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Because residents voting in a referendum chose to reverse the township's 74-year-old ban on alcohol sales, major changes are likely in store for Willow Valley Resort.
Willow Valley Associates, operator of the resort, had pushed to overturn the prohibition because it is seeking a Doubletree Hotel franchise, which requires a liquor license.
Sheryl Holzbauer, executive vice president for Willow Valley, said the company would begin its planned $8 million renovation in the fall and hopes to finish by the summer of 2010.
"I think (the results) were the acknowledgment from the community that times are changing and this is about preserving jobs and moving forward, about creating a realization that businesses need to change and reinvent themselves to remain viable," Holzbauer said.
"It was never about liquor for us. It was about preserving jobs and preserving the community we're in."
More than 4,200 West Lampeter residents voted. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the unofficial results were:
Yes — 2320
No — 1969
With West Lampeter now open to alcohol sales, only a dozen Lancaster County municipalities remain dry. Nine of them are south of Lancaster city.
The West Lampeter referendum was among the more high-profile races in Tuesday's primary election. The primary did not attract a lot of interest countywide, despite contentious contests from East Hempfield to Manheim Township. Only 10 percent of registered voters participated, compared to 19 percent during the last off-year election in 2005.
Other than a brief power outage at a polling place in Terre Hill, it was a relatively smooth election for the Lancaster County Board of Elections. No major problems were reported at the other polling places or with the voting machines, according to Mary Stehman, the county's chief elections clerk.
"It's been very mild, very slow," she said.
Voters across the county selected Republican and Democratic nominees for Lancaster City Council, borough mayors, borough councils, township officials and school boards.
Those anxious to know whether someone's write-in campaign proved successful will have to wait. The Board of Elections expects to finish counting write-in ballots by June 3, which will be followed by a five-day period when those results can be challenged.
"We're going to start counting in the morning," Stehman said.
West Lampeter's alcohol referendum was one of three on the ballot in the county.
Voters in Lancaster Township and Millersville Borough approved the annexation by Millersville of four township properties: 30 and 39 Wabank Road, 2101 Millersville Pike and 206 Creek Drive.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the unofficial results were:
Yes — 780
No — 324
In East Earl Township, voters turned down a referendum that would have allowed small games of chance. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the unofficial results were:
Yes — 125
No — 171
The general election is Nov. 3. Among the races expected to attract a lot of attention will be the commissioner's race in Manheim Township and the contest for council seats in Lancaster city.
E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com
