Monday Night

Greetings Pray-ers!

On Monday night, December 13th, I attended the Akron Borough Council meeting to see that our request for an extension on the approval of H*VMI’s Land Development Plan be moved to January. I was there both to be certain the extension was granted, and also to communicate with Council the reasons for our request to delay the approval from December to January.

The following is a summary of what I shared with Council members:

• H*VMI met with Borough Staff on December 1st.

• At that meeting we discussed the two remaining issues. Although H*VMI has repeatedly offered solutions or explanations for both issues, they are not yet resolved. (Today, we are, again, submitting a revised Plan, including documents to address both of the remaining issues based on those discussions with borough staff/engineers.)

• At the December 13th meeting, we also included information about the reasons WHY H*VMI designed the site the way we did, particularly the ADA accessibility-related aspects that are not readily apparent to the average viewer. One of the remaining issues is Storm Water Management. If the review/interpretation of our documents is done a certain way, H*VMI could be pressed to make drastic changes to the layout, negatively affecting the plan as a whole and diminishing the effectiveness. To avoid that, I clearly laid out the need to keep the plan design the same and the reasons the current design, related to storm water, meets the Ordinance requirements.

PLEASE PRAY ahead of the January meetings. Currently they are scheduled for January 6th (Planning Commission) and January 10th (Borough Council). We will give specific requests for prayer as those meetings approach.

Thank you!

Déjà Vu

The Akron Borough Planning Commission meeting which was scheduled for tonight, December 1st, has been cancelled. I know that feels like déjà vu to you as it does to us, especially since we just had to cancel our appearance at the November 22nd Borough Work Session. All of this has been very difficult and unpredictable. We are coming down to the end, the decision from Council on whether or not they will approve our Land Development Plan. In the final moments it seems some unexpected things are coming up.

The H*VMI Team did meet with Akron Borough Staff this morning in anticipation of the Planning Commission meeting scheduled for tonight – the one now cancelled. In that discussion H*VMI was asked for additional details  and the bottom line of the matter is that, based on new information learned in that discussion, H*VMI feels we must go through this final step before requesting a decision from the Council on the approval of our Plan. This means we will delay action on our plan until January. We will communicate more details as we have them.

I’ll share some verses that are encouraging me especially at this time. They were shared with me earlier today by an H*VMI Board Member in response to the news of today’s change:

Lamentations 3:25-26

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.

 Keep Praying God is still working! Just because we don’t understand it doesn’t mean He isn’t at work!

Results of November 22nd Meeting

It was the meeting that WASN’T….. H*VMI’s team was prepared to attend an Akron Borough Council Work Session meeting on November 22nd and asked for prayer. THANK YOU to all who prayed. H*VMI’s plan for the meeting was to discuss the final two major outstanding issues on the plan, both relating to storm water planning.

The first related to storm water credits. We found out late last week, that this is an issue that is very close to being resolved. We are simply waiting on a test to come back and the official comments to be adjusted. The second issue relates to aspects of the storm water design. This has been a longstanding issue. We had hoped to discuss our most recent submission which contained a possible solution. In the hours prior to the meeting on Monday, we heard from the Borough that discussing that item was not on the agenda and that the council had not been informed of our proposed solution. We decided, for those reasons, we would not attend. We found out later that the meeting was cancelled at the last minute! 

Next steps:

1. Meet with Borough Staff about the solution H*VMI proposed. December 1st, 2021

2. Attend the Planning Commission Meeting. The date was originally December 2nd but now is TBD based on the Borough’s need to reschedule.

3. Attend the Akron Borough Council meeting, scheduled for December 13th. 

Keep praying – God is in Control!

Land Development Plan

The last you read, H*VMI was anticipating approval in Spring 2021. H*VMI was submitting a revised plan set to Akron Borough for review. That second review was submitted in February, and a response from Akron was received in March 2021. In that review, it became obvious that the borough and H*VMI disagreed on the approach to the Storm Water Plan. We have met and communicated repeatedly with Akron Borough staff and engineers trying to work on this issue. A third full plan set was submitted in July 2021 with response coming in late August. Since that time, H*VMI has met with Borough staff again to get to the bottom of the issue. Last night (November 8th), H*VMI attended a council meeting to briefly present a plan for moving ahead as well as to extend consideration for the Land Development Plan until December 13th. The extension was unanimously approved, and we are hopeful for the plan we presented to be accepted and to make substantial progress in the next two weeks. We hope to attend another meeting on November 22nd.

Pray for H*VMI as we work with Borough Staff these next weeks. Specifically pray for meetings on November 22nd and December 13th. Thank you!

Approval on the horizon?

Last month we PRAISED the Lord for the approval of four of our waivers. We are so grateful for this, as some of them, had they not been approved, would have increased the cost of the project by large numbers. We anticipated being back at the Planning Commission meeting on February 4th and the Borough Council meeting on the following Monday, February 8th.

However, In the days leading up to the meeting, the Borough reached out to H*VMI and informed us that no more waivers would be considered prior to reviewing the full set of revised plans. Since receiving the initial comments from various borough authorized entities (Solicitor, Zoning Officer and Engineer), H*VMI has met with them to discuss the comments and potential adjustments that are needed.

H*VMI’s Engineer and Property Team have been working hard to address these comments and make the necessary plan changes. Later this month we will be re-submitting the plan for review by the borough. PRAY for that time, that the 2nd review is positive and leads to approval.

Thank you to everyone for praying and asking for more updates. God is providing and has H*VMI’s today and tomorrow in His hands.

The Latest - January 2021

It’s 2021! H*VMI is blessed to welcome the new year with you. We are writing to inform you about some progress in the Property Project. In our latest Spotlight Newsletter, you may have noticed a new box “checked!” Land Development Plan Submission. This was accomplished on November 19, 2020. We have been waiting to have meetings with the local Planning Commissions, both County and Borough.

We need your prayers! Unfortunately, however, we cannot have your attendance. Many of our supporters have come to previous meetings to speak in favor of our project and the ministry in general. This has been an extremely valuable part of the process and has been a HUGE blessing to us as a ministry. However, this isn’t possible for these upcoming meetings. On top of social distancing and group meeting limitations, these are really “nuts and bolts” meetings where H*VMI’s plan is checked against the state and local guidelines for things like Storm Water Management and other development requirements.

The first three meetings went very well. We went before the Akron Planning Commission on January 7th. On January 11th we saw the Lancaster County Planning Commission and the Akron Borough Council. Through those meetings we received comments from the county, borough, borough engineer and borough solicitor. We have been reviewing those comments and will revisit the Planning Commission on February 4th. Please pray for that meeting as well as the next Akron Borough Council Meeting on February 8th.

We are moving toward approval, hoping for early March. Even after the local approval is received, we still need to get all the pieces for the plan together. Some of the outside approvals (PennDot, DEP and others) will take time beyond the local process. Pray that we can stay on track to be breaking ground by Spring.

PLEASE Pray:

• For future meeting dates: February 4th and February 8th

• That our plan adjustments are seen favorably by Akron Borough Council and we receive timely approval.

• That the process keeps moving forward toward a spring groundbreaking.

March 9th Decision on Conditional Use Hearing

The request to move the driveway has been approved! We are praising the Lord for His provision for us in this process. He has shown Himself so faithful throughout this entire journey.

Next steps are to secure a Highway Occupancy Permit from PennDot and to submit our Land Development Plan for review and approval. Please pray for us as we move quickly in these directions.

Results of February 10th Council Meeting

H*VMI had a property meeting last night with the Borough Council of Akron, PA. There were two items on the docket that required two separate processes. First, the request to move the driveway required a Conditional Use Hearing. We specifically were requesting to remove a condition that restricted the location of the driveway. Second, the request related to having two road signs to identify the property at H*VMI’s Ministry Center. The zoning ordinance that governs our property’s R-1 status only allowed for signs that were two square feet in size. Obviously signs larger than that are needed to properly identify the property.

The meeting last night went well overall. The Conditional Use Hearing went smoothly. Testimony from H*VMI’s team was corroborated by the Borough’s engineer and attorney. The driveway’s new location is safe, has adequate sight lines and meets all zoning requirements. There were about 30 residents at the meeting. Special thanks to each one who took the time to come out to support H*VMI. A few residents had questions related to traffic, but there was also a resident of Akron who stood and testified to our benefit when it came to traffic and made other positive remarks. The decision for the Conditional Use Hearing was delayed until March 9th. This was expected and typical in a Conditional Use Hearing scenario.

The request about signs was a Text Amendment proceeding and went much faster. No negative remarks and the vote to approve came unanimously at the end of our time at the meeting. We are now able to erect two adequately sized road signs at our entrances to identify the property as a part of the development.

Please PRAISE the Lord with us for the passing of the Text Amendment and for the great presentations that were given. Also please PRAY with us for March 9th. That is when the Borough Council will vote on a decision and present it to H*VMI. Pray for a unanimously positive vote to allow us to move the driveway. Thank you for all your prayers and support.

You prayed... and God said...

Last night was H*VMI’s appearance with the Akron Planning Commission. Thank you so much for praying for us as we presented our need for a changes in the plan for the new H*VMI Property in Akron. The change being presented was focused on the location of the driveway. After our presentation and some questions back and forth between H*VMI and the Planning Commission (PC), they voted unanimously to positively recommend this change to the Borough Council.

Then, after the vote, the PC asked about our text amendment related to allowing H*VMI to have signs identifying the property and the two different entrances. We had submitted it to them, but we were not sure whether they were going to discuss it tonight or wait until the February 10th Conditional Use Hearing. The discussion on that item was positive and some slight adjustments were recommended - nothing that hinders our ability to have the signage we need. The meeting ended with another unanimous vote of approval to positively recommend the text amendment to Borough Council.

Praise the Lord for going before us - and for each Council Member who asked questions and voted on the motions last night. God is good, ALL the time!

Don't Stop Praying!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! You received the postcard, read the update on Facebook or on this blog pertaining to the January 2nd and January 13th meetings with the local authorities. I was hopeful to be writing an update for you regarding how the meeting went this week, but God had different plans. The dates of the meetings have been changed. We found out about these changes this week and are eager to communicate them with you. The January 2nd meeting with the Akron Planning Commission has been moved to January 9th. The January 13th Conditional Use Hearing has been moved to February 10th. We are disappointed with the extra delay of the Conditional Use Hearing, but the timing is not in our hands, it is in the Lord's. We trust and rely on Him completely through this project. Thank you for praying. Please keep it up! Be looking on this page for updates about the two meetings.

Waiting...

When H*VMI decided to pursue the ownership and development of a property, we were unaware that we were starting a marathon. The time-line we were praying for has not turned out the way we thought. The most important word here is “we.” We are human. God is not, and He is not surprised. God knew exactly how this process would go and He will use it for His glory throughout.

Over the summer we were in the final stages of our Land Development Plan. Through that process we discovered that the topography of the land and the building designs make it necessary to move the location of the driveway entrance. However, one of the conditions in the already approved Conditional Use Plan (see Previous Plan) indicates where the driveway would be located. Our New Plan shows the new driveway location.

In order for the Land Development Plan to be approved, we must request that this condition in the Conditional Use Plan be changed/removed. That means we need to go through the Conditional Use hearings process again. Once that condition is changed/removed, we can move forward with the Land Development Plan.

There is no undo button, no legal eraser, even for something as simple as changing a driveway location. We could not have been aware of the need for this change prior to the detailed level of planning that takes place in this near final approval phase. Unfortunately, this defers our time-line by at least three or four months. This is how long the Conditional Use process takes.

We're Digging!

Even though the ground is being broken, this is not The Ground Breaking. However, we are checking off another major step in the process of completing our Land Development Plan. Part of this final plan is Storm Water Management. According to the local ordinances, we need to plan for how we will handle storm water as it comes onto the property. This requires us to test the soil’s infiltration properties. There are scientific studies that have lots of detail that we don’t need to go into here. The basics are that we are digging 8-10 holes at different locations throughout the property and doing some absorption type testing. This will help the engineers determine how much storm water each area can handle. Pray as the details from the test are used to finalize the Land Development Plan. Praise the Lord with us for this exciting step!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

APPROVED!

APPROVED! That is the abridged version of the story entitled, “The December 10th Akron Borough Council Meeting, H*VMI’s Conditional Use Hearing – Decision.” Please read on for the unabridged version of the story.

At the start of the Council meeting, after the usual formalities, the decision concerning H*VMI was the agenda item on the table. The Borough Solicitor summarized the events that took place from November 12th to December 10th and explained the options available to Borough Council. A member of Council made a motion to approve, pursuant to the agreed upon conditions. The motion was seconded and, with no discussion, carried unanimously. Praise ye the Lord, Halleluiah!

What does that mean? It means we can move ahead! But what does that mean? Move ahead to what? Are we breaking ground now? Is there another step? Let’s look at this a different way. If this project were likened to a professional sport, football, for instance, the process could be described like this:

• H*VMI is a minor league football team. Back when we were preparing to purchase the property we went through a process to amend the zoning ordinance. Before we could move into the major leagues we requested to add/change the rules of the game: how big the field is, where the goal posts can go, what is out of bounds and how many people are allowed to be in the stands. We had specific plans for our stadium and we wanted to be sure the rules allowed us to do what we needed to do.

• In this most recent process – called the Conditional Use Hearing – H*VMI was asking to officially join the National Football League, governed by these new rules. This is the “pros,” folks, the major leagues and we wanted in. We needed to prove that we are, in fact, a football team and that we have the ability to play by the rules.

• Land Development – Unfortunately this is where my analogy starts to fall apart; however, it’s not completely lost. In the next phase, Land Development, we will be showing the Commissioner of the National Football League our playbook. He, along with his expert engineer and other Council members will look at our game plan and make sure it complies with all the rules. At the end of this Land Development process we will be ready for the Big Game!

• The Big Game is called CONSTRUCTION – we will need to get different building permits during the construction game but, since our plan will have already been approved, this won’t be a problem.

In the New Year we will be perfecting our “playbook,” the Land Development plan. This includes finalizing each building’s layout and internal structure. Developing and finalizing the site plan and related site work.

As we work on Land Development we will be doing something else to get ready for the big game of CONSTRUCTION: gathering fans. We want as many people as possible to join us for the game. We will be communicating with you in advance of construction time about how you can play a part in the big game. We need your prayers as we work through this project. It has been a long time coming but God is clearly orchestrating every step. Praise Him for all He has done.

Conditional Use Hearing Report (from November 12 meeting)

God provided mightily during our hearing on the evening of November 12th. As 7pm approached, the small room where the hearing was being held was filling up to its capacity. Nearly 50 people were in attendance, it was great support. We began our presentation with a summary of the use of the property and planned improvements. Then we moved on to a specific description of how we plan to meet the zoning requirements in the ordinance. This included things like lighting, grading, building placement, traffic, parking and many other issues. Throughout both presentations there were questions from members of the community and from the Borough Council. In closing we stated that we have met the conditions and asked that we be granted Conditional Use Approval for our project. The motion was made to close the hearing. Then it was time for a decision – approve, add more conditions or wait. The Council chose to wait. They had received a lot of new information that night and previously, based on our earlier meeting with the Planning Commission. It was too much to absorb in one night. The next meeting is December 10th. We will be hearing the Council’s decision at that time. Please pray for the Borough Council Members as they deliberate over their decision concerning H*VMI’s Property Project.

VIEW UPDATED PROPERTY LAYOUTS

Are We There Yet?

If you’re following along with H*VMI as we pursue the final approval phase of the property project, you may have asked yourself that question. If you have, I want to say, “Thank you.” When you read this question, you may have had an image of a child in the back seat of a car waiting to get to the beach and asking, “Are we there yet?” It’s hard to blame the child for asking this question. He/she is just excited for what’s ahead. This is why I want to thank you. As you ask this question, you’re showing that you’re EXCITED and you CARE about what’s ahead and what H*VMI is doing to get there.

So what’s the answer?

The answer is that we have spent the past several months detailing our plans, performing traffic studies and preparing our application for Conditional Use Hearing. On October 4th, 2018 we submitted our Conditional Use Hearing Application. The application is one page long, but the attachments filled two boxes!

You might also be thinking, “Another meeting? Another approval needed?” Prior to the property purchase, we went through the long process of amending the zoning ordinance, which is the set of rules that governs what uses can be made of our property. At the Conditional Use Hearing, H*VMI is requesting approval of the Master Plan for our property as an Organizational Headquarters under the amended zoning ordinance. Following this approval, we will then submit our Land Development Plan for approval. This is the plan with ALL the details laid out, and once it is approved we can obtain our Building Permit!

We need your prayers for this hearing, scheduled for 7pm on November 12th. Please pray with us that the Lord will be honored in our testimony before the authorities, and that we will receive a favorable ruling on our application.

December 14, 2017

We have owned the property now for nearly two months! What a busy two months it has been. H*VMI hired a young man whose family is connected with the ministry to do the property upkeep. He loves the Lord and has been a huge blessing as he cares for our future ministry center property.

In Mid-November, we hosted our first community focused event at the property - a FREE Chicken BBQ. That’s right, an actual free lunch! Every person who came to visit the property got a free chicken BBQ dinner. Over the weeks prior, we passed out flyers to the residents in the local community. We also invited the local Emergency Service Providers, Police, EMS and Firefighters. On the day of the event, we gave away more than 250 chicken dinners. The community was excited to be on the property and to hear what was going to be happening there in the future.

At the end of the event, after the volunteers sat down and ate, we still had some chicken left over. Not wanting to waste it, we called some local shelters and found a Christian shelter in Lebanon that could really use our unique donation. So, we drove our piping hot chicken BBQ up there, and I had the privilege of helping to unload and prepare it for the residents of this men’s shelter to enjoy. The kitchen director shared with me that, just that morning, she had commented to her volunteers that the meat freezers were starting to get empty. She quoted herself having said, “We’ll see how God provides.” Well, God used H*VMI to provide! God blessed us greatly - and, in our effort to bless the local community, God allowed us to bless this shelter as well. Our God is amazing!

Now that it is December, we are focused on remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We chose to do this publicly by constructing a larger than life JOY theme nativity scene, as pictured below. This is visible, night and day, from Rothsville Road if you drive by... and we hope that it brings joy to all who see it.

As we move forward, we are still working on those next steps as detailed in H*VMI’s Increase Newsletter. We will continue to keep you informed as things progress. Thank you so much for your prayers. To God be all the Glory!

God Did It! October 24, 2017

H*VMI officially owns the land that will be the future home of all our ministries. Settlement was at 1pm on Tuesday, October 24th. After the papers were signed, we praised the Lord for all He had done.

We have done some minor things to the property to make it “ours.” But, for the most part we will be maintaining the current look (minus the golf greens and such things) by mowing the lawn and keeping things looking nice.

The next steps ahead in the process are detailed in an H*VMI Increase newsletter article that will be coming to your mailbox (or your Inbox) in early November. We will do our best to keep you informed about what’s going on throughout the process.

October 17, 2017

In September we shared that due to the generous giving of our donors we were within $200,000 of our land purchase fundraising goal. We received a $100,000 matching gift challenge from a donor in early September which, if met, would be enough to meet the land purchase fundraising goal. According to the matching gift challenge we had until October 15th.

We are pleased to inform you that the $100,000 matching gift challenge has been met and exceeded! Blessed be the name of the Lord! He is our great Provider. We plan to have settlement on the property on October 24th and we are thrilled to be able to go with money in hand, debt free, no loans.

The Increase newsletter will be in your mailbox soon with more details. Please PRAISE THE LORD with us and watch for the newsletter with a thank you postcard and article about what God has done - and where we are headed in the days to come.

September 14, 2017

God has been leading STEP by STEP. Praise Him.

We now stand at $200,000 needed by the end of October, the deadline for our Agreement of Sale.

We’ve been praying for a MIRACLE.

The MIRACLE is within our reach. On September 5th, we received a phone call with an absolutely amazing matching gift challenge:  any monies we receive toward the property fund, up to $100,000, by October 15th, will be matched. THAT means – WE COULD REACH THE $200,000 GOAL!

Many of you have been responding to our appeals for our Property Fund. Thank you!! We’re so blessed by you. We are not asking that you give again but would ask that you pray with us for this MIRACLE so we will be able to go through with settlement on the property. 

If you have not yet given, perhaps you would consider that this is a very good time to do so!! Whatever you are able to give will be matched through this $100,000 matching challenge, moving us closer to the goal.

God is at work - STEP by STEP.

Blessings!

_____________________________________

View FLYER with printable return slip.

GIVE now on our secure link.

August 30, 2017

H*VMI is on the move… following the Lord towards the goal of owning and developing a ministry center in Akron, PA. We have challenged our donors, friends and ministry partners to join us as we raise funds for the purchase of the Westview Golf Course property. We are trusting the Lord for all the funds needed for the purchase as well as closing costs by October when we have settlement on the property. We have made significant progress since the last update. The current financial need is $217,000. We will continue to update you as the weeks go by and that number shrinks. If you desire to partner with H*VMI in the pursuit of the ministry center property please contact us at our office (717.859.4777) or through this web-page. We would love to talk with you.