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Below find some quick information about a few current issues and projects in Worcester Township. Please call the Township Building at (610) 584-1410 for additional information on each project or issue.
New Open Space
[UPDATE AS OF December 29, 2023] The Worcester Township Board of Supervisors voted to acquire an additional 11 acres of open space in 2023 in keeping with the "300 by 300" resolution. These acquisitions follow the 2022 purchase of a 40.5-acre farm on Fisher Road. The 300 by 300 Resolution seeks to preserve 300 acres of open space by Worcester Township's 300th anniversary in 2033. This past year, the Township purchased both the Old Dutchie Church located on Valley Forge Road (~1 acre) and the Griffith Property, a roughly ten-acre pasture at the intersection of Valley Forge Road and Griffith Road.
You can read more about these properties in the Winter 2023 Newsletter.
Do you have an idea how to utilize open space owned by the Township? If so, please join the Planning Commission at their monthly meetings. The Planning Commission is currently working to identify uses and opportunities for parks and open spaces. The Planning Commission will also look for opportunities to identify which open spaces needs are most critical to the community as it grows and evolves. Community Organizations are asked to contact the Township Manager in advance so they can be scheduled on the meeting agenda.
Valley Forge Road Corridor Improvement Project
[UPDATE AS OF AUGUST 6, 2022] Worcester Township received a $700,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to design significant improvements to Valley Forge Road, between the intersection with Woodlyn Avenue and the intersection of Township Line Road and Stump Hall Road. In specific, these improvements include:
• widening this portion of Valley Forge Road to create a center-turn lane;
• creating left-turn lanes onto Township Line Road and Stump Hall Road;
• installing a new traffic signal at Woodlyn Avenue, and creating a left-turn lane onto Woodlyn Avenue;
• creating separate right and left-turn lanes exiting Woodlyn Avenue; and,
• upgrading the existing traffic signals at Water Street Road and Township Line Road/Stump Hall Road.
The improvements will enhance safety along Valley Forge Road, which is one of the heaviest-travelled roadways in our community. In addition, the improvements will allow vehicles to travel this roadway as efficiently as possible.
The design work for Valley Forge Road Corridor Improvement Project is nearing completion. To view the most recent plan (dated January 2022), please click here.
It is important to note that, at this time, this project involves improvement design only. After the plan of improvements is designed and approved by PennDOT (Valley Forge Road is a State-owned road), the Township will seek additional Federal, State and County dollars for construction. Construction is estimated to cost $12 million.
Any questions regarding this project, please contact the Township at (610) 584-1410.
Palmer-Body Challenge to the Zoning Ordinance
[UPDATE AS OF AUGUST 6, 2022] Palmer-Body (“Palmer”) has filed a substantive challenge to the Worcester Township Zoning Ordinance. In summary, Palmer claims the Zoning Ordinance does not allow certain uses to be developed in the Township, and Palmer is seeking approval to permit one or more of these uses at its property at 2951 Skippack Pike. Click here to access the substantive challenge filed by Palmer.
The challenge will be considered by the Worcester Township Zoning Hearing Board. The Zoning Hearing Board is a quasi-judicial entity that, in accordance with State Law, will conduct a Public Hearing on the challenge. It is important to note that a Public Hearing conducted by a Zoning Hearing Board is very different than a public meeting conducted by a municipality’s governing body (in Worcester Township, the governing body is the Board of Supervisors). A court reporter will transcribe the proceedings, evidence will be entered into the record of the proceedings, and persons attending the Public Hearing will be allowed to testify under oath. While some persons who testify are represented by an attorney, this is not required.
Please note that the Zoning Hearing Board is not being asked to approve a plan of development at the Palmer property. The issue before the Zoning Hearing Board pertains to the allowable uses of the Palmer property only.
At this time the Worcester Township Zoning Hearing Board is conducting Public Hearings on the Palmer application. For the latest Zoning Hearing Board Schedule, please click here.
Army Reserve Base
The Army continues to work with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government officials to develop a strategy to address PFOS and PFOA at many of its properties. The potential acquisition of this property by Worcester Township is on hold until an agreed-upon strategy is developed.
[UPDATE AS OF AUGUST 6, 2022] To date the Army has tested thirty-four properties near the former North Penn Army Reserve Base at Berks Road. The Army tested for the presence of PFOS and PFOA, chemicals that were used during firefighting training exercises at the property many years ago. Of the thirty-four properties tested, twenty-two properties tested below the EPA's heath advisory limit, four properties tested above this limit, and no trace of the chemicals was detected at eight properties. The Army has reported its findings to the property owners and to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). As the property owner the US Army is responsible for any clean-up that may be required by the EPA and DEP. The Federal and State governments have not yet established standards for PFOA/PFOS clean-up. Until this is done, the Federal Government will not proceed with remediating any contamination at the site. As of now, the Township has no timeline of when the Federal and State governments will establish the needed standards. Once the Township is informed of any plans to move forward, we will update this page.
Comprehensive Plan Update
The Worcester Township Comprehensive Plan serves as the primary planning guide for our community. The Comprehensive Plan helps to guide growth and land preservation, natural resource protection, traffic management, infrastructure improvement, the provision of utilities, fiscal sustainability, and other issues that affect our community.
[UPDATE AS OF AUGUST 6, 2022] State Law requires every municipality to review its comprehensive plans every ten years, and Worcester Township has started this process. In 2020 the Board of Supervisors appointed a 17-member Task Force to prepare and recommended updates to the plan. The Task Force met throughout the months that followed, and sent its recommended plan to the Worcester Township Planning Commission. The Planning Commission has reviewed the plan, and will meet with the Board of Supervisors in a Joint Meeting at 6:30pm on September 21 to discuss the plan. Residents are welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting.
Click here to view the current Worcester Township Comprehensive Plan, and click here to view the proposed Worcester Township Comprehensive Plan (dated August 2022).
If you have any questions regarding the Comprehensive Plan Update, please email cpu@worcestertwp.com.
Meadow Lane Building Lots
In 2018 the Board of Supervisors discussed the sale of three Township-owned building lots. The Board has not decided when to continue this discussion. Below is some helpful information about these three building lots:
“Where are the building lots?”
The three building lots are located on the south side of Meadow Lane, near the intersection of Hollow Road. One single-family home can be built on each lot. View a plan of the three building lots.
"What do the Township records say?"
Township records show the lots are building lots:
- Purchase Approval
- Agreement Of Sale
- Township Subdivision Plan
- Township Subdivision Plan Letter
- Township Subdivision Plan Submission To MCPC
- MCPC Review Of Township Subdivision Plan
- Worcester Township Planning Commission Recommendation To Approve Of The Subdivision Plan
- E Mail Between Board Of Supervisors, Township Engineer And Township Solicitor About Preparing Bid Documents To Sell The Building Lots
- Sanitary Sewer Reimbursement Agreement
- Reimbursement Amount Calculation
- Sanitary Sewer Planning Module Review By MCHD
- Sanitary Sewer Planning Module Legal Ad
- Sanitary Sewer Planning Module Approval By DEP
-
Sanitary Sewer System Design
Cover and overview pages only
- Sanitary Sewer History, March 2005 To May 2009
"Is the property preserved or designated as a Township park?"
No, the building lots have always been building lots. When the Township purchased the property the Township’s intent was to sell the building lots and to use the sale proceeds to purchase or preserve many more acres elsewhere in the Township.
“I heard the Township Open Space Plan says the lots are preserved. Is this true?”
No. The Worcester Township Open Space Plan, adopted in June 2006, shows the lots as Township-owned properties only, and the Open Space Plan notes the property may be developed in the future. View the Open Space Plan, part 1, and refer to Chapter 3, which begins on page 29. Also, view the Open Space Plan part 2.
"What is the history of the building lots?"
At the Board of Supervisors’ June 20 Business Meeting Township Manager Tommy Ryan presented a history of the building lots.
“I heard that the building lots adjoin the Zacharias Creek. Don’t we want to preserve land along the creek?”
The building lots do not adjoin the Zacharias Creek. And yes, the Township always wants to save lands along the waterway, which is why, in 2006, the Township Engineer designed a subdivision plan that decreased the size of the three building lots in order to create a 6-acre parcel along the Zacharias Creek that will forever be retained by Township. The Township’s popular off-road trail was constructed on this parcel several years ago. The 6-acre Open Space parcel and the trail are shown on the subdivision plan.
“What did the Montgomery County Planning Commission and the Worcester Township Planning Commission say about the 2006 subdivision plan?”
The subdivision plan was reviewed by both the Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) and the Worcester Township Planning Commission. The MCPC recommended plan approval, saying the plan met the Township’s goal to save sensitive lands. Township Supervisor Susan Caughlan was serving as the Worcester Township Open Space Coordinator at the time the subdivision plan was prepared and reviewed, and she is copied on the MCPC's July 2006 review letter. View the MCPC review letter. The Worcester Township Planning Commission also reviewed the 2006 subdivision plan, and the Members unanimously recommended plan approval to the Board of Supervisors. View the official minutes from the July 2006 Planning Commission meeting.
“How much could the sale bring, and are there any plans on how the money can be spent?”
The sale of the three building lots – which collectively encompass about 9 acres – may bring $500,000 or more at public auction. The Township can use this money in any manner, but recent discussion has centered on using the dollars to purchase or preserve many more acres of open space throughout the Township. Consider that, later this year, the Township, County and State will purchase a conservation easement that will permanently preserve a 35-acre property on Kriebel Mill Road. Worcester Township's cost to purchase this easement is about $73,000. Would you sell 9 acres of building lots to preserve 100 acres, 200 acres or more open space in the community?
“Where can I get more information about the building lots?”
Contact the Township at (610) 584-1410.