MCPC Monthly
February
AVAILABLE! 2022 Annual Summary of Subdivision, Land Development, and Zoning Activity
The 2022 Annual Summary of Subdivision, Land Development, and Zoning Activity features statistics and trends of all proposed subdivisions, land developments, and zoning amendments in the county reviewed by MCPC in 2022. While total submissions and residential units proposed were down from the previous year, they still came in around the average annual rate over the last ten years. Nonresidential activity was much higher, and we saw the largest amount of square footage proposed (5,251,580 square feet) since 2007! Industrial speculation, often in the warehousing and distribution formats, again led the nonresidential sectors for the fourth year in a row. For more statistics and trend analysis view the view the annual summary.
Registration Open for 2023 Montco Household Hazardous Waste Collections
Registration is now available for the county’s 2023 household hazardous waste events. These collections are for residents only (no businesses or contractors). Visit www.montcoparecycles.org for all dates and locations, a list of acceptable and unacceptable household hazardous waste items, and online registration. We also provide information on what to expect at household hazardous waste events and tips for safely transporting chemicals to a collection. In addition to listing our county events, we also list household hazardous waste events throughout Southeastern PA. While visiting our recycling site, check out our county recycling programs; information on how to recycle at home, work, and school; and our A–Z recycling guide. 2023 Montco Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events Flyer
MCPC Participating at APA National Conference
The American Planning Association (APA) national conference (NPC23) is happening April 1–4, 2023 in Philadelphia. Eleven MCPC planners are involved in 12 educational sessions and mobile workshops that cover many focus areas. More than 10 of the over 60 mobile workshops, which extend as far as Reading, the Lehigh Valley, New Jersey, and Delaware, showcase communities in Montgomery County. Early bird discounted registration ends today (March 1). Standard registration fees will start tomorrow. Registration
Upcoming Courses & Events
MARCH 8
Public Open House on Cross County Trail West Feasibility Study Progress
MCPC, in partnership with its consultant team led by NV5, has been studying the feasibility of completing the Cross County Trail in Plymouth and Whitemarsh Townships and is offering a public open house to update community members on study progress. The open house will take place on March 8, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Miles Park Building, 4021 Joshua Road, Lafayette Hill, PA. Attendees can arrive anytime during the event to view a set of preliminary trail route alternatives that will close the Cross County Trail gaps between Germantown Pike and Erdenheim Farms and between Fort Washington State Park and the SEPTA Fort Washington Regional Rail Station. They will also have an opportunity to ask questions and participate in a mapping exercise and survey on the presented alternatives. The open house materials and online participation will be provided at www.montcopa.org/CrossCountyTrailWest between March 8 and March 31, 2023. Public feedback will assist the planning team in determining the final preferred trail alternative and will set the course for future design and construction of the remainder of the Cross County Trail. Once completed, the 17.5-mile trail is planned to stretch from Conshohocken to the Pennypack Trail and will connect the Schuylkill River, Wissahickon Creek, Cresheim, and Power Line Trails. The planning study for this western portion of the trail is anticipated to be completed in summer 2023. Project Information
March 13
Chester Valley Trail Extension Ribbon-Cutting
Join Montco at this celebration of the opening of the Chester Valley Trail Extension from King of Prussia to Norristown! The ribbon-cutting will take place on March 13, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at 167 King of Prussia Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406 (behind the KOP Park and Ride and PennDOT driver's license center). This newly completed trail extension links the existing 14.5-mile portion of the Chester Valley Trail, which currently runs from Exton to King of Prussia, to the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown. Registration
March 29 & April 12
Bringing Green Parking Lots to Your Community: The Benefits and Challenges
Join us for a two-part webinar to hear about the benefits of green parking lots and to explore successful case studies. Pattie E. B. Guttenplan, RLA, AICP, Assistant Director of Design & Outreach, Montgomery County Planning Commission and Vincent Cotrone, Urban Forester and Natural Resource Extension Educator, Penn State University, will be leading this webinar, which is sponsored by the Pennsylvania organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC). The first session of the webinar will take place on March 29, 2023 and will focus on the benefit green parking has on heat island effect, water quality, and stormwater management. The second session, which will focus on successful case studies and examples where green parking has been addressed in subdivision and land development codes, will occur on April 12. Both sessions take place on a Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Both webinar sessions are free, but registration for each must be completed separately. Part 1 Registration | Part 2 Registration
April 4, 11, 18
The Course in Subdivision and Land Development Review
MCPC is sponsoring The Course in Subdivision and Land Development Review on three consecutive Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18 2023, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Towamencin Township building meeting hall, 1090 Troxel Road, Lansdale PA, 19446. This three-session course reviews the subdivision and land development process from pre-application meetings through the completion of a project. It focuses on the principles of subdivision and land development, the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) requirements, effective plan management procedures, and design and technical standards for subdivisions and land developments. Preregistration is required. The registration fee is $110, and payment is due at the first session. Officials and staff from municipalities with a current community planning assistance contract with MCPC are eligible for a discounted rate of $90. Professional credits offered through PMPEI. More Information & Online Registration
Partners in Progress
MCPC participates on and engages with many boards, agencies, councils, and other stakeholders in our county and the region. This provides an excellent opportunity to share information, gain insight, and collaborate. Recent participation:
- Bill Hartman, Trails & Open Space Planning Manager, and Matthew Popek, Transportation Planning Assistant Manager, attended the February 9 North Gulph Road Trail Coordination meeting. This coalition of public interests, including the KOP District, Valley Forge National Historical Park, DVRPC, Upper Merion Township, the Valley Forge Park Alliance, and MCPC, meets regularly to pursue a new trail to connect the Schuylkill River Trail with the Village at Valley Forge.
- Executive Director Scott France and Matthew Edmond, Assistant Director of Transportation & Long-Range Planning, attended the February 10 SEPTA City-County Meeting. SEPTA staff provided an update on ridership trends and discussed regional transportation funding with directors from all five counties in the region.
- Pattie Guttenplan, Assistant Director of Design & Outreach, and Matthew Popek, Transportation Planning Assistant Manager, attended the American Planning Association Pennsylvania Chapter – Southeast Section’s “mentoring mixer” event on February 23 at the Temple University Center City campus in Philadelphia. Thirty graduate students from local planning programs heard from professional mentors in the planning field about career progress and ways to prepare for post-graduate life.
Grant Opportunities
Please use the MCPC Consistency Letter Request if seeking written support for a grant application.
- 2023 AARP Community Challenge (expanded guidelines this year) – Applications due by 5 p.m. on March 15, 2023
- Small Business Advantage Grant Funding – March 24, 2023 application deadline
- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2) – Closes April 5, 2023
- The Montgomery County Office of Housing and Community Development is accepting online applications through April 10, 2023 for a variety of community development, affordable housing development, and non-profits and homeless services projects under several grant programs. More Information
- Farm Vitality Planning Grant – Rolling deadline (farm transition planning)
MCPC Promotions!
Congratulations to five outstanding MCPC staff members who have been promoted:
- Donna Caramenico, Recycling Planner II
- Kevin Chavous, Design Planner II
- Mike Narcowich, Community Planning Assistant Manager II
- Brian Olszak, Principal Open Space Planner
- Steve Zbyszinski, Senior Farmland Preservation Planner
January
Introducing MCPC Monthly!
We have transitioned our Planning Perspectives newsletter into a monthly format and given it a new structure and name. MCPC Monthly will provide the latest planning information, announcements, resources, and opportunities for public participation. See what’s happening at MCPC!
Apply for a Montco 2040 Implementation Grant
MCPC is accepting applications from municipalities and their partners for the 2023 cycle of the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program, which assists municipalities in making targeted physical improvements that achieve real progress toward the goals of the county’s Montco 2040 comprehensive plan and its themes of Connected Communities, Sustainable Places, and Vibrant Economy. This cycle has a funding allotment of $2.5 million. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2023. See Program Overview, Guidebook, and Application.
What Is Your Future Vision for Montco?
MCPC has started work on Montco 2050, the next comprehensive plan for Montgomery County. This plan will guide overall growth and future development and will help the county in making planning decisions with an outlook to 2050. It will focus on broad issues that affect everyone’s quality of life. Public opinion is important as the plan will ultimately reflect the needs of county residents, and Montco would like to hear from as many voices as possible! Visit www.montcopa.org/montco2050 for an online survey and to share ideas and comments on the Montco 2050 Padlet. You‘ll also find a toolkit to help spread the word through your social media and other communications platforms as part of an inclusive, collaborative planning approach. Learn about Montco 2050.
NOW AVAILABLE! Montco 2040 Implementation Update
The 2023 Implementation Update for the county’s comprehensive plan, Montco 2040: A Shared Vision, highlights the implementation activities that took place in 2022 and anticipated implementation activities in 2023. We continue to chart implementation progress annually while looking to the future as we prepare for our next county comprehensive planning process.
Latest Issue of the Quarterly Construction Report
Check out the latest issue of The Quarterly Construction Report, which provides information on larger multifamily residential and nonresidential development in Montgomery County. Explore Back Issues.
Opportunity to Comment on Draft County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
The public is invited to comment on the proposed draft revision to the Montgomery County 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan. The update, required by FEMA and scheduled to be completed in 2023, will continue to reduce the county’s vulnerability to weather-related, geologic, human-caused, technological, and other natural hazards that could threaten the county. The draft was compiled with input from municipalities, county departments, and state agencies. A steering committee, comprised of county, municipal, and community representatives, advised the process. Several public meetings offered the public an opportunity to review significant plan sections during the process. The completed draft plan is now ready for review by community leaders and the public to review and comment. Comments will be accepted through February 10, 2023. The draft plan is available online and at local libraries. Comments can be submitted online or by mail. The draft plan and online comment form are available at www.montcopa.org/HazardMitigationPlanning.
Partners in Progress
Our planners participate on and engage with many boards, agencies, councils, and other stakeholders in our county and the region. This provides an excellent opportunity to share information, gain insight, and collaborate. Recent participation:
- Matthew Edmond, Assistant Director of Transportation & Long-Range Planning, gave an update on the Pennsylvania Turnpike corridor reinvestment study’s implementation and its plans for the Valley Forge interchange at the January 24 King of Prussia District Transportation Committee Meeting.
- Anne Leavitt-Gruberger, County Planning Manager, attended a January 25 Advocates Against Hunger meeting and provided an update to the stakeholders on plans for the county's food policy council work.
- Executive Director Scott France will present an overview on current and upcoming 2023 MCPC initiatives at the February 2 meeting of the Montgomery County Consortium of Communities (MCCC).
Grant Opportunities
MCPC Consistency Letter Request Form – A reminder: If you require a letter of support/consistency from MCPC, please complete and submit our request form.
- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2) – Closes April 5, 2023
- AARP Community Challenge Grant – Closes March 15, 2023
- Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund – Closes March 17, 2023
- National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Grants Program – Open February 24,2023
Let’s Stay in Touch! New MCPC Email Addresses
Montco has switched its employee email addresses to a new format. As an example, MCPC Executive Director Scott France’s email has changed from sfrance@montcopa.org to Scott.France@MontgomeryCountyPA.gov. This a great time to update your contacts!
MCPC Staff Highlights
- Congratulations to Andrew Turner, Transportation Planner, who earned AICP certification! The American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is the American Planning Association’s professional institute. This certification recognizes planners for their education, experience, knowledge, ethical practice, and commitment to the planning profession.
- Congratulations to Simon Bernnard, County Planner II, who received a certificate from the National Walking College for successfully completing all requirements of the 2022 National Walking College fellowship. The goal of the college is to build the capacity of local advocates to advance policy, systems, and environment change to create healthier, more walkable communities. This six-month fellowship provides training in best practices in design, policy, and organizing; a network of peers and mentors; and individual coaching in developing a community-specific action plan.