About Lancaster's Manheim Township

Bucher Elementary School, 450 Candlewyck Rd. in Manheim Township, is planning a major renovation in order to bring the school up to a LEED Silver Rating.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a non-profit organization which developed the rating system to encourage environmentally responsible, energy efficient, healthy living and work places.

LEED was created by the U.S. Green Building Council, made up of influential members of the United States building industry.

Among the improvements planned for Bucher will be a white roof to reduce heat absorption into the building, which will reduce air conditioning power use. A geothermal heat pump system, similar to the one recently installed in the Manheim Township High School, will not only incease efficiency by utilizing heat energy from the ground, but will also eliminate the need for oil.

Gray water will be recycled through the use of underground cisterns. The gray water will be filtered and reused for flushing toilets and urinals, reducing the need for fresh water. More natural light will be let in so as to minimize artificial lighting requirements.

This fall the project will start in the new portion of the building. When the new portion is completed in 2010, improvements will commence on the existing part of the school.

Manheim Township has been a leader in green innovations to conserve energy and improve efficiency.

In honor of Tax Day I researched the year-to-date sales stats for Manheim Township, one of our popular destinations here in Lancaster County PA. Homes for sale in Manheim Township historically have sold well, and many in-demand neighborhoods such as Grandview Heights, BelAir, Cobblestone Court and Wetherburn are situated in Manheim Township. More recently, building pressures have started to put the "squeeze" on open space in Manheim Township, and new listing prices have continued to climb accordingly. Here's the summary:

Year-to-date, there are about the same amount of new listings, with a 9% increase in initial listing price. Unfortunately, the average sale price declined by 11%! Sold homes are down 22% over last year to date. Pending sales are down too, by 16%, and average days-on-market is up 14%. There are 28% more homes on the market than in 2007, and expiring listings are up by 37%.

Overall, not a great market report. I can't think of anything good to say here, other than that buyer activity is up and many are looking in Manheim Township. Let's hope for a more productive second quarter...

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For Lancaster PA homes for sale click here. Jeff Geoghan is a top real estate expert in Lancaster County, PA, and an involved community member. Jeff's work has been featured in the Lancaster Newspapers, WGAL Channel 8, PA Business Journal and Wall Street Journal. Jeff's blog on Lancaster County and its homes is nationally-featured. Contact Jeff for more help with your Lancaster PA Real Estate needs. Jeff is also a photographer - view some of his portfolio. Comments are welcome!

What has 1,000 windows, is as long as an airplane carrier, and was once as smooth as silk?

It's the old Stehli Silk Mill in Manheim Township, which has stood on it's Martha Avenue location in the Grandview Heights area since it's heyday in 1900. Once a thriving silk mill, where over 2,000 men and women worked among this huge building and its future additions, it now sits as a derelict, old warehouse, waiting for its rebirth. And, that might be coming soon.

Recently, the building has been sold to a York County developer and partner, who plan on revitalizing the property. In line with the redevelopment that is going on in Lancaster City, this building will be a fine addition to the growth that Lancaster City and the surrounding areas have been experiencing.

I drive by this massive structure on a regular basis, and I'm looking forward to what the new owner has in store for us. It will be a boost for Manheim Township to have it's own "warehouse conversion" apartments, such as those happening in Northgate in Lancaster City, if that happens to be in the developers plans (and I hope they are his plans!).

According to the Lancaster Newspaper article, plans are not yet in place for what will develop here. For now, they are busy cleaning up, and most likely, planning, for what lies ahead. Good luck to them! I for one am excited to see how this develops.