Rumored migrant shelter in Chambersburg stirs up controversy

(The Center Square) – A rumored migrant shelter under consideration in Chambersburg, Pa., has stoked controversy as local officials mull zoning issues and community concerns.

The Greene Township Board of Supervisors said Monday that there is no imminent proposal, nor have they been told to expect one. Instead, they’ve heard from a presumed Indiana-based contractor with zoning questions about the Scotland School for Veterans Children campus, a former orphanage dating back to 1895.

Commissioners say the property, owned by a private company in New Jersey, isn’t properly zoned for the rumored shelter that could house as many as 1,000 unaccompanied minors. Several of the buildings have fallen into disrepair and have yet to be brought back to code.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano and Rep. Rob Kauffman, both Republicans who represent Chambersburg, praised the board on Monday for their “strict interpretation” of local zoning ordinances and admitted their involvement isn’t necessary, but warranted nonetheless.

“We join with our neighbors, friends and constituents committed to defending Franklin County from the foreign invasion coming from our southern border,” the lawmakers said. “This facility usage, as envisioned by some outside groups, would irreparably change Greene Township. We must preserve our community for our children and grandchildren!”

Mastriano and Kauffman added that they asked U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., to lobby against federal funding “for this purpose.”

The Center Square was unsuccesssful in its attempt to contact Joyce for comment.