I will agree with the scenario of astronomical commuting costs creating havock in the suburbs, but neither the housing location with regards to public transportation, nor the business destinations in relationship to public transportation accessibility have been taken into account for the last few decades. The locationof housing and businesses have ben developed in locations that presume highway transportation is the sole access. Everything is so spread-out that there is no way to route public tranpostation to accomodate. The public transportationsystem to adequately serve the destinations wold be more expensive per houshbold than the high gas prices would dictate.
Also: in previous decades, one would get a job, and locate to the immediate area with the expectation that he (she) would be working there for many years, maybe until retirement, justifying the housing near the job. Factory owners built cheap housing nearby to assure a low-income worker could locate nearby. No more. The average job tenancy is now less than 5 years. So the proximity to the job is not the greatest criteria for housing location. A new job search forces the seeker to decide on: relocating; searching only for work nearby; or extending the job seach to a wider commuting radius.
The main purpose of high-density housing SHOULD be to offer a less-expensive option for lower income residents. The preserving of open space is a collateral benefit. But I think the location to be able for residents commute via public transportation is no longer possible.

Actually, the point of TNDs within UGBs is that these DO make it possible to have transit, among other goals. Independence was situated to have a stop on a possible Harrisburg-based regional rail system, or Amtrak, if ridership warranted it.

On the bus side, imagine the Etown or Mt Joy bus going Express into downtown after picking up at Independence, and making the stops at Health Campus and PC that it needs to make to hit the largest destination centers.

Land must be really, really cheap in East Hemfield. Why else would any developer want to build a high-end, density development in one of the most colorless, bland areas in the county. What is an East Hemfield any way? Where's its downtown area? Where's the character? Where's its charm?

Of course, the citizens of that township would not want this new development. Doesn't everyone know that the word "change" is a four-letter word to most of the citizens in an area like EHT?

Change is fine. But putting the population of Lititz Boro on 300 acres is nuts. If someone really, really thinks that will work just fine, let's see the plan. Let's see the traffic studies, demographic and school enrollment projections, implementation estimates and the impact these will have on the EHT taxpayer.

Go ahead. I'll wait.....

It seems that I have hit a nerve. All I'm saying that some of the members of ABC may benefit from large developments and TNDS. I looked at the website and I saw past presidents from Frey Mechanical, Brubacher Excavating, Wohlesen Construction. Excuse me if I drew a line from this group and the polical leaders they support and the zoning ordinances that affect our communities.