MCPC SERVICES & RESOURCES

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1 Comprehensive Plans Every municipality has unique needs and faces a variety of challenges such as managing growth, revitalizing neighborhoods and downtown areas, protecting open space, building recreation facilities, responding to changing demographics, or maintaining fiscal balance. Planning for the future, both short term and long term, is the best way to examine these needs and challenges in order to establish a vision for the future with strategies to make it happen. The s approach to comprehensive planning integrates land use, transportation, open space, recreation, design, and environmental protection into the realities of fiscal responsibility and the practical strategies of getting things done. When collaborating with a municipality on a comprehensive plan, we start by assembling local information developed from various sources, which is analyzed through geographic information systems (GIS) and other innovative tools. Throughout the planning process, we reach out to the public in appropriate ways including focus groups, community visioning sessions and charettes, public meetings, social media, and opinion surveys. With a dynamic staff of professionals with expertise in various planning disciplines environmental, transportation, fiscal impact, design, energy efficiency, historic preservation, open space, recreation, economic development, and housing we can create a comprehensive planning team that can meet a municipality s specific issues and public concerns. Our planners will develop a plan that, honed through meaningful community input, contains a clearly articulated vision along with creative solutions and practical strategies. We are also able to offer professionally developed graphic solutions that make your comprehensive plan attractive to the public. The comprehensive plans that we have created speak clearly to the public about the future and the means for achieving it. They are implementable plans that have a meaningful impact on the community. Montgomery County Today Lansdale Borough Comprehensive Plan Montgomery Township Comprehensive Plan Norristown Comprehensive Plan Springfield Comprehensive Plan Worcester Comprehensive Plan Springfield TownShip Comprehensive Plan: Vision for 2025 Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

2 Demographics and Trend Analysis Numbers always tell a story. The challenge is in understanding them. Demographic data, trend analysis, and various types of projections and forecasts can provide local governments, school districts, institutions, and private companies with the information needed to make accurate decisions regarding their residents/clients and future service needs. The staff has expertise with all types of data pertaining to our county. There are many analytic tools available to assist in getting the most out of available data. Data analysis can be performed by taking spatial attributes into account to focus on patterns that appear across the landscape. By utilizing the latest available geographic information system (GIS) tools, our staff can provide various maps and charts that can help in making a variety of decisions. In addition to using census and economic data developed by various state and federal agencies, the county also compiles data on local sales and building construction, which is useful in measuring key development and land use trends. Though there is a wealth of data available, the planning commission staff is able to synthesize and explain it in a way that is easy to understand and to use accurately in the decision-making process. MCPC Planning Data Portal Enrollment Projections Report for the Perkiomen Valley School District Enrollment Projections Report for the School District of Springfield Township Perkiomen Valley School District Enrollment Projections

3 Environmental Planning Services Environmental issues such as habitat protection, brownfield site identification, stormwater management, riparian corridor and floodplain management, alternative energy facilities management, and environmental impact analysis need to be addressed by professionals with specific expertise. Our planners have close relationships with key environmental regulatory agencies, such as the Montgomery County Conservation District, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our strong relationships with these agencies and others enable us to get the answers to your environmental questions. Brownfields. Some communities in the county have older industrial facilities or closed gas stations or other businesses that are now brownfields due to some level of onsite contamination. Our planners can help identify these areas and work with the state DEP and other professionals to examine potential reuse strategies. Stormwater Management/MS4 Program Assistance. All municipalities in the county now have permits under the federal Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program. Under these permits, various actions, such as sewer system mapping, water quality awareness, and water monitoring, will be required. We can assist you in fulfilling your mapping and outreach requirements. Riparian Corridor and Floodplain Management. Through the FEMA FIRM map modernization process, each municipality will be required to update local floodplain management ordinances. We stand ready to help in this effort, and our staff can prepare a customized model floodplain ordinance to meet your needs. In addition, we can modify the riparian corridor ordinance to meet your needs as well. Alternative Energy System Management. As renewable energy system technologies become more feasible for local installations, municipalities now face new challenges with respect to how to regulate them to avoid community impacts. Our staff has already been working through regional groups to develop guidance on energy system regulation and can make these guidelines work in any type of municipality. Stormwater Basin Planting Project in Lower Providence Township Montgomery County Brownfield Inventory Renewable Energy Fact Sheets Model Floodplain Ordinance Riparian Corridor Model Ordinance West Pottsgrove East Greenville Upper Hanover Pennsburg Pottstown Note: DESIGNATED WATERSHEDS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY Perkiomen Creek Headwaters Douglass Upper Pottsgrove Red Hill New Hanover Marlborough Green Lane Perkiomen Creek Swamp Creek Lower Pottsgrove Upper Frederick Limerick Salford Lower Frederick Schuylkill River Manatawny Creek Schuylkill River Upper Salford East Branch Perkiomen Creek Schwenksville Royersford Perkiomen Completed Plans Plans In Progress Watersheds Boundaries Municipal Boundries Trappe Telford Franconia Lower Salford Skippack Upper Providence Souderton Collegeville Towamencin Skippack Creek Valley Creek Watersheds designated by The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for the Act 167 Stormwater Management Planning purposes. Hatfield Hatfield Twp. Montgomery Horsham Bor. Lower Providence Neshaminy/Little Neshaminy Creek Worcester Lansdale Upper Gwynedd West Norriton North Wales East Norriton Norristown Whitpain Stony Creek/ Sawmill Run Upper Merion Lower Gwynedd Bridgeport Schuylkill River Plymouth Ambler Conshohocken West Conshohocken Whitemarsh (p) (f) Upper Dublin Wissahickon Creek Lower Merion Springfield Hatboro Lower Merion Drainage Area Upper Moreland Narberth Darby/Cobbs Creek Miles Poquessing Creek Base map prepared May 2014 Abington Jenkintown Cheltenham Lower Moreland Pennypack Creek Bryn Athyn Rockledge Tookany Creek Schuylkill River

4 Fiscal Impact Analysis Watching the bottom line is everyone s business. For a municipality, this is particularly challenging since revenue sources are largely related to the mix of development in a community from which property taxes and fees are assessed. As the mix of development in a community changes, so does the revenue as well as the potential demand for services. The purpose of fiscal impact analysis is to estimate the effect of a development or a land use change on the potential costs to the public entities (municipality, school district, and county) serving the development and likely revenue expected. The analysis is generally based on the fiscal characteristics of the community (e.g., revenues, expenditures, land values) and characteristics of the development or land use change (e.g., type of land use, distance from central facilities). By doing a fiscal impact analysis, a local government can estimate the difference between the costs of providing services to a new development and the revenues (taxes and fees that will be generated by the development). Our professional planners are familiar with a number of standard approaches in preparing a fiscal impact analysis, ranging from a per capita multiplier method to a case study method, which relies on local interviews. Because a fiscal impact analysis is primarily based on an analysis of local government revenues and expenditures, our planners will closely work with municipal and school district finance officers, municipal managers, emergency services and public works personnel, and others to gather additional information needed in the fiscal impact analysis. Example: Lower Providence Township

5 Grant Writing It takes various resources to turn your plans into reality. One key resource is money. Though raising money for any worthwhile project can be a challenge, there are often grant opportunities available to secure needed funds. State, federal, and private grant sources can supply the needed funding for your project. The challenge is putting together an excellent grant application that will win grant approval. The staff can help create successful grant applications. For decades we have been able to obtain funding for various county projects including revitalization, planning, public safety, infrastructure, recreation, and trails. We are now using this expertise to expand our services by helping you with your grant applications. Planning commission staff is able to write grants that clearly describe your project and the benefits to be achieved through it. We can also develop various maps and graphics that will ensure your grant application is professional, effective, and appealing. When grant projects require outside consultants and expertise, we can also assist in the development of requests for proposals and the selection of the best possible firm to assist your municipality. DVRPC Regional Trails Program Phase 2 Grants Application Montgomery Township Powerline Trail Connector Example: Montgomery Township Trail Feasibility Study Grant Application DESCRIPTION OF APPLYING ORGANIZATION The applicant is Montgomery Township in Montgomery County. Montgomery Township is led by a five member Board of Supervisors, 13 commissions, boards, and committees, and a staff of more than 85 persons, which includes a full-time police force and public works. The Township regularly contracts for legal, engineering, planning, traffic, landscape architecture, and lighting consultation services. According to the 2010 census, the population is 24,790 and the housing total is 9,467. Our township is the location of the Montgomery Mall, a small regional shopping mall serving the Route 309 corridor of the Philadelphia suburbs. Much of Montgomery Township's development is suburban in character, with newer tract houses and strip shopping centers, but nevertheless has retained much of the natural resources as exemplified by the nearly 180-acre Township park, Windlestrae Park, and the over 38-acre Natural Park along the headwaters of the Neshaminy Creek. The new Route 202 Parkway Trail (Shared Use Path) was primarily implemented by PennDOT, however, many hours of discussions and coordination involved Township staff and its consultants. In addition, although the Trail is being constructed by PennDOT, the Township has committed by agreement with PennDOT to be responsible for the maintenance of the Main Stem of the Trail through the Township as well as for the trailhead parking areas and local trail connections. The Township has also planned, designed, and constructed many trails in and to its 12 parks. Also notable, the Township has successfully convinced a developer to contractually commit themselves to provide 1/2 mile of the Powerline Trail from the Horsham Township line to Hartman Road and has obtained a License Agreement with PECO for a major portion of the proposed Powerline Trail Connector that will be studied in this project. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The area of the proposed project is a 1.5 mile gap between the Powerline Trail in Horsham Township and the 202 Parkway Trail in the middle of Montgomery Township (see Regional Trails map at right). This segment is also marked in red on the accompanying project map. It should be noted that Horsham Township has recently completed construction of and commitment for more of the Powerline Trail towards Montgomery Township and we have modified the map to reflect the built and committed segments to the township line. The accompanying project map provides more detail. EVALUATION CRITERIA 1. Trail Geography a. Network trunk, primary, or secondary corridor

6 Open Space and Recreation Plans Recreation and open space plans are essential in establishing green infrastructure in your community that provides a variety of natural preservation and recreation benefits. Open space plans are primarily focused on the establishment of systems of important natural areas, greenways, parkland, and trails. While in recreation plans, the focus is more on developing the types of recreation programs and facilities that meet various leisure demands of the community. Open Space Plans. An open space plan is essentially a tool to enable a municipality to evaluate undeveloped portions in a community to determine which properties should be preserved and what methods are necessary to adequately protect important natural resources. The open space plan also enables a community to develop an interconnected system of green spaces with parks, natural areas, greenways, and trails. Our planners are especially skilled in assisting municipalities in formulating a realistic implementation strategy. Recreation Plans. Generally, about 75 percent of county residents would consider themselves as active outdoor recreationists who participate frequently in a wide variety of activities on both public and private lands. Recreational interests range from hiking and biking on trails to swimming, fishing, picnicking, dog walking, playground use, athletics, and camping. All these uses require park facilities and, in some cases, recreation supervision and coaching. Making decisions about where to locate and develop these facilities and how to manage them is part of the recreation plan development process. We recognize that an important element of any successful recreation plan is to understand both current recreation needs in the community as well as future leisure activity trends. Montgomery Township Recreation Plan Upper Salford Township Greenways Plan Worcester Township Open Space Plan MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP Like Living in a Park A Comprehensive Update to the Park and Recreation Plan December 2013

7 Ordinance Writing Well-conceived municipal land use ordinances, zoning and subdivision codes, and land development codes are needed to ensure that the vision established in local plans is reflected in new development or subdivision. In writing these ordinances, our staff can draw upon vast experience gained through the development of our award-winning model ordinance series. We strive to make ordinances clear, enforceable, and capable of producing the type of development called for in your comprehensive plan. In addition to drafting ordinances, we typically perform design tests on the new ordinance to determine its effectiveness. Over the past several years, we have developed innovative form-based zoning codes that address various design elements to ensure compatible development, particularly in older developed communities. We have developed other innovative codes with design guidelines and graphic tools to ensure proper development. In addition to zoning and subdivision codes, we have been involved in the drafting of other ordinances that are intended to improve the quality of development by addressing noise, cellular towers, lighting, signage, floodplain management, and parking. Montgomery County Model Ordinances Lansdale Borough Zoning Ordinance Narberth Borough Zoning Ordinance

8 Park and Trail Facilities Planning A great park or trail can be a real community asset. The parks and trails that people value don t just happen. Lots of vision, planning, and design is needed to make them special places that serve the needs of the community. Careful planning and design are required to reshape the landscape and add facilities that improve access and provide opportunities for a variety of different recreational pursuits. Park Development. Our approach to making parks great involves knowing both the land and the people who will be recreating on it. With the ability to understand the land better through careful site assessment that utilizes various geographic information system tools, we are able to evaluate the physical assets of the property and potential impacts associated with different ways of developing it. Balancing various types of park usage and better understanding future park and recreation trends can only be done by getting to know the community better. Focus groups, interviews with recreation providers, meetings, and different types of public opinion gathering can all provide insights into the perfect type of park for the community. The successful park plan provides a clear vision of what needs to be done on the ground. By breaking the plan into separate projects, a time frame, cost estimates, and potential partners can be identified. Trail Development. Montgomery County has been a national leader in the development of multipurpose trails. In building over 60 miles of countywide trails, the planning commission staff has become very experienced in all phases of trail corridor feasibility and design. Additionally, our staff has served on the state trails committee and has worked with various state and national trails organizations in the development of innovative trail design and management techniques. Through this vast experience, we have learned that the development of a trail is more than connecting two locations by a strip of pavement or gravel. We approach trail design from a human and ecological perspective, examining both the trail user experience and how the trail will fit into the landscape and surrounding community. Marlborough Township Pennsburg Borough Schwenksville Borough Pennsburg Borough

9 Parking Studies The availability and ease of parking is often a significant factor in local business patronage. It may even be the key element that enables the successful redevelopment of a community. Yet, issues associated with parking are not always clear without a full study that investigates parking availability and usage during different times of the day and week. For example, in some cases, there may be enough parking, but there may a common perception that parking is not available or is not easy to locate. The staff can analyze supply and demand, operational efficiency, traffic circulation, and parking access in any community. Using various geographic information system tools, we can easily map parking availability and measure its convenience to local businesses. We can also analyze future development trends to better understand the impact on available parking. As part of the study, we can gauge public perception about parking and identify other issues related to parking in your community. Where additional parking is not readily available, our planners can identify options to provide new parking opportunities. Our design planners can also perform conceptual layouts of existing and proposed parking facilities. Our staff can provide assistance when signage and marketing are all that is necessary to improve accessibility and usage of existing parking facilities. Ambler Borough East Greenville Borough

10 Revitalization Plans Montgomery County has great towns. Over the past several decades, many of them have been transformed by successful revitalization plans. Yet, additional work is needed to repurpose other older communities that have not enjoyed the benefits of full revitalization. Even in successfully revitalized communities, it is vital that plans be kept up-to-date so those communities remain vibrant and are poised to capture new economic development opportunities. The revitalization plan is intended to create a dynamic economic development strategy that will strengthen and stabilize a community s older neighborhoods and commercial areas. It provides a road map to help renew the community, creating a more vibrant, livable, and attractive place to work, live, and visit. Revitalization plans can address both physical elements in a community as well as changes to local policies and programs. With the right plan in place, many of the unique older areas of the county can be transformed into places that become destinations and possess a sustainable future that adds to the local economy. The staff is experienced in economic development planning and establishing creative revitalization strategies involving physical improvements, regulatory changes, organizational recommendations, and the creation of innovative programs or events. Effective revitalization plans recognize the market conditions in the community as well as the community s physical attributes. They are formulated through a dialogue that embraces the business community and local residents. Our staff uses innovative approaches to formulate creative solutions and unique ideas that will attract new businesses, visitors, and residents. UPPER MORELAND REVITALIZATION PLAN (2012) Rockledge Borough Upper Moreland Township Willow Grove MCPC

11 Sustainability Plan Sustainability planning is an innovative yet proven way for municipalities to develop strategies that will reduce environmental and energy impacts while establishing opportunities for residents to live happier and healthier lives. Sustainability planning takes a holistic look at the community in order to make it more resilient to future challenges while attaining benefits for the local ecology, community, and economy. While municipal sustainability planning is relatively new to Pennsylvania, we have developed sustainability plans for two municipalities in the county. We can develop a sustainability plan for many types of communities. Our approach builds on a collaborative process that focuses on communication and cooperation between all stakeholders to create sustainability goals and action items that will benefit the community. Though the planning process will guide the creation of sustainability goals, it is common to focus on energy efficiency, low-impact mobility, waste minimization and recycling, low-impact development, ecological stewardship, innovative water management, local economy, and healthy lifestyles. To help ensure attainment of the sustainability goals, we can develop a system to monitor progress with measurable action items. We also provide valuable baseline analysis for energy, mobility, environmental, and other sustainability topics in the plan. When considering a sustainability plan, we recognize the need to provide education and outreach about sustainability planning concepts for those participating in the plan process. If appropriate, we can provide information about the planning process, present to stakeholders, and provide other resources with more information to further engage the community. Cheltenham t ownship s ustainability p lan Cheltenham Township Collegeville Borough Cheltenham t ownship m ontgomery County, p ennsylvania Draft DeC ember, 2012

12 Walkability Audits It is not always easy to safely get around in most communities on foot or bicycle. Often times, the impediments to walkers and bikers are not obvious and may be small. The walkability audit, an unbiased examination and evaluation of the walking environment, often is the best way to identify and prioritize these challenges. During the audit, all types of concerns for pedestrians related to the safety, access, comfort, and convenience of the walking environment can be viewed first hand. Audits following a standardized set of audit procedures can also be conducted by Montgomery County Planning Commission planners. With independent professional planners conducting an audit, we can assure the municipality the audit is being done with fresh eyes and that the results of the audit are unbiased and free of potential conflicts of interest. By involving local community members in this group effort, our planners can get local perspective on potential walkability issues and can educate them on how to think critically about pedestrian mobility in the future as they review plans. Walkability audits can be conducted in a specific area of a community or may focus primarily on certain pedestrian system elements such as crosswalks, sidewalks, public transit stops, school walking routes, parks, linkages to key destinations, and other priorities After identifying and prioritizing pedestrian barriers and safety problems, optimal solutions are formulated. These could include conceptual street redesign, sidewalk construction or redevelopment, signage, pedestrian safety information, landscaping or fencing, and various maintenance measures. Planning to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to travel safely and conveniently along with motorists and public transit can be a balancing act. With a well-balanced transportation system supported by smart land use planning, communities can become more attractive places for businesses and residents. A transportation system that supports bicycling and walking enhances health, reduces traffic congestion, promotes economic vitality, and improves quality of living. Collegville Borough Red Hill Borough Collegeville Walkability Audit