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Politics & Government

Council Moves Forward with Map, Comprehensive Plan

Official township map and updated plan could come up for a vote in July.

 The Horsham Township Council voted Monday night to move ahead with a proposed township , as well as an updated for the township.

Both documents are scheduled to be distributed to a litany of review agencies Tuesday, including other local townships, which will have 45 days to submit comment on the materials.

 The has given first review to both documents and will consider them again next month.

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 Both the plan and the map will be available Tuesday for a fee by contacting the township.

Township Manager Bill Walker recommended that the council hold a public meeting for comment on both the map and the comprehensive plan at 7:30 p.m. July 13 at the , 1025 Horsham Road.

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 The township’s comprehensive plan has not been updated since 1989, and Walker said officials have been working to update the plan for 14-15 months.

The plan is meant to provide a blueprint for future development within the township, and Walker said it does not get into specifics about the area encompassing the Willow Grove Naval Air Station, the future of which is being considered by the Horsham Land Reuse Authority.

 “The comprehensive plan is general in scope, so talking about the airbase area, it’s really general compared to what the HLRA plans are,” he said. “They will be much more detailed than the comprehensive plan of the township.” 

Solicitor Mary Eberle noted that officials who have been working on the new plan have not been doing so “in concert” with the HLRA planning process, although she noted that she “would guess the consultants for the HLRA will look at this as far as their planning process goes. But [the comprehensive plan] isn’t something that there has been a discussion on with them nor will there be.”

The map is likewise designed to reflect future growth of the area, and includes , which Horsham Township has submitted proposals to acquire. 

 When asked how the map was designed in light of the uncertainty over the future of the base, Eberle stressed that the map focuses solely on roads and was created "in conjunction" with the comprehensive plan. 

“The whole point of the comprehensive plan is to give notice to future developers what the municipalities would like to see in the area," Eberle said. "This plan is not binding on the HLRA. However, this council has the opportunity to express its own vision as to what it would like to see for the whole township, including the base.”

Councilmember William Whiteside, who chairs the HLRA, abstained from voting on the distribution of the map.

 The council also approved three zoning variances, as well as a contract with Celebration Fireworks in Kutztown, which will take over the staging of this year’s fireworks celebration at Horsham Day June 4. The 22-to-26-minute show will cost $8,500, which will be covered by sponsors.

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