Buffalo Township Hearing Feb. 4 on Single-Family Home in Commercial Zone

A zoning hearing will determine whether Kendall Kurtz may build a single-family home at 88 Kuhns Lane in Lewisburg, a property currently zoned Commercial Manufacturing (CM). The Buffalo Township Zoning Hearing Board will consider the Special Exception request under Section 407(2)(c) of the Buffalo Township Zoning Ordinance at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at the Buffalo Township Municipal Building, 2115 Strickler Rd., Mifflinburg.

The parcel is identified as Tax Map #001-080-030.20000. The application was filed through Central Keystone COG, and anyone with a special interest is asked to contact Garrett Enders at (570) 522-1382. Residents who plan to attend but require special accommodations may contact Buffalo Township at (570) 966-4004.

The Special Exception procedure gives the Zoning Hearing Board authority to evaluate uses that are not permitted by right in a zoning district. Board members typically consider compatibility with surrounding uses, traffic and access, impacts on utilities and infrastructure, and adherence to ordinance standards before granting or denying relief. For neighbors and local businesses, the request raises questions about land-use balance in a district designated for heavier commercial and manufacturing activity.

The site at 88 Kuhns Lane sits inside a CM zone intended to support commercial manufacturing operations. Converting or allowing residential use within that district could affect operational patterns for nearby companies, shift expectations for noise and hours, and influence future development decisions along Kuhns Lane and adjacent parcels. It could also set a precedent for similar requests elsewhere in the township, shaping long-term planning and the tax base.

Local stakeholders should consider typical points of review such as access, parking, potential impacts on nearby industrial activity, and whether the single-family proposal would require additional infrastructure changes. Property owners, nearby residents, and business operators in Lewisburg and Mifflinburg communities often bring those concerns to zoning hearings, where factual testimony and exhibits inform the board’s decision.

The hearing on February 4 will be the forum for formal testimony and evidence. Whether the board grants the Special Exception will determine whether the property may house a single-family residence despite its CM zoning. Residents who want to follow the case, submit materials, or request accommodations should contact Garrett Enders at (570) 522-1382 or Buffalo Township at (570) 966-4004 ahead of the hearing. The board’s ruling will clarify the balance between commercial manufacturing priorities and residential requests in Buffalo Township going forward.