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Comprehensive Planning in Pennsylvania’S Saucon Valley

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Comprehensive Planning in Pennsylvania’S Saucon Valley Our Resources, Our Valley Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Planning in Pennsylvania’s Saucon Valley Summer 2009 Borough of Hellertown Lower Saucon Township Saucon Valley School District Resolution Borough of Hellertown, Township of Lower Saucon and Saucon Valley School District Northampton County RESOLUTION NO. XX-XX-2009 A MULTI-MUNICIPAL RESOLUTION OF THE BOROUGH OF HELLERTOWN, THE TOWNSHIP OF LOWER SAUCON and THE SAUCON VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY ADOPTING A MULTI-MUNICIPAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WHEREAS, the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code authorizes the Saucon Valley Partnership (COG) Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, hereafter referred to as the Steering Committee, a Committee with representatives from the Borough of Hellertown, Township of Lower Saucon and Saucon Valley School District, Northampton County and as embodied through the Saucon Valley Partnership, to prepare and adopt a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan, hereafter referred to as the Plan, addressing land use, housing, economic development, transportation, infrastructure, natural resources and civic amenities impacting these Stakeholders. WHEREAS, the Stakeholders’ appointed Steering Committee and each government’s Planning Commission has reviewed and recommended the approval of a Plan that addresses community objectives, current and future land use, civic amenities, infrastructure and regional relationships; and WHEREAS, the Plan has also proposed an action plan with respect to planning, ordinances regulations, operations and capital improvements and stakeholder collaboration; and WHEREAS, the Plan also incorporates data with respect to demographics, existing zoning and land use, environmental characteristics, transportation, public water and sewer infrastructure, community facilities, public cost analysis and community involvement; and WHEREAS, the participating Stakeholders agree to discuss specific policies and actions for implementation of the Plan within a reasonable time frame following the adoption of the Plan; and WHEREAS, all the participating Stakeholders agree to charge their administrative staff personnel with continuing dialogue with participation for collaborative efforts, and with providing periodic updates on the matters to the leadership bodies of each Stakeholder. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Borough Council of the Borough of Hellertown, Township Council of the Township of Lower Saucon, Northampton County and the Board of the Saucon Valley School District that the Plan as attached hereto be adopted. RESOLVED AND ADOPTED this XXXX day of XXXXXXXX, 2009. ATTEST: BOROUGH OF HELLERTOWN, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY __________________________ ________________________ Borough Manager President, Borough Council TOWNSHIP OF LOWER SAUCON, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY __________________________ ________________________ Township Manager President, Township Council SAUCON VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY __________________________ ________________________ Superintendent President, School Board Planning in Pennsylvania’s Saucon Valley iii iv Our Resources, Our Valley Acknowledgments Part 1: Our Opportunities and Challenges Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 1-1 Opportunities and Challenges ................................................................................................... 1-3 Saucon Valley Region ................................................................................................... 1-3 Community Character, Development Patterns and Build-out ............................................ 1-3 Natural and Civic Resources ......................................................................................... 1-4 Public Spaces and Recreation ....................................................................................... 1-5 Transportation and Infrastructure ................................................................................. 1-6 Business Community and Economic Development ........................................................... 1-7 Historical Beginning and the Transformation in the Landscape ......................................... 1-8 Goals ................................................................................................................................... 1-11 Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 1-13 Future Land Use and Housing Plan .............................................................................. 1-13 Civic and Natural Amenities Plan ................................................................................. 1-16 Infrastructure and Transportation ............................................................................... 1-21 Business Development ............................................................................................... 1-25 Regional Relationships ............................................................................................... 1-31 Impacts on Policies .................................................................................................... 1-33 Comprehensive Plan .................................................................................................. 1-36 Part 2: Our Future Pursuits Action Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 2-1 Priority Actions ........................................................................................................................ 2-1 Part 3: Our Regional Landscape Existing Conditions Mapping ............................................................................................................. 3-1 Demographics ............................................................................................................................... 3-17 Population ................................................................................................................ 3-17 Population Density ..................................................................................................... 3-19 Age .......................................................................................................................... 3-20 Households ............................................................................................................... 3-22 Household Size .......................................................................................................... 3-23 Household by Type .................................................................................................... 3-24 Age of Housing Stock ................................................................................................. 3-27 Diversity of Housing Stock .......................................................................................... 3-28 Housing Density ........................................................................................................ 3-29 Rent and Affordability ................................................................................................ 3-30 Diversity of Rental Housing Stock ................................................................................ 3-31 Home Ownership ....................................................................................................... 3-32 Housing Occupancy ................................................................................................... 3-33 Median Housing Value ............................................................................................... 3-34 Median Household Income ......................................................................................... 3-37 Place of Work ............................................................................................................ 3-38 Education ................................................................................................................. 3-37 Industry of Employment ............................................................................................. 3-38 Planning in Pennsylvania’s Saucon Valley v Acknowledgments List of Maps Map 1: Development Character Districts .............................................................................................. 1-11 Map 2: Future Land Use .................................................................................................................... 1-17 Map 3: Local Greenway Corridors ....................................................................................................... 1-20 Map 3: Local Greenway Corridors ....................................................................................................... 1-20 Map 4: Regionally Significant Natural Resource Areas ........................................................................... 1-21 Map 5: Bike and Pedestrian Corridors ................................................................................................. 1-22 Map 6: Municipal Service Boundary ................................................................................................... 1-24 Map 7: Comprehensive Plan ............................................................................................................... 1-39 Map 8: Existing Generalized Land Use .....................................................................................................3-6
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