The Open Space System and Appendices
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PullingChapter It All Together 7 - The Open Space System Natural features, parks, trails, farmland, scenic roads, and historic structures are all part of the open space and cultural systems in the county. These impor- tant features are critical to the county’s quality of life and have been described in detail in previous chapters. This chapter summarizes the recommendations from these previous chapters and illustrates the interrelation- ship of the various open space and cultural resources. In addition, this chapter briefly discusses the connections between open space and other elements of this compre- hensive plan, and then concludes with a summary of implementation approaches. The Open Space System All of the individual open space and cultural re- sources discussed previously in this plan comprise the open space system. A few of the major features from these chapters are shown in Figure 48, the composite open space system. This composite map was then used to create the proposed open space and rural resource areas in the Growth and Preservation Map in the Vision Plan. These proposed open space and rural resource areas are shown in Figure 49. Overall, the goal is to permanently preserve 35,000 acres of open space and rural resource areas by 2025. Preserving these areas and other important cultural and natural features will be challenging. Each chapter in this plan lists methods to accomplish this preservation; a few of these methods are listed below. • Natural features can be preserved in a variety of ways, including purchase of the land, purchase of easements over the natural features, or zoning. Various zoning techniques include steep slope, woodland, wetland, riparian corridor, and flood- plain preservation ordinances, as well as cluster zoning and transfer of development rights. • Parks will primarily be expanded or created through the purchase of land; however, cluster zoning, parkland dedication requirements, and other tech- niques might also be used. • Trail development is often very difficult, given the varied ownership and use of land along a pro- The county’s natural areas can be preserved through acquisition, posed trail right-of-way. An extensive county trail zoning, and good stewardship. 203 Chapter Seven network is proposed, taking advantage of stream corridors, utility rights-of-way, and other existing corridors and greenways. • By 2025, the goal is to permanently preserve another 12,000 acres of farmland and 150 farms, for a total of approximately 17,000 acres of farmland and 225 farms. In addition, farming operations will be supported through programs and education designed to help farmers adjust to new market demands. • Scenic roads and historic properties can be preserved through many tools, primarily zoning, historic districts, and tax incentives. Local municipalities and developers must make a con- Zoning, historic districts, and tax incentives are government tools that scious effort to preserve these resources, incorpo- can be used to encourage historic preservation. rating a preservation ethos into all they do. Relationship of Open Space to the Whole Comprehensive Plan Open space, natural features, and cultural resources Public Review do not exist in a vacuum; instead, their preservation and use are intimately connected to development and growth This plan was mailed to county municipalities, around the county. The relationship of other plan conservation organizations, and school districts for elements to open space is briefly described below. review, as well as abutting counties, municipalities, • Vision Plan. This plan includes the Growth and and school districts. The plan was put online and Preservation Map, which shows designated growth made available for free to anyone requesting a copy. areas, rural resource areas, and proposed open space. A critical determinant for the designated In addition, public meetings on the plan were held in growth areas was the location of areas where the following locations: growth is least desirable – near existing parks, in vulnerable natural areas, and in viable farmland • September 13th, 2004, in Limerick Township. areas. The Open Space, Natural Features, and Cultural Resources Plan identifies these locations • September 15, 2004, in Upper Dublin Township. so that designated growth areas can be determined. The designated growth areas shown in the Vision • September 23, 2004 in Upper Merion Township. Plan are more compact than current trends, which means less open space and farmland will be devel- Comments from these public meetings and the oped to accommodate the county’s expected popula- mailings were incorporated into the final version tion and employment growth. of this plan. • Community Facilities Plan. Community facilities, particularly sewer and water facilities, can have a strong impact on open space. On the one hand, if sewer and water lines are extended into rural and open space areas, development is encouraged, which leads to a loss of these resources. On the other hand, adequate and clean sewer service must be provided to homes to protect streams, groundwater, and wetlands from pollution. The Community 204 Pulling It All Together - The Open Space System Figure 48 COMPOSITE OPEN SPACE SYSTEM 205 Chapter Seven 206 Pulling It All Together - The Open Space System Figure 49 OPEN SPACE PLAN 207 Chapter Seven 208 Pulling It All Together - The Open Space System Facilities Plan generally shows sewer and water service in existing developed areas and designated growth areas rather than proposed open space and rural resource areas. However, the plan recognizes that concentrated areas of failing sewer systems must be improved. • Economic Development Plan. This plan encourages new businesses to locate first in development centers, existing developed areas, brownfield sites, or downtown areas and sec- ondarily in designated growth areas. All of these locations are outside of proposed open space and rural resource areas. In addition, the Economic Development Plan strongly encourages redevelopment of down- town areas, old industrial sites, and underutilized shopping centers. This redevelopment will make existing developed areas more appealing places to live and work, thereby reducing the incentive for people to move to rural areas. The plan also recognizes that a critical method for encouraging redevelopment of downtown areas is historic preservation. • Housing Plan. Homes on large lots put tremendous pressure on open space. The Housing Plan discusses methods of creating smaller lots and a greater variety of housing Farmland and active farming can be preserved with zoning changes, types. This would allow the county to meet its new farming practices, and the purchase of land or development rights. housing demand by using less open space and farmland. • Land Use Plan. Using the Growth and Preser- vation Map as a guide, the Land Use Plan discusses many methods of preserving rural character, reinvigorating older communities, and protecting natural features and open space within the designated growth areas. • Transportation Plan. Although not obviously linked to open space, transportation is, in fact, an important potential negative influence on open space. The county Transportation Plan recognizes that new transportation improve- ments should be concentrated in existing developed areas and growth areas, not in locations that will encourage growth in farm- land, natural areas, and other open space. In addition, the plan acknowledges that new transportation projects must respect historic buildings and natural areas. Trails are a means of recreation and transportation. 209 Chapter Seven • Water Resources Plan. This plan is directly linked to the Open Space, Natural Features, and Cultural Resources Plan and encour- ages protection of floodplains, wetlands, and water resources. Implementation Preservation will not happen without a concerted effort from many people and organizations using a variety of techniques to achieve preservation. One critical implementation tool is funding. It is very difficult to preserve significant amounts of open space without buying the land, which takes money. Ideally, open space funds should come from a wide range of sources, including the federal government, the state, the county, and local municipalities. In fact, many municipalities in the region have recognized the critical importance of open space preservation and have approved bonds for buying open space. In addition to these government sources, foundations, conservancies, businesses, and private citizens should provide money for open space preservation. A second critical implementation tool is regulation. Regulations, particularly zoning ordinances, are most effective for natural features preservation and historic preservation, although they can also help preserve farmland and other pieces of the open space system. There is a third critical element to open space, natural feature, trail, farmland, and historic resource preservation—and this is attitude. Without a strong effort and a true ethos for preservation, it is very difficult to achieve comprehensive preservation. In communities where this preservation ethos exists and involves all parties, including developers, resi- The county’s parks and open spaces bring people together, providing a dents, and local businesses, the likelihood of achiev- common venue for everyone. ing consistent preservation is much greater. Figure 50 lists the tasks, parties responsible for implementation, and general time frame for the Open Space, Natural Features,