The PA Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968), Article III, sets forth what elements shall be included in a Comprehensive Plan for a municipality are found on pages 15 through 17. According to the code, the Comprehensive Plan “shall be reviewed at least every ten years” (note, the last time Abington’s was reviewed was in 2007), and shall include the following:
1.) A statement of objectives of the municipality concerning its future development, including, but not limited to, the location, character and timing of future development, that may also serve as a statement of community development objectives as provided in section 606.
2.) A plan for land use, which may include provisions for the amount, intensity, character and timing of land use proposed for residence, industry, business, agriculture, major traffic and transit facilities, utilities, community facilities, public grounds, parks and recreation, preservation of prime agricultural lands, flood plains and other areas of special hazards and other similar uses.
- Chapter 13: Future Land Use
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The Future Land Use Chapter will be considered by the Board of Commissioners on a date yet to be determined. The following draft chapter was developed by the Comprehensive Plan Development Team.
- Chapter 4: Existing Land Use
2.1) A plan to meet the housing needs of present residents and of those individuals and families anticipated to reside in the municipality, which may include conservation of presently sound housing, rehabilitation of housing in declining neighborhoods and the accommodation of expected new housing in different dwelling types and at appropriate densities for households of all income levels.
3.) A plan for movement of people and goods, which may include expressways, highways, local street systems, parking facilities, pedestrian and bikeway systems, public transit routes, terminals, airfields, port facilities, railroad facilities and other similar facilities or uses.
4.) A plan for community facilities and utilities, which may include public and private education, recreation, municipal buildings, fire and police stations, libraries, hospitals, water supply and distribution, sewerage and waste treatment, solid waste management, storm drainage, and flood plain management, utility corridors and associated facilities, and other similar facilities or uses.
- Chapter 8: Infrastructure and Municipal Services
4.1) A statement of the interrelationships among the various plan components, which may include an estimate of the environmental, energy conservation, fiscal, economic development and social consequences on the municipality.
4.2) A discussion of short- and long-range plan implementation strategies, which may include implications for capital improvements programming, new or updated development regulations, and identification of public funds potentially available.
- Chapter 15: Implementation
- The Implementation Chapter will be considered by the Board of Commissioners on a date yet to be determined.
5.) A statement indicating that the existing and proposed development of the municipality is compatible with the existing and proposed development and plans in contiguous portions of neighboring municipalities, or a statement indicating measures which have been taken to provide buffers or other transitional devices between disparate uses, and a statement indicating that the existing and proposed development of the municipality is generally consistent with the objectives and plans of the county comprehensive plan.
6.) A plan for the protection of natural and historic resources to the extent not preempted by federal or state law. This clause includes, but is not limited to, wetlands and aquifer recharge zones, woodlands, steep slopes, prime agricultural land, flood plains, unique natural areas and historic sites. The plan shall be consistent with and may not exceed those requirements imposed under the following: [note, there are several acts which the plan should be consistent with, please see pages 15 and 16 of the PA Municipalities Planning Code for a full list.]
NOTICE: All Vision 2035 Chapters are working documents, including the Future Land Use Chapter, and have not been voted on by the Comprehensive Plan Development Team for recommendation to the Board of Commissioners.
