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MCPC MONTHLY
The Latest on Planning in Montgomery County, PA
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NOW AVAILABLE!
Report on Housing Units Built
The 2022 Housing Units Built annual report tracks all housing units built (single-family detached, single-family attached, multifamily, mobile homes), their location, and characteristics (square footage and lot size). The 2022 report indicates that despite increased construction costs, Montgomery County experienced a rebound in housing units built this past year. Over 2,700 new units were added to the county’s housing stock in 2022, which was just above the average number of homes built annually in the county over the last five years. View the Report.
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Report on Nonresidential Construction
The 2022 Nonresidential Construction annual report tracks the location and type of new nonresidential (commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal, office, recreation, transportation, and utilities) construction in Montgomery County. The 2022 report shows that nonresidential construction increased in square footage by nearly 27 percent to over 2.85 million square feet in 2022. The industrial sector accounted for over 42 percent of all nonresidential construction in 2022. View the Report.
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JOIN US ON JULY 26! Planning Smarter: Historic Preservation Lunchtime Webinar | |
Historic preservation can benefit community character, economic development, quality of life, environmental sustainability, housing affordability, and more! This free webinar, part of Planning Smarter Montco 2023, will provide guidance on historic preservation options available to communities in Pennsylvania, including types of ordinances to consider and inspirational local examples. Participants will learn common misconceptions about preservation and gain a deeper understanding of how to use the tools available in Pennsylvania to pursue the type of preservation framework that is most appropriate for a particular place. | |
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Ridge Pike Improvement Project Progress
MCPC staff, along with the Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. consultant team, conducted a public open house for Section A of the Ridge Pike Improvement Project on June 26. Section A involves the replacement of two structurally deficient Ridge Pike bridges near the PA Turnpike’s planned Lafayette Street interchange. Participants had an opportunity to see the final design and ask questions. In other project news, the Montgomery County Commissioners awarded a $39.2 million construction contract for Section B (Belvoir Road to Chemical Road). The project is being funded through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), PennDOT, and Plymouth Township. More Information
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NEW Montco Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Montgomery County 2022 Hazard Mitigation Plan has been approved by FEMA. The plan addresses 28 hazards that have the potential to affect Montgomery County. In addition to potential hazards, such as hurricane, flooding, urban fire, and utility disruption, three new hazards (gun violence, opioid addiction, and invasive species) have been added to the 2022 plan, and the pandemic section has been expanded. Adoption of this plan by municipalities is essential because state and federal agencies require a current plan in order for communities in the county to be eligible for certain types of pre- and post-disaster mitigation funding. A draft resolution of adoption has been sent to each municipality, and the county encourages them to adopt the plan at their next public meeting. More Information
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Meeting the Challenge of Affordable Housing in the North Penn Region
As municipalities in the North Penn region are confronted with the challenge of rising housing costs, they and others in the county are seeking ways to collaborate and find solutions to the housing instability and homelessness that affect a growing number of residents. North Penn leaders and municipal staff came together, along with staff from MCPC, to attend a summit on the topic. Kayleigh Silver, Administrator of the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and Emma Hertz, President and CEO of the HealthSpark Foundation, gave presentations that focused on some new ideas on how to effectively communicate with local residents and elected officials on the complex issues of housing affordability and new home construction. We’re looking forward to continuing this conversation on a local level in the North Penn region. In other news on housing affordablity, Anne-Leavitt-Gruberger, County Planning Manager, was recently interviewed on the topic by CK Unmuted. Check out the podcast!
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Partners in Progress
MCPC participates on and engages with many boards, agencies, councils, and other stakeholders in our county and the region. This provides an excellent opportunity to share information, gain insight, and collaborate. Recent participation includes:
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City Avenue Landscape Master Plan (CALM) - The City Avenue Special Service District (CASSD) recently had its kickoff meeting for the CALM Working Group. Pattie E. B. Guttenplan, Assistant Director of Design & Outreach, is participating on this working group, which will help develop recommendations for new and potentially innovate ideas that will continue City Avenue’s transformation from an auto-oriented corridor to a pedestrian-friendly, successful, and vibrant, mixed-use community. More Information
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DVRPC Regional Sidewalk Development Program - Anne Leavitt-Gruberger, County Planning Manager, was a speaker at DVRPC’s recent Regional Sidewalk Development Program meeting. Planning partners from across the region met virtually to hear what has been piloted through this initiative and to provide feedback on future sidewalk planning activities. Anne discussed the collaboration that MCPC piloted with DVRPC to create a mapping tool to help municipalities find high-priority sidewalk projects that would make good applications for the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program. The two agencies ultimately partnered to provide feedback on several municipal project ideas. Explore the sidewalk mapping tool!
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SRPRA - Amtrak and Fetterman Staff - MCPC continues to work with the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA) to restore passenger rail along the Schuylkill River corridor. SRPRA Board member, MCPC Executive Director Scott France, recently traveled to Washington DC with SRPRA Director Tom Frawley and several other board members to meet with executives at AMTRAK. Meanwhile, Matthew Edmond, Assistant Director of Transportation & Long-Range Planning, joined Tom and several Chester County board members to meet with staff members of U.S. Senator John Fetterman and discuss ways to support this important regional initiative.
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Grant Opportunities
Please use the MCPC Consistency Letter Request if written support is required for a grant application.
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The Pennsylvania Environmental Council, in partnership with DCNR, has announced a new mini-grant program for water trails. Grants are available, up to $2,000, for projects that can quickly and efficiently address an urgent issue on a designated Pennsylvania Water Trail. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through December 31, 2024 or until available funds are awarded, whichever occurs first.
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Leadership Main Line
Congratulations to Robert Cartier, GIS Cartographer, who graduated from the Leadership Main Line Program from the Main Line Chamber of Commerce. The program is an intensive, six-month curriculum that provides opportunities to learn from industry leaders and support local nonprofits while enhancing the infrastructure of the Main Line. Both the participant and community benefit as more qualified leaders are developed.
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Regional Technical Committee Vice Chair
Congratulations to Matthew Edmond, Assistant Director of Transportation & Long-Range Planning, who was selected to serve as Vice Chair (2023–24 year) of DVRPC Regional Technical Committee (RTC) starting July 1, 2023.
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MCPC Interns
We are happy to introduce our summer interns, who have an opportunity to gain practical planning experience at MCPC, and are grateful for their assistance to our commission. Jake Gerardi is a graduate student in city and regional planning at Temple University and looks to work in environmental and sustainability planning. Austin Mosby is pursuing his master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the University of Central Florida with the goal of working as a transportation planner.
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New Web Domain for Montco
Montgomery County has transitioned from .org to .gov. The URL for MCPC is now www.montgomerycountypa.gov/planning. Any currently linked MCPC web pages will continue to redirect to the new domain, but please reassign links or bookmarks at your convenience.
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