality

For years, East Petersburg residents have voiced concerns about speeding on Pine Street. And the numbers confirm there’s truth to their worries, at least to an extent. While nearly one in five drivers exceeded the 25 mph limit, the 85th percentile speeds suggest that most drivers are moving at reasonable rates for the area. In other words, the perception of rampant speeding doesn’t quite match the data. But, reality is more nuanced than flat numbers. To understand the real impact of speed and volume, let’s break it down.

Tuesday, the busiest day of the week, accounted for nearly a quarter of all traffic (24%). During the study, peak-hour volume reached 60 vehicles in both directions, averaging one car per minute passing through the 5900 block of Pine Street. (Note: the peak hour may not always be the same for both directions. For simplicity, we will assume it is the same in this scenario). Now, let’s factor in speed. On average, 17% of drivers were over the speed limit. That means during the morning peak hour, every sixth vehicle, or roughly ten cars, was speeding to some degree.

Now that we have the statistics, the next step is understanding what they mean for the everyday reality of life on Pine Street. The morning rush isn’t just a time of high traffic volume, it’s also when residents are stepping out to start their day, getting into their cars, backing or pulling out into traffic, and walking to bus stops. The Hempfield School District calendar confirms school was in session for all weekdays during the study, meaning children were waiting for buses and, in some cases, crossing the street. Now, picture a narrow road where drivers must slow down when encountering oncoming traffic, commuters are pulling out of driveways, and schoolchildren are clustered at corners, all while one vehicle per minute moves through, with a speeder appearing every five to six minutes.

Pine St, facing south. There are two bus stops on the 5900 block of Pine, including at this intersection.

What if Pine Street Becomes a One-Way Street?

The most immediate benefit would be a significant drop in traffic volume, by about 45%, or roughly 900 fewer cars per week. What about the possibility of southbound traffic increasing? It’s a fair question, but the numbers suggest otherwise. While it’s reasonable to expect some redistribution of vehicles heading south, no peer-reviewed studies or government data support Councilmember Sharp’s previous claim that converting Pine Street to one-way would actually increase overall traffic. The idea that fewer available routes would somehow result in more cars defies both logic and evidence. Instead, the expected outcome is a net decrease in volume, about 45% fewer vehicles (900 vehicles), shifting the conversation away from sheer numbers and toward the real tradeoff: speed.

Caution on conversion to one-way street - from U.S. Dept. of Transportation

One-way streets are known to encourage faster driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation warns that while converting a two-way street to one-way can reduce pedestrian crashes, “one-way streets tend to have higher speeds, which creates new problems.” If Pine Street follows that pattern, an increase in speeding is almost guaranteed. A modest 10% rise would mean that instead of six speeders per hour during the morning rush, there would be eight, nearly one every four minutes. And that’s just the frequency. The real concern is whether a wider, uninterrupted travel lane would cause drivers not just to speed more often, but to push even higher speeds.

Then there’s the question of what kind of vehicles would be speeding. The traffic study found that 28% of Pine Street’s vehicles were larger two-axle models such as pickup trucks, vans, and campers. Bigger and heavier vehicles at higher speeds mean greater stopping distances and more severe impacts in the event of a crash.

Would making Pine Street one-way solve more problems than it creates?

Or would it simply swap one set of risks for another?

A Bumpy Road Ahead

After years of debate, two conflicting surveys, and a flood of residents’ concerns, the future of Pine Street remains uncertain. The February 27 meeting may have clarified some facts, but it didn’t settle the underlying tensions between safety, convenience, and neighborhood character. Residents voiced frustration over congestion, parking struggles, and impacts to emergency response times, while the traffic study provided hard numbers that both confirmed and challenged assumptions about volume and speed.

Borough Council now faces a difficult decision, one that won’t satisfy everyone. Keeping two-way traffic preserves flexibility but does nothing to address longstanding safety concerns. A one-way conversion might improve flow but risks encouraging faster speeds and creating new problems. Restricting parking would widen the street but at the cost of making daily life more difficult for those without driveways. There’s no perfect solution, only trade-offs, and they’ll need to be weighed carefully.

What happens next is strongly influenced by the people who live here. This isn’t just a bureaucratic decision to be made behind closed doors, it’s a collaborative process that will shape how Pine Street functions for years to come. Residents have already shown up in force to voice their concerns, and that momentum can’t stop. When the time comes for a final vote, the community must be just as present and committed to making sure their street reflects their perspectives and experiences.

Next public meeting: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 @ 7pm - Borough Council meeting.

A Firsthand View of the Impacted Area

For those who may not be familiar with Pine Street or wish to navigate it, I did a walk-through of the 5900 block. Here's some images to help give a view of the street and intersection setup. Please note - weekday mornings and evenings, this street is packed with parked vehicles. These images are from a Saturday afternoon.

Facing north on Pine Street (from left to right):

1. Pine & New - facing north in the travel lane

2. Pine St north on sidewalk near the curve

3. Pine St north in the travel lane near the curve

4. Pine St north approaching State

In a vehicle on Pine St (northbound), waiting to turn left onto State St (from left to right):

1. On Pine at State - facing east in a vehicle waiting to turn left

2. On Pine at State - facing east in a vehicle waiting to turn left, but moved up a few feet

3. On Pine at State - facing east until I can fully see westbound traffic

4. Notice how far into the travel lane I must sit to get a decent view of traffic to my right

Standing at Pine & State intersection (from left to right):

1. Pine & State - facing east

2. Pine & State - facing west towards the square

3. Pine & State - facing southwest

February 4, 2025 - Council Meeting

Nicely attended meeting, at least a dozen citizens in attendance!

• Public - A resident from Geneva Dr. thanked Public Works for their job well done on the roads with this latest winter event. He also inquired about the status of the Pickleball court sound mitigation. Borough Manager St. Clair advised that she would have more information towards the end of March.

• Events Committee - Kristen Troop, head of the East Petersburg Events Committee, outlined the group's plans for the upcoming year, highlighting some changes to the community’s event lineup. The annual spring Vagabonds car show, traditionally hosted at the local park, will no longer take place in East Petersburg. The Vagabonds have relocated their show to Landisville. In its place, the committee has scheduled a Bingo fundraiser in partnership with the local fire department on April 12. Additionally, East Petersburg Days, set for September 16-20, 2025, will feature a new carnival provider. The newly contracted group is the same company that operates the rides at the Ephrata Fair. For more information on local events, visit the East Petersburg Events website.

Overview of 2024 police stats in East Petersburg

• Police (NLCRPD) - Chief Kilgore provided the department's 2024 annual review in great detail and answered questions from the public. He confirmed that there are no full-time positions that are federally funded by grants, which could be potentially be impacted by federal grant terminations. The chief was asked to provide Regional's policy on encounters with illegal aliens. The police department will notify their respective ICE office when coming into contact with these individuals.

• Council VP Schick asked about any potential officers being dedicated to Commercial Vehicle Enforcement. Kilgore stated that it requires a lot of time for at least one individual to have that operation running. Then, for that officer to stay certified, they need to perform 30-something inspections per year. Currently, Manheim Boro PD and Manheim Township PD have commercial vehicle officers and will often ask to perform inspections in our local area so they can stay certified. It's not out of the question, per the Chief, but it doesn't sound like it would happen anytime soon.

• Kilgore shared that the department will be pursuing funding for technology that can significantly save time and money when it comes to collecting traffic data. UrbanSDK is software that can rapidly assess traffic conditions in almost real-time by capturing data from your vehicle. According to the Chief, newer vehicles (2020+) have a chip that contains information about speed, location, travel time between vehicles, etc. He said that there are restrictions on its use, and identifiable information such as vehicle make and model, does not get captured. By using this technology, the police can conduct speed and traffic studies with much less manpower and time.

• Pine Street & Potential to become a one-way street - This is all at the discussion stage and no final decisions have been made. Essentially what some on Council want to investigate is potentially making Pine Street a southbound one-way street, from State Street to New Street in preparation for the future water main and road replacement.

  • Within the past 2 years this discussion began, and Councilman Herr reported that he visited the residents that would potentially be impacted. At the time, resident response was neutral, with nearly a 50/50 split being for or against the proposal.

  • In recent weeks, Sharp and Herr who both live on Pine Street and would be directly affected by the change, reported that they visited everyone again. This time, almost everybody was against the proposal. Neither shared how they framed their questions to their neighbors though, so a few citizens requested that a special meeting be held to hear directly from the public.

  • The special meeting will take place before the regularly scheduled monthly Committee meeting on Thursday, February 27, 2025 @ 6pm.