The Lycoming County Planning Commission approved a series of plans Thursday that will allow for the further expansion of the Marcellus Energy Park in eastern Lycoming County.
The energy park, which is on 200 acres along Industrial Park Road in the Muncy Industrial Park in Muncy and Muncy Creek townships, was created last year to accommodate gas industry companies working in the Marcellus Shale.
The park is being developed by Fishlips LLC, a partnership between local businessmen Brent M. Fish and Dan Klingerman.
The park was dedicated last May while the building was being constructed for anchor tenant Weatherford International Ltd., a gas industry technology and support company.
The Planning Commission approved preliminary plans for the construction of two access roads and the installation of utilities and stormwater improvements.
A preliminary plan approval allows roads, utilities and stormwater management facilities to be built, Joshua A. Billings, county subdivision and land development administrator, said.
The plans also need to be approved by officials from the townships in which the development is located, Billings said.
Muncy Township has given that approval, while Muncy Creek Township has yet to do so pending an engineering review of the stormwater management component of the plan, he said.
Also approved were final plans to build two warehouses on leased land at the park.
FMC Technologies Inc. plans to build on more than five-acres a 13,600-square-foot building comprised of office and shop space. The parcel also will have a stone-covered storage yard.
GE Oil and Gas plans to build on three acres a 15,500-square-foot building comprised of office and warehouse space. The facility also will have a stone-covered storage year.
Both are gas industry support companies based in Houston, Texas.
According to planning documents, both townships have approved the plans, though Muncy Township officials have expressed concern that continued development in the area could cause problems with excessive traffic.
Planning staff, township officials and nearby landowners who want to develop their land will be meeting with state Department of Transportation officials to coordinate traffic and road intersection improvement for John Brady Drive and Industrial Park Road, according to Planning Commission Deputy Director William Kelly.
According to Fish, Weatherford has hired between 50 and 100 people and is planning numerous expansion projects at the site, Fish said.
The two new companies will create between 10 and 50 jobs.
GE Oil and Gas, an energy development division of General Electric Co., has already hired five people locally and is training them at other company facilities, he said.
