At the July 15, 2008 meeting of the Planning Commission, Mr. Ray Ott presented an analysis of a "Proposed Residential Density Multiplier” which will have real monetary effects for our citizens, along with other pertinent issues. We believe that the impact of this proposed residential density multiplier will be felt throughout the entire township, but north of Rt. 23 will especially feel the brunt of the result of this proposal. This impact will not only include an increased residential density and bonus residential density north of RT. 23, but also traffic congestion throughout our township and neighboring townships, tax increases to support the increased demand on the Owen J. Roberts School District, increased infrastructure and utility demands, possible future storm water management issues, and irreversible changes in our rural character (as this proposal includes more high density housing such as townhouses, apartments, cluster housing, etc.). Residences north of Rt. 23 will be hardest hit with lowering property values, traffic congestion, noise and additional lighting from the street lamps, residential lighting and headlights. Construction work during this build out will also heavily impact all residents quality of life within this up zoned area.
The proposed Residential Density Multiplier was presented to demonstrate how the transfer of development rights (TDR) would benefit preservation of open space within East Vincent Township. TDR’s are defined by The Field Guide to Transfer Of Development Rights (TDRs), Updated March 2007, as the following: “TDR is the exchange of zoning privileges from areas with low population needs, such as farmland, to areas of high population needs, such as downtown areas.”
East Vincent Township’s TDR Ordinance defines Transferable development rights (TDRs) as attaching of development rights to specified lands which are desired by the Township to be kept undeveloped, but permitting those rights to be transferred from those lands so that the development potential which they represent may occur on other lands within the Township where more intensive development is deemed by the Township to be appropriate.
In other words, all future major residential development is being shifted from south of Rt. 23 to north of Rt. 23 in East Vincent Township.
The Open Space Design Option (OSDO), in the East Vincent Zoning Ordinance (Part 9) allows for higher density development in order to preserve open space through the use of TDR’s.
Presently, our residential zoning districts consist of Agricultural Preservation (AP), Rural Conservation (RC), Light Density Residential (LR), Medium Density Residential (MR) and High Density Residential (HR).
This RDM proposal-using a third residential density multiplier, increases the build out units from 1,021 to 1,506. Not only will the build out density increase on the northern side of Rt. 23, but those residents will experience a bonus density of almost 500 units, a 48% increase in density from the existing plan.
Mr. Ray Ott, EVT Planner, has created more receiving areas north of Rt. 23. These receiving areas are located in the LR/MR/HR districts north of Rt. 23, with the highest density located in the vicinities of Buckwalter Road and Stoney Run Road and across Old Schuylkill Road along Brown Drive. Other lands are also slated for increased density.
We understand that the corridor of Route 724 is slated for commercial and light industrial development. In addition to the development of the Rt.724 corridor, does our township need to adopt this large of a density multiplier that will create an enormous receiving area for TDR’s north of Rt. 23 only?
Some questions that need to be raised to the board of supervisors include:
- Can we afford to allow our quality of life to deteriorate through this residential density and bonus density up zoning?
- Should we be expected to handle the tax burden that will occur to support lands that we are not even able to use?
- Why is the density multiplier so high? Do we truly need a density multiplier?
- Have they considered the long-term effects of adding so much density to the township? (i.e. increase in property taxes, changes to our rural community north of route 23,traffic congestion-noise, etc.)
- Has an analysis been completed which would show the effects of increased traffic, water usage, sewage needs and utility, needs, etc.?
- What will be done to make our roads more compatible with the increase in traffic?
- Who will pay for these improvements?
The next Board of Supervisor’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12 at 7:30 p.m. This will be an opportunity to ask our supervisors about our Open Space Design Option and Residential Density Multiplier. If we don’t stop this ordinance now, what doors will it open on land use and zoning in the future? Please forward this information to your friends and neighbors so they can have a voice in what is happening in their township.
Members of the Informed East Vincent Residents are willing to answer any questions, email us at informedeastvincentresidents@gmail.com.
Please support us as we continue to watch over OUR township proposals and let's stop this imbalance together.
