OLEY TOWNSHIP

AND

ALSACE TOWNSHIP

Berks County, Pennsylvania

JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

The Alsace Township Board of Supervisors adopted this Comprehensive Plan on December 15, 1999. Oley Townshipkwwhdep. $e&. -bGWe\& sJ qb150,-:> c,Ap4 3:~uCd 13 %SOZ ? #

Urban Research & Development Corporation Bethlehem, Pennsylvania I I CONTENTS

I INTRODUCTION ......

Thevision ...... 1 I ThePlan ...... 1

I BACKGROUNDREPORTS ...... 3

Regional Location ...... 3 I Historical Ongins ...... 4 Population. Housing and Employment ...... 7 I NaturalFeatures ...... 18 Existing Land Use ...... 39 Community Facilities and Services ...... 47 I Local Government ...... 54 Parks and Recreation ...... 57 Land Use Policies In the Region ...... 60 I Transportation ...... 66 Summary of Assets and Constraints ...... 71 I THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE ...... 73

I GoalsandObjectives ...... 73 Plan Interrelationships ...... 75 Timing ...... 76 I Future Land Use and Housing ...... 77 Environmental Conservation ...... 86 Agricultural Preservation ...... 91 I Historic Preservation ...... 93 Transportation ...... 94 I Community Services and Facilities ...... 97 Economic Development ...... 99 I EnergyConservation ...... 102 I THE ACTIONPROGRAM ...... 103 Implementing This Comprehensive Plan ...... 106 Planning Commission Role ...... 107 I GovemingBodyRole ...... 108 Fundingsources ...... 109 I I I CONTENTS (Cont.)

PAGE I I Regional Location ...... 3 Historic Landmarks of the Oley Valley ...... 6 Geology ...... 21 i Topography ...... 23 Hydrology ...... -27 AgriculturalSoils ...... 31 I Soil Suitability for On-Lot Septic Systems ...... 33 Woodlands and Unique Natural Features ...... 37 I Agricultural Preservation ...... 41 ExistingLandUse ...... 45 Public Water and Sewer Service Areas ...... 49 1 Adjacent Zoning ...... 61 Roadway Classification ...... 69 FutureLandUse ...... 79 1 Agricultural Zoning and Lot Averaging ...... 84 Neotraditional Zoning and Village Zoning ...... 85 1 TABLES I 1- TotalPopulation ...... 7 2- RegionalPopulation ...... 8 3- Population Density ...... 9 1 4- PopulationbyAge ...... 10 5- Population Projections ...... 11 6- Gender ...... 12 1 7- Average Persons per Household ...... 12 8- IncomeandPoverty ...... 13 1 9- Total Housing Units ...... 13 10 . Housing Type ...... 14 11 . Housing Tenure and Vacancy ...... 15 1 12 . Year Housing Built ...... 15 13 . Employment by Sector ...... 16 14 . Employment by Industry ...... 17 1 15 . Total Enrollment ...... 52 16 . OperatingFundRevenues ...... 55 17 . Operating Fund Expenditures ...... 56 1 18 . Zoning Adjacent to Oley Township and Alsace Township ...... 63 19 . Summary of Recommended Future Land Use Areas ...... 81 20 . Guidelines for Protecting Important Natural Features ...... 86 1 21 . Highway Functional Classifications and Recommended Design Features ...... 95 22 . Summary of Recommendations ...... 103 23 . Fundingsources ...... 109 1 I INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION

THE VISION

The Oley Township/Alsace Townshp Joint Comprehensive Plan is a vision for the future of a unique rural landscape. The plan shows how Oley and Alsace residents can continue preserving the best features of their community by avoiding unplanned growth and promoting only desirable changes in the area’s current land use pattern.

Growth in the Oley/Alsace area should be concentrated in and around existing developed areas. Prime agricultural soils should be preserved for farming. The vital environmental functions and limitations of steep slopes, woodlands, floodprone lands and other natural areas should be respected. New homes in the Oley/Alsace area should be sited on the most suitable portions of a tract of land. Open space preservation within new developments should be maximized. Sewage treatment should be engineered to maintain public health and protect local water quality -without spurring rapid growth.

Oley and Alsace should encourage new commerce and industry that is well planned, environmentally safe and properly located. Where feasible, businesses along major roads such as Route 73 and Route 12 (Pricetown Road), should use common entrances and exits to improve traffic safety/circulation and help prevent commercial strip development. In both residential and non-residential areas, people should exercise care in using historic structures. Commercial signs should complement, not detract from, the local environment, particularly in the area’s historic villages.

In cooperation with others, Oley and Alsace will continue to promote safe roads, fire protection and emergency services. Quality education, recreation and cultural enrichment should also remain important priorities in the two townships.

THEPLAN

The Oley Township/Alsace Township Joint Comprehensive Plan has three major parts:

The Backa-ound Reports summarize existing conditions and trends in the Oley/Alsace area. The Plan For the Future contains the goals, recommendations and policies on future conservation and development in the two municipalities. The Action Program summarizes the primary actions Oley and Alsace can take to put the plan into practice.

The plan’s real value will be in evaluating proposed actions. Local officials, business leaders and other residents should only support proposals for future change that are consistent with the visions outlined above and that help carry out this plan.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 'I I I I

I BACKGROUND REPORTS I u I I I I I I I BACKGROUND REPORTS

Past and current trends in the following areas will continue to affect the future conservation and development of Oley and Alsace Townships:

0 Regional Location 0 Community Facilities and Services Historical Origins 0 Local Government Population, Housing and Employment 0 Parks and Recreation Natural Features 0 Transportation 0 Existing Land Use 0 Land Use and Zoning Policies in the Region

REGIONALLOCATION

Oley and Alsace lie to the east of Reading, the county seat of Berks County. Pricetown Road, which connects the Pricetown and Fleetwood areas with Reading, is the major road through Alsace. Oley is traversed by both Route 662 and Route 73, which join to form a bypass around Oley Village. Heading eastward, these two state highways then separate with Route 73 heading directly east to Boyertown (on the Berks/Montgomery County line) and Route 662 traveling southeast to U.S. 422 near Pottstown.

Regional growth pressures are affecting the Oley/Alsace area from several directions. From the east, suburbanization is spreading through Montgomery County and Chester County from Phila- delphia along the Schuylkill River corridor. This trend has accelerated since the Schuylkill Expressway extension was completed in the early 1980’s. From the northeast, major growth from the Lehigh Valley has moved into Berks County along both Route 222 and Route 100.

Closer to home, Oley and Alsace are being affected by Reading area development from both the west and south. Exeter and Muhlenberg are two populous, suburban townships that share boundaries with both the City of Reading and the Oley/Alsace area. Both Exeter and Muhlenberg have experienced rapid residential growth in recent years.

THE OLEYTOWNSHIP/ALSACE ‘I‘OWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 3 I BACKGROUSD I HISTORICALORIGINS

The Delaware or Lenni Lenape Indians were the earliest known inhabitants of eastern Berks County. I The first Europeans came in the early years of the 1700’s after England‘s I(mg Charles granted 40,000 square miles to William Penn in what is now eastern Pennsylvania. Immigrants came fiom Germany, France, Sweden, England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and elsewhere, often seeking religious I freedom. Many moved inland from Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River.

Oley Township was founded in 1740. In 1744, settlers from Elsass, Germany petitioned to establish I Alsace Township. Settlers fiom the Palatine region in Germany proved to be most influential in the formative years of the Oley/Alsace area. By the first federal census in 1790, Germans and German descendants comprised almost 75% of Berks County’s population. Their farming traditions, I religious convictions and self-reliance, which came to be known as “Pennsylvania Dutch” characteristics, have dominated in the region for nearly 300 years. Religion was a major factor in the development of the Oley/Alsace area. French Huguenots, Moravians, Quakers, Lutheran, I Reformed and other congregations each built places of worship in the area prior to the mid 1800’s. I Aside from farming, water powered industry was the dominant economic activity in the area’s formative period. Mills for grain, lumber, paper and other commodities were common along the Manatawny Creek, Monocacy Creek and their tributaries until the mid 1800’s. The Oley Forge and I Oley Furnace irons works were the largest of the area’s water powered industries. Both supplied weapons and wagon hzdware to the Continental Army during theRevolutionary War. Berks County was a leading early iron producer, with more than forty separate iron works. Evidence of the area’s I early industries still exist, including old mill buildings, furnace sites, mine holes and other remnants.

The Oley/Alsace area’s industrial development stalled in the first half of the 1800’s as the region’s I iron ore and forests were gradually depleted. Then the Schuylkill Canal and major railroads between Philadelphia, Reading, Allentown and the coal regions were constructed which bypassed the two townships. Oley Village developed during ths time as a local commercial center along Main Street. I Today, its concentration of Victorian structures are a unique historic resource. Smaller villages, such as Yellow House and Limekiln, are examples of other local crossroads that were once stagecoach stops or trading posts in the Oley/Alsace area. Another example is Pleasantville, an important stop 1 on the old Oley Turnpike.

Farmsteads, stone houses, barns, cemeteries, churches and other structures from the 1700’s and 1 1800’s are widely recognized and treasured resources in the Oley/Alsace area. Well organized grassroots support for preserving the region’s living history, and extensive research and I documentation, led to the U.S. Department of the Interior placing the entire Township of Oley on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1980, the National Trust For Historic Preservation selected Oley as a Rural Project. Between 1980 and 1983, over 435 structures in Oley I Township and the immediate vicinity were inventoried and noted as contributing hstoric resources. (See Appendix.) More than 50 of these properties were found to feature 18th century struchxes. Preserving the area’s heritage remains a prominent planning goal in Oley and Alsace today. I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 4 I According to the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission, there are no locations in Alsace Township on the National Register of Historic Places. The following six locations in Oley are on the National Register as separate listings from the Oley Historic District, which encompasses the entire Townshp.

Henry Fisher House Greisemer Mill Covered Bridge Greisemer’s Mill Pleasantville Covered Bridge Knabb-Beiber House Reiff Homestead

The Oley Township Zoning Ordinance includes an HV- Historic Village District designed to help preserve the historic integrity of Spangsville Village on Spangsville Road along the Manatawny Creek. The Township established a historic architectural review board to review proposals for new construction and exterior building alterations in this district.

The following map showing the Historic Landmarks of the Oley Valley was prepared by the Oley Valley Heritage Association, an organization formed to cany on resource conservation and historic preservation when the National Trust’s Rural Project concluded in Oley. I I

THEOLEY TOWSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 5 HISTORIC LANDMARKS OF THE OLEY VALLEY I mce: Oley Valley Heritage Association 1. DeTurk Settlement 1712; Cabin 1767 A I 2. Col. Daniel Hunter Homestead 3. Hunter-Kemp Inn c.1740 4. Kent Mill 1725; Bertolet Mill 1841 5. Bertolet Cabin 1735; House 1772 I 6. Samuel Guldin Settlement 1722 7. Jacob Kaufman Farmstead 1832 8. Kaufman Settlement 1727; House 1766 9. Oley Churches 1822; Cemetery c.1735 10. Griesemer Mill 1847; Covered Bridge 11. Frederick Spang Mansion 1808 12. Oley Forge 1744; Lesher House 1750 13. Enoch Griesemer Inn 1799 14. Nicholas Hunter House 1805 15. Oley Turnpike Tollhouse 1862 16. Griesemersville Hotel 1860 17. Peter Griesemer Homestead 1782 18. William Stapleton Homestead c.1789 19. John Hunter Inn 1768 20. Benjamin Wright Mansion 1808 21. Lesher-Whitner Homestead 1763 22. Abraham Bechtel House 1852 23. Henry Fisher Mansion 1801 24. Samuel Guldin House 1852 25. Village of Yellow House 26. Yellow House Hotel 1801 27. Exeter hieetiaghouse c.1759 28. George Boone House 1733 29. Michael Knabb Mansion 1817 30. Nathan Knabb Farmstead 1803 31. Christian Schaeffer Farmstead 32. Marquette Settlement 1742 33. Levi John Bertolet Mansion 34. EllislBertolet Mansion 1805 35. Jean Bertolet Settlement & Cemetery 1726 36. Dr. Geo. DeBenneville Homestead 1745 3 7. Daniel Knabb Farmstead 1852 38. John Knabb Mansion 1806 39. Daniel Nein Homestead & Cemetery 40. Village of Limekiln 41. Hans Schneider Homestead 1767 - 42. John Herbein Settlement & Cemetery 1740 43. Knabb-Bieber Mill 1809 44. Peter Knabb Homestead 1806 45. Stauber-Leinbach Settlement 1714 46. Wiest Schoolhouse 1850 47. John Hoch Farmstead 1828 59. Martin Yoder Farmstead 1831 71. Johannes Keim Settlement 1706 48. Sharadin Farmstead 1824 60. Engle Peters Settlement & Cemetery 1720 72. Village of Pikeville I 49. "Sacred Oak" 61. Brumbach-Herbein Farmstead 1841 73. Pikeville Hotel 50. Reiff Smithy 1740; House 1815 62. Lesher-Deisher Farmstead 1799 74. Lee-Miller Farmstead 51. John Knabb Mill 1835 63. Abraham Levan Homestead 1757 75. Hans Yoder Settlement 1714; Saw Village of Pleasantville I 52. Daniel DeTurk House 1858 64. John Hoch Settlement & Cemetery 1725 . 76. 53. George Mellot Mansion 1513 65. Hoch Mill 1761; Peters Mill 1850 77. Odd Fellows Lodge Hall 1858 54. Village of Oley 1830-1900 66. Jacob Keim Settlement 1732 78. Oyster Yoder Homestead 1788 55. Col. Engle Schroeder House 1860 67. Jacob Yoder Farmstead 1829 79. Yoder-Cleaver Homestead c.1740 I 56. Williams Glase Homestead 68. Village of Lobachsville 80. Pleasantville Covered Bridge 1852 57. Oley Furnace Village 1768 69. Pott Mill 1745; Reinert Mill 1887 81. Levan-DeTurk Homestead 1747-188C 58. Daniel Udree Mansion; Mill 1823 70. St. Paul's Church 1877 82. Abraham Brei1 House 1820 I THE OLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JONCOMPREHENSIVE PLAN 6 BACKGROUSD

POPULAIION,HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT

Total Population

Oley Townshp’s estimatedpopulationwas 3,653 in January 1998, anincrease of291 persons (8.790) since 1990. Growth of the Township’s population since the 1990 Census was estimated by multiplying Oley’s average family size as reported in the 1990 Census by the number of residential building permits the Township approved from 1990 through 1997. Oley grew at a faster rate than Berks County during both the 1970’s when the County’s population increased by 5.4%’ and the 1980’s when the County grew by 7.7%.

Alsace Township’s estimated January 1998 population was 3,832, an increase of 373 persons (10.8%) since 1990. The U.S.Census reported that Alsace had a net gain of only 3 persons during the 1980’s after growing by 13.9% during the 1970’s.

TABLE 1 TOTAL POPULATION Oley Township and Alsace Township 1970 - 1998

Sources: US.Census, Berks County Residential Construction Survey, URDC

Population In Adjacent Municipalities

Oley and Alsace are adding population very slowly relative to surrounding municipalities. Between 1990 and 1998, Exeter Township added 3,185 residents, the most in the area. Muhlenberg was second with 2,423 new residents and Earl was third with an estimated population increase of 1,855 for the same 8-year period. Exeter also added more people than any other municipality in the Oley/Alsace area between 1980 and 1990.

Between 1990 and 1998, Earl Township had the Oley/Alsace area’s highest estimated rate of growth (61.5%). Rockland’s growth rate of 45.0% was also very high during this period. Oley’s 7.8% growth was second lowest and Alsace’s 10.8% growth was third lowest compared to surrounding municipalities during this 8-year period. Table 2 also shows that development is accelerating in most

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 7 1 BACKGROLSD of the area. In seven of the ten municipalities noted, the percentage of persons added was higher I from 1990 to 1998 than it was fiom 1980 to 1990.

TABLE 2 I REGIONAL POPULATION Oley Township, Alsace Township and Surrounding Municipalities 1980 - 1998 I I I I I I

Sources: U.S. Census, Berks County Residential Consmction Survey and URDC I

Population Density I

Population density, measured in persons per square mile, is a way of comparing the extent of development in the Oley/Alsace area with surrounding municipalities and Berks County overall. I Table 3 shows that Pike Township is the least developed municipality in the Oley/Alsace area. Oley is the second and Alsace is the fifth least developed municipality in the area. Muhlenberg and Lower Alsace, two townships directly adjacent to the City of Reading, are the Oley/Alsace area’s most I developed municipalities. Oley and Alsace each have fewer persons per square mile than Berks County overall, whch in 1996 had an estimated population density of 407 persons per square mile (352,353 persond865.7 square miles). I I I I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 8 1 BACKCROL:SD

TABLE 3 POPULATION DENSITY Oley Township, Alsace Township and Surrounding Municipalities

OPULATION DENS1

Sources: U.S. Census,URDC

Population By Age

In 1990, 22 to 34 olds were the largest age group in Oley, Alsace and Berks County. The second largest group in the two townships was 35 to 44 year olds. Together, these two age groups refer to people born between 1946 and 1968, the baby boomers and people born soon after the baby boom. The baby boom shows up clearly in comparing 1980 and 1990 age breakdowns. In Berks County, Oley and Alsace, people born between 1946 and 1955 caused the 35 to 44 year old group to grow significantly. In the future, baby boomers will continue to swell the size of each age group in which they are located. This is one of the primary causes for concern about the future solvency of Social Security and the future capacity of our elderly care system.

The 18 to 2 1 year old age group and 5 to 17 year olds experienced a larger percentage decrease in size than any other groups in both townshps and Berks County between 1980 and 1990. This refers to people born between 1969 and 1985. During ths period, birth rates were dropping nationally as baby boomers were not having as many children as their parents did (the "baby bust").

Birth rate declines have stabilized nationally since 1985. In Oley, Alsace and Berks County, the 4 years old and under group (people born between 1986 and 1990) experienced strong growth.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 9 Oley School District enrollment figures reflect ths trend. The School District's total enrollment increased from 1,754 in 1990 to 2,158 in 1998, a 23.0% gain. Enrollment in K thou& 6. the elementary grades, grew by33%, compared to a 14% increase among high school and middle school students. (Note: These figures have been adjusted to account for the shift of 6th grade from middle school to elementary school in 1994.)

Senior citizens living longer is the other major national trend that has affected demographics in Oley and Alsace. Both the 65 to 74 year old age group and the 75 years and over age group experienced very strong growth. between 1980 and 1989 in Oley, Alsace and Berks County. Seniors as a proportion of all residents can be expected to continue increase in the foreseeable future due to people living longer and the aging of the baby boom generation.

TABLE 4 POPULATION BY AGE Oley Township, Alsace Township and Berks County

Source: U.S. Census

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 10 Population Projections

The population projections on Table 5 assume Oley and Alsace do not make any major chanzes in their current zoning and infrastructure policies. Unless major shifts occur in the regional economy and real estate market, Oley and Alsace should continue growing slowly. The following projections I assume Oley will gain just over 36 residents per year in the near future (about 12 nen. homes per year), just as the Township did between 1990 and 1998. This rate of growth would result in Oley I reachng a population of 4,090 by 2010. Table 5 shows Alsace adding just over 46 persons per year (15 new homes per year) in the near future. This is a continuation of the Township’s 1990-1998 annual average and would result in a I total 2010 population of 4,391 by 2010. I

I MUNICIPALITY OLEY TOWNSHIP ALSACE TOWNSHIP 1990 Population 3,362 3,459 2000 Projected Population 3.726 3.925 Change 1990 - 2000 3 64 466

Percent change 1990 - 2000 10.8 13.5 2010 Projected Population 4.090 4,391 I Change 2000 - 2010 3 64 466 Percent Change 2000 - 2010 9.8 11.9

I Sources: US. Census, Berks County Residential Construction Survey and URDC

I Gender

Gender refers to the number of males and females in a population. There are no special conditions in either Oley Township or Alsace Township that have altered the traditional 50/50 balance between total males and total females.

THE OLEY TOWNSHIPIALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 11 I BACKGROLSD I I TOTAL MALES FEMALES AREA POPULATION I Number Percent Number Percent Oley Township 3,362 1,656 49.3 1.706 50.7 I Alsace Townshp 3,459 1,740 50.3 1.719 49.7 Berks County 336,523 162,646 48.3 173,877 51.7 - I Source: US.Census

Household Size I Households refer to all persons living in a housing unit whether related or not. Reflecting a national I trend, the area's and the County's average household size has become smaller in recent decades. Later mamages, more divorces, fewer children and more elderly households contributed to this trend across the U.S. during the 1970's and 1980's. The typical Oley Township household had 2.70 B persons in 1990. This was slightly higher than the average household in Alsace (2.63 persons) and Berks County (2.56 persons). A large average household size is typical of growing areas with many young families. Smaller households are characteristic of older communities with more singles and I elderly persons.

TABLE 7 I AVERAGE PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD Oley Township, Alsace Township and Berks County I AVERAGE PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD AREA 1980 1990 I Oley Township 2.90 2.70 Alsace Township 2.87 2.63 I Berks County 2.66 2.56

Source: U.S. Census I

Income I Median income is the income level at which half an area's households earn more and half earn less. Oley Township's 1989 median annual household income of $35,736 was higher than the Berks I County average of $32,048, as was Alsace Township's median income of $34,078. I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/~SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 12 I According to the 1990 Census, Oley Township had 2.8% of its population living below poverty level in 1989, compared to 5.4% in Alsace and 7.8% in Berks County overall. Since 1964, the federal government has computed annual income levels that represent the threshold of poverty. These figures are adjusted to account for family size, age, gender of family-head, farm or non-farm residence and other considerations. The poverty threshold is intended to measure the minimum income necessary to maintain healthy living conditions.

TABLE 8 INCOME AND POVERTY Oley Township, Alsace Township and Berks County

MEDIANANNUAL PERCENT OF AREA HOUSEHOLD INCOME PERSONS IN POVERTY Oley Township $35,736 2.8 Alsace Township $34,078 5.4

Source: US. Census

Total Housing Units

Trends in total housing units usually mirror changes in total population. However, even areas losing I population tend to add housing units to accommodate the new households being created by singles, divorced people and the elderly. Oley added 205 housing units during the 1980's, an increase of 19.1%. This increase equals over 20 new homes per year, including apartments created by 'I converting single-family homes or other structures.

Alsace added 134 housing units during the 1980'~~an increase of 10.8% or just over 13 new homes I per year. Building permit records, which provide an estimate of new homes constructed since 1990, I are reviewed above in the section entitled Total Population. 1 TOTAL HOUSING UNITS 1980 - 1990 CHANGE I AREA 1980 1990 Number Percent Oley Township 1,076 1,281 205 19.1 I Alsace Township 1,243 1.377 134 10.8 I Berks County 119,934 134,482 14,548 12.1 Source: US.Census I THE OLEYTOWSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 13 I

Housing Type I Households tend to demand various types of housing as they mature. The cycle begins with young adults and family starters who often need smaller, less expensive housing. Households with children I tend to prefer larger, single-family homes. As the household grows older and divides, housing preferences and needs often return full-circle to apartments, townhouses and other small units. I In 1990, single-family detached homes comprised 85.4% of the housing stock in Oley Township. Single-family attached units, such as twins,row homes and townhouses, accounted for only 1.7YO of the Townshp's housing. These statistics are typical of a rural township. I

In Alsace, single-family homes were 80.4% of all Township housing in 1990, compared to 7.4%for single-family attached units and 6.1% for units in 2- to 4-unit structures. Berks County's overall I housing profile does not closely resemble either Oley or Alsace due to the sigruficant effect of Reading on County-wide totals. I TABLE 10 HOUSING TYPE Oley Township, Alsace Township and Berks County I I I I I

Source: U.S. Census 1 Housing Tenure and Vacancy 1 The amount of rental housing in an area compared to owner-occupied homes affects housing affordability and an area's ability to respond to the life cycle changes in housing demand described earlier. More rental units usually means less expensive housing, more affordable to singles, young I families and older people. Areas with high rates of owner-occupied housing can be less accessible to singles, starter families and the elderly. I Owner-occupied homes account for 73.2% of Oley Township's housing, compared to 85.7% in Alsace and 70.1% County-wide. These figures are typical for rural communities. I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 14 I I BACKGROI:ND I Berks CoUnty's 1990 vacancy rate of 5.1% was hlgher than that recorded in Oley Township (3.0%) and Alsace Townshp (4.4%). Vacancy rates of 3% to 5% are usually considered desirable to offer 1 sufficient choice for households moving into an area. Rates lower than hsrange typically reflect an older, stable population, such as in many boroughs.

I TABLE 11 HOUSING TENURE AND VACANCY Oley Township, Alsace Township and Berks County 1 1990 I I I I 1 Source: U.S.Census I Housing Age Oley's housing stock is considerabl older than housing in Alsace and Berks County. In Oley, 43.3% of all housing units were constructed prior to 1940, compared to 24.2% in Alsace and 39.7% in 1 Berks County. As of the 1990 Census, the 1980's had been the busiest decade for housing construction in Oley Township. The 1970's were the most active decade for new homes in Alsace I and Berks County. TABLE 12 YEAR HOUSING BUILT Oley Township, Alsace Township and Berks County I 1990 I I

I Source: US. Census 'I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 15 I

Employment By Sector I Many Oley/Alsace area residents work outside of the Townships. Witlun the overall regional I economy, Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area (Berks County) statistics show jobs are growing in retail trade, services, finance/insurance/real estate, transportation and government. Manufacturins and wholesale trade each lost jobs between August 1997 and August 1998. I

The Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area (Berks county) had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.4% in August 1998, compared to 4.4% in Pennsylvania and 4.5% nationwide. I

TABLE 13 EMPLOYMENT BY SECTOR I Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area (Berks County) I ECONOMIC SECTOR I I I 1 I I Source: PA Depamnent of Labor and Industry I I 1 I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 16 BACKGROL!SD

Employment By Industry

The U.S. Census reported on the industries wihn which residents of Oley and Alsace were employed as of 1990. Persons working in professional services (23.0%) and people in the manufacturing of durable goods (16.3%) comprised the two largest categories of Oley residents. Manufacturing of durable goods (22.2%)and retail trade were the two primary employers of Alsace Township residents, as shown on the following table.

TABLE 14 EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY Oley Township and Alsace Township 1990

Private Household and Other

Source: U.S. Census

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/.~LSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 17 I

NATURALFEATURES I I Geology The geology of an area dictates its groundwater potential and is an important determinant of soil I types. The Oley/Alsace area is underlain by three geological groupings: Ordovician, Cambrian and Precambrian formations. These formations represent different geological time periods, with Ordovician being the most recent and Precambrian being the oldest. Both Oley and Alsace each I contain a sampling of all three types of geological formations.

Oley Township is predominantly underlain with Ordovician formations consisting of shale, dolomite 1 and limestone. These Ordovician formations are found throughout most of the central portions of Oley. Cambrian formations of dolomite and limestone can be found along the east and northeast edges of the Township. The northwest comer of Oley, along the border with Ruscombmanor I Township, contains Precambrian Gneiss mixed with some small pockets of Cambrian quartzite.

Alsace Township is underlain primarily by Precambrian Gneiss formations. Small pockets of I Cambrian Quartzite and Dolomite exist in the western portion of the Townshp. Along Alsace's eastern border with Oley lies a small area of Ordovician Shale and DolomiteLimestone. I The following geological formations, their characteristics and their affect on planning are described below: I Ordovician Formations I Ordovician formations are composed of gray shales, sandstone interbeds and crystalline limestones. Ordovician shales are non-permeable and cause poor drainage. Ordovician dolomite and limestone are both calcium carbonate bedrock are highlyporous, soluble and easily weathered. Both dolomite I with its magnesium component and limestone are associated with the highly productive agricultural soils of the Oley Valley. Limestone has also supplied lime and other stone for the areas quarries. Because carbonate geology is porous, it does not filter pollutants through slow percolation to the I extent that more solid rock does. This tendency for carbonate geology to rapidly transport pollutants in groundwater should be a consideration in limiting permitted densities where development is served by conventional on-lot septic systems. Ordovician formations tend to be small to moderate I suppliers of ground water, but adequate for residential uses.

Cambrian Formations 1

Cambrian formations are composed of quartzite, dolomite and limestone. The Cambrian formations tend to have an abundance of surface depressions and sinkholes due to the relative purity of the 1 limestone bedrock found here. Their high porosity and solubility make them easily weathered and provide similar concerns regarding of transporting pollutants to the ground water as Ordovician I limestones. Likewise, limiting development densities where conventional on-lot septic systems are used should be a strong consideration. The relative purity of these limestone formations increases I THEOLEY TOWNSHIPIALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 18 I ~ chances of sinkholes forming as the limestone forms a solution when water comes into contact with it, washmg away and forming larger and larger cavities below ground until the surface collapses. Like Ordovician dolomite and limestones, these formations a generally associated with productive I farm land. I Precambrian Formations Precambrian formations were the earliest to form in Berks County. They are composed of Hornblende and Granite gneiss, a very hard and compact rock which resists erosion. These under I lie the areas hills and ridges found in Alsace Township and the northwestern border of Oley Township. Precambrian formations tend to poor aquifers and finding and sustaining high yield wells I can be difficult, although flows are usually sufficient for residential uses. On a larger scale, the Oley/Alsace area is near the Reading Prong, a geological region that extends along the Blue Mountain comdor from Reading to the Lehigh Valley. The Reading Prong produces I a high level of radon gas, an invisible, tasteless and odor less gas that can pose health risks when concentrations build up in enclosed areas, like basements. Houses vary significantly in their ability to resist radon. Yet there is no reliable way to predict where, within the radon-prone areas, that radon I is likely to accumulate to dangerous levels. I Topography I The accompanying Topography map shows two categories of slopes within Oley and Alsace: land between 15 and 25% grade (steep slopes) and land over 25% grade (very steep slopes). It is important to know where steep slopes are located because steep slopes are susceptible to erosion I when soil and vegetation are disturbed. Steep slopes can add significantly to the cost of constructing and maintaining roads and buildings. Steep slopes also limit the placement of on-site sewage I sys tems. Most of Oley is a flat to gently rolling agricultural valley. Steep slopes in Oley are concentrated along in the western part of the Township near the Monocacy and Limestone Creeks and in the I Township’s northern sector, near Oley Furnace. Alsace has very little flat land compared to Oley. Most of Alsace is hilly, including large areas of both moderately steep slopes and very steep slopes. I Over half the land area of Alsace is in steep slopes. I I I I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 19

I

I Streams

Streams are valuable aquatic habitats that provide both active and passive recreation. The major :I steams in Oley Township are the Monocacy Creek, Limekiln Creek, and Manatawny Creek. Limekiln Creek and Monocacy Creek each have several unnamed tributaries. In addition to unnamed branches, tributaries to Manatawny Creek include Little Manatawny Creek, Furnace Creek, Furnace Run, Bieber Creek and Oysterville Creek.

Pennsylvania’s Water Quality Standards designate protection categories for steams and water quality criteria for each category that is used in limiting the discharge of effluent into streams. Within Oley, Bieber Creek is classified as a waterway of Exceptional Value, a designation for streams that should receive special protection because of their outstanding water quality and other environment I attributes. Several streams in Oley are designated as Cold Water Fisheries, streams that should be protected as habitat for cold water fish and other fauna and flora indigenous to cold water. These I include Furnace Creek, Manatawny Creek, Little Manatawny Creek, Oysterville Creek and Furnace Run. Monocacy Creek is designated as a Warm Water Fishery, a waterway that should be preserved I as a warm water habitat. Furnace Creek is also designated by the State as a Trout Stock Fishery. The primary streams in Alsace Township are the Willow Creek, Laurel Run, Bernhart Creek and Antietam Creek. Within Alsace, each of these streams is a designated Cold Water Fishery. Laurel I Run is also designated a Migratory Fishery. Unnamed tributaries from the Monocacy Creek, Willow Creek and Little Manatawny Creek also extend into Alsace. I Drainage Basins

I Drainage basins are stormwater catchment areas. Watershed boundaries for drainage basins are delineated by ridge lines. All stormwater runoff in a particular drainage basin eventually flows to the same waterway, either directly or via one or more other waterways. Drainage basins are logical I service areas for sanitary sewer systems because lines that carry wastewater by gravity do not require pumping stations. For these reasons and others, drainage basins are important to consider in I comprehensive planning. The Manatawny Creek system forms a major watershed that drains most of thNastern and northern portions of Oley Township. Tributaries of the Manatawny, including Little Manatawny Creek, I Furnace Creek, Bieber Creek and unnamed branches form sub-basins within the Manatawny Watershed. The Limekiln Creek and Monocacy Creek drain most of the southwestern quadrant of I Oley Township. The Monocacy Creek’s watershed extends on both sides of the Oley/Alsace municipal boundary. Most of the central portion of Alsace is drained by Antietam Creek, with a small northern portion drained by the Manatawny Creek. The western side of Alsace is divided into three major watersheds. From north to south these include watersheds formed by Willow Creek, Laurel Run and Bernhart Creek. Each of the major watersheds in the Oley/Alsace area drain to the Schuylkill River, which empties into the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 25 I BACKGROL~ND I Floodplains

100-year floodplains are areas that, on average, have a one in one hundred chance of flooding in a I given year, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEM4). Besides providing natural habitat, floodplains cany floodwaters and help moderate flood heights. Interfering with these natural functions can result in more severe flooding, costly property damage and loss of life. I

The accompanying Hydrology Map shows the 100-year floodplains associated with the major waterways in Oley Townshp and Alsace Townshp. I

Wetlands I Wetlands are areas that have vegetation and soil types characteristic of a permanently or a frequently I saturated environment, including swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas. Wetlands are important groundwater recharge areas that support wildlife, fish and other aquatic life. Wetlands also reduce flooding by detaining stormwater. Besides protecting against floods, slowing stormwater discharge I helps filter impurities that can contribute to surface water and groundwater pollution. National Wetland Inventory maps, upon which the accompanying map is based, show the approximate location of many prominent wetlands. However, the National Wetlands Inventory does not I necessarily show all wetlands that exist within the two townships along stream corridors and other low lyng areas. Hydric soil types can also indicate wetlands. A professiofially prepared, site- specific wetlands delineation is the most accurate way to determine the presence of wetlands. I I I I I I I I I THEOLEV TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 26

BACKGROLWD Prime Agricultural Soils

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service has established soil capability classes based on each soil type's agricultural productivity. Capability classes range from Class I, soils with few limitations for farming to Class VIII, soils generally unsuitable for farming. Class I and Class I1 are considered prime agricultural soils and Class I11 soils are considered of Statewide importance for agriculture. 'I When evaluating farmland soils for potential purchase of development rights, Berks Coun~also considers Class I11 and Class IV soils although more value is assigned to Class I and Class 11.

I Class I and Class I1 soils are abundant in Oley. According to Berks County, the Township has more Class I soils than any other Berks County municipality. Class I soils are relatively rare in Berks County outside of Oley. Outside of Oley, Class I1 and Class I11 soils predominate among the Berks I County farms whose development rights have been sold to the State. There are no Class I agricultural soils in Alsace. The eastern part ofthe Township has significant concentrations of Class I I1 and Class I11 soils. I Soil Suitability For On-Site Septic Systems Soil suitability for on-lot septic systems is based primarily on a soil's depth to bedrock, depth to groundwater, soil permeability and the presence of slopes. Septic systems in soils that percolate too I rapidly can degrade groundwater because impurities are not sufficiently absorbed before reaching the water table. Conversely, soils that do not drain properly can cause the unhealthy surface ponding I of wastewater. These soil characteristics are important to consider in both Oley and Alsace, where most of each Township relies on private wells and private septic systems rather than public water I and sewer service. Much of Oley Township has only slight limitations for septic systems. These areas of slight limita- tions lie primarily in the eastern and southern portions of the Township. Many of the areas in Oley I that are suitable for septic systems are on farms protected from development either permanently or temporarily. Soils with moderate limitations for septic systems lie directly to the west of the Village of Oley and near Oley Furnace. The soils found in the Village of Oley, areas north of the village and southwest to Alsace Township border are generally not suited for septic systems.

Most of Alsace Township contains soils that severely constrain the safe use of septic systems because of steeply slopes, poor drainage and shallow depth to both bedrock and the water table. Areas in Alsace with concentrations of soils that have only slight or moderate limitations for septic systems include the following:

a scattering between the base of Irish Mountain and Temple Quarry the east side of Pricetown Road both sides of Basket Road the east side of Antietam Creek the Five Points area near Exeter Township I THE OLEYTOWNSHIP/ALSACE Tomsmp JOINTCOMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 29

BACKCROLND

Unique Natural Areas

In 1991, the Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy prepared the Berks County Natural Areas Inventory, a list and mapping of rare and endangered plants, animals and natural habitats in Berks County. The Natural Areas Inventory contains a) sites of local importance and b) II sites of statewide significance as listed on the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Index (PhiI).

The Lobachville Floodplain Forest, which is in Oley and Pike townships, is the only site in the I Oley/Alsace area noted to be of Statewide Importance. It is a mature woodland with extensive wetlands. Beech, white ash, tulip poplar, sugar maple and spice bush are its most prevalent vegetation. While development of the area appears unlikely, the Natural Areas Inventory I recommends that logging and other forms of human disturbance be minimized so the area can continue to provide open space, wildlife habitat and flood storage. The Lobachville Floodplain I Forest is an area of local importance in addition to its designation of Statewide Si,gnificance. The Chapel Hill Forest, which is on the south side of Mexico Road in central Alsace Township, is I noted as a natural area of local importance, although it is not designated as a site of Statewide Significance. The Chapel Hill Forest is a mature forest with an 80-foot canopy of oak, beech, hickory, birch, maple, tulip and sour gum. A diversity of birds occupy this site and its ponds support I aquatic life. The Natural Areas Inventory recommends against logging or other forms of disturbance and development. .I Woodlands

I Woodlands are wildlife habitats that, if destroyed, take decades to replace. The root systems of trees and other vegetation stabilize the soil against erosion, particularly in steep areas. Woodlands are I also a scenic resource that provide visual relief from the built environment. Large concentrations of woodlands are scarce in Oley because so much of the Township is cleared for farming. Most of Oley’s woodlands are in the northwestern quadrant of the Township, I particularly north of Oley Village and in the Oley Furnace area. Woodlands also exist along several miles of stream comdor in Oley. In contrast, Alsace is predominantly wooded. Wooded hillsides exist throughout the Township. Woodlands cover almost all the undeveloped lands in the western I portion of Alsace. In the eastern portion of Alsace, woodlands are less concentrated but still very I prevalent. I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 35

EXISTINGLAND USE

Agricultural

Oley Townshp is renowned for its fertile farmland and agricultural heritage. Today, Oley has more 1 land in agriculture and larger concentrations of adjacent farms than any other Berks County municipality. Agriculture is by far the predominant land use in Oley Township. In Alsace, farmland is concentrated in the eastern half of the Township, which has soils more suitable to a_giculturaluses I than the western half.

There is strong sentiment in Oley Township for preserving farmland for a+giculture. The accompanying Agricultural Preservation map shows the land in Oley where development rights are now held by Berks County, the Berks County Conservancy or the American Farmland Trust. According to the Berks County Agricultural Land Preservation Board and the Berks County Planning Commission, thls involves a total of 38 tax parcels, 26 property owners and over 3,600 acres. The map also shows that the majority of farmland property in Oley and some farmland properties in I eastern Alsace Township are part of Agricultural Security Areas under State Act 43 of 198 1. Farms within Agricultural Security Districts are protected against certain regulations that constrain farming i and are eligible to have Berks County purchase their development rights.

N0TC:The accompanying Existing Lzid Use map also includes a category of land called I "Undeveloped". Undeveloped land refers to land not in agriculture, not developed and not part of publicly accessible open space. Undeveloped land is primarily woodlands, steep slopes or other vacant property not in any of the other land use categories included on the I Existing Land Use map. I I 11 II 1 I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 39

I BACliGROlND I Residential

I Single-family detached homes account for almost all residential land uses in Oley. These include many historic farmsteads in the townshp’s agricultural area and homes that have developed in unplanned fashon along all of the Township’s roadways. Charmingdale, a 1 lO-unit single-family I development on the south side of Route 73, is the Township’s largest residential subdivision. Housing in the historic Village of Oley is more diverse in that it contains some apartments and attached homes in addition to single family homes. The villages of Spangsville, Yellow House and I ‘Limekiln also contain concentrations of historic homes.

Single-family detached homes account for the vast majority of developed land in Alsace. Alsace I Manor on Pricetown Road is the Township’s largest planned residential subdivision. There is a mobile home park on Church Road. Most of the small amount of attached and multi-family housing I that exists in Alsace is along Friedensburg Road.

I Commercial Oley has concentrations of commercial uses along Route 73 and within the villages of Oley and I Pleasantville. The Route 73 corridor includes a supermarket, a carwash, a medical office building, a restaurant and miscellaneous highway oriented uses. The historic village of Oley contains a bank, a hstoric idrestaurant, a pos: office, a funeral home, many small shops and an assortment of office I conversions. Most of Oley Village retains a high degree of historic integrity and is a living reminder of the village’s 19th century origins. The village of Pleasantville is a commercial crossroads that contains an historic hotel, an antiques dealer and several smaller commercial uses. The Village of ‘I Yellow House has a gas station and convenience store in Oley and a hoteyrestaurant just across the municipal boundary in Amity Township.

I Very little commercial development exists in Alsace. Commercial uses along Pricetown Road, include a dnving range, a restaurant, a garden center and a tree nursery, among some others. The Township’s few remaining commercial uses are near Mcknigtht’s Gap, Five Points and other I disbursed locations. I Industrial I Three quarries locations in the Township’s agricultural area are the major industries in Oley. Other industrial uses include a truclung establishment near the junction of Routes 73 and 662, a manufacturing use on Route 73 near the Oley/Ruscombmanor border, and a storage facility on Route I 662 east of Oley Village. A quarry on the north side of Pricetown Road is the largest industry in Alsace Township. Other industries in Alsace include a metals company on Hartz Road, a textile firm on Wanners Road, a moving and storage facility in Alsace Manor, and two industries on I Friedensburg Road. I THEOLEY- TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 43 I BACKGROL'KD I Institutional

Major Institutional uses in the two municipalities include the following: I Olev TownshiD I Oley Townshp Municipal Building Oley Valley High School and Middle School I Oley Valley Elementary School Berks Career and Technology Center (Berks County Vo-Tech Eastern Campus) Oley Post Office I Oley Fire Company American Legion Post 878 I Alsace TownshiD

Alsace Township Municipal Building I Montessori Day School

0' Oley Valley Intermediate Unit Alsace Manor Fire Company I

Several churches and cemeteries are also 1oc:ted in the .iwo municipalities. Many of these churches and cemeteries are historic locations. I I Public RecreatiodOpen Space Oley and Alsace have the following publicly-accessible open spaces: I Olev Township I Oley Valley Youth Recreation Area (privatehon-profit outdoor athletic complex) Oley Volunteer Park (Township-owned park) Pleasantville Park (private picnic grove) I Reading Motorcycle Club (privatehonprofit motorcycle track & recreation grounds) American Legion Grounds (picnic and natural area owned by the American Legion) I Alsace TownshiD

Alsace Township Park (Township-owned park) I Poole Nature Preserve (Berks County Conservancy land) Oley Valley Fish & Game Club (privatehon-profit fish and game club) Portions of Mount Perm Preserve (owned by City of Reading) I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 44 I ri I’ BACKGROUND

I - COMMUNITYFACILITIES AND SERVICES

I Public Sewer Service

Most areas of Oley Township are served by on-lot septic systems. The Oley Municipal Authority I provides wastewater collection and treatment for 619 connections in the Village of Oley and the surrounding area, including the Chmingdale subdivision. The Oley Municipal Authority sewage treatment plant is located south of Pleasantville along the Manatawny Creek. The sewage treatment I plant discharges into Manatawny Creek and has a capacity of 250,000 gallons per day. The plant is I presently running at capacity due to its current connections plus infiltration and inflow. By the end of 1999, the Oley Municipal Authority intends to finish improvements to its sewage treatment plant that will enhance treatment and expand the plant’s capacity by 95,000 gallons per I day. The 1995 Oley Township Sewage Facility Plan Update identifies three areas in the Township where public sewers should be provided to address malhctioning on-site systems: Pleasantville, Water Street between Lake Road and Stitzer Road, and the Essig subdivision near Route 73 and I Snyder Road. The Oley Municipal Authority plans to reserve part of its new treatment capacity for these three areas, with Pleasantville and Water Street receiving the highest priority. The Township’s 1995 Sewage Facility Plan Update estimates that the three areas together will generate 35,500 gallons of wastewater per day fi-om 118 new connections.

Nearly all of Alsace township is served by on-lot septic systems. The Muhlenberg Township Authority serves 59 connections in the Wedgewood Heights subdivision, which is located in the southwestern comer of the Township. Wastewater is collected fiom Wedgewood Heights through sewer lines owned by Alsace Township. The wastewater then flows through the Muhlenberg Township Authority system to be treated at the City of Reading Sewage Treatment Plant. Muhlenberg Township monitors the wastewater flow from Wedgewood Heights which is approximately 15,500 gallons per day. The Muhlenberg Township Authority collects fees fi-om each customer in Wedgewood Heights. A portion of these fees is turned over to Alsace Township.

There is a proposal to establish community sewer service in the Urban Acres Mobile Home Park at Elizabethtown Road and Pricetown Road. The owner of the 40-year old park proposes to build an on-lot community system to serve approximately fifty homes by the end of 1999. The Alsace Township Board of Supervisors is currently negotiating maintenance guarantees on the project with the park owner. The Shady Lane Mobile Home Park on Spies Church Road has received state approval to construct a pump station that will send sewage to the Exeter Township wastewater I collection and treatment system.

Alsace Township is currently preparing an Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan to investigate long term I sewage treatment needs in the Township. The Alsace Manor subdivision off Pricetown Road, where malhnctioning on-site systems have occurred, will be one area studied. i THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 47 I ~

BACKGROUND

Public Water Service

Public water service in Oley Township extends to the Village of Oley and the surrounding area, including the Charmingdale subdivision. The Oley Township Municipal Authority serves approximately 500 connections with water supplied by three wells that is pumped through water lines owned by the Authority. The remainder of Oley Township relies upon private on-site wells.

Wedgewood Heights is the only area in Alsace Township with public water service. The Muhlenberg Township Authority provides water to 59 connections in Wedgewood Heights through its own water conveyance system. The Muhlenberg Townshp Authority's water is supplied by twelve wells.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 48

BACKGROUND

I Education

Oley Township and Alsace Township are each part of the Oley Valley School District, whch also I includes Pike Township and Ruscombmanor Townshp. Oley Valley High School and Middle School are located on one site on the north side of Oley Village, from whch the entire school district is served. Oley Valley Elementary School, the district’s only elementary school, is also located in I Oley, just south of Route 73 on Friedensburg Road. The Berks County Career and Technology Center (Berks County Vo-Tech Eastern Campus) is adjacent to Oley Valley Elementary School. The I Oley Valley Intermediate Unit operates from the former Alsace Elementary School on Antietam Road in Alsace Township. I Table 15 shows that enrollment in the Oley Valley School District has increased from 1,716 in 1988 to 2,158 in 1998, a ten-year growth rate of 25%. While the elementary grades have grown faster than middle school and hgh school grades, the Oley Valley Elementary School has had adequate capacity I to handle this increase. The School District added three modular units to the High School. Oley Valley School District is now experiencing an increase in enrollment resulting primarily from I more elementary school students. According to the District, average annual births declined between 1990 and 1996. As a result, elementary enrollments will soon be less than they are today if new development is limited within the School District. The District projects its total enrollment will peak I in 2002 and decline between 2002 and 2006. These projections assume continued slow growth in each of the four Oley Valley School District municipalities. The Oley Valley School District does I .not plan to construct any new schooh or school building n.dditiops in the foreseeable future. -

THEOLEY TOWSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINTCOMPREHENSIVE PLAN 51 BACKGROUND I

TABLE 15 I TOTAL ENROLLMENT Oley Valley School District I TOTAL ENROLLMENT I TWO-YEAR CHANGE I I 1990 1,753 37 1992 1,833 80 I 1994 1,943 110 1996 2,093 150 I 1998 2,158 65 2000* 2,250 92 2002* 2,268 18 I 2004* 2,228 -40 1 2006* I 2,130 I -98 I * Projection I Source: Oley Valley School District I Montessori Day School is the only private school in the Oley/Alsace. The following are the nearest colleges and universities to the Oley/Alsace area: I Albright College - City of Reading Alvernia College - City of Reading Reading Area Community College - City of Reading I Pennsylvania State University Berks Campus - Spring Township Kutztown University - Kutztown Borough I Police Protection I Oley Township has a police department with a full-time police chief and five part-time police officers. Police headquarters are located at the Oley Township Municipal Building. Alsace Township is patrolled by the Pennsylvania State Police. After expiration of a three-year contract, I Alsace recently declined to rejoin the Central Berks Regional Police Department, which now includes Lower Alsace Township and Mt. Perm Borough. I I I THE OLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINTCOMPREHENSIVE PLAN 52 I 1 BACKGROUND

I Fire Protection

Oley Township and Alsace Township each has its own fire company. The Oley Fire Company I serves Oley Township fiom its location on Main Street in the Village of Oley. The Alsace Fire Company provides fire protection throughout Alsace Township and is located off Pncetown Road

at Alsace Manor. These two fire companies 1 each provide primary protection in their own I municipalities. Mutual assistance agreements are in effect between the two fire companies and with fire companies fiom several neighboring municipalities to assist in fire emergencies. The Oley Fire I Company has acquired property to construct a new fire hall at the east end of Oley Village between Main Street and Route 73. I Ambulance Service

I Ambulance service fiom the Oley Fire Company serves Oley Township. On an as-needed basis, ambulance service is also available fiom Blandon, Boyertown, Fleetwood and the Northeastern Berks ALS. Ambulance service in Alsace is provided by Blandon, Oley, Lower Alsace and I Muhlenberg, depending upon location.

I Library Service

The Reading Public Library and +heMuhlenberg Community Library are the closest libraries to Oley I Township and Alsace Townshp. The Berks County bookmobile travels through both Oley and Alsace. Public school students have access to library service provided by the Oley Valley School I District. I I I I I I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 53 BACKGROUND I

LOCALGOVERNMENT 1

Municipal Structure I

Oley and Alsace are each townships of the second class governed by a three-person board of supervisors. The supervisors are elected at large for six-year terms. Oley Township and Alsace I Township each have a five-person planning commission and a three-person zoning hearing board. The two townships each employ a full-time secretaqdtreasurer to assist in managmg day-to-day I operations. Each municipality also retains a municipal engineer and a municipal solicitor. Oley’s municipal offices and garage are on Rose Road off Route 73. Alsace Township’s municipal building and garage is on Woodside Avenue in the Alsace Manor subdivision off Pricetown Road. I

Municipal Operating Budgets I

Tables 16 and 17 show operating fund revenues and expenditures for Oley Township and Alsace Township for 1998, as reproduced from each municipality’s State Annual Audit and Financial I Report.

Olev Township I

Taxes were the largest revenue scurce in Oley Township. Tax revenues in Oley derive fiom property tax (0.8 1 mills), earned income tax, real estate transfer tax and a per capita tax on residents 18 years I and older. Over 75% of the Township’s tax revenue came from the 0.5% earned income tax. Real estate taxes provided 14% of Oley’s tax revenues. Intergovernmental revenues were Oley’s next largest revenue source after taxes. The largest item in this category is the liquid fuels tax rebate the I Township receives back annually fi-om the State of Pennsylvania.

Highways, Roads and Streets (primarily road maintenance) and Public Safety (primarily police I protection) were Oley Township’s largest expenditure categories in 1998. Together, these two categories accounted for over 3/4 of all operating costs. General government (18% of all operating I costs) was the next largest expenditure category. General Government expenditures refer to the cost of office administration, legal assistance, engineeringconsulting, financial administration and similar items. I Alsace Township I Nearly 70% of Alsace Township’s revenues were derived from taxes in 1998. These taxes included property tax (0.8 mills), earned income tax, real estate transfer tax, and a per capita tax on residents 18 years and older. Just over 60% of Alsace’s tax revenues came fiom the 0.5% earned income tax I and 30% derived from the Township’s property tax. Intergovernmental Revenues (primarily the liquid fuels tax rebate) was the next largest revenue category after taxes, accounting for 19% of Alsace Township’s 1998 operating revenues. I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWSHIP JOINTCOMPREHENSIVE PLAlV 54 I I BACKGROUND

I Highways, Roads and Streets was the largest category of operating expenditures in Alsace in 1998 (nearly 40% of all costs). General Government, including administrative and professional costs, were second (almost 35%). Public Safety was the third largest expenditure category, comprising 16% of II the total operating budget.

TABLE 16 I OPERATING FUND REVENUES Oley Township and Alsace Township ‘I 1998 I II I I I

~II Source: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Annual Audit and Financial Reports I I I I I I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 55 BACKGROUND I

TABLE 17 I OPERATING FUND EXPENDITURES Oley Township and Alsace Township 1998 I I I I I I I

Source: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Annual Audit and Financial Reports I I I I I I I I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 56 I 1 BACKGROUND I PARKS AND RECREATION Parks and Recreation refers to the recreation areas available to the residents of the Oley/Alsace area. I Recreation lands are categorized as Regional or Local depending on who they are designed to serve. Regional Recreation Areas

1 Regional recreation areas attract visitors fiom throughout Berks County and beyond. The focus of these areas is usually picnicking, boating, fishing, camping, hking or hunting. They may also have areas set aside for environmental conservation. Regional recreation lands within a 25-mile radius I of the Oley/Alsace area are listed as follows.

Federal Lands I Blue Marsh Lake National Recreation Area (Berks County) I State Lands French Creek State Park (Berks County) Evansburg State Park (Montgomery County) I Marsh Creek State Park (Chester County) Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center (Berks County) State Gamelands 182 (Berks County) i State Gamelands 280 (Berks County) State Gamelands 106 (Berks County and Schuylkill County) State Gamelands 110 (Berks County and Schuylkill County) 1 State Gamelands 80 (Berks County and Schuylkill County) State Gamelands 222 (Schuylkill County) State Gamelands 286 (Schuylkill County) I State Gamelands 196 (Bucks County) State Gamelands 43 ( Chester County) State Gamelands 52 (Lancaster County) 1 State Gamelands 46 (Lancaster County and Lebanon County) State Gamelands 225 (Lebanon County) I State Gamelands 205 (Lehigh County) Countv Lands I Camp Joy (Berks County) Kaercher Creek Berks County) Tulpehocken Creek (Berks County) I Youth Recreation Facility and Education Farm (Berks County) Leaser Lake (Lehigh County) Trexler Lehigh County Game Preserve (Lehigh County) I Central Perkiomen Valley Park (Montgomery County) I

THE OLEY TOWSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 57 I BACKGROUND I Green Lane Reservoir Park (Montgomery County) I Upper Perkiomen Valley Park (Montgomery County) MuniciDal Lands I Lake Ontelaunee (City of Reading)

Hiking Trails I Appalachian Trail Pinnacle Side Trail I Other Regional Parkland Hawk Mountain Sanctuary I Local Recreation Areas I Local recreation areas are parks and other recreation-related properties designed for use by residents of one or two municipalities, unlike regional recreation which serve a much larger geographic area. Volunteer Park, a passive open space with picnic facilities, is the only municipally-owned park in I Oley Township. Alsace owns the Alsace Township Park, which features a pavilion and basketball courts. The Oley Valley Youth Recreation Area, which is owned by a private non-profit organization, is the central athletic complex in the two municipalities. Its baseball fields, softball fields, soccer 1 fields and other recreation facilities are heavily used by sports organizations throughout the greater Oley/Alsace area. I The Oley Valley High Schoolh4iddle School and the Oley Valley Elementary School each have a gym, outdoor basketball courts, baseball fields and soccer fields. The High School/Middle School I also has a track and tennis courts. School District activities have first priority on the use of each school’s gym and sports fields. In addition to school activities, communitybasketball groups use the School District’s two gyms and the Oley Youth Recreation organization uses School District athletic I fields.

There a variety of other public, semi-public and private recreation areas available for Oley/Alsace I residents including the following.

Pleasantville Park (a private picnic grove in Oley) I Reading Motorcycle Club (private non-profit motorcycle track & recreation grounds in Oley) American Legion Grounds (picnic and natural area owned by the American Legion in Oley) Poole Nature Preserve (Berks County Conservancy land in Oley) I Oley Valley Fish & Game Club ( a private non-profit fish and game club in Alsace) Portions of Mount Penn Preserve (owned by City of Reading in Alsace) I I

THEOLEY TOWSHIP/&SACE TOWSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 58 I BACKGROUND

NRPA Guidelines

NRPA, the National Recreation and Park Association, suggests that communities should have a minimum of 10.5 acres of active recreation land available for community use for every 1,000 persons. Active recreation land generally refers to land available for organized athletics and playground use. Together, Oley Township and Alsace Township have an estimated 1998 population of 7,476 (3,653 for Oley and 3,823 for Alsace). Therefore, the two municipalities should have 78.5 acres of publicly accessible active recreation land, according to NRPA. I The Oley Valley Youth Recreation area is 14.7 acres. The Oley Valley High SchooVMiddle School is 32.8 acres and the Oley Valley Elementary School is 37.1 acres. The Alsace Township Park is 3.9 acres. These four sites, which are each used for active recreation, total 88.5 acres. However, this I 88.5 acres is reduced to 60.6 acres if only 60% of the school acreage is counted. NRPA suggests using this 60% adjustment to estimate the proportion of a school site actually available for recreation.

According to NRPA guidelines, the Oley/Alsace area is deficient in active recreation land by 17.9 acres. NRPA guidelines suggest the Oley/Alsace area should have 78.5 acres of active recreation land. As described above, only 60.6 acres of active recreation land exists in the two municipalities. Unless additional active land is established, this deficit will increase in the future as the population of the two municipalities increases.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 59 BACKGROUND I

LANDUSE POLICIES IN THE REGION I

Adjacent Municipalities I Both Oley and Alsace are affected by what occurs along their borders with adjacent municipalities. Eight townships border the Oley/Alsace area. The following table and map show how the land I adjacent to Oley and Alsace is zoned in each of these eight townships. Most of the land is zoned for agriculture and low density single-family detached homes, except for the Route 73 corridor which is zoned for commercial use in Ruscombmanor Township and mixed residentiallcommercial I development in Earl Township. The portion of Muhlenberg Township near the southwestern comer of Alsace Township is zoned for a variety of higher density residential uses. Land in Ruscombmanor Township adjacent to Alsace that is zoned for industrial development is another potential concern. I I I I I I I I I I I I

THEOLEY TOWSHIPIALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 60 I

ADJACENT ADJACENT ZONING MAJOR PERMITTED USES/ MUNICIPALITY DISTRICTS MMIMUMI LOTSIZE Rockland Township RC - Rural Conservation Single-family detached residential on 3-acre minimum lots. Pike Township R-1 - Residential Single-family detached residential on ?-acre minimum lots and agriculture on 3-acre minimum lots. Earl Township WAC - Woodland, Agriculture and Single-family detached residential on 2-acre minimum Conservation lots. HR - Highway Residential Mixed commercial uses and residential uses. Amity Township LDR - Low Density Residential Single-family detached residential with public water and sewer: 12,000 s.f.; with public sewer only: 30,000; with neither public water nor public sewer: 2-acres RC - Rural Conservation Single-family detached residential on 2-acre minimum lots. Exeter Township AF' - Agricultural Preservation Single-family detached residential on minimum 40-acre

~~ RC - Rural Conservation Single-family detached residential on minimum 3-acre lots. LDR - Low Density Residential Single-family detached residential on minimum 1-acre

Lower Alsace RC - Rural Conservation Single-family detached residential on minimum 3-acre Township lots. R- 1 - Residential Single-family detached residential on minimum 2-acre lots. ~~ ~ I R-2 - Residential I Single-family detached residential on minimum I -acre lots. Muhlenberg R-1 - Residential Single-family detached residential on minimum 30,000 s.f. Township lots. R-2 - Residential Single-family detached residential on minimurn 8,000 s.f. lots. R-4 - Residential Single-family detached residential on 5,000 s.f. lots, twins and townhouses. R-5 - Residential Singie-family detached residential on 30,000 s.f. lots, twins, townhouses and apartments. Ruscombmanor R-1 - Residential Single-family detached residential on minimum 1-acre Township lots. LI-2 - Limited Industrial Wide variety of industrial uses. I C - Retail Commercial I Retail and related uses.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 63 BACKGROLSD I

The Berks County Comprehensive Plan

Joint comprehensive planning in Oley and Alsace is designed to be consistent with the goals of the Berks County Comprehensive Plan, which are reproduced below: I

Goals

To develop and adhere to a systematic, coordinated land use pattern which provides a variety of uses, recognizes land capacities, and respects natural features and environmental and physical factors. I

To preserve natural features and consewe environmental resources throughout Berks County, toprotect and improve environmental quality, and topreserve open space in suitable locations I and quantities. I To provide, to evev resident and future Berh County resident, the opportunity for affbrdable, safe and healthful housing with sufficient range of choice by type and location. I To maintain and improve the economic base of Berh County and to provide maximum employment opportunities for all Berh County residents. I To provide facilities and services to Berks County residents in the areas of health, protection, cultisral enrichment, education, recreation and social services, commensurate with the needs of the population. I

To provide a multi-modal, balanced transportation system which provides for the safe and efficient movement ofpeople and goods, with minimum disruption to the environment, and with I maximum conservation of resources.

To provide the opportunity for increased citizen participation in the planning process to I establish community values and reflect human concerns.

To develop and maintain multi-municipal cooperation in meeting governmental responsibilities. I To conserve energy and to effectively use renewable energy sources. I To preserve and promote all community, cultural and aesthetic elements that identifi Berh County as a special and unique place to live and work. I Land Use Objectives I Provide for a balance of growth and conservation. I I THE OLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 64 I BACKGROUSD

Maximize the preservation of ecologically sensitive areas, natural resources and agriculture.

Discourage continued sprawl.

Promote a consolidated development pattern in or adjacent to existing developed centers which have or will have adequate infiastructure.

Revitalize existing urban areas and communities.

Promote innovative design patterns and techniques of development including, mixed use, neo- I traditional village design, cluster and sliding scale provisions. Encourage intergovernmental planning. I The Berks County Comprehensive Plan future land use map recognizes existing development in Oley and Alsace and foresees some growth along the Route 73 corridor and at selected locations along Pricetown Road. Limited growth is called for by the County at other locations in the two municipalities. But primarily, the Berks County Comprehensive Plan calls for conserving the large areas of environmentally sensitive features and farmland that exist in both townships.

I The Berks County Comprehensive Plan is, by necessity, more generalized than a plan for one or two specific municipalities. However, therecommendations ofthis plan for Oley and Alsace are intended I to be consistent with the overall philosophy and direction of the Berks Count;l Plan. I I I I

I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 65 I

TRANSPORTATION I

Major Roads and Traffic I

Route 73, Pricetown Road and Route 662 are the central arteries of the road system that serves the Oley/Alsace area. Route 73, which travels the width of Oley Township, connects the Reading area I with Philadelphia and New Jersey via Montgomery County. Pricetown Road, which runs through Alsace Township, connects the Pricetown and Fleetwood areas with Reading. Route 662 joins Route I 73 to form a bypass around the Village of Oley. Just east of the village, Route 662 heads in a southeastern direction towards the Pottstown region. I The most recent Berks County Planning Commission traffic count data shows that Pricetown Road (SR 2026) from the Muhlenberg border to Mt. Laurel Road is the most heavily traveled road in the Oley/Alsace area With 13,866 vehicles per day.using this stretch of road. After the passing Mt. I Laurel Road, the vehlcle count per day along Pricetown Road (SR 2026) drops to 7,869.

The second most heavily traveled road in the two townships is SR 73 with 12,591 vehicles per day I passing at the intersection with Friedensburg Road. The daily count decreases to 9,918 at SR 662, decreases again to 6,240 at Bertolet Mill Road and then increases slightly again to 6,790 at 0ys t erdale Road. I

The Village of Yellow House was the third most heavily traveled area with both SR 562 with a daily volume of 5,908 and SR 662 with a daily volume of 4,722 intersecting in the village. Other heavily I traveled roads include Antietam Road (SR 2025) with a daily count of 5,632 at the Lower Alsace Township line and Skyline Drive (SR 2027) with a daily count of 5,364. I Other state routes in the Oley/Alsace area of which average daily traffic volumes were counted include: SR 1004 (Mountain Laurel Road), SR 1021 (Forgedale Road), SR 1026 (Bertolet Mill Road), SR 1030 (Covered Bridge Road), SR 2020 (Oley Turnpike), SR 2023 (Friedensburg Road), I SR 2025 (portions of Antietam Road, Spies Church Road and Limekiln Road), SR 2029 Antietam Road from Basket Road to Pricetown Road, and SR 205 1 (Manatawny Road and Cedarview Roads). I All the above have average daily counts of less than 2,790. I Roadway Classifications

The accompanying Roadway Classification map shows each road in the Oley/Alsace area according I to its use. The three major use categories are Arterials, Collectors and Local Roads.

Arterials I

Arterials provide a rapid connection between population centers such as Reading and Boyertown. Arterials in the Oley /Alsace Area include the following roads: I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 66 'I PA Route 73 Pricetown Road PARoute662 PARoute562

Collectors

Collectors are the roads that collect traffic from local areas and funnel it on to arterials. Collectors in the Oley/Alsace area include the following roads:

Mount Laurel Road Blankenbiller Road/ Spies Church Road Friedensburg Road Main Street Water Street Covered Bridge Road Limekiln Pike Skyline Drive

Local Roads

Local Roads provide direct access to local residential areas. All roads in the Oley/Alsace area not designated as either Arterials or Collectors are Local Roads.

Road Conditions

Due to the evolution of the existing road system fiom earlier farm roads and the local topography, many of the Oley/Alsace area's roads meet at less than ninety degree intersections. This causes poor alignment and sometimes shortened sight distances. This tends to be more true in Alsace Township where the topography plays a limiting factor. Buildings built close to roads and sharp curves can also create poor sight distances. Sharp curves and steep slopes pose safety concerns during periods of inclement weather. Narrow roads and bridges may not be wide enough for two-way traffic. Gravel and other road surfaces which do not meet current township specifications may also create hazards. Multiple access points of driveways, parking areas, private lanes and streets may contribute to congestion and unsafe traffic movements along the area's major routes. In Oley, increased traffic volumes and peak hour congestion along SR 73 are issues for the Township. Potential safety problems associated with unrestricted access to this comdor are also of concern. Proliferation of driveway curb cuts for individual businesses and residences will continue to create unsafe traffic movements unless better managed. The intersection of SR 73 and SR 662 should be examined for potential improvements. Also of concern is the repair of the damaged covered bridge on Covered Bridge Road.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 67 B.ACKGROL!ND I

In Alsace, Pricetown Road is of concern for the same reasons as SR 73 in Oley. Pricetown Road has I even greater volumes oftraffic and more development along it's fiontage includmgmany commercial and residential driveways, private lanes and poorly aligned road intersections. Ths is especially true in the area near Alsace Manor between Antietam Road and Mt. Laurel Road, Other intersections of I concern include five points near the Exeter Border, Simmons and Wanshap Roads, Skyline Road intersections at McKnight Gap, Frey and Spies Church Road, and the multiple intersections at the base of hsh Mountain. Other issues for the Township include the many private drives existing I throughout the Townshp and Kutz Road's abrupt ending at the quarry. Most roads within the Oley /Alsace area are paved to township specifications with the exception of Simmons Road and Reiff Road in Alsace Township. I I Public Transportation No fixed bus routes currently serve the Oley/Alsace area, however the Berks Area Reading Transit I Authority (BARTA) provides door to door van service to anyone in Berks Countyphysically unable to use regular bus service. I Alternative Transportation I Alternatives to motorized transportation are limited within the Oley/Alsace area. Within Oley a network of sidewalks exists along Main Street and adjoining streets. Gaps or missing links, poor conditions of certain segments and areas not accessible to the physically challenged hinder the I maximum efficient use of these sidewalks by pedestrians. No formal pedestrian and bicycle trails currently exist in either township, however the Berks County Open Space and Recreation Plan lists future greenways and potential trails along the Manatawny and Pine Creek comdors within Oley I Township. I I I I I I I THE OLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 68 I

I

I SUMMARY OF &SETS AND CONSTFUINTS I The Oley/Alsace area’s strengths and weaknesses are the basis for the following plan to guide the area’s future growth and preservation. The plan attempts to capitalize on each municipality’s assets and identify ways to overcome or mitigate concerns. The following summary of assets and concerns I reflects the themes most frequently cited by the municipal officials, community leaders and other residents who provided input into this plan. I Assets Scenic Ameal in the form of farmland, wooded hillsides, country roads and small villages is a I major attraction in the Oley/Alsace area.

A Strong Sense of Historv exists throughout the area, especially concerning the need to preserve I historic architecture and the region’s Pennsylvania German heritage.

A Commitment to Conservation of the area’s prime farmland and rural environment is a I prevailing spirit among the two municipalities’ public decision makers.

Strong Agricultural Zoning in Oley Township is the basis from which other conservation- I oriented policies are being considered in the two townships.

Three Important Arteries (Route 12, Route 662 and Route 73) connect the Oley/Alsace area I conveniently with Readmg, Pottstown and the Philadelphia suburbs. 1 Constraints Residential Development Pressures threaten to alter the rural character and landscape of the I Oley/Alsace area and increase demand for costly municipal services. Commercial Development along Route 73, and to a lesser extent along Route 12, has generated I ingresdegress concerns and increased the possibility of more extended strip roadside development in the region.

I Failing Septic Systems in selected areas are a health concern being addressed in both Oley and A1 sac e.

I Stronger Environmental Protection of steep slopes, woodlands, stream buffers and other natural features is needed in the Oley/Alsace area. I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 71 I I I I I I I I I THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE I I I I I I I I I I THEPLAX

THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Ths part of the comprehensive plan begins with the goals and objectives that describe the two townshps’ visions for the future of their area. Next, recommendations in each of the following subject areas are described:

Future Land Use and Housing Community Services and Facilities Environmental Conservation Transportation Agricultural Conservation Economic Development Historic Preservation

GOALSAND OBJECTIVES

Land Use Goal: Provide land for selected development as required by law without altering the rural land use pattern that exists in the Oley/Alsace area.

Objectives:

a. Encourage residential developers to use neo-traditional neighborhood design and permanently ‘I preserve open space within their development tracts. b. Direct new homes towards existing developed areas to minimize sprawl. c. Discourage high rates ofresidential development to avoid overwhelming local schools and other I municipal services. d. Confine business development to specific designated areas that do not encroach upon existing I residential areas. Housing Goal: Continue providing opportunities for a variety of well-maintained and affordable I housing types. I Objectives: a. Provide for a variety of detached and attached housing types using environmentally sensitive layouts and designs. I b. Concentrate housing in those areas most suitable from a physical perspective. c. Encourage preservation and rehabilitation of housing in and around the area’s historic villages.

I Environmental Conservation Goal: Protect the sensitive natural features that characterize so much of the area’s natural landscape. I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 73 THEPLAY I

Objectives: I a. Direct growth away from areas with sensitive ecological resources. b. Strengthen zoning and subdivision regulations that conserve steep slopes, wooded areas, stream I buffers and floodprone lands. c. SQive to maximize preservation of permanent natural areas within residential developments. d. Look for opportunities to initiate a linked network of greenways and open spaces. I Agricultural Preservation Goal: Keep agncultural areas in agricultural use. I Objectives : a. Preserve farming by continuing to promote agricultural zoning, agricultural security areas, I purchase of agricultural easements and preferential assessments. b. Minimize non-farm activities near agricultural areas to reduce the potential for conflicts with normal farming operations. I c. Minimize public water and sewer line extensions into prime agricultural areas. d. Provide for a range of appropriate supplemental income opportunities in agncultural areas. 1 Historic Preservation Goal: To preserve and enhance the area’s historic resources. I Objectives: .. a. Protect the character of Oley Village, Pleasantville, Yellow House and the area’s other villages I with appropriate zoning strategies. b. Encourage voluntary use of design guidelines to preserve historic architecture and village design patterns. I C. Support the efforts of local and county historic preservation groups to continue identifylng and protecting historic resources. I Community Facilities and Services Goal: Continue to provide adequate municipal services within available municipal budgets. I Objectives: a. Work with the Oley Valley School District to ensure adequate facilities exist to meet current and projected enrollments. b. Continue the Act 537 process to ensure appropriate solutions are devised for areas with a high I concentration of failing septic systems. c. Look for more opportunities to cooperate with neighboring municipalities on police protection, road maintenance and other public works. I d. Periodically review the adequacy of municipal contributions to private community service providers including fire and rescue groups and recreation organizations, among others. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 74 THEPLAY

Transportation Goal: To provide for the safe, efficient movement of people and goods on area roadways.

Objectives:

a. Work with PennDOT and local developers to ensure local roads and intersections remain safe idable to accommodate current and projected traffic volumes. b. Encourage business developments to share controlled ingress and egress to adjacent major roads such as Route 73 and others. I c. Promote future development of greenways and trails that will further walking, bicycling and I other alternative transportation modes. Economic Development Goal: To retain and attract responsible businesses in designated business areas.

Objectives :

I a. Provide for the adaptive reuse of vacant and underutilized business properties. b. Make sure local ordinances and codes do not discourage responsible business from locating in designated business areas. c. Encourage mixed use development in village areas zoned for business to maintain the economic viability of commercial structures. I PLANINTERRELATIONSHIPS

I The comprehensive plan addresses the following major topics:

Land Use and Housing I Environmental Conservation Agricultural Preservation I Historic Preservation Community Services and Facilities Transportation I Economic Development Each of these topics are interrelated. Planning and capital programming actions taken in any one of I these areas are likely to affect one or more of the other areas. For instance, land use decisions often affect circulation patterns and community services, such as public utilities and recreation needs. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/~SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 75 THEPL.L% I I

The timing of development in the Oley/Alsace area will largely depend upon the private real estate market. This comprehensive plan addresses major development and conservation patterns for the I next 10 to 15 years. After that time, the plan should be revised. Every three to five years, the comprehensive plan should be reviewed to determine if changes are needed. Major zoning changes in Oley or Alsace should be made only after assessing how the proposed changes conform with the I spirit of this comprehensive plan. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 76 I THEPLAIV

FUTURELAND USE AND HOUSING

The Land Use and Housing section of the comprehensive plan describes the most appropriate types and densities of land uses that should be accommodated in the Oley/Alsace area. Included is both a map and descriptive text which are designed to become the rationale for future zoning changes as needed. The Land Use and Housing element is based on the following principles:

Agricultural areas should remain in fanning. Growth should be steered away from steep slopes, floodprone areas and woodlands. Open space should be maximized within new developments. New development should be near existing concentrations of development and reflect traditional development patterns. Public water and sewer extensions should serve existing and planned growth, not encourage undesired growth. The area’s agrarian heritage and historic villages must be preserved.

Recommendations are presented first for Oley Townshp and then Alsace Township.

Oley Township

I Oley is a leader in agricultural and historic preservation. However, the Township has a major commercial artery and will soon have additional public sewage capacity. Land use planning is needed to avoid strip commercial growth and residential sprawl. The following future land use areas are recommended:

Amicultural Preservation - Expands the Township’s agricultural preservation area north of Route 73 to include more land with existing farms, agricultural easements andor prime agricultural soils. I Rural Residential - Protects natural features and other undeveloped land by accommodating only very low density single-family development with significant open space in the portion of the I Township least suited for development due to woodlands and steep slopes. Medium Density Residential - Provides for denser single-family development than RR but does not I encourage any other housing types; is accessible to public water and sewer service. Village Residential - Reflects existing traditional village development patterns by providing for twins, townhouses and denser single-family home development, all within areas now served by I public sewers or recommended for fhture service.

Village - A pedestrian-hendly mixed use area for the full range of housing types, small offices, I small service uses and selected, appropriate retail uses (excluding gas stations, fast food, etc.).

Commercial - A general commercial area that accommodates planned retail centers, new office I buildings and highway-oriented retail and service uses.

THE OLEYTOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 77 THEPLAY I

Industrial - Designed to accommodate future quany growth and/or other industrial uses withn land I in Oley now used for industry use.

Institutional - Refers to publickemi-public locations such as the Oley Township municipal building, I churches, Oley Valley High School and Middle School, Oley Valley Elementary School and the Oley Valley Fire Company. I Public RecreatiodOoen Suace - Denotes parks and other recreation areas available to the public, including Volunteer Park which is owned by Oley and several others that are privately owned, such as Oley Valley Youth Recreation Area, Pleasantville Park and the American Legion Grounds. I Alsace Township I Most of Alsace is unsuited for significant growth because of steep slopes and/or active farmland. The absence of public sewers means most new development will be on large lots. The primary I challenge for the Township is to accommodate growth without wastefully consuming land and infringing on existing farming areas. I Rural Residential - Protects much of the Township’s steeply sloped land by allowing only very low density single-family development with significant preserved open space. I Medium Densitv Residential - Similar to RR but allows for somewhat denser single-family development. I General Residential - Permits the full range of residential development in the area of the Township where public sewers, if ever constructed, would be most logical. I Commercial - Revises the boundaries where commerce is now permitted to prevent strip development and take advantage of other potentially suitable commercial locations. I Industrial - Revises the boundaries where industry is now permitted to reflect existing industrial ownership and add other areas that may be suitable for industry. I Institutional - Includes publidsemi-public uses such as the Alsace Township Municipal Building, Oley Valley Intermediate Unit and Alsace Manor Fire Company. I Public Recreatiodmen Space - Alsace Township Park, Poole Nature Preserve and Oley Valley Fish & Game Club are examples of Public RecreatiodOpen Space uses in Alsace. I NOTE: The accompanying Future Land Use Map shows the proposed location for each Future Land Use category described above. I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 78 I

I THEPLAN TABLE 19 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED FUTURE LAND USE PLANNING AREAS I I FUTURE LAND USE MAJOR PERMITTED USES MAXIMUM DENSITY/ PUBLIC SEWERS I PLANNING AREA (In addition to agriculture) MINIMUM LOT SIZE &WATER AP - Agricultural Single-Family Homes Sliding Scale No Preservation Agricultural Zoning I RR - Rural Residential Single-Family Homes 3-ac. lot averaging 1 %-ac. min. No (1-ac. minimum with sewer & water) I, I, MDR - Medium Density Single-Family Homes 1 %-ac. lot averaging I-ac. min. Yes (partial) I II Residential (%-ac. minimum with sewer & water) VR - Village Residential Single-Family Homes, 4 units per acre with sewer & water Yes Twins, Townhouses (Neo-Traditional Development I encouraged) Note: Maximum density V - Village Single-Family Homes Same as above Yes I Twins, Townhouses Apartments 6 units per acre with sewer and water Selected Retail (no drive- . throughs, gas stations, I convenience stores, car washes, etc.) Mixed-Use Structures I I Office C - Commercial Retail, Office, Other 1 acre In portions Commercial I Industrial 1 to 10 acres No ALSAl E TOWNSHIP RR - Rural Residential Single-Family Homes 3-ac. minimum lot size No (1-ac. minimum w/sewers) MDR - Medium Single-Family Homes 2-ac. minimum lot size No (1-ac. minimum whewers) GR - General Single-Family Homes 2-ac. minimum lot size NO - But Residential Twins (%-ac. wlsewers) possibly some Townhouses 4 units per acre with sewer and water service in Apartments 4 units per acre with sewer and water the future Mobile Home Park 6 units per acre with sewer and water 5 units per acre with sewer and water (Neo-Traditional Development encouraged)) C - Commercial Retail, Office, Other 1 acre No Commercial jlI - Industrial Industrial No

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 81 THEPLAN

Land Use Planning and Zoning Techniques

The following four planning and zoning techniques are recommended, among others, to help carry out their joint comprehensive plan:

Sliding Scale Agricultural Zoning Lot Averaging Neo-Traditional Development Village Zoning

Each of these techniques is explained below. Table 19, Summary of Recommended Future Land Use Areas, identifies the specific techniques best suited for specific future land use areas in the two municipalities.

Sliding Scale Agricultural Zoning

Sliding scale agricultural zoning is an important tool for preserving prime agricultural land and helping to maintain the local agricultural economy. It strictly minimizes the potential for farmland to be developed for anythmg but agriculture.

Oley Township's sliding scale agricultural zoning is a good example. No more than one additional home is permitted to be developed on properties that are 7 acres or less in size. Two homes are permitted on properties between 7 and 30 acres, and three homes are permitted on properties between 30 and 80 acres. Thereaftzr, only one additional home is permitted for each 50 acres. It is called sliding scale because, unlike standard zoning, the number of homes permitted on a tract does not increase in direct proportion to 'the size of the tract.

Lot Averaging

Lot averaging is used to preserve open space within residential subdivisions. Like cluster zoning, lot averaging allows developers to build homes on somewhat smaller lots than might be permitted under traditional zoning. In exchange, the developer agrees to permanently preserve a significant portion of the tract in open space - e.g. 30-50%. However, lot averaging differs from clustering in two important ways:

1. Under lot averaging, lots within a subdivision average a certain minimum size rather than each lot having to be equal to, or larger than, that minimum size.

2. All permanent preserved open space needed to achieve the designated average is on private property, not part of common open space. Common open space can become a maintenance problem for homeowners associations and municipalities. Deed restrictions are used to prevent further subdivision of the privately held open space.

THE OLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE 82 I THEPLAN The flexibility of lot averaging helps developers “work with the land’ to site homes on the suitable I portions of a tract instead of on areas with sensitive natural features, such a steep slopes and woodlands. Much of Oley and Alsace consists of rural areas where single-family homes are permitted. Single-family development in these areas should be governed by lot averaging or similar I zoning. I Neo-Traditional Development Neo-traditional development is an alternative to large lot subdivisions that depend too much on cars and foster suburban sprawl. The neo-traditional alternative brings back the best features of old style, I pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods. In neo-traditional neighborhoods, homes occupy smaller lots on streets with trees and sidewalks. Homes have fiont porches, garages are in the rear off an alley and housing types vary in style and price. Streets grids replace isolated cul-de-sacs to heighten the I neighborhood’s ties with the community and make commercial areas more accessible by foot. I Neo-traditional neighborhoods would be very appropriate for future residential development around Oley Village and Alsace Manor. In Oley, residents would have direct access to the conveniences of Oley Village. In Alsace, neo-traditional development could help the upper Pricetown RoadAlsace I Manor area take on more characteristics of a town center, especially in conjunction with selective, neighborhood-oriented commercial development.

I Village Zoning

Village zoning encourages development that complements, rather than detracts fi-om, the existing ‘I character of a village area. Compact development, mixed uses and hstoric signs are encouraged instead of large front yard setbacks, wide lots and extensive parking requirements. Village uses are I often close to adjacent roads, particularly crossroads intersections. Village zoning allows selected, appropriate retail and service uses but does not permit highway- oriented businesses such as gas stations, drive-in restaurants, convenience stores and car washes. I Oley Village is the most appropriate place in the Oley/Alsace area for zoning designed to perpetuate I a mixed use village core.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 83

... . Agricultural Zoning and I Traditional Zoning Lot Averaging Conflicts With Adjacent I Farm I I CONVENTIONAL DESIGN vs. I LOT AVERAGING I vs. I Agricultural Zoning No Conflict With Adjacent Farm I

Most of the I Farm is Permanently Before Development Preserved .‘y’ I

Only a Small Portion Developed --r-ri-nn is I I

Conventional Development I I I I Lot Averaging I I I I Neotraditional Zoning . . and m Village Zoning I i I I I I I

I NEW DEVELOPMENT I I I

I I I ~I I 1-- I -I--+! I ./ I Bucb County Planning Cornrnhrion I 11 I I I THEPLAN I ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Municipal officials and other local residents identi@ closely with the rural environment of the I Oley/Alsace area. The area's open lands, wooded hillsides, creek valleys and scenic country roads are assets worth protecting. As land is lost to extensive development, the character of an area and its way of life are threatened. The following policies wilI help ensure future development will have I a minimal impact on the natural environment of the Oley/Alsace area.

Approve only development that respects the natural features of each site I Land varies greatly in the amount of development it can physically support. Floodplains and very steep slopes should remain in open space. Other lands are suited for moderate or intense I development. Oley and Alsace should use the following guidelines when reviewing subdivision and land development applications. I TABLE 20' GUIDELINl i FOR PROTECTLNG IMPORTAN' NATURAL FEATURES NATURAL FEATURES POTENTIAL PROBLEMS STRATEGIES I (Type & Description) IF NOT PROTECTED FOR PROTECTION

Steep Slopes - Steep slopes of Difficulty of maintaining and snow- Site houses on the most suitable land, 15% have 15 feet ofvertical plowing steep roads. while keeping steep slopes in open space. I change for every 100 feet of Higher costs of buildings. Keep natural vegetation intact. horizontal distance. Very steep High rate of septic system failures. - Strengthen municipal regulations that slopes of 25% rise vertically 25 Increased erosion and runoff. protect steep slopes. I feet for every 100 feet. Steep Winter driving hazards from steep Require larger lot sizes in steep areas. slopes are sometimes wooded roads and driveways. Limit building on steep slopes of 15% to and found along creeks. Disturbance of scenic areas. 25% and prohibit building on very steep Increased costs to extend public slopes of 25% and above. I water and sewer lines.

Groundwater - Groundwater . Polluted groundwater. Continue to control the percentage of is stored underground after Dry wells. lots covered by buildings and paving. I entering through the soil or Ensure remaining septic systems are seeping from creeks. Main- designed and operated properly. taining the quality of this water Monitor underground storage tanks for is important because both leaks. I private wells and public water Avoid polluted storm water runoff. systems are dependent upon Avoid high volume withdrawals of groundwater. groundwater. Identify areas most feasible for future I public water and sewer.

~ ~ Floodplains - Areas that are Increased flooding in other areas. Prohibit construction of new structures prone to flooding include both Loss of potential public recreation within the 100-year floodway (which is I legally designated floodplains area. the actual main flood channel) and along and land along drainage Threats to important wildlife and the adjacent 100-year flood-fringe. Pro- channels. bird habitats. hibit construction within 50 to 100 feet of the centerline of a stream (depending I on stream size). Seek to preserve buffers of natural vegetation immediately adjacent to creeks and drainageways. I Seek to preserve more land along local streams and drainageways. I

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Wooded Areas - Concentrated InCreased surface temperatures. 9 Restrict cutting of trees during building areas of mature tree growth are Loss of important bird and wildlife to the building envelope and immediately found throughout the region's habitats. adjacent areas. steeply sloped lands noted Loss of hunting areas. Seek to preserve tree stands in public or above and in other scattered Loss of air purification. private open space. . Increased erosion and runoff. Seek replanting of trees that must be cut Loss of scenic resources. down. . Noise and incompatible develop- -ment may become more noticeable. Shallow DeDth to Bedrock - Higher construction costs. Avoid building in these areas. Areas with shallow soils and bedrock close to the surface are frequently found in steeply sloped locations. Waterwavs - Protecting Loss of potential public recreation Prevent soil erosion to avoid sedimen- waterways from pollutants areas. tation of creeks and drainageways. involves controlling direct Threats to important bird, fish and Work with soil conservation authorities discharges and maintaining wildlife habitats. and fanners to keep animals out of vegetative stream buffers. Increased erosion and flooding. streams. Consider areas along creeks and drainageways for public greenways. Minimize runoff of pesticides, grease and industrial wastes. Minimize direct runoff from parking lots. Require buildings and paving to be setback from creek banks and significant drainageways. Control the peak rates of storm water runoff from development to avoid increased flooding.

Natural Drainaee Channels - Increased flooding. Preserve adequate width along channels Smaller natural channels that Erosion of soil. in open space. carry storm water to local Prevent erosion. creeks during heavy storms exist throughout the region.

Hvdric Soils - Hydric so'ils, Flooded basements. Continue to enforce local, state and often located in wetland areas, Disturbance of natural drainage and federal wetland regulations. have a shallow depth to the groundwater recharge. Place on-lot septic systems and buildings seasonally high water table. Poor foundation stability. outside these areas. Failed on-lot septic systems. Waterproof basements of existing buildings. It Carefully design all facilities.

Strengthen steep slope protection in both Oley and Alsace.

Oley does not specifically regulate development of steep slopes. Under its subdivision and land development ordinance, Alsace subtracts areas that exceed 25% grade from its calculation of total lot size. This regulation reduces densityon properties with steep slopes but does not directly discourage the siting of homes on steep slopes. Oley and Alsace should each amend their zoning ordinance to:

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1. Prohibit new structures on slopes above 25%. I 2. Increase minimum lot size by 50% where principle buildings are proposed on slopes between 15% and 25%. I Establish a wetland buffer zone in Oley.

State and Federal regulations provide extensive protection for wetlands. Oley has no additional I wetland regulations. The Alsace Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance prohibits removal of vegetation or construction of sewage disposal systems within a 50-foot I buffer of delineated wetlands. In addition, wetlands do not count towards the calculation of total lot size. Oley should consider regulating a %)-footbuffer area around wetlands as Alsace now does. I Establish stream corridor buffer regulations in Oley and Alsace. I Both Oley and Alsace have floodplain ordinances designed to limit property damage from flooding. However, floodplain ordinances typically regulate construction, not paving and other soil disturbances. Each municipality should adopt zoning amendments to prohibit construction, I soil disturbance or removal of natural vegetation within 50 feet of all waterways except as part of crop farming. It is now widely recognized that stream side vegetation: I 1. Reduces water pollution from surface runoff. 2. Controls the volume of sediment that reaches streams. 3. Provides shade to help moderate water temperatures. I 4. Protects wildlife habitats.

In addition to regulations that require the maintenance of existing vegetation, Oley and Alsace I should encourage the planting of vegetative buffers along local waterways where none exist now. The County Conservation District and the Perm State Cooperative Extension Service are two sources of information on how to properly plant and maintain these buffers. I Where appropriate, encourage fencing that keeps livestock out of local waterways. I Dirt and waste fiom livestock and stream banks eroded from constant trampling by animals contribute to stream pollution. Trout Unlimited, the Berks County Conservancy, the PA Game I Commission and others have assisted fmers with the cost of establishing fencing -to keep livestock out of local streams. The Perm State Cooperative Extension Service endorses stream side fencing provided it is planned and implemented on a case-by-case basis rather than I mandated across the board by regulation. Specific site conditions, the size of the stream, the varying requirements of individual landowners, the ability to maintain the fencing, the need for permanent vs. portable fencing and other factors should all influence site by site decisions about I where fencing is desirable and where it is not. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 88 I THE PLAN

Restrict tree cutting during construction.

The Oley Township Zoning Ordinance stipulates that no more than 15,000 square feet of trees can be cut down to accommodate single-family homes, excluding the tree clearing necessary for driveways. The stated purpose of Alsace’s Woodland Conservation zoning district is to ‘*encouragewoodland conservationby preserving natural features such as forests,.....”. However, Alsace has no specific regulations on cutting trees during the construction process.

Oley and Alsace can each save more trees by adopting a zoning amendment that requires developers to replant a tree each time a mature tree is cut down or severely damaged during construction. Tree cutting can also be minimized by restricting the cutting of trees during construction to those that are:

1. Withn 25 feet of an approved structure. 2. Within 10 feet of a vehicular cartway. 3. Within 10 feet of an approved storm water detention basin, paved area, driveway or on-lot sewage system. 4. Within a utility right-of-way. 5. Dead or posing a clear danger to a structure, utility or public improvement. 6. An obstruction to vehicular site distance.

None of these regulations would affect forestry operations.

Encourage developers to use neighborhood design standards in conjunction with cluster development.

Oley and Alsace should encourage developers to use the following guidelines on how best to design and locate residential structures, adjacent open space and complementary landscaping. The guidelines are divided into four topics: site planning, architecture, landscape architecture and signage. All four sections should be used together when planning and reviewing new development proposals in Oley and Alsace.

Site Planning Orient uses to minimize objectionable views, such as service areas and the backs of buildings, from roadways and from scenic overlooks, Match scale and character of buildings and other uses to the scale and character of the site and the surrounding environs, Maximize joint use driveways, Minimize impervious cover, Provide scenic overlooks whenever possible, I Provide landscaping along the perimeter of parking areas,

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Place utilities underground, Minimize the grading by the use of retaining walls, building orientation and running with I contours, Avoid placing buildings on cleared ridgelines to protect views, and I Use curved driveways when developing in wooded areas to obscure the view of the house fiom the road. I Architecture Minimize the height of the proposed structure, especially on ridgelines and in very visible locations, I Reduce the building mass by breaking up the building into smaller components, Use indigenous building materials, such as stone, Use compatible, earth tone colors that blend with the existing environment, I Design structures to fit the topography rather than excessively grading the site, and Use pitched roof design features. I Landscape Architecture .. Minimize removal of existing trees, especially on ridgelines, Establish vegetative buffers adjacent to roadways, 'I Screen objectionable views, Maximize parkmg lot landscaping, and Use indigenous plant materials. I

Simage Use materials that are compatible with the proposed or existing buildings and landscape I elements, Locate signs on the building in consistent sign bands, I Group signs on one sign structure, Avoid bright colors and internally illuminated signs, Minimize temporary signs, and I Use consistent typography on signs.

Encourage developers to use the following four steps towards better subdivision design. I

Although steep slopes, floodplains and wetlands are usually noted on the site plans, little consideration is sometimes given to other elements like a grand oak tree, a wildflower meadow I or an old apple orchard, features that can be preserved to symbolize the rural character of an area. By conducting a more intensive analysis of the site, developers should be able to achieve adequate densities without sacrificing rural character. I I I

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The following four steps are a sequential approach towards more conservation-oriented design I based on the recommendations of Mr. Randall Arendt of The Natural Lands Trust.

1. Identzfi Primary and Secondary Conservation Areas - First, identify primary conservation I areas such as sensitive natural areas: steep slopes over 25%, 100-year floodplains, streams and their buffers, and habitats of rare, threatened and endangered species. Other conservation areas may include scenic views, locally important vegetation, unique geologic I features and wet soils among other areas. I 2. Identzfi LocationsforDeveZopment - Next, locate potential development areas which include the remaining land left over after the primary and secondary conservation areas are identified. Carefully consider siting new homes with views of the open space areas. Reduce the lot I sizes to accommodate for the number of homes 'that would have been originally provided under conventional development. I 3. Layout Roads and Trails - Show a road alignment that would most efficiently access all new homes. Also consider developing trails that could link residents with each other and with I the open space areas. 4. DeZineate Lot Lines - The final step involves delineating the boundaries of each lot, a step I often done first in traditional design. I AG~CULTURALPRESERVATION Agriculture is a critical part of the landscape, economy, heritage and community identity of the Oley/Alsace area. Oley Township has adopted strong agricultural zoning regulations, has many farms I in its agricultural security district and has had more agricultural easements purchased than any other Berks County municipality. The following are recommendations on ways to preserve farmland and I maintain the viability of the local agricultural economy in the Oley/Alsace area. I Continue to participate in the sale of agricultural easements. Using County, state and federal finds, Berks County has preserved the development rights to over 12,000 acres of farmland since the Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program began in I 1989. Governor Ridge has proposed, as part of his Growing Greener injtiatives, that additional state funds be redirected for farmland preservation. The Berks County Commissioners recently issued a $30 million bond that will allow the County to buy development rights to over 25,000 I acres in the next five years - an estimated 50 to 60 farms annually. I I

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Oley Township residents have actively participated in this program. Alsace Township should increase its participation. If Alsace adopts agricultural preservation zoning, Township farms will I rank higher in the competition to be part of the program. One additional source is also now available. Act 138 of 1998 authorizes Pennsylvania municipalities to purchase agricultural easements either on their own or in combination with county and commonwealth funding. I Expand agricultural security districts. I Farmers join agricultural security areas established pursuant to Act 43 of 1981 for protection against certain nuisance complaints and to become eligible to have their development rights I purchased. Land enrolled in agricultural security areas is extensive in Oley. (See accompanying Agricultural Preservation map on page 29). Alsace should expand its participation. Farmers must be enrolled in an agricultural security area before their development rights are eligible for I purchase under the state program.

Do not extend public sewer service into prime agricultural areas. I

In desirable areas such as Oley and Alsace, public sewer lines attract development. If public sewers are established in rural areas with failing septic systems, the new system should have only I the capacity necessary to serve affected homes and help finance the system through reasonable user costs. I Allow farmers sufficient opportunities to supplement their incomes.

Oley and Alsace should ensure their municipal regulations permit farmers a variety of I opportunities to earn supplemental income. Uses such as custom furniture construction, farm equipment repair, tool sharpening and others may be appropriate provided they are restricted to I five non-resident employees. Corn mazes, pick your own pumpkins, horseback riding, bed & breakfast uses and roadside produce stands are other examples, provided regulations are in place to properly limit-the magnitude of the activity. I Investigate the demand for transfer of development rights (TDR) in Oley Township. I Many counties in Maryland, such as Montgomery County, and a small number of eastern Pennsylvania municipalities have used transfer of development rights (TDR) to preserve farmland and environmentally sensitive areas. TDR involves the right to develop a certain I number of additional homes beyond that permitted by the underlying zoning if development rights are purchased from a landowner in a “sending area”, usually a farming or conservation area. TDR compensates landowners who sells some or all of their development rights to a I landowner in a “receiving area”, an area with sufficient water and sewer service to accommodate growth. I I

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TDR and any variation of TDR requires an extensive and time-consuming administrative structure to set up program rules and monitor and record transactions. An understanding of the local real estate market and promotional effort to ensure local residents understand and support a TDR program are other prerequisites for success. Some municipalities that have adopted TDR have been unsuccessful in implementing it.

TDR is not appropriate for Alsace at this time because the Township does not have the public sewers needed to accommodate additional densities in a receiving area. Oley should investigate the feasibility of TDR to complement the extensive selling of agricultural easements that has occurred in the Township. Because the purchase of agricultural easements is working so well in Oley, demand for TDR may be less than it would be otherwise. Moreover, the Township’s strict agricultural zoning surrounding a concentrated residential core has largely accomplished the I countryside/village development pattern TDR seeks to establish. Nonetheless, many rural landowners who are not farmers may be interested. The areas around Oley Village, which are is zoned for residential growth and have both public water and public sewer service, would be the logical receiving area for development rights acquired through TDR.

HISTORICPRESERVATION

Historic preservation is important in the Oley/Alsace area. Several structures designated individually plus the entire township of Oley are on the National Register of Historic Places, as described in the Background Reports section. Oley has a historic zoning district in the small village of Spangsville. Both Oley and Alsace have many historic resources that are not officially recognized. The following are ways to help preserve historic,resources and conserve the area’s rural villages without creating additional historic districts:

Identify a grassroots organization in Alsace Township that may be interested in working with the Berks County Conservancy to seek formal recognition of historic properties in Alsace Township.

Promote the donation of historic facade easements (and associated tax advantages) to preserve key historic structures in the same way as agncultural easements have been sold.

Expand local participation in the Pennsylvania Blue Markers Program. The Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission will fund Blue Markers for sites of statewide significance. Blue Markers for locally significant sites must be funded locally.

Install historically appropriate welcome signs at key gateways to the two townships and the villages such as Oley, Pleasantville, Yellow House and Limekiln.

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1 THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 93 THEPLAN I

Work with the Oley Valley Heritage Association or others to prepare a design guidelines pamphlet identifylng the essential do’s and don’ts of proper historic rehabilitation. I

Enact zoning and subdivision regulations that encourage developers of new homes to reflect the scale, proportions, spacing, setbacks and materials traditionally found in the Oley/Alsace area. I

Reflect the historic qualities of the area in any future improvements to sidewalks, lighting and other public improvements in the area’s historic villages. I Strengthen sign regulations in village areas to distinguish between signs permitted there and I those permitted in the highway commercial area. In both townships: prohibit internally illuminated fkee standing signs, review billboard I regulations to ensure maximum size and setback standards are adequate, and establish specific regulations for portable signs. I __ TRANSPORTATION I Transportation in Oley and Alsace refers mainly to vehicular circulation since the area does not have regular bus or passenger rail service. The following recommendation focus on maintaining traffic safety and improving circulation. Ideas are also included on enhancing pedestrian and bicycle I service. I Streets and Highways

Work with PennDOT to periodically assess the need for a traffic signal at the intersection of I Route 73 and Route 662 on the eastern end of Oley Village. Although a signal does not appear needed now one may be desirable in the hture as traffic continues to increase. I Examine ways to improve the alignment of Pricetown Road at Antietam Road near the Pricetown Road entrance to Alsace Manor. I Prepare a multi-year program of road repavings and reconstructions instead of responding to these needs on a year-to-year basis. I Allow narrower roads without curbing within in certain low density areas to avoid over-design of roads and preserve rural character. I

Incorporate the following highway design guidelines, as contained in the Berks County Comprehensive Plan, into each township’s subdivision and land development ordinance. I I

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TABLE 21 FIIGHWA FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS AND ECOMMEI )ED DESIGN FEATURES General Right-of-way Cartway Classification Provisions Width (Feet) I Arterial - 35-55MPH 80 - 48-52 feet - Some access controls to and from - 12’ wide travel lanes with adjacent development shoulders in rural area and - Encourage use of reverse and side street curbing in urban areas I frontage and parallel access roads - Noparking Collector - 25-35MPH 60 - 34-40feet - Some access controls to and from - 12’ wide travel lanes with I adjacent development stabilized shoulders or - Parking permitted on one or both sides curbing - 8‘ wide lanes provided for

Local - 15-35MPH 50 28-34 feet with stabilized - No access control to and from adjacent shoulders or curbing development Cartway widths can be - Parking permitted on one or both sides reduced based on interior

I Designate the following roads as shown in the townships’ subdivision and land development ordinances.

I Arterials: PA Route 73 PA Route 12 (Pricetown Road) . I PA Route 662 PA Route 562 Collectors: Mount Laurel Road Blankenbiller Roadspies Church Road Friedensburg Road Main Street Water Street Covered Bridge Road Limekiln Pike Skyline Drive Local Roads: All Others

Ensure the following design principles are reflected in the two townships’ subdivision and land development ordinances. Then work with PennDOT to ensure these principles are enforced in PennDOT’s review of driveway permit applications to access Route 73 and Route 12.

- Limit direct access where feasible by using common entrances to adjacent business properties rather than multiple curb cuts. - Control the size and location of signs to preserve vision triangles - Require additional setbacks and appropriate landscaping along the highway to reduce highway noise and distractions to motorists - Align driveways on the opposite sides of the highway wherever possible instead of allowing staggered access points within close proximity to each other.

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Pedestrian and Bicycle Access

Design sidewalk and sidewalk replacement program in Oley Village and the Village of Pleasantville to encourage more walking and less use of automobiles.

Extend sidewalks fiom Oley Village to hture development in the Village Residential area and along Friedensburg Road to the Oley Elementary School in order to foster a greater sense of neo- traditional development in this vicinity.

In accordance with the Berks County Open Space and Recreation Plan, seek to establish a greenway along the Manatawny and Pike Creek corridors.

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COMFvlUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES

In addition to municipal administration, Oley and Alsace each provide, or assist in providing, a variety of communityservices to their residents. Changing needs and rising costs affect the provision of all these services. The following recommendations are proposed to help coordinate the continued efficient delivery of emergency management (police, fire and rescue), public water and sewer service, education, and parks and recreation.

Police, Fire and Rescue

Continue to support the Oley Township Police Department and working with the Pennsylvania State Police to maintain adequate coverage in Alsace Township.

Periodically re-assess the desirability of incorporating Oley Township and Alsace Townshp into an existing or new joint police force.

Maintain municipal contributions to the Oley Fire Company and the Alsace Fire Company and continue the mutual assistance agreements in effect with neighboring fire companies.

Continue to support the Oley Fire Company’s rescue service and maintain coordination with the I rescue services in Blandon, Oley, Lower Alsace and Muhlenberg that provide rescue service to Alsace Township.

Public Water and Sewer Service

When improvements at the Oley Municipal Authority Sewage Treatment Plant become operational, use the new treatment capacity to serve on-site sewage problem identified in the Oley Township Act 537 Plan ( Pleasantville, Water Street and the Essig subdivision).

Ensure any remaining capacity in the Oley Township is used only to address other problem areas or serve growth areas specifically designated in this comprehensive plan.

Continue to investigate cost-effective public sewage treatment options for Alsace Manor in accordance with the Alsace Township Act 537 Plan.

Provide additional public water service in Oley and Alsace only as necessary to address serious public health problems, or to serve growth areas designated in this comprehensive plan.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 97 THEPLAN I Education I Continue providing public input to the Oley Valley School District on projected growth trends as was done in 1998 and continue working with the District to assess the need for new school facilities to address this growth. I I Parks and Recreation

Maintain use of the Oley Valley Youth Recreation Area in Oley Township as the central outdoor I athletic facility serving the Oley/Alsace area.

Look for opportunities to add the additional 18 acres ofparkland needed to address the per capita I parkland deficit that exists in the Oley/Alsace area according to National Recreation and Park Association ("A) guidelines. This is described in the Parks and Recreation portion of the Background Reports. I

Continue existing arrangements with the Oley Valley School District for community use of indoor and outdoor recreation facilities at School District properties. I I I I I I I I I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 98 I I THEPLAN I ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTDOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN

Recommended land use policies in Oley and Alsace are based on the concept ofpreserving the area’s I overall environment and quality of life. Within this context, local planning should support the area’s economy and the growth of local business. New jobs and enhanced tax revenues &om business development and farming are important ingredients in a healthy local economy. In addition to I farming, a variety of industry and commerce is important for establishing and maintaining a strong job base within the region.

I This Economic Development/Downtown Revitalization Plan addresses business development in the Oley-Alsace region to help revitalize the appearance and function of each community’s commercial area. The emphasis is on helping to create an improved setting for new business investment and the 1 expansion of existing businesses. i Regional Business Development 1 Encourage businesses which use and support the conservation of agriculture and natural features as well as the preservation of the rural and village character of the area.

I Consider ways in which to better utilize vacant or underused buildings and land.

Ensure the organizational and planning resources are in place to extend public water and sewer I service in Alsace to existing businesses and prospective investors located within designated service areas.

I Work with the Reading and Berks County Visitors Bureau to encourage more heritage-based I tourism in the Oley-Alsace area. Oley Village Revitalization

I Encourage new development in and adjoining Oley Village to embrace neo-traditional designs. 1 Create a Village Improvements Committee to oversee design and construction of the following physical improvements within Oley Village: I - Plant street trees and other landscaping enhancements, - Replace inadequate sidewalks, - Place utility wires underground as feasible when doing other major work, I - Add other streetscape elements such as planters, benches, trash receptacles, etc., - Place “Welcome to Oley Village” signs at entrances to the village, and I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 99 I THEPLAN

- Amend both townships’ zoning ordinances to strengthen existing sign regulations. I Use the following design guidelines to encourage the type of building improvements that will retain and enhance the arcbtectural integrity of Oley Village and the entire Oley-Alsace region: I - Use construction materials, architectural details and paint colors that complement rather than conflict with, the predominant development patterns, - Avoid covering historic wood, brick or stone buildings with vinyl siding, aluminum siding I or false fronts, - Minimize historically inappropriate alterations to building features such as rooflines, I windows, columns, cornices and doorways, among others, - Emphasize the human scale in buildings by avoiding oversized, single-pane windows, large blank walls, flat invisible roofs and other features that do not relate to pedestrians and other I building users, and - Use common building features such as awnings, other detailing and unity of color to tie together various building elements. -. I . ,. Use the following do’s and don’ts to distinguish creative design from unappealing development based on the use of signs, lighting, road access, parking, pedestrian circulation, utilities and other -- I amenities.

Signs I

- Locate signs wherever possible on buildings; avoid off-site billboards, portable signs and other freestanding signs, I - Situate any freestanding signs against a backdrop of vegetation or a building to soften their impact and avoid interrupting a distant view, . - Group signs on one structure in the case of a multi-tenant development, . I - Use consistent typography or a design theme to link building signs in multi-tenant developments, I - Limit the number of signs on a building to one or two to avoid visual clutter, - Avoid using bright colors and garish designs on signs, - Choose externally lit signs instead of internally lit signs, I - Use white light on externally lit signs and obscure the source of the light with shrubbery and other vegetation, - Use wooden signs rather than plastic signs where feasible to ensure the sign is compatible I with the building upon which it is placed, - Place all signs to avoid obscuring significant building features such as windows, cornices and other decorative elements, and I - Avoid signs that project above the roof of a building. .. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 100 1 THEPLAN I Lighting - Use light standards or poles that are a maximum of 15 feet tall or shorter than surrounding tree heights to avoid casting shadows over trees and creating unsafe areas, I - Choose light poles and fixtures whose design, materials and colors are compatible with the surrounding areas, such as historically appropriate styles, - Use shielded lights to ensure that illumination fiom overhead lights is directed suficiently I downward and does not shine on adjacent properties or roads, and - Position lights so that no more than one-half foot candles of light exists at the point midway I between adjacent light standards. I Road Access and Parking - Establish shared entrances to roadside development sites instead of multiple curb cuts that permit several adjoining properties to each have their own direct road access, I - Locate parking areas to the side or behind buildings rather than in front, - Use landscape buffering along the perimeter of parking areas to separate them fiom roadways and other parts of a site, I - Install landscape buffers within large parking lots to direct circulation and provide visual relief fiom large expanses of parking, - Use planted medians to signify and narrow parking lot entrances rather than constructing .I wide, unlandscaped entrances, and - Consider gravel or other pervious materials in parking lots rather than paved surfaces in rural I settings to allow some recharge of groundwater. Pedestrian Circulation

I - Construct safe, functional sidewalks that are handicapped-accessible between buildings and adjacent parking areas, - Link internal circulation paths with existing public sidewalks, and I - To allow wheelchair access, use hard surface materials for pedestrian circulation paths such as concrete, interlocking pavers, brick or asphalt instead of gravel or stepping stones.

I Utilities and Other Amenities I - Bury utility lines underground wherever possible; place them behind buildings or in back of roadside vegetation where they cannot be buried, - Locate delivery areas, service bays and outdoor storage at the rear or side of a building, I - Place trash dumpsters at the rear of a building or heavily screen them from view using brick walls or wood fencing, - Position air conditioning units, satellite dishes and other building equipment at ground level I to the rear of a site rather than on the roof of a building, and - Construct fencing as low as possible, make it open instead of opaque and build it of wood, I ornamental iron, brick or fieldstone rather than metal, plywood or concrete.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 101 I THEPLAN

Energy Conservation

In both Oley Township and Alsace Township, it is important to recognize the need to conserve energy and preserve non-renewable resources. The two municipalities should encourage developers I to utilize the following techniques:

a Site homes on an east-west axis to maximize solar access and minimize heating costs. I l a Use landforms such as steep slopes to deflect winter winds. i I Site homes on south and southeast facing slopes, with large windows on southern exposures, to maximize solar heating.

a Orient unheated buildings (such as detached garages) to buffer heated buildings (such as homes) from winter winds. -:'.I., I Use darker colors to absorb more radiant energy from the sun.

Use summer awnings to shade windows.

Favor deciduous trees over evergreens, especially on southern exposures, to provide more shade in summer and more sun in winter. Use evergreens adjacent to.northern exposures and other I areas where winter winds should be buffered.

These techniques respect the two basic principles of energy conservation: proper orientation to the I sun and protection from the extremes of summer and winter weather. Municipal officials in both Oley Township and Alsace Township can save energy by monitoring municipal operations. The I municipalities should investigate updating heating, ventilating, indoor lighting and any outdoor street lighting systems and building insulation to determine whether it would be cost-effective over the long-run by increasing energy efficiency. Drivers of municipal vehicles should be instructed on I methods that can be used to reduce fuel consumption. I I I I I

THE OLEYTOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 102 I I I I I I I I I I ACTION PROGRAM I I I I I I I I I I ACTION PROGRAM

ACTION PROGRAM

The Action Program includes a prioritized summary of this Comprehensive Plan's recommendations. Where applicable, a responsible party is identified in addition to the two municipalities' board of supervisors to oversee the implementation of each 'recommendation. The Action Program also describes how recommendations can be implemented through regulatory ordinances, capital improvements programming and other actions by each municipality's planning commission and I governing body.

IMMEDKTE SHORT-RANGE LONGER-RANGE PRIMARY I RECOMMENDATION (1'Year) (24 through (5" Year RESPONSIBLE 4b Year) and Beyond) PARTY I 1. Revise the two townships' zoning X Planning Commissions ordinances to reflect future land use plan.

2. Revise the two townships' subdivision X Planning Commissions 1 and land development ordinances to reflect future land use plan.

I ~~~~ ~ 1. Approve only development that respects Ongoing Planning Commissions the natural features of each site. I 2. Strengthen steep slope protection in both X Planning Commissions Oley and Alsace.

3. Establish a wetland buffer zone in Oley. X Planning Commissions I 4. Establish stream comdor buffer regula- X Planning Commissions tions in Oley and Alsace.

5. Where appropriate, encourage fencing 0n g o i n g Planning Commissions I that keeps livestock out of local water- ways.

6. Restrict tree cutting during construction. X Planning Commissions

I 7. Encourage developers to use neighbor- Ongoing Planning Commissions hood design standards in conjunction with cluster develooment.

S. Encourage developers to use the fol- Ongoing Planning Commissions lowing four steps towards better subdivi- sion design: a. Identify Primary & Secondary Conservation Areas b. Identify Locations for Development c. Layout Roads and Trails d. Delineate Lot Lines

1. Continue to participate in the sale of Ongoing Supervisors agricultural easements.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 103 I ACTIONPROGRAM I I IMMEDIATE I SHORT-RANGE 1 LONGER-RANGE I PRIMARY ear) I (2dthroua (5" Year I RES;t:FLE 11 RECOMMENDATION I - 4" Year) I and Beyond) I

3. Do not extend public sewer service into Ongoing Oley Municipal prime agricultural areas. Authority I

~~ ~ I ~ I 4. Allow farmers sufficient opportunities to Ongoing Planning Commissions supplement their incomes. I 5. Investigate the demand for transfer of X Planning Commissions development rights (TDR) in Oley. I 1. Identify a grassroots organization X Alsace Township interested in recognition of historic Planning Commission properties. I 2.. Promote the donation of historic facade Ongoing easements (and associated tax advantages) to preserve key historic sbuctures. LI 3. Expand local participation in the PA Blue X supervisors Markers Program. i 4. Install historically appropriate welcome X Supervisors signs at key gateways. _____ 5. Work with the Oley Valley Heritage X supervisors Assoc. or others to prepare a design I guidelines pamphlet.

6. Encourage developers of new homes to X Planning Commissions reflect the scale, proportions, spacing, I setbacks and traditional materials.

7. Reflect the historic qualities of the area in X Oley Township future public improvements. Supervisors ' I 8. Strengthen sign regulations in village X Oley Township areas. Supervisors 9. Prohibit internally illuminated free- X Supervisors 1 standing signs and review billboard regulations. 11 TRAiiSPORTATlON I Streets and Highways 1. Work with PennDOT to periodically Ongoing Oley Township assess the need for a traffic signal at the Planning Commission intersection of Rt. 73 and Rt. 662 on the I eastern end of Oley Village.

2. Examine ways to improve the alignment X Alsace Township of Pncetown Road at Antietam Road. Supervisors I : 3. Prepare a multi-year program of road Supervisors II repavings and reconstructions. lxI I-I I 4. Allow narrower roads without curbing. Ongoing Planning Commissions

5. Incorporate highway design guidelines. X Planning Commissions 6. Designate arterials and collectors shown. X Planning Commissions I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 104 I I ACTION PROGRAM IMMEDIATE SHORT-RANGE LONGER-RANGE PIUMARY RECOMMENDATION (1"Year) (Zd through (5' Year RESPONSIBLE I 4' Year) and Beyond) PARTY 7. Incorporate design principles in the two Ongoing Planning Commissions townships' subdivision and land I development regulations. Pedestrian and Bicycle Access 1. Design sidewalk and sidewalk replace- X Oley Township I ment program in Oley and Pleasantville. Planning Commission 2. Extend sidewalks from Oley Village to X Oley Township future development. Planning Commission

3. Establish a greenway along the Mana- X Planning Commissions I tawny and Pike Creek comdors.

1 Police, Fire and Rescue 1. Continue to support the Oley Twp. Police Ongoing Supervisors Dept. and PA State Police.

2. Periodically reassess the desirability of a X Supervisors I joint police force.

3. Maintain municipal contributions to the ' Ongoing Supervisors I II Oley Fire Co. and the Alsace Fire Co. I I Public Water and Sewer Service 1. Serve on-site sewage problem identified X Oley Municipal I in the Oley Twp. Act 537 Plan. Authority 2. Ensure sewer capacity only serves Ongoing Oley Municipal II designated areas. I I Authority 3. Continue to investigate sewage treatment X Alsace Township I options for Alsace Manor. Planning Commission

4. Provide additional public water service in Ongoing Supervisors I Oley and Alsace only as necessary. Education 1. Continue proving public input to the Oley Ongoing Planning Commissions I Valley S.D. on projected growth trends. Parks and Recreation 1. Maintain Oley Valley Youth Recreation Ongoing Supervisors Area as the central outdoor athletic I facility. 2. Look for opportunities to add addihonal Ongoing Supervisors acres of uarkland. I 3. Continue community use of School Ongoing Oley Valley District properties. School District I ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT / DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN Regional Business Development 1. Encourage businesses which use and Ongoing Superiisors support the conservation. I 2. Consider ways to better utilize vacant or Ongoing Planning Commissions - underused buildings and land. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 105 I ACTIONPROGRAM I

~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ XMMEDZATE SHORT-RANGE LONGER-RANGE PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION (Iy Year) (2"d through (5'Year RESPONSIBLE 4' Year) and Beyond) PARTY I 3. Work with the Reading and Berks Co. X Supervisors Visitors Bureau to encourage more heritage-based tourism in the Oley/Alsace I area.

Oley Village Revitalization 1. Encourage new development in and X Oley Township adjoining Oley Village to embrace neo- Planning Commission I traditional designs.

2. Create a Village Improvements Commit- X Oley Township tee to oversee physical improvements in Supervisors I Oley Village.

3. Use the design guidelines to retain and Ongoing Planning Commissions enhance architectural integrity. I 4. Follow do's and don'ts shown to Ongoing Planning Commissions distinguish creative design from unappealing development. ..I I IiiPLEMENTING THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I The goals and recommendations in this plan should be reviewed and updated as necessary. This comprehensive plan contains recommendations for guiding future development and for preserving historic, natural and cultural resources. But, it is not a legislative document. There are three basic I tools needed to help implement this plan: 1) the zoning ordinance, 2) the subdivision and land development ordinance, and 3) the capital improvement program. I Zoning Regulations

The zoning ordinance is a legal tool to regulate the use of land. Its regulations apply to: 1) the I permitted use of land, 2) the height and bulk of structures, 3) the percentage of a lot that may be occupied by buildings and other impervious surfaces, 4) yard setbacks, 5) the density of develop- ment, and 6) the height and size of signs. The zoning ordinance has two parts-1) the zoning map I which delineates zoning districts, and 2) the text which sets forth the regulations that apply in each district along with general information regarding administration of the ordinance. I Oley Township and Alsace Township should each revise its current zoning ordinance to more closely reflect this comprehensive plan. Both municipalities should then ensure these ordinances remain I current in light of changing municipal planning goals, prevailing development trends and state legal requirements, I Subdivision and Land Development Regulations

Subdivision and land development ordinances (SALDO) include regulations to control the layout I of streets, the planning of lots, and the provision of utilities. The objectives of a subdivision and land development ordinance are to: I

THE OLEYTOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN I 106 I 1 ACTION PROGRAM coordinate street patterns; I assure adequate utilities and other improvements are provided in a manner that will not pollute streams, wells and/or soils;

’ reduce traffic congestion; and I provide sound design standards as a guide to developers, the planning commission and other municipal officials.

,I Oley Township and Alsace Township should each update its SALDO to reflect this comprehensive plan and any new or updated zoning ordinance.

~I Capital Improvement Programming

Capital improvements relate to streets, stormwater systems, water distribution, sewage treatment and I other major public facilities. These projects, which involve the expenditure of funds beyond those needed for normal operations and maintenance, should be prioritized in the form of a six-year capital improvements program. The program should be prepared by each township’s planning commission I and adopted by each township’s board of supervisors. I The capital improvements program should include a capital budget which identifies the highest priority projects recommended for funding in the next annual budget. Each townshlp’s planning commission should revise its capital improvements program and capital budget every year as projects I are completed, new needs arise and priorities change. A capital improvements program has many benefits, including the following:

I It helps assure that projects are based on the ability to pay and on a schedule of priorities determined in advance. It helps assure capital improvements are viewed comprehensively. I It promotes financial stability by scheduling projects at proper intervals. It facilitates proper allocation of community financial resources. I PLANNINGCOMMISSION ROLE

I The Oley Township Planning Commission and Alsace Township Planning Commission must each assume a lead role in assuring that this comprehensive plan is implemented and updated as needed. Each planning commission should periodically review the plan and recommend any changes needed to reflect current conditions and priorities. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code also gives the planning commission other responsibilities. At the request of the governing body, the planning commission may:

make recommendations to the governing body concerning the adoption or amendment of an official map; prepare and present a zoning ordinance to the governing body and make recommendations on proposed amendments to it;

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 107 ACTION PROGRAM I

prepare, recommend and administer a municipality’s subdivision and land development ordinance; I prepare and present a building code and housing code to the governing body; submit a recommended capital improvements program to the governing body; promote public interest in, and understanding of, the comprehensive plan and planning; 1 make recommendations to governmental, civic and private agencies and individuals as to the effectiveness of the proposals of such agencies and individuals; I hold public hearings and meetings; and in the performance of its functions, enter upon lands to make examinations and land surveys with the consent of the owners. I

GOVERNINGBODY ROLE I

The Oley Township Board of Supervisors and the Alsace Township Board of Supervisors must each play vital roles in implementing this comprehensive plan. The two governing bodies have the final I decision on any action that requires an ordinance or expenditure of funds within their respective municipalities. Each governing body should strive to maintain a relationship oftrust and confidence with its planning commission. The governing body and the planning commission in each of the two I municipalities should keep one another informed of important planning-related matters. I I I I I 1 I I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/~SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVEPLAN 1 108 I I ACTIONPROGRAM I FUNDINGSOURCES There are hundreds of funding sources available fiom federal govemment, state government, private organizations and foundations, for a variety of activities. The following list summarizes the most I commonly used fUnding sources, including grants and loans, that can help municipalities in community development, economic development, recreation, housing, water and sewer, and I stormwater management, among other areas. TABLE 23 FUNDING SOURCES

I ____ Name of Administering I Program General Description of Program Agency community Offers grants for a wide variety of activities, provided the applicant proves by Berks County Development survey or census that the project will benefit 5 1% low and moderate income I Block Grant persons or handicapped persons or eliminate "blighted" conditions in officially (CDBG) designated areas. For example, funds can be used for water and sewage improvements, storm drainage, handicapped accessibility, housing rehabilitation, parks and recreation, street and sidewalk improvements, code I enforcement, community planning, and historic rehabilitation. Conservation Provides funding for work crews for community'projects, such as trail PA DCNR I Corps, PA. improvements. Communities of Provides grants to municipalities, redevelopment authorities and housing PA DCED Opportunity authorities for community revitalization, economic development, and low- I income housing development and rehabilitation. Community Provides capital and capacity building grants to "Community Development PA DCED Development Financial Institutions" (CDFIs). The CDFIs are then allowed to assist with 1 Bank, PA. small scale business expansions, new business starts, non-profit facilities and very small businesses. Community Offers low-interest loans to construct, enlarge or improve essential community US. Dept. of I Facilities Loan facilities for public use in rural areas and towns with population less than Ag. Rural Program, 50,000. Also offers guarantees of loans by private lenders. Housing Federal Service

I community Very broad grant program. Officially intended to promote community stability, PA DCED Revitalization increase tax bases and improve quality of life. Applications may be made by & Governor's Program . municipalities, authorities, economic development organizations and non-profit Office I corporations. Publichon-profit/profit partnerships are encouraged. Generally can be used for infrastructure, community revitalization, building rehabilitation, demolition of blighted structures, puhlic safety, and crime prevention. I Customized Job Provides grants to businesses (other than retail) to train new employees, and PA DCED Training retrairi and upgrade existing employees. Up to 100% of eligible costs may be Businesses ap- paid for new job creations, and up to 70% for other eligible training. ' ply through a I State-licensed I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/~SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 109 I ACTION PROGRAM 1

~ ~~ Name of Administering Program General Description of Program Agency I Downtown Offers full-time management to organize and implement a Business District PA DCED Pennsylvania Authority, that provides financing for additional services in a commercial area. Program The Commercial Revitalization program fhds physical improvement projects I that are consistent with an action plan. Projects may include site improvements, facade renovations and adaptive reuse of downtown buildings. See also "Main Street Program'' in thls table. I EDA Loan Guarantees business loans made through private lenders. Available for up to US. EDA Guarantees 80% of project cost. Primarily intended for manufacturers, but commercial Philadelphia businesses may qualify. A equity contribution is required by business. Must Office I show job creation. EDA Public Offers grants to distressed municipalities to assist in attracting new industries U.S. EDA Works Grants and encourage business expansion. Projects typically involve water and sewage Philadelphia I improvements primarily serving industries, industrial access roads, and business Office incubators. A 50% local match is typically required. I EDA Economic Provides grants to design and implement strategies to adjust to serious job U.S. EDA Adjustment losses to a local economy, such as natural disasters and defense spending Philadelphia Grants reductions. Office '.* 'I EPA Grants for a very limited number of pilot demonstration projects for cleanup of US. EPA Brownfields contaminated underused industrial sites. Philadelphia Program Office I Emergency Provides low-interest loans to fire and ambulance companies to acquire PA Emergency Services Loan vehicles, or to -enovate or acquire buildings to house vehicles. Management Program Agency I Keystone State program provides a range of benefits to locally-nominated, State- PA DCED OPPOrtUnity designated areas that are financially distressed. One major benefit involves Zone greatly reduced local real estate taxes for an initial set of years. I Enterprise Zone Encourages investment in "enterprise zones" that are distressed areas desig- PA DCED Program, PA nated by the State. The main benefits include: low-interest loan pools (mamly for building acquisition, construction, renovation and machinery), local tech- I nical assistance in connecting with financing and techcal resources, and preferences in certain State grant and loan programs. A priority is placed upon assistance to industrial businesses. Grants are also available for the initial I planning of proposed enterprise zones, and for program administration. See also "E.Z. Tax Credits" below. (This program is completely separate from the Federal Empowerment ZoneEnterprise Community program.) I Enterprise Zone Provides State tax credits to businesses located withm State-designated PA DCED Tax Credits Enterprise Zones for new building construction and rehabilitation of existing buildings. I Flood Control - Various types of projects to manage flooding. Typically, the Army Corps is us.Army -4rmy Corps and involved in larger watersheds, while NRCS has primary responsibility for corps of NRCS smaller watersheds. Engineers, I Watershed US. Natural Programs Resources Conservation Service I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 110 I 1 ACTIONPROGRAM Name of Administering I Program General Description of Program Agency Flood Hazard Provides 75% funding to relieve imminent hazards from flooding, such as Federal Mitigation voluntary buy-outs and demolitions of highly flood-prone properties. Emergency Grant Program Management I Agency

Flood Offers design and construction o flood protection projects. The project must be PA DEP I Protection deemed economically justifiable under the state capital budget process. Bureau of Program, PA Waterways Engineering

I Historic Offers Federal income tax credits for a percentage of the qualified capital costs National Park Preservation to rehabilitate a certified historic buildings, provided the exterior is restored. Service Tax Credits The program is generally limited to income-producing properties. I Historic Provides modest-sized matching grants to provide technical assistance to Federal, Preservation - municipalities that have official hlstoric districts and meet other criteria to be administered by Certified Local "certified." PA Historical II Government and Museum Grants Commission ~ ~~ Historic Matching grants for historic surveys, historic preservation planning and Federal, I Preservation National Register nominations. Available to municipalities and non-profit administered by Survey and organizations. Cannot be used for construction. PA Historical Planning Grants and Museum Commission I ~~ Heritage Parks Provides grants up to 75% of costs for projects within State-designated PA DCNR Program "Heritage Parks" to preserve and interpret the significant contribution that I certain areas made upon the industrial heritage of the state and nation. Funds may be used for four types of projects: Feasibility studies, a Management Action Plan, Special purpose studies, and Implementation projects. Projects are I intended to conserve natural, historic and recreational resources relating to

industrial heritage to stimulate regional tourism. ~~~~~ ~ Housing Provides grants, low-interest loans and loan guarantees to for-profits and non- PA Housing I Programs - profits for the construction or rehabilitation of housing for low and/or moderate Finance mainly income persons. Most cities receive HOME funds that they then allocate Agency and including among eligible applicants. Funds are also provided to local community-based PA DCED Federal HOME housing development organizations to develop housing. Funds are also I Program (Home provided through private lenders to assist with down payment and closing costs Investment for low income and disabled persons to,purchase a home for their own Partnerships occupancy. The HOPE Homeownership Program subsidizes home ownership I Program) of public housing, multi-family units and single family units. Funding can be used for rehab of owner-occupied and rental housing. Other Federally funded housing programs include: Emergency Shelter Grants, Supportive Housing for the Elderly (Section 202), Single Room Occupancy I Housing Program, Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS. I See also HOME Partnerships below. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 111 I ACTION PROGRAM I ~___ Name of Administering Program General Description of Program Agency I HOME Provides grants for expanding the supply of housing for low-income persons, Federal HOME Investment including new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation. Local governments funds, admin- Partnership may apply, which may be on behalf of public agencies or for-profit or non- istered by PA I profit developers. PI-IFA admimsters Federal HOME funds for fmancing 5 or DCED and more units. These projects are usually coordinated with Federal Low Income PHFA Housine Tax Credits. I PA Industrial Provides low interest loans for construction, renovation and site preparation of PIDA and Development buildings for new employers. Primarily funds industrial projects. PA DCED Authority I Financing (PIDA) Industrial Sites Provides grants of up to 75% and low interest loans for assessment of PA DCED in I Reuse Pro- environmental contamination and remediation work at former industrial sites. cooperation pram, PA Available to private companies, non-profit economic development agencies or with PA DEP ("Brownfields") authorities that own the land. Mainly targeted towards cities. Financing is not I available to the company that caused the contamination. - Infrastructure Provides grants and low interest loans for public and private infiastructure PA DCED _.- Development improvements needed for a business to locate or expand at a specific site. I Program, PA. Financing is also available for infrastructure to redevelop industrial sites that (replaced BID have been idle more than 6 months, such as acquisition and demolition. Program) Primarily available for industries, research facilities, company headquarters and business park developments. A 2: 1 private to public match is typically I required. A commitment is required to create jobs as a condition of funding. Generally applicants must be municipalities or economic development organizations. I TEA 21 Trans- Provides grants of up to 80% for: facilities for pedestrians and bicycles, U.S. DOT portation acquisition of scenic easements and scenic or historic sites, development of funds Enhancements scenic or historic route programs, landscaping and other scenic beautification administered by I Program (Part along highways, historic preservation, restoration of historic transportation PennDOT of Federal facilities (such as canals), preservation of rail corridors (particularly for Transportation bicycle/walking routes), control and removal of outdoor advertising, I Efficiency Act) archeological research, and mitigation of water pollution due to highway runoff. All projects must have a direct relationship to transportation. Intermunicipal Promotes cooperation between neighboring municipalities so as to foster PA DCED I Projects Grants increased efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of municipal services at the local level.

Job Creation Provides State tax credits to businesses that commit to create new jobs in PA PA DCED I Tax Credits, PA within the next 3 years. Must create 25 new jobs or 20% of the existing work force. The jobs must pay over a certain minimum income. The business must explain how it exhibits leadership in technological applications. I Keystone Provides 50% matching grants to find analysis, acquisition or rehabilitation of PA Historical Historic historic sites. The site must be on the National Register of Historic Places, or and Museum Preservation officially determined to be eligible for listing. The site must be accessible to Commission I Funds the public after funding. The grants can be made to public agencies or non- profit organizations. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/ALSACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 112 I ACTION PROGRAM

Name of Administering Program General Description of Program Agency

Keystone Rec., Grants to well-established non-profit land trusts and conservancies to plan for PA DCNR Park & Cons. and acquire critical natural areas. Land that is acquired must be open to the Program - Land public.

Keystone Rec., Provides 50% matching grants to municipalities to fund overall planning for PA DCNR Park & Cons. park and recreation, master plans for individual parks, acquisition of parkland Regional Program - and nature preserves, countywide natural area inventories, and rehabilitation Offices community and improvements to public recreation areas. Grants up to $20,000, without a Grants local match, are available for material and design costs in small municipalities. Local Provides low interest loans to municipalities with populations of 12,000 or less PA DCED Government for the purchase of equipment and the purchase, construction, renovation or Capital Projects rehabilitation of municipal facilities. Priorities are given to projects that are Loan Program necessary for public health and safety or involve intergovernmental cooperation. I Low Income Offers Federal income tax credits to non-profit and for-profit developers of PA Housing Housing Tax housing for low-income persons. Non-profits can then sell their credits to Finance Credit, Federal investors. Agency I Main Street In the downtowns of designated "Main Street Communities," provides initial PA DCED Program planning grants and administrative grants over a 3 year period to pay a large share of the costs of a professional manager to coordinate downtown I revitalization efforts. May receive matching grants for facade restoration and other design improvements. Usually limited to municipalities of 5,000 to 50,000 persons. I Machinery and Provides low-interest loans to acquire or upgrade machinery and equipment and PA DCED Equipment related engineering and installation for industrial, agricultural, processing and Loan Fund mining businesses. The business must agree to create or preserve jobs as a I condition of the financing. Minority Provides low-interest loans for businesses owned and operated by minorities. PA Minority Business Can generally be used for industrial, international trade, franchise, retail and Business I Development commercial uses. Can be used for site acquisition, building construction and Development Authority, PA renovation, machinery and working capital. Authority & PA DCED I Municipalities Provides technical advice and grants for special purposes (such as studies to PA DCED Financial improve service efficiency) within municipalities that have been officially Recovery Act, designated as financially distressed. After application and designation, the I PA municipality must follow a Financial Recovery Plan. Neighborhood Authorizes State corporate income tax credits to private companies to donate PA DCED Assistance Tax funds for services to low-income persons or impoverished neighborhoods. The I Credit Program services trpically include neighborhood revitalization, job training, education, social programs to reduce welfare dependency or crime prevention. The tax credit usually equals 50 to 70% of the eligible donation. Partnerships are I required between the business and a neighborhood organization. National Provides grants for the acquisition and development of recreation trails (which Federal, Recreational may include trails for motorized vehicles). A 50% local match is required. administered I Trails Funding Applications may be made by Federal, State or local government agencies or by PA DCNR (SymmS NRTA) or,eanizations.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I 113 I ACTIONPROGRAM I Name of Administering Program General Description of Program Agency I On-Lot Septic Offers low-interest loans to limited income households to repair failing on-lot PennVest and System Program septic systems. PA Housing Finance I Agency

OPPO-ty Offers grants to create or preserve very substantial numbers of jobs. May be Can only be Grant Program used for job training, infiastructure, land and building improvements, applied for I (replaced Sunny machinery and equipment, working capital, or environmental assessment and through the Day Fund) cleanup. Governors Action Team ~~ I PEDFA Provides low-interest rate financing of business growth. Projects that can be PA Economic Financing funded with bonds that are exempt from Federal income tax have a lower Financing interest rate than other types of projects. The lower rate financing is limited to Authority-- I activities such as site acquisition, building construction and rehabilitation and Applications new equipment - for manufacturing and certain transportation and utility uses. are made The higher rate is available to a broader range of businesses and a much wider through a local variety of expenditures. Industrial I Development Corp. or Authority I PennCAP Provides a guarantee of loans to businesses made by participating banks. DCED-- Apply through a participating I bank PENNVEST Offers low interest loans for construction and improvement of drinking water PA Infrastruc- and wastewater systems. Outright grants may be available for highly distressed ture Investment I communities. Mainly intended for public systems, but some private systems Authority and may be approved. Water projects are funded through the Drinking Water PA DEP Revolving Loan Fund. Sewage projects are funded through the Clean Water Bureau of I Revolving Fund. In addition, PennVest is authorized to provide loans for Water Supply projects to control existing stormwater problems, such as separating stormwater Management-- from-sanitary sewage. The "Advance Funding Program" provides low-interest Involves both loans for feasibility studies and engineering of systems if the utility cannot fund U.S. EPA and I such work itself. State funds PIDA - PA Makes available low-interest financing to businesses and industrial PIDA and PA I Industrial development agencies to create or retain business jobs. Can be used for DCED Development industrial, research, agricultural processing and major office uses. Can be used Applications Authority for site acquisition, building construction or renovation, multi-tenant spec are typically (PDA) buildings and industrial park development. A lower interest rate is available for made through a I Programs advanced technology projects and in enterprise zones and areas of high local Industrial unemployment. Development Corp. or I Authoritv

~~~ ~ Rails to Trails, Provides grants for feasibility studies, master site plans, acquisition and PA DCNR PA improvement of former railroad lines for recreation trails. A 50% local match Field Offices I is required. Open to municipalities, authorities and non-profits. I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/~SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 114 I I ACTION PROGRAM

Name of Administering Program General Description of Program Agency

Rural Economic Federal programs available in rural areas: US. Dept. of and Community Business & Industrial Guaranteed Loan Program - Provides partial guarantees Agriculture Development of loans by lenders for working capital, machnery, buildmgs, land and certain Rural Develop- Programs, US. types of debt refinancing. Loans can be made to businesses, municipalities or ment A&- non-profit organizations. stration (former Intermediary Relending Loans - provides very low-interest loans to non-profit Farmers Home organizations to reloan for businesses and community development projects. Administration) Rural Business Enterprise Grants (former Ind. Dev. Grants) - provides grants for acquisition of land and construction of buildings and utilities to facilitate development of small businesses. Home Ownership Loans - aid low- and moderate-income rural residents or buy, build or repair their dwelling. Rural Rental Housing Loans - assist individuals or organizations to build or rehab rental units for low-income and moderate-income residents in rural areas. Home Improvement and Repair Loans and Grants - assist very low-income rural homeowners to remove health and safety hazards in their homes or to improve handicap accessibility. Rural Housing Site Loans - assist in purchasing sites for housing development by private, public or non-profit organizations. Housing Preservation Grants - assist non-profits and public agencies with grant funds to assist low-income owner-occupants and owners of low-income apartments with repairing homes in rural areas. Recycling Provides low-interest loans to businesses to purchase recycling source- PA DEP Market separating equipment. Bureau of Land Development Recycling and Loan Fund Waste Manage- I ment Recycling Grants for up to 90% of municipal costs to develop and implement recycling PA DEP Grants (under programs, such as the purchase of recycling bins and cornposting equipment. Bureau of Land Act 101 of Grants are also available to counties for a recycling coordinator, waste Recycling and 1988) management plans and pollution prevention education. Waste Manage- ment

Rivers Offers 50% grants to conserve and enhance river resources. Typically, hding PA DCNR Conservation is first provided for a conservation plan for a waterway. Then after the plan is Program, P.4 approved, grants are possible to carry out the plan. Available to municipalities, authorities and non-profits. Rural Utilities Offers low-interest loans for drinking water and sewage projects for rural areas US.Dept. of Service and small towns. The "Water and Water Disposal Loan Program" provides Agriculture Financing loans for water supply, wastewater disposal, solid waste disposal and Rural Utilities stormwater management systems for rural areas and towns with a population Service less than 10,000 persons. Available to municipalities, authorities and non-profit corps. Grants up to 75% of project costs may be available €or highly distressed areas. Also guarantee loans by private lenders. Also provides grants to non-profit organs. to provide techcal assistance to rural communities or for a circuit rider to serve several rural water systems. Also offers emergency grants to communities that have experienced a significant decline in quantity or qualitv of drinkine water.

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACETOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 115 ACTION PROGRAM I

Name of Administering Program General Description of Program Agency ~~ - I Shared Provides modest-sized 50150 matching grants to promote cooperation among PA DCED Municipal municipalities, in order to increase the efficiency of public services. Two or Services more municipalities may apply, or a council of governments. ~ I Small Business Provides low-interest loans for projects by businesses that generally have less PA DCED First than 100 employees. Generally, the funding can be used for site acquisition, An application building construction, machinery, working capital, environmental compliance, can be made I defense-cutback impacts, recycling, technology, export and computer activities. through an This is also one of the few sources of funding that can be used for restaurants, "Area Loan hotels and motels. The recipient must agree to create or preserve jobs. Organization" I Small Business Provides loans and grants for facilities in which a number of new businesses PA DCED Incubator operate under one roof with affordable rents, sharing services and equipment Program and having equal access to a wide range of professional, technical, and financial I Dromams.

SBA Financing Offers low-interest financing for smaller businesses, including: U.S. Small - microloans and microenterprise grants Business I ._ - Section 7(a) Guaranteed Business Loans Addstration - Section 504 Loans to allow certified development organizations to make long- term loans for real estate and other fixed assets I Sewage Facility Grants to pay up to 50% of the costs to prepare a new sewage facilities plan or PA DEP Planning Grants update an existing plan, under State Act 537 of 1966.

~ ~~ I Small comu- Provides grants up to 100% of the costs to eligible municipalities to prepare Federal CDBG nities Planning comprehensive plans, development regulations and special strategies for adrmnistered by Assistance development. Generally, 5 1% of the municipality's residents must be low or PA DCED I Program moderate income, according to the census or a survey. Limited to (SCPAP) municipalities under 10,000 population. I Small Water Provides grants for feasibility studies concerning the merger of small drinlung PA DEP System water systems. Bureau of Regionalization Water Supply Grants I Solid Waste Programs provide grants for municipalities to review proposed solid waste PA DEP Facility facilities within their borders. Programs also provide funding for municipal Bureau Land Programs inspectors of facilities and for host fees from operators. Recycling and I Waste Manage- ment State Planning Assists local governments and counties to prepare comprehensive plans, PA DCED I Assistance downtown plans, special community development studies and development Grant Program regulations. Typically provides 50% of the eligible costs. Is being supple- (SPAG)/World mented with a new program called "World Class Communities". I Class

Stomwater Grants for cooperative efforts at the watershed level among municipalities for PA DEP Management stormwater planning and ordmances. Grants are typically made to counties, but Bureau of I Grants (Under may be made to municipalities. Watershed State Act 167 of Conservation 1978) I I

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/~SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 116 I ACTION PROGRAM

I' Name of Administering I General Description of Program Agency Provides design and construction assistance to eliminate imminent threats to PA DEP Improvement flooding and streambank erosion. Bureau of Program Waterways I Engineering Tire Pile Grants to municipalities to provide reimbursement for costs of cleaning up large PA DEP I Cleanup Grant piles of used tires. Bureau of Land Recycling & Waste Manage- I ment Urban Forestry Provides grants for tree planting projects. Is also a Federal "America the PA DCNR Grants Beautiful" grant program for tree planting. Water Supply Provides grants to counties to plan for water supplies at the county level and to PA DEP Plan & Well- implement programs to protect the wellheads of public wells. Bureau of Head Protection Water Supply I iGrants Sources : Publications and internet sites of various agencies, in addition to Pennsvlvanian magazine.

Abbreviations: DCED = PA. Dept. of Community and Economic Development HUD = U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development I NRCS = U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service DCNR = PA. Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources I DEP = PA. Dept. of Environmental Protection

THEOLEY TOWNSHIP/&SACE TOWNSHIP JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 117 I I RESOLUTION NO. 37 s-02 I WHEREAS, on October 14, 2002, the Board of Supervisors of Oley Township I held a public hearing on the proposed Oley Township and Alsace Township Joint Comprehensive Plan, as prepared by Urban Research & Development Corporation, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;

I and, I WHEREAS, on December 15, 1999, the Board of Supervisors of Alsace Township adopted, without modification, the Joint Comprehensive Plan; and,

I WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 302(c) [53 P.S. § 10302(c)I of the I Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, it is the desire of the Board of Supervisors of Oley Township to adopt the Joint Comprehensive Plan with certain corrections and amendments.

I NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, as I follows: I SECTION 1. The Oley Township and Alsace Township Joint Comprehensive Plan, prepared by Urban Research & Development Corporation, and adopted by Alsace

I Township on December 15, 1999, and containing the following text and maps:

1 INTRODUCTION. BACKGROUND REPORTS. THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. THE ACTION PROGRAM.

MAPS:

Regional Location Historic Landmarks of the Oley Valley Geology Topography Hydrology 1 I

Agricu Itu ral Soils I Soil Suitability For On-Lot Septic Systems Woodlands and Unique Natural Features Agric u I t u ra I Preservation I Existing Land Use Public Water and Sewer Service Areas Adjacent Zoning I Roadway Classification Future Land Use Agricultural Zoning and Lot Averaging I Neotraditional Zoning and Village Zoning

I is adopted in its entirety with the following corrections and amendments:

Page 29 - Soil Suitability For On-Site Septic Systems - First sentence of I the second paragraph of the text should be changed to the following: I “Much of Oley Township has limitations for septic systems.” Page 45 - Existing Land Use Map - The zoning classification for the area on the east and west side of Friedensburg Road, and on the north side of I Weist School Road, should be changed from “Single Family Detached Residentia I” to “Agric u I t ura I” .

I Page 47 - Public Sewer Service - In the second paragraph, the capacity by which the sewage treatment plant was expanded should be changed I from 95,000 gallons per day to 150,000 gallons per day. Page 52 - Police Protection - First sentence of the text should be I changed to the following: “Oley Township has a police department with a full- time police chief, two full-time police officers and seven I part-time police officers.” Page 54 - Municipal Operating Budgets (Oley Township) - The property I tax millage for Oley Township should be changed from 0.81 mills to .032 mills. I Page 79 - Future Land Use Plan Map - The zoning classification for the area located at the intersection of Route 73 and Main Street should be I changed from “Institutional” to “Village Residential”. I I 2 ,. a I

0 Page 87 - Environmental Conservation - Strengthen Sleep Slope I Protection in Both Oley and Alsace - First sentence of the:text.should be ),Y . . changed to the following: 'F .I r: y .. ,'. 5" I "Oley does regulate development of steepslopes." I SECTION 2. Except for the corrections and amendments noted in Section 1 I hereof, the Oley Township and Alsace Township Joint Comprehensive Plan, prepared by Urban I Research & Development Corporation, is adopted in its entirety, and the Secretary is directed to note the adoption of this Resolution on the Official Joint Comprehensive Plan. I RESOLVED AND ADOPTED, this 13th day of November, 2002. I I OLEY TOWNSHIP I BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

I David R.'Kedler. Chairmdn I 1

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