My First "No" Vote - What was I thinking!

I have promised to communicate my reasons for voting against any motion before the Forks Township Planning Commission. I believe it is very important our citizens understand any public servant’s rationale for a "no" vote and their motives.

At the May 8, 2008 PC meeting, I voted "no" on a resolution to submit the Forks Comprehensive plan to the Board of Supervisors in its present format. The final vote was 4 to 1 in favor of the resolution. This was my first "no" vote as a member of the Planning Commission.

Just a little context: At the April 22, 2008 Planning Commission (PC) Workshop, the PC voted 4 to 3 to do a final edit of the Forks Township Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission promised to accept additional public input until the May 8, 2008 regular Planning Commission meeting. Then a three person Ad Hoc committee would be formed to make final recommendations to the PC on how to update the plan.

• Actual April 22 Motion: To have the seven members of the Planning Commission look at the Comprehensive Plan and provide input regarding editing and have these comments ready for the May 8th meeting at which time three persons from the Planning Commission will be appointed to review the comments and make all editorial changes to the Comprehensive plan. The motion was amended to include public comment regarding editorial changes to the document.
  

During the discussion phase of the May 8, 2008 motion, I expressed my concern about submitting a unedited draft of our Comprehensive Plan to the Board of Supervisors and potentially to outside agencies. Second, we were asked to vote on a plan that would be updated prior to distribution to the Board of Supervisors. The actual plan presented to the Board of Supervisors would not have the benefit of a PC review. I closed my remarks with the following statement:

• Some of the greatest responsibilities of a Planning Commission include to oversee the preparation and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and the preparation of Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance revisions.
  

The motion did not take into account the public input that the Comp Plan needed to be updated and a final editorial review completed. Second, the draft plan has all the critical data points, but lacks clear and concise goals and a lacks a vision for our community. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Planning Series #3 clearly states a community should develop a vision for its community. Specifically, the Planning Series says:

• "Frequently, planning agencies utilize a visioning exercise to kick off a comprehensive planning effort.
  Visioning is a facilitated process by which citizens develop and articulate their preferences for the future of
  their community. A community vision should reflect the thoughts and concerns of the residents regarding
  environmental, social, and economic values, as well as consider future land uses, residents, and the corresponding desires and needs".
  

Finally, the motion did not identify which version of the draft plan would be submitted to the Board of Supervisors. I must admit, I failed to raise this issue during the discussion of the motion. It was interesting the public was not afforded the opportunity to comment on the motion.

So what was I thinking, as I voted no? My motivation is pure and simple. I believe the Comprehensive Plan was prepared by citizens of our township, with assistance by the Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors, Township Staff, and professional consultants. We owe it to all the people who worked countless hours to share their thoughts, concerns, passions, and ideas on how to improve our township to produce the best Comprehensive plan possible.

I believe the extra 10 days of review would have produced an eloquent Comp Plan that shows the passion, goals, desire of citizens, and truly articulates the vision of our community.

"I do not want us to be vanilla"

These are the words of a concerned citizen as she expressed her frustrations with the Forks Township Comprehensive plan. Additionally, she discussed how Forks Township is a unique place and this idea is not coming through in the comprehensive plan.

On April 22, 2008, the Forks Township Planing Commission discussed the options for the review and/or approval of the current draft of the comprehensive plan. Additionally, Planing Commission heard feedback from the Ramblewood Concerned Citizen groups.

On a 4-3 vote, the Planning Commission approved a motion to extend the review of the Comprehensive plan for at least 30 days. The public and Planning Commission has 14 days to provide comments on the current draft plan. Then the Planning Commission will appoint a 3 person ad-hoc committee that will be charged with finalizing the recommendations. The ad-hoc committee will make a report to the full Planing Commission.

Over 35 people from the Ramblewood Concern Citizen group talked about the extension and how the extension impacts their quality of life. One interesting aspect of the discussion was the definition of sense of community. The Planning Commission normally defines a sense of community as Forks Township, but the Ramblewood Concerned Citizen group defines a sense of community as the immediate neighborhood. This concept presented by the Ramblewood group is consistent with the development of local parks, tot lots, and the idea of a community within a community.

If you have any ideas or comments about critical issues facing Forks Township, please share your ideas via our blog.

Get Involved – Every Voice Counts!

Sincerely,
David Billings
d.billings@att.net

Forks Township Comprehensive Plan Review Round 2

The Forks Township Planning Commission is holding another Workshop on April 22, 2008 at 7:00 PM. This workshop may focus on two critical items.

First, the Planning Commission will discuss the next steps for the Forks Township Comprehensive plan. As you may recall, the Planning discussed a proposal for the creation of a three person Planning Commission Ad Hoc committee that would be charged with the following responsibilities:

1. Review other township’s Comprehensive Plan’s to determine how other townships create Comprehensive plans. The information can be gathered by the township staff.


2. Develop ideas on how to better organize the data. Create a five to seven year vision statement for the township. Check facts and determine that we have included all relevant ideas and conclusions. Make sure the material is presented in proper sequence and is readable by our citizens.


3. Prepare a report with specific recommendations for discussion by the full Planning Commission.

4. Implement the recommendations, as approved by the Planning Commission.

Second, a citizen group may express their opposition to a proposed extension of Ramblewood to Sullivan Trial. If you were out and about this weekend, you may have seen the Ramblewood protest signs at the corner of Ramblewood and Richmond Dr.


At the last meeting, about a third of the audience expressed their concern the proposed extension would decrease their Quality of Life. One resident stated the “Truths of yesterday are not the truths of today”. My bet this issue will be raised by our citizen group!






If you have any ideas or comments about critical issues facing Forks Township, please share your ideas via our blog.

Get Involved – Every Voice Counts!

Sincerely,

David Billings
d.billings@att.net

Forks Township Comprehensive plan Update

The following proposal was discussed at the April 10, 2008 Planning Commission meeting.


I would like to present a proposal on how to improve the draft of the Forks Township Comprehensive plan now under review. I have considered the public input and comments from our last meeting. They have led me to the conclusion we need to enhance the current draft of the plan.

Some of the public comments are as follows:
1.“yesterday's truths are not necessarily today's”
2. “If the comprehensive plan was lifted from other towns and can it stand on its own and can it withstand a challenge?”. Is our plan based upon on our needs, our vision of the future?
3. A citizen spoke about township beautification projects
4. "Philosophy of the township must be seen in the Comprehensive Plan and also be seen in the zoning code.
5. “…the Comp Plan may take a laissez faire attitude toward farmland preservation”

Additionally, I had the opportunity to review other townships’ comprehensive plans, which provide me with new ideas and insights on the development of other Comprehensive Plans.
1. Radnor PA
2. Lansdale PA
3. Lycoming County Pa

First, I would like to thank all the citizens of Forks Township who provided their time and talent to create the latest draft of our plan. The various teams provided great ideas on how to improve our township with recommendations on how to implement these solutions. It was truly a remarkable effort. Now, I believe it’s time to enhance the plan, so that it embodies the vision of our township. This plan needs to be our guiding document for the next 5 to 7 years.

I would like to propose the creation of a three person Planning Commission Ad Hoc committee that would be charged with the following responsibilities:

1. Review other township’s Comprehensive Plan’s to determine how other townships create Comprehensive plans. The information can be gathered by the township staff.

2. Develop ideas on how to better organize the data. Create a five to seven year vision statement for the township. Check facts and determine that we have included all relevant ideas and conclusions. Make sure the material is presented in proper sequence and is readable by our citizens.

3. Prepare a report with specific recommendations for discussion by the full Planning Commission.

4. Implement the recommendations, as approved by the Planning Commission.

Lastly, I recommend that the final draft be subject to edit review by pre-selected commission members with assistance from informed citizens

If you have any ideas or comments about critical issues facing Forks Township, please share your ideas via our blog.

Involved – Every Voice Counts!

Sincerely,David Billings
d.billings@att.net

Forks Township Comprehensive Plan Review

Forks Township residents got a chance to provide input to the Forks Comprehensive plan. About 38 residents reviewed the various township maps (Zoning, Bike trials, land use, etc) and meet the members of the Planning Commission during an open house prior to regular meeting.

The public talked to the Planning Commission members about the proposed extension of Ramblewood to Sullivan Trial. About a third of the audience expressed their concern the proposed extension would decrease their Quality of Life. One resident stated the “Truths of yesterday are not the truths of today”. This is a good thought to remember as the Planning Commission finalizes the Comprehensive plan,

Other residents talked about including a broad vision statement into the plan, implement proposals to increase open space, and adding water table maps.

The Planning Commission will discuss the public input at the April 22, 2008 workshop. The workshop will start at 7:00 PM.

I would to express my appreciation to all the citizens who attended the meeting. I believe that public participation is a critical element for developing a good plan.

If you have any ideas or comments about critical issues facing Forks Township, please share your ideas via our blog.

Get Involved – Every Voice Counts!

Sincerely,
David Billings
d.billings@att.net

Forks Comprehensive Plan – Public Comment

The Forks Township Planning Commission will hold a public comment session for the Township Comprehensive Plan on Tuesday March 25, 2007. The plan can be downloaded at http://www.forkstownship.org/compplan.pdf

The township will host an open house from 6:30 to 7:00 PM with public comment starting at 7:00 PM. I cannot stress enough the importance of public input into our comprehensive plan.

According to the Forks Action Committee web site, “the plan update process has been in progress for well over a year. Discussions began in October 2006 and work on it began in January 2007. The PC devoted monthly workshops (on the fourth Tuesday of every month) to it. Residents' input was welcomed and encouraged”.


“Subcommittees (of Forks residents) were formed to tackle four main areas: Transportation, Economic Development, Recreation, and Agricultural/Open Space Preservation/Architectural Review”.



I was honored to lead the Recreation Committee as we developed new ideas for expanding the activities at the community center, developing recommendations for maintenance of our multi-use trails, a strategy to connect all the trails within the township, and participating with other communities to develop a regional approach to multi-use trials.

This meeting is important. Please make plans to attend!

If you have any ideas or comments about critical issues facing Forks Township, please share your ideas via our blog.

Get Involved – Every Voice Counts!


Sincerely,


David Billings

Draft Forks Comprehensive Plan

The Draft Forks Township Comprehensive plan is being reviewed by the Planning Commission. The draft plan has the following sections:

- Natural Features and Agricultural Conversation Plan.
- Land Use and Housing Plan.
- Historic Preservation.
- Economic Development Plan.
- Community Facilities and Services Plan
- Transportation Plan
- Putting this plan into action
- Appendices (Population and Housing of Forks and Major Sources of Community Development Funding)

A copy of the plan should be available at the February 26, 2008 meeting. The coolest part of the plan is Section 7: Putting this Plan into Action. The draft plan promotes the following goals to implement the comprehensive plan:

Goal 1: Promote substantial citizen input, including making sure residents are well-informed about community issues and encouraging volunteer efforts to improve the community.

It is essential to keep citizens informed and provide opportunities for meaningful citizen input, while making use of new technologies for communication.

Goal 2: Continually work to put this plan into action – through a program of updated planning and many short-term actions with a long-range perspective.

Maximize communications, coordination and cooperative efforts between the township, the school district, adjacent municipalities, the County, PennDOT, and other agencies and organizations.

The Township cannot implement this Comprehensive plan alone. Involvement is needed by residents, neighborhood organizations, civic groups, businesses, institutions, property-owners, and may other groups.

These are the same ideas we discussed during the past year. I am very glad these ideas are getting serious consideration for inclusion into the Comprehensive plan.

If you have any ideas or comments about critical issues facing Forks Township, please share your ideas via our blog.

Get Involved – Every Voice Count

Sincerely,

David Billings
d.billings@att.net

Planning Commission Opening Letter of Interest

The following is my Letter of Interest for the Forks Township Planning Commission opening.


Dear Supervisors:

I am interested in being a member of the Forks Township Planning Commission and ask that you consider me for one of the current open seats. I am no stranger to the Lehigh Valley having moved to Forks from Hanover Township six years ago. As you probably recall, I ran for Supervisor in the recent election. I am serious in my commitment to Forks Township.

As an interested member of our community, I would like to volunteer my time, skills, and talents to assist in planning the future of our township. I was the chairman of the Forks Township Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Trails Committee, a member of the Economic Development Committee, and I attended many of the Farm Land Preservation Committee meetings.

What has piqued my interest in seeking appointment to the Planning Commission is my deep desire to serve the township. It is my home. My recent experience with the development of parts of the Forks Comprehensive Plan and the knowledge of the township that I gained on the campaign trail over the past year has cemented my resolve to be an active participant. These experiences have provided me the opportunity to better understand the challenges of managing our growth, improving our infrastructure, and further developing our business center.

I respectfully request your support in being appointed to the Forks Township Planning Commission.

I would be happy to provide my resume or answer any questions you may have.




Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,

David R. Billings