The state needs to get moving

It sits there idle. It’s been cleaned up and somewhere down the road, the idle property owned by Columbia Borough at Third and Linden streets is expected to become the Turkey Hill Experience.

The inter-active museum, designed something like Hershey’s Chocolate World and a multi-million dollar project for those involved was suppose to open sometime this year, perhaps as early as spring.

Well, as you can see when you drive past it, there is no Turkey Hill Experience, just a neatly cleaned up plot of land with a shell of a building.

So what gives?

At Wednesday’s special meeting of Columbia Borough Council, it was explained that all of the T’s have been crossed and I’s dotted on the borough’s end, that of its broker for the sale, the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, Turkey Hill and Museum Partners, who will purchase the site and develop it.

So, who hasn’t dotted its I’s and crossed its T’s? Apparently the state of Pennsylvania.

At the meeting, council approved extending its deadline with CEDC and Museum Partners until at least, if not before, April 30, to complete the deal. The property was suppose to be settled by the end of the month.

The state or at least the Department of Environmental Protection’s approval is needed because of some soil contamination at the site.

“It is the same problem we have been dealing with since last July,” said Council President Mary Wickenheiser.

The borough has been told the project should get its needed DEP approvals, but, state budget cutbacks at the DEP office, have delayed the approval process.

The approval process is expected to take at least another four weeks, Wickenheiser said.

“We are very frustrated about it,” she said.

“Columbia Borough wants to settle this and sell this property. The developer wants this and Turkey Hill is very anxious because they need to purchase the equipment that goes into the facility,” said Mayor Leo Lutz.

“They are all under the gun and pushing Columbia Borough to entice the state to sign the documents. There is no dragging the feet on this because everyone involved in the process wants to get this done,” Lutz said.