Work begins on West Deer housing plan on former church land

A housing plan is being built in West Deer on land that had been owned by the East Union Presbyterian Church, and its pastor hopes that the people who move in will take advantage of services the church has to offer.

The Rev. James Ramsey is welcoming the church’s eventual neighbors to use the church’s nursery school and childcare program and to take advantage of its numerous ministries.

“We are prayerful that this will be mutually beneficial for the community of West Deer and the church,” Ramsey said.

Frank Zokaites, of Zokaites Properties, is building 45 single-family homes on the 29-acre property at 292 East Union Road.

It’s called The Kingston housing plan.

Infrastructure construction is underway, with Zokaites expecting it to be completed in the fall. Zokaites said in a statement that he is partnering with Ryan Homes, which he expects to start building a model home “toward the fall.”

The land is being cleared, and Joseph Shook, assistant township manager and zoning officer, expects grading at the site to begin soon.

Zokaites doesn’t expect his development to have any negative impact in the area. He said the traffic study approved by the township showed minimal impact.

The starting price for the homes are estimated at just under $399,000, with the average price at $500,000. The cost of the overall development of the project is $25 million, according to Zokaites.

The property will include trees and new plantings in order to maintain some green space.

Ramsey said the sale has been pending for three years as the plan obtained permits from various government agencies. The sale was a learning process for him.

“Selling to a commercial entity is different than selling to a private buyer,” he said.

While the church did not demand certain specifications for the development, there were some minor negotiations, Ramsey said. One was that a sidewalk would lead from the neighborhood up to the church.

“We trust that this will be in the best interest of the church and are hopeful that it will help the community,” Ramsey said. “We are in the business of people and want this to help people.”