CHAMBERSBURG – Controversy is brewing over proposed plans to turn the former Scotland School for Veterans Children into a transitional housing facility for unaccompanied immigrant children.
On Tuesday, Franklin County Commissioners said they “have heard from many residents who have concerns” about the proposed plans. They noted, “The county was not involved in the sale of this property, nor does it have any involvement in the operations of its new owners.”
For background, the Scotland School, in southern Franklin County, was established in 1895 as a school for orphans whose fathers were lost in the Civil War. It was administered by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs since 1996. Gov. Ed Rendell forced the school to close in 2009 by eliminating state funding. In 2013, the Winebrenner Theological Seminary purchased the campus, but it has since fallen into disrepair. It has since changed hands, according to reports.
The county commissioners said the proposed plan involves several federal agencies, and all zoning and permitting decisions will fall under the purview of Greene Township.
Green Township supervisors, according to a press release from state Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin) and state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin) have already ruled the proposed use would not be permitted in the property’s existing low-density zoning district.
“Though we have no involvement in the project,” the Franklin commissioners’ statement said, “we do have significant concerns about its impact on our county. While these minors would be housed on the Scotland campus, the influx of support staff — and their families — would be overwhelming for our local communities.”
They cited a current housing shortage in the county and noted Franklin County is the 13th fastest growing in the Commonwealth. They also noted a potential strain on services such as water, sewer, trash collection and broadband. There also may be a strain on schools, child care and both physical and behavioral health, as well as police, fire, EMS and the justice system, they said.
Since the project is federal, they urged those with concerns to contact U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) and John Fetterman (D), along with Rep. John Joyce (R-13).
However, in the meantime, Kauffman and Mastriano were more strident in their opposition.
“We are united in our opposition to illegal immigrants being housed by the federal government contractors in Franklin County,” they said. They applauded what they said was the Greene Township zoning ruling.
“This is our home township,” they said. “Our families live here alongside you and your families…We have offered our full support to the Greene Township supervisors as they move forward to protect Greene Township in this process.”
.
