Montgomery County Seek Public Input on New County Comprehensive Plan
The Montgomery County Planning Commission is kicking off a yearlong effort to engage the community in forming the county’s new comprehensive plan, “Montco 2040: A Shared Vision.” The plan will look at issues that affect everyone in the county, including traffic and transit, parks and trails, housing, and economic growth. The plan will guide future development and investment in Montgomery County. Everyone is invited to attend one of four public workshops.
Public Workshops will be held:
November 18: 7-9 p.m., Steel River Playhouse, 245 East High Street, Pottstown
November 19: 4-6 p.m., North Penn Community Health Foundation, 2506 North Broad Street, Colmar
November 20: 7-9 p.m., Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington
November 25: 4-6 p.m., Upper Merion Township Building, 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia
Other opportunities to join in the planning process include taking a survey, getting the latest news on Montgomery County’s planning blog, and signing up to receive plan information and updates. Visit the website at www.montcopa.org/2040CompPlan.
Source: Montgomery County; 10/9/2013 and the Suburban Realtors® Alliance News Brief Headlines
Delaware County Presents 2035 Land Use Framework Plan to Public
Delaware County officials recently held a public hearing to present and discuss the final draft of the proposed new Delaware County 2035 Land Use Framework. The plan will establish an overall vision for the future of the County through the year 2035. It will also set policies for development, redevelopment, conservation, and economic initiatives. The plan will provide the county’s 49 municipalities with a framework for the strategic use of public resources to improve the quality of life for all its residents. The final draft includes changes made based on comments received during the public comment period and public meeting on May 16, 2013. Click here for the presentation. Delaware County Council will officially adopt the Delaware County 2035 Land Use Framework at a future County Council meeting.
Source: Delaware County Daily Times; 10/03/2013 and the Suburban Realtors® Alliance News Brief Headlines
Radnor to Consider Stormwater Fees
The Radnor Township Board of Commissioners will consider for possible enactment Ordinance No. 2013-15, establishing a user fee for stormwater collection and management; providing for policies and procedures necessary to implement the stormwater management program; providing for the billing and collection of user fees; providing for an appeal procedure; and establishing a Stormwater Management Fund and a Stormwater Citizens Advisory Committee. The Board of Commissioners will hold the public hearing on October 14, 2013, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Radnor Township Municipal Building, 301 Iven Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087. Copies of the full text of the proposed ordinance are available at the Township offices, the Radnor Memorial Library, the Delaware County Law Library, and the offices of the Delaware County Daily Times during normal business hours.
Source: Delaware County Daily Times; 10/01/2013 and the Suburban Realtors® Alliance News Brief Headlines
Route 202 Progress Report
This fall, motorists traveling along Route 202 in East Whiteland and Tredyffrin will see additional construction to expand the road to six lanes. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), crews are working to reconstruct and widen the southbound side of Route 202 from the Swedesford Road Interchange in Tredyffrin to the Mill Lane overpass in East Whiteland. Crews will remove old concrete pavement, excavate to add a third lane, and install storm water drainage along the southbound side of Route 202 from Route 401 to the Swedesford Road Interchange to rebuild southbound ramps. PennDOT said that from south of Mill Lane to Route 30, the median along Route 202 is also being prepared to carry southbound traffic for the start of reconstruction beginning late this year. Along the north end of the southbound work zone, where reconstruction has been ongoing since late 2012, sections of the new road are in place, and the southbound half of the bridge over North Valley Road has been rebuilt. According to PennDOT, most of the sound walls on the southbound side of Route 202 between North Valley Road and Cedar Hollow Road have been erected. Work will continue this fall on the northbound side of Route 202 to finish a retaining wall. The remaining sound wall panels at the Route 29 Interchange will be installed late this year or in early 2014, PennDOT said.
Source: Daily Local; 10/5/2013 and the Suburban Realtors® Alliance News Brief Headlines
Meeting Set to Discuss Proposed Pipeline for Chester County
Officials from Columbia Gas Transmission Group will hold a scoping meeting at the Wyndham Garden Exton Valley Forge hotel, 815 N. Pottstown Pike, Exton, PA. The scoping meeting will be held on Weds., Oct. 16, at 7:00 p.m. with company representatives available at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions from the public. In March, Columbia submitted plans for the project to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that called for 8.9 miles of pipe to be buried alongside existing pipelines in Chester County. The pipes would be larger and have greater capacity than those currently in place. Columbia said it is considering several project alternatives that warrant another public meeting.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 10/9/2013 and the Suburban Realtors® Alliance News Brief Headlines
West Chester Borough Eyes Tax Hikes
West Chester Borough is facing an increasing pension burden, and borough officials are opting to consider raising the municipality’s earned income tax rate to fix the problem. The borough’s finance committee proposed raising the earned income tax rate by a quarter of a percent, bringing the rate up to 0.75 percent from 0.5 percent. The proposed increase is less than the administration recommendation of a half percent. At 0.75 percent, an additional $950,000 in earned income tax revenue would be generated. The borough’s minimum pension obligation is $1.24 million for 2014, which is up $88,000 from last year. Following the pension discussion, the finance committee touched on the borough’s 2014 draft budget, and unanimously decided to pursue an increase in the real estate property tax rate. The committee will suggest a tax rate of 7.11 mills, which represents a 2.1 percent increase over the current millage rate of 6.96. A mill is a tax of $1 for each $1,000 in assessed property value. Should the proposed increase be adopted, the average single-family residence in the borough assessed at $119,000 would see a property tax increase from $828 to $846.
Source: Daily Local; 10/10/2013 and the Suburban Realtors® Alliance News Brief Headlines
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