Cool response to billionaire's cheese

Urban Outfitters' billionaire Richard Hayne continued to endear himself to his new neighbors in West Marlborough Township at back-to-back conditional-use hearings Monday night, where his representatives were seeking permission for two activities, one of which is already occurring.

Hayne's monster retirement compound in Springdell is located in an agricultural conservation zone, where he can process cheese at a redesigned dairy complex and process vegetables in a series of recycled greenhouses — as long as he meets certain conditions. Of course, he's supposed to prove that he does before commencing wholesale production.

Hayne's Doe Run cheeses have been spotted at a variety of area restaurants and farmers' markets, and Michael Gladnick, who has worked on Hayne's property as a site engineer and planner since 2008, acknowledged as much. Since the supervisors had been told previously that Hayne was only producing cheese and yogurt for personal consumption, many residents rolled their eyes when Dwight Yoder, the township solicitor, asked about vegetable processing. "He may be doing it for his own use," Gladnick said. "Whether he's producing it for himself, I don't know."

That was one of many unresolved questions as the hearings proceeded — one focused on cheese and the other, veggies. Residents and township officials had questions ranging from production methods to wastewater. But the questions were largely wasted.

On the subject of quantity, Alfred R. Fuscaldo, Hayne's attorney, did assure Supervisors' Chairman William Wylie that Hayne would come back before the supervisors if he passed the requisite threshold.
"Before" he passes it, Wylie responded. Fuscaldo said the man with the answers, Hayne operative David Ziel, was not available to testify on Monday. Fuscaldo requested and received a continuance. The hearing will reconvene Jan. 5.