Sunday, December 22, 2013

Evidence that the Parkhouse acreage is Open Space

Immediately following the Montgomery County Budget Hearing on December 12, the Chairman of the Montgomery County Commissioners, Josh Shapiro, stated that, with regards to the 220 acres surrounding Parkhouse,
"[T]he term open space is being used 100 percent inaccurately. It is not county-protected open space and the county is the only entity that can deem it to be open space."
Perhaps Mr. Shapiro may want to revise that "100%" estimate down. Considerably. The map below is the Montgomery County Planning Commission Future Land Use map from 2005:



The pdf below is an except from the Montgomery County Planning Commission's Comprehensive Plan dated 2005:



The map below is the 2005 MCPC Montgomery County Rural Resource Areas



The map below is the Montgomery County Planning Commission Future Land Use plan dated 2010:



Montgomery County defines their Open Space Plan on their website thusly:


Open space. Natural areas. Farmland. Scenic views. Historic properties.These important resources are essential to Montgomery County’s high quality of life.Yet, as the county is developed, these landscapes and heritage resources are lost.Our county has an abundance of beautiful and important natural assets, including rolling farmland, historic properties, scenic streams, and wooded ridges, that should be preserved for future generations.While 28,000 acres of these assets had been permanently preserved by 2000, this only represents 9 percent of the county's total area.

Recent development has put pressure on the remaining unprotected resources.If current development trends continue, more of these assets will be lost than necessary for normal growth and development. Open space and cultural resources provide recreational opportunities, improve the environment, and add to everyone’s enjoyment of everyday life.In addition, these resources have a strong economic impact, both directly through tourism and farming and indirectly by making the county a more attractive place for workers and businesses.The Open Space, Natural Resources, and Cultural Resources Plan is an important element of the county's comprehensive plan.It focuses on preserving and interconnecting critical open spaces and natural areas, expanding county trails, increasing farmland preservation, and preserving historic properties.


On Page 116 of the Montgomery County Open Space, Natural Resources and Cultural Resources Plan, Parkhouse and the Upper Schuykill Valley Park are discussed in depth:

An existing master plan for this park focuses on three objectives: protection and enhancement of the park’s significant natural resources through promotion of environmental stewardship, preservation of land necessary for park activities, and implementation of a continuous trail network centered around the park. The recent emphasis on the Schuylkill Greenway makes the park a regional hub for river recreation, environmental education, and interpretation of the agricultural heritage of the county’s river corridor. For this reason, the master plan should be updated to address the additional opportunities presented by this greenway relationship.

Upper Schuylkill Valley Park’s most significant natural feature and scenic resource is the Schuylkill River (1). The park’s location along the riverbank provides both visual and physical access to the river. Motorized boats in the Black Rock Dam Pool have caused considerable erosion of the riverbank. Boats access the river from the Pennsylvania Fish Commission’s boat launch across the river from the Upper Schuylkill Valley Park. A riparian restoration project currently underway along the river will protect and enhance the natural and scenic qualities of the park’s waterfront. The county should work with Chester County and the Fish Commission to manage use of the river and to develop additional protection and restoration strategies for the riverbank.

Upper Schuylkill Valley Park is bordered and buffered from surrounding development by farmlands belonging to the Montgomery County Geriatric Center (2). Loss of any of these lands would impact the park’s scenic views and unique agricultural character. All of the property associated with the Geriatric Center extends the park’s open space and should be permanently preserved and maintained as an example of farming practices in an otherwise suburban area.

The proposed Schuylkill East Trail, synonymous at this location with the Schuylkilloop Trail, will pass through the park and will be a spine for local connections to Upper Providence Township’s community park, the Schuylkill Canal Recreation Area at Mont Clare, and adjoining neighborhoods and corporate campuses. This more regional focus provides an opportunity to adaptively reuse an uninhabited farmstead (3) located at the lower end of the park as an interpretive facility and visitor center.

A future project called Schuylkilloop Gateway will create a river hub that is accessible to visitors of all ages and interests. Because this section of the river includes scenic ravines and bluffs, any opportunities to protect views, buffer natural resources, or enhance the Greenway in this area should be considered high priority for acquisition and protection, especially the riverfront portions of the former Malickson and Rivercrest properties, both now under development (4). In addition, properties that could fill gaps between county-owned parcels farther west along Dreibelbis Road (5) should be considered of primary importance.


On page 6 of the deed for the Puhl tract, linked below, it clearly states that "the Open Space Department and the Montgomery County Geriatric and Rehabilitation Center recommend the acquisition" of the parcel and that the "Open Space Department recommended an offer of $89,000" and "it is in the best interest of Montgomery County to attempt to purchase this property in lieu of condemnation rather than proceed through condemantion proceedings."



Finally, linked below is the Montgomery County Planning Commission review letter sent in response to Upper Providence Township's Open Space ordinance, proposing to re-zone the Parkhouse parcel as Open Space. The review letter is dated May 17, 2013. This review letter states that rezoning of the Parkhouse parcel as open space "is not consistent with current County land use planning objectives," however, it goes on to say that the rezoning this parcel as open space is consistent with Upper Providence Township's Comprehensive Plan Update (2010) and Open Space Plan (2006), both of which were reviewed and approved by the Montgomery County Planning Commission at the time of their adoption by the Township.



According to the evidence, which, I remind you, is 100% supplied by Montgomery County, the only thing that is being represented "100% inaccurately" is the that the acreage that Montgomery County Commissioners are selling is NOT Open Space.

1 comment:

  1. Well, Mister Shapiro, do you still maintain your current position on the Parkhouse open space issue?

    ReplyDelete