Two Traditions of America (TOA) communities for active seniors are located in Hanover Township. Only four homes are left in its newest development on Bridle Path Road. Its 241-home Jaindl Boulevard project has been complete for several years. About 10 of these Jaindl residents massed before Hanover Township Supervisors at their March 22 meeting to complain about the warehouses across the street.

People like Bill Hoffman feel they were misled about the warehouses during a 2012 zoning hearing for dimensional variances for two “flex” buildings, structures that can be used for multiple commercial purposes, on Jaindl Boulevard, directly across the street from the TOA development.

At that time, Project Engineer Kenneth Horvath assured both the zoning hearing board and the public that the visual impact of the $25-million project would be minimal because the land slopes down away from the TOA development. Standing on Jaindl Boulevard, he said the top 10-15 feet of these 38-40-foot high buildings would be visible. From inside the TOA development, only the tops of these buildings would be visible.

“The feeling is that we were really misled,” said Hoffman, who worried that this will diminish property values. He said a prospective buyer would “look to the left, see a massive warehouse and keep on driving by.”

“You were not misled,” Township Manager Jay Finnigan told Hoffman. He explained that the actual height of the buildings is two feet lower than they could be under the approved plans.

Though Hoffman and other residents made clear that they understand that removing these buildings is unrealistic, they asked that measures be taken to reduce the visual impact. Township Engineer Jim Milot assured residents that he would look into the matter and present several suggestions at the next meeting April 12.

TOA’s development along Jaindl Boulevard is surrounded by land slated for eventual commercial development. Developer David Jaindl has previously explained that he actually planned for a residential community next to a planned industrial business district.

“It’s smart growth,” he said in 2012 when the zoning variances were heard. “Live here, work here, shop here.”

One person who never got that message is Richard Brand, of Betsy Ross Circle. He said he and others were assured by TOA that “nothing is planned” when he made his purchase in 2012.

“We were totally misled by TOA,” he insisted. “Hanover is a great place. We love it. But we are being surrounded and our quality of life is deteriorating. We need some help.”

No TOA representatives were on hand to dispute Brand.

Resident Ron Coleman added that idling tractor trailers wake him up at night.

“It’s unreasonable,” he said.

“Our community is up in arms about this,” Hoffman added. Noting that residents pay for their own snow shoveling and street work, he believes the township should try to find a solution. He’s unhappy at existing buffering efforts because it takes trees 20 years to mature.