Gettysburg Historic Holdings Inc. v. Adams County

3 Pa. D. & C.5th 95
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Adams County
DecidedJanuary 11, 2007
Docketno. 03-S-1324
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Pa. D. & C.5th 95 (Gettysburg Historic Holdings Inc. v. Adams County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Adams County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gettysburg Historic Holdings Inc. v. Adams County, 3 Pa. D. & C.5th 95 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2007).

Opinion

GEORGE, J,

In early 1996, defendant Adams County owned a 287-acre tract of land located within the southeast quadrant of the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 15 in Straban Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. The county determined that the property would be developed into a business, commercial, and light industrial center to be known as the Adams County Commerce Center. To this end, by agreement dated February 14, 1996, the county, in exchange for consideration of $24,000, granted North Ridge Associates (NRA) an exclusive option to purchase all or a portion of an approximately 90-acre parcel of the commerce center (option parcel) at a set price designated in the agreement. The agreement was quite comprehensive and called for NRA to develop the option parcel for uses consistent with Civil War history and the Adams County tourist industry. Although the option agreement did not specifically discuss road access to the property, the proposed sales agreement attached to the option agreement provided that access to the option parcel would either be by direct access from U.S. Route 30 to service the option parcel only or by a private connector street from a main access road providing access from U.S. Route 30 to the remainder of the county’s land adjoining the option parcel. Determination of the manner of access was to be controlled by a traffic study prepared by a mutually acceptable traffic engineer. The sales agreement further provided for a shared cost allocation in the event access occurred by a connector road from the main access road. Attached as an exhibit to the option agreement was a survey of the entire county parcel which contemplated a main access to the entire commerce center from U.S. Route 30 to be developed in an area located on the re[98]*98maining county property adjoining the option parcel. For purposes of clarity, this main access route as depicted on the original survey shall hereinafter be referred to as the “boulevard.”

During the time period between Februaiy 14, 1996 and February 1,1999, the Adams County Commissioners turned for assistance in developing the commerce park to the Adams County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC).1 ACEDC assumed the lead role in acquiring sewer and water service to the commerce center. In addition, ACEDC was charged with the development of the remainder of the commerce center property. When it became apparent that NRA was not prepared for development of the option parcel, the county and ACEDC looked at other alternatives to launching development on the remaining county property. In furtherance of this goal, on June 16, 2000, ACEDC, the county, Straban Township, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation entered into a highway occupancy permit construction and security agreement (HOP). The purpose of the agreement was to secure access to the remaining portion of the commerce center not subject to the option agreement, which consisted of the approximately 201.86 remaining acres (ACEDC proj ect). The HOP was entered after the county and ACEDC opted to access the ACEDC project from State Route 30 across existing Cavalry Field Road to a main road bisecting the project to be designated as V-Twin Drive.

[99]*99The HOP envisioned a two-phase build-out. Phase I consisted of improvements to old Cavalry Field Road and its intersection with State Route 30, while Phase II required construction of an additional eastbound lane on State Route 30 and an additional southbound off-ramp left-turn lane from State Route 15 onto State Route 30. The HOP further provided, in relevant part, that the township would not issue further building permits for construction within the commerce center once the average daily traffic on V-Twin Drive reached 4,135 vehicles per day, unless and until advised in writing by PennDOT that a supplemental highway occupancy permit for full build-out of the proposed project would be issued or, on the other hand, was not required.

On February 1, 1999, NRA attempted to exercise its option to purchase the entire option parcel by placing an additional $24,000 in escrow, as contemplated by the option agreement. However, partially due to the length of time between execution of the original option agreement and NRA’s exercise of their rights under that agreement,2 the county refused to sign the agreement of sale. Faced with this stalemate, the parties undertook extensive negotiations in an effort to resolve their various disagreements.

As ACEDC moved forward with the development of the ACEDC project, negotiations between NRA and the county digressed. On October 16, 2000, at the direction of the county commissioners, County Solicitor John M. Hartzell forwarded a letter to NRA’s counsel notifying them that the county believed the option agreement to [100]*100be null and void based upon the failure of NRA to timely perform. This notification prompted further negotiations which culminated in an addendum to option agreement and agreement of sale executed between the parties on April 18, 2001. The addendum represented that it resolved “various and sundry unforeseen circumstances” which had arisen between the execution of the option agreement and execution of the current addendum. The document dictated that it “shall prevail in all respects, for all purposes, and under any and all circumstances, in the event of any inconsistency or conflict with the terms and conditions of the option agreement and/or agreement of sale.” The parties agreed the addendum would “fully and finally agree upon and resolve any and all issues regarding any and all matters” mentioned in the addendum.

Of importance to the present matter are two provisions contained in the addendum agreement. The first, paragraph 2(d)(vi), modified paragraph 6(e) of the option agreement in respect to the parties’ obligations for the costs of constructing access to the option parcel.3 In ad[101]*101dition, paragraph 2(b)(xii) expressly ratified the June 16, 2000 HOP.

On August 23, 2001, NRA assigned all of its right, title, and interest in the option and addendum, as well its equitable interest in the option parcel, to Gettysburg Historic Holdings Inc. (HH).4 By deed dated August 23, 2001, the county transferred title to the option parcel to ACEDC. Subsequent deed that same date transferred title of the option parcel from ACEDC to HH.

In the fall of 2003, a representative of HH contacted the commissioners to advise of HH’s intent to begin construction of certain commercial proj ects on the option parcel. HH further asserted that the county would be required to bear the costs of improvements to U.S. Routes 30 and 15, including the boulevard, as required by previous agreements. In November 2003, the commissioners consulted with special counsel, John R. White, Esquire, who, as former county solicitor, had been involved in the commerce park transactions from the inception. By memorandum dated December 18,2003, Attorney White essentially opined that his review of the documentation [102]*102failed to reveal any indication as to the timing of construction of the boulevard and related U.S. Routes 15 and 30 improvements. His memorandum also recognized an issue concerning the county’s obligation to pay for one-half of development of the boulevard, noting that the documents did not specifically obligate the county in this regard.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
3 Pa. D. & C.5th 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gettysburg-historic-holdings-inc-v-adams-county-pactcompladams-2007.