| Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster and Franklin County officials today took part in an enormous effort of support for the Letterkenny Army Depot. Responding to a request from the Congressman, the local community set-aside 243 acres of land to support the retention and expansion of Letterkenny. The land holds a dollar value of almost $11 million.
Shuster requested the land exchange on behalf of Opportunity 05, a task force formed by the Congressman with Letterkenny supporters and members of the community. The group works together to highlight the important role that the depot currently plays within the Army and to investigate future possibilities for growth. The request was immediately approved by the Letterkenny Industrial Development Authority (LIDA); who reiterated their support for the Depot.
The additional land will support potential Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives to consolidate joint functions from all military services on one installation. The land could be used to consolidate DoD depot level maintenance for tactical wheel vehicles or to establish a consolidated logistics headquarters or Research & Development operation.
“I applaud the community for this unprecedented partnership,” said Shuster. “Today, the Chambersburg community has essentially put $11 million toward efforts to grow the Letterkenny Army Depot. The community that surrounds Letterkenny has undertaken a wide range of actions to help the Depot situate itself in the strongest possible position. I look forward to continuing to work with Opportunity ‘05 and the community to ensure that Letterkenny moves forward in the next round of base realignment in the strongest possible position.”
"The Chambersburg community and the Opportunity '05 team should be proud of their pro-active efforts to highlight the crucial military value and regional economic impact of Letterkenny Army Depot," said Congressman Todd Platts (PA-19). "I commend them on their efforts and will continue to work with them to best position Letterkenny for the future." Although Letterkenny is located outside the 19th Congressional District, Congressman Platts recognizes its value to our region and has joined Congressman Shuster and the Opportunity '05 team in their effort to retain and expand its mission.
Opportunity ’05 is a blue ribbon committee of business and community leaders whose mission is “to be the primary community advocate in support of the retention and expansion of DoD-related missions at the Letterkenny Army Depot.” Created in 2002 under the leadership of Congressman Bill Shuster, the Committee has developed a comprehensive strategy in support of its mission. The strategy includes four primary components:
Ø Economic Impact Analysis: Conducted by Shippensburg University’s Center for Land Use, the study highlights the tremendous impact of the Depot on the local and regional economy. With nearly 2,000 employees and an annual payroll of more than $106 million, the Depot is the County’s leading employer.
Ø Strategic Plan/Land Allocation Study: Opportunity ’05 engaged the services of former installation commander and retired Major General, Joseph Arbuckle, who formulated a strategic plan to capitalize on Letterkenny’s capabilities to support existing missions and to attract complimentary activities.
Ø Joint Land Use Study: Also known as an “encroachment study”, the study will examine the compatibility of existing and projected installation missions on the adjoining municipalities and confirm there are no encroachment issues with Letterkenny and the surrounding communities.
Ø Community Support: The community/county has rallied strongly in support of Letterkenny, as is evidenced by today’s announcement. In addition, Opportunity ’05 will sponsor a series of initiatives over the next several months to show continuing support of the installation.
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