Mahoning Township is moving forward with its intent to subdivide about 9 acres of land by its new headquarters on Route 443.

Board Chair Deb McGowan made the announcement at last week’s board of supervisors meeting.

“We’re still working on it,” McGowan said. “We’re moving ahead with the subdivision of land next year.”

The planning commission previously reviewed the sketch plan, and the township engineer is currently working on the final plan.

In June, the board on a narrow 3-2 margin agreed to subdivide the land, and then on a thin 3-2 measure agreed to advertise the farm lease.

The board then unanimously agreed to advertise to lease the land at its new headquarters, as well as its former headquarters along Route 902.

Before the vote to subdivide the land, Supervisor Mark Schwalm said he had a petition “with a ton of signatures not to subdivide.”

Supervisor Ron Reeser said he was trying to follow the original idea of the previous board of supervisors when they purchased the building.

Schwalm countered that people do not want houses or stores.

But, Reeser said they have thousands of square feet behind them that he believes would make a great community center.

Schwalm noted that costs get passed onto whoever leases it, and not the township.

One resident asked the board if it wouldn’t make sense to consolidate all of the township’s assets in one location.

Another resident pointed out that the township has a speeding problem and a homeless problem.

Resident Pam Wuest told the board it needs to look at the big picture at the way things are trending, and noted that the township is starting to see more and more development.

Wuest cautioned the board that once you start changing their environment like this, the township will see a lot more vagrancy and homeless.

A resident asked the board if they’ve talked to the surrounding property owners, to which Schwalm said 95 percent of the property owners were on the petition that was signed.

McGowan then asked Schwalm where are the people that signed his petition.

Schwalm then cited an email he said that came from Supervisor Carol Etheridge in which she said she wants to preserve farmland and open space.

Etheridge, who participated in that meeting via speakerphone, said that was so that the township could preserve the land from things such as data centers, truck terminals, and warehouses.

In May, supervisors on a 2-1 vote opted to not lease about 9 acres of land by its new headquarters on Route 443.

Before that vote, Schwalm said that was the time to farm, and that it should remain a farm.

Schwalm suggested that the board didn’t want him to farm it, despite the fact it’s been farmed.

He said that he had an opportunity to put a bid in, but the board didn’t want that.

McGowan noted that in the past, the township has leased this land to local farmers but they have now discussed the possibility of converting the land into a dog park, or community garden.

Township supervisors moved into the former Diaz building just west of Normal Square in March 2024.

The two-story building is on about 14 acres of land at 2175 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive West.

The total project cost about $1.3 million.