The theme of "Keep Worcester Green" has been heard for decades
in our
municipality. Preserving open space is a core initiative in Worcester,
reflected in the types of development one sees when traveling through the
Township. Through gifts, outright purchases of property or acquisition of
development rights, Worcester has preserved tracts of land which otherwise
would be developed into homes. In the long run, it is more advantageous to
preserve land than to pay the costs development brings; educational,
infrastructure, and support services costs. In 2003, Montgomery County
voters voiced their support for a new county Open Space Program by approving
a $150 million program called Green Fields-Green Towns. This money is
earmarked to natural and water resource areas offering towns and boroughs
options for "re-greening" their communities, and preserving open space and
farmland over the next ten years.
The preservation of properties in Worcester enhances our living
environment while producing some very practical results. Neighboring open
space makes our community a more desirable place in which to live, work, own
a home, and retire. Residents and business owners who stay in such
communities help maintain tax bases and reduce the pressures of sprawl.
Strategic, planned growth in general reduces traffic problems and mitigates
the burdensome effect of development on local school districts and
municipalities. Open space also assists in maintaining a stable tax base
because it requires minimal infrastructure and few support services. Studies
conducted across Pennsylvania show that controlling development reins in
the costs associated with it, resulting in lower, long-term tax burdens. All
in all, Worcester is working to maintain the quality of life to which its
residents
have become accustomed.
(PDF File, 222 pages)
Tax Breaks for Voluntary Conservation Agreements
Please click here.