UPPER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP - montcopa.org

UPPER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

OP

EN

S

PA

CE

P

LA

N

-— September 2006 —

UPPER POTTSGROVE OPEN SPACE PLAN

UPPER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEMBERS Elwood A. Taylor, President

Russell F. Noll, Vice President

Megan DeLena

Peter J. Dolan, Esq.

Kenneth Iatesta

OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Herbert C. Miller Jr., Chairman

Peter J. Dolan, Esq.

Dennis C. Elliott

Jay Mathias

Ray S. Schaeffer

TOWNSHIP MANAGER Jack P. Layne

Cover Photographs: Hollenbach Park, Sprogles Run,

View towards Berks County

Inset: Heather Place Park


UPPER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP

OPEN SPACE PLAN

SEPTEMBER 2006

This report was partially funded by The Montgomery County Green Fields/Green Towns Program

Montgomery County Planning Commission


ii


iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 COMMUNITY PROFILE 1 COMMUNITY CONTEXT- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 1 European Settlement and Early Growth 4 Transportation 4 Incorporation 4 The Twentieth Century 4 EXISTING LAND USE ANALYSIS 4 Residential 7 Commercial/Office 7 Industrial 7 Institutional 7 Parks/Recreation 7 Utilities 7 Agriculture 7 Undeveloped Land 7 Conclusion 9 Community Demographic Analysis 9 Population Trends 9 Population Classification 9 Age 9 Income 11 Special Needs Groups 12 Education Level 12 Household Types 12 Housing Types 13 Employment and Labor 13 Occupations 14 Employment Forecast 14 Major Employers in Municipality 14 Status of Relevant Plans 14 Comprehensive Plans 14 Open Space and Environmental Resource Protection Plan


iv

CHAPTER 2 GOALS & OBJECTIVES 15 THE 1995 PARKS, RECREATION, AND OPEN SPACE PLAN 15 Goal for Providing Parkland 16 Goal for Conserving Natural Environment and Historic Resources 16 Goal for Enhancing Local Recreation System 16 PROGRESS REPORT ON MEETING THE GOALS OF THE 1995 OPEN SPACE PLAN 16 Providing Parkland 16 Conserving Natural Environment and Historic Resources 17 2005 OPEN SPACE PLAN GOALS 17 Acquisition of Parks and Open Space 17 Establish Greenways and Trails 17 Preserve Historic Resources 17 Environmental Conservation 17 Enhance Local Recreation System

CHAPTER 3 EXISTING PROTECTED LAND 19 PERMANENTLY PROTECTED LAND 19 Municipal Open Space 20 Private Open Space 20 Preserved Farmland 21 TEMPORARILY PROTECTED LAND 21 Act 319 Land 21 Act 515 Land 21 Institutional 25 Agricultural Security Area Farms (ASAs)

CHAPTER 4 INVENTORY OF POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE RESOURCES 27 GEOLOGY 28 TOPOGRAPHY 28 Steep Slopes 29 Watersheds and Drainage Areas 30 SURFACE & GROUND WATER 30 Waterways 31 Groundwater 31 FLOODPLAINS 32 WETLANDS 32 SOILS 32 Prime and Important Agricultural Soils 33 Alluvial Soils 33 Hydric Soils 33 High Infiltration Soils 33 Septic Suitability 34 VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE 34 Woodlands 36 Wildlife 37 NATURAL LANDS TRUST SMART CONSERVATION PROGRAM 37 HISTORIC CONSERVATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES 39 SCENIC RESOURCES 41 Scenic Roads and Vistas


v

CHAPTER 5 POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE LINKAGES 43 POTENTIAL TRAILS AND OPEN SPACE LINKAGES 43 Sprogels Run 44 Potential Connections 44 Goose Run Trail 47 Potential Connections 47 West County Trail 47 Trail Development Via the Land Development Process 48 PROPOSED TRAILS IN UPPER POTTSGROVE: COMMONALITIES AND VARIATIONS 48 Commonalities 48 Variations

CHAPTER 6 ANALYSIS OF UNPROTECTED RESOURCES 49 PRIORITIZATION OF AREAS FOR PRESERVATION

CHAPTER 7 EVALUATION OF GROWTH AREAS 53 POPULATION, HOUSING, AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS 55 UPPER POTTSGROVE’S FUTURE GROWTH AREAS 56 BUILD OUT ANALYSIS 59 CONCLUSION

CHAPTER 8 EVALUATION OF PARK AND RECREATION OPEN SPACE NEEDS 61 RECREATION STANDARDS 61 THE SELECTION OF A STANDARD 62 PARK TYPES 62 EXISTING PARKS AND FACILITIES 65 RECREATION FACILITY NEEDS

CHAPTER 9 EVALUATION OF COUNTY, REGIONAL AND ABUTTING MUNICIPAL PLANS 67 COMPARISON TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY LAND USE PLAN AND OPEN SPACE PLAN 68 (CHAPTER 4 OF VISION PLAN) 68 Land Use 68 Open Space, Natural Features, and Cultural Resources 68 Transportation 68 Community Facilities and Utilities 68 Water Resources 69 Economic Development 69 Housing 69 RELATION TO PLANS OF ABUTTING MUNICIPALITIES 69 Douglass Township (Montgomery) 70 Douglass Township (Berks) 70 Lower Pottsgrove Township 71 New Hanover Township 71 Pottstown Borough 71 West Pottsgrove Township 72 RELATION TO POTTSTOWN METROPOLITAN AREA REGIONAL PLAN


vi

CHAPTER 10 ACQUISITION EVALUATION 75 OPEN SPACE CREATION AND EXPANSION 77 Trails 77 Trail Acquisition Methods 77 Selecting Trail Routes and Connections 78 Natural Resources Protection 78 Historic Preservation 79 Parks for Recreation 79 ACQUISITION METHODS 79 Fee Simple 80 Easements 80 Installment Buying 80 Long-Term Lease with Option to Buy 80 Mandatory Dedication 80 Purchase and Lease-Back 80 Purchase and Resale 81 Leasing 81 Eminent Domain 81 Land Trusts and Conservancies 81 Land Exchanges 81 Voluntary Agreements 81 Purchase of Development Rights 81 Right of First Refusal and Purchase Option 82 Life or Term Estates 82 Donations and Bargain Sales

CHAPTER 11 OPTIONAL PLAN ELEMENTS 83 HERITAGE RESOURCE CONSERVATION 83 MUNICIPAL TRAIL AND PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT 83 Sprogels Run Trail 84 Potential Connections 84 Goose Run Trail 85 Potential Connections 85 West County Trail 85 Trail Development via the Land Development Process 85 FARMLAND PRESERVATION 85 State Agricultural Security Area (ASA)

CHAPTER 12 RECOMMENDATIONS: NON-ACQUISITION PROTECTION METHODS 87 INCENTIVE ZONING 87 NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION ORDINANCES 87 Floodplain and Riparian Corridor Protection 88 Wetlands 88 Groundwater/Wellhead Protection 88 DONATIONS OF PROPERTIES FOR PERMANENT OPEN SPACE 89 Endowment Fund 89 HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCES 89 PERFORMANCE ZONING 89 CLUSTERING HOMES 90 “CONSERVATION BY DESIGN” ORDINANCES 90 SCENIC RESOURCE PROTECTION 90 TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

CHAPTER 13 IMPLEMENTATION 93 BACKGROUND 94 IMPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS (FIGURE 13.1) 97 FUNDING SOURCES


vii

LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1 COMMUNITY PROFILE 2 Figure 1.1 Regional Setting 3 Figure 1.2 Pottsgrove Township 5 Figure 1.3 Existing Land Use Map 6 Figure 1.4 Existing Land Use Comparison (1972-2004) 8 Figure 1.5 Housing Types 8 Figure 1.6 Population Classification 10 Figure 1.7 Age Profile 10 Figure 1.8 Income Levels 11 Figure 1.9 Special Needs Groups 11 Figure 1.10 Education Level 12 Figure 1.11 Household Types 12 Figure 1.12 Labor Force by Occupation 13 Figure 1.13 Employment Forecast 14 Figure 1.14 Major Employers

CHAPTER 3 EXISTING PROTECTED LAND 22 Figure 3.1 Protected Land 23 Figure 3.2 Permanently Protected Land 24 Figure 3.3 Aerial Photograph 25 Figure 3.4 Agricultural Security Area (ASA) Farms


viii

CHAPTER 4 INVENTORY OF POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE RESOURCES 28 Figure 4.1 Geology 29 Figure 4.2 Topography 30 Figure 4.3 Watersheds 31 Figure 4.4 Floodplains & Wetlands 32 Figure 4.5 Prime & State Agricultural Soils 32 Figure 4.6 Hydric, Alluvial, and Infiltrating Soils 33 Figure 4.7 Septic Suitability 34 Figure 4.8 Wooded Areas 35 Figure 4.9 Composite Vulnerable Resources 36 Figure 4.10 Piedmont Ecoregion 36 Figure 4.11 Regional Conservation Values 38 Figure 4.12 Historic Resources 40 Figure 4.13 Scenic Roads and Views

CHAPTER 5 POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE LINKAGES 45 Figure 5.1 Proposed Trails 46 Figure 5.2 Proposed County Trail Network

CHAPTER 6 ANALYSIS OF UNPROTECTED RESOURCES 50 Figure 6.1 Unprotected Resource Areas

CHAPTER 7 EVALUATION OF GROWTH AREAS 54 Figure 7.1 Population Projections 54 Figure 7.2 Employment Projections 55 Figure 7.3 Housing Types 56 Figure 7.4 Calculation of New Units Needed 56 Figure 7.5 Build-Out Analysis 57 Figure 7.6 Draft Future Land Use, from Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Plan 58 Figure 7.7 Build-Out Map

CHAPTER 8 EVALUATION OF OPEN SPACE NEEDS 63 Figure 8.1 Open Space Service Area 64 Figure 8.2 Minimum Open Space Needs 65 Figure 8.3 Recreational Facility Needs

CHAPTER 9 EVALUATION OF COUNTY, REGIONAL, AND ABUTTING MUNICIPAL PLANS 72 Figure 9.1 Rural Resource Areas, Pottstown Metropolitan Area Region 73 Figure 9.2 Existing Open Space and Preserved Farms, Pottstown Metropolitan Area Region

CHAPTER 10 RECOMMENDATIONS: AQUISITION 76 Figure 10.1 Acquisition Focus Areas

CHAPTER 13 IMPLEMENTATION 94-96 Figure 13.1 Implementation Table

1

UPPER POTTSGROVE OPEN SPACE PLAN–CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1 COMMUNITY PROFILE

The Community Profile Chapter of the Upper Pottsgrove Township Open Space Plan is designed to pro-

vide residents, planners and officials the necessary background information to make well-informed deci-

sions regarding the future preservation of natural and cultural resources within their community. It con-

sists of three parts: 1) the Community Context section, which examines the community's historical back-

ground and regional setting, 2) the Existing Land Use Analysis, which details the use of each property in

the Township, and 3) the Community Demographic Analysis, a study of the demographic trends in Upper

Pottsgrove Township.

COMMUNITY CONTEXT HISTORICAL BACKGROUND [Adapted from the “Upper Pottsgrove Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan” (1995), prepared by Urban Research & Development Corporation]

EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT AND EARLY GROWTH

English and German settlers from Philadelphia were the first European residents of what is now Upper

Pottsgrove Township in the first decade of the 18th century. In 1735, John Penn sold 14,000 acres that

he received from his father William Penn to George McCall, a Philadelphia merchant. This land, known

subsequently as McCall’s Manor, encompassed parts of present Douglass Township, Pottstown Borough, Upper Pottsgrove Township and Lower Pottsgrove Township.

Settlers developed a copper mine on McCall’s tract and established a new 900-acre town, which later

became Pottstown, on land purchased from McCall’s descendants. By the Revolutionary War in 1776, the town had grown to 20 houses, an iron industry attracted new residents and several types of mills were

2


Figure 1.1 Regional Setting

established on local streams. George Washington

established Camp Pottsgrove in the area in 1777

prior to moving the Continental Army to Valley

Forge. Montgomery County included the Potts-town-Pottsgrove area when the County was

formed in 1784. Local residents made several

attempts to form their own county in combination

with communities from what is now Berks and

Chester Counties. The last of these unsuccessful

bids occurred in 1815.

3


Figure 1.2 Pottsgrove Township, 1877

4


TRANSPORTATION

Manatawny Road was established as the Pottstown

area’s first major road in the 1790s. Manatawny

Road eventually became part of Germantown Pike, which extended from Philadelphia to Reading and

beyond. Stage coach stops on the twice-weekly runs

between Philadelphia and Reading were also estab-

lished in Pottsgrove during the 1790s. Pottsgrove

became the location of the first post office in Mont-

gomery County in 1793.

The central portion of McCall’s Manor became Potts-

grove Township in 1807. This new community en-

compassed 11,600 acres and 1,571 residents by the 1810 census. Pottstown Borough was created from

268 acres of Pottsgrove Township in 1815, the same

year that the Schuylkill Canal opened for commerce.

Further improvements to the Germantown Pike soon

followed and bridges were built across the Schuylkill

River and Manatawny Creek to Berks and Chester

Counties.

The Pottstown area was a major economic force in

western Montgomery County by the time the Phila-delphia and Reading Railroad completed a 59-mile

track between the two cities in 1839. Success of

the railroad precipitated the closing of the Schuylkill

Canal shortly thereafter. Railroad stations in the

area were established at Sanatoga, Pottstown, Glas-

gow and Colebrookdale. Small settlements later

prospered around each station. The Schuylkill Valley Railroad from Philadelphia to Schuylkill County’s

coal mines was completed to Pottstown by 1884.

In 1892, Pottstown Borough became part of the

service area for Montgomery County’s first electric

trolley line.

INCORPORATION

Lower Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, and Upper

Pottsgrove were formed as separate Townships of

the second class in 1890. By the 1900 census,

Upper Pottsgrove contained 450 persons, com-

pared to over 15,000 in Pottstown Borough. Half

Way House was Upper Pottsgrove’s largest village

at the time. This small cluster of homes around an inn on Farmington Road was situated halfway

along the stage coach route between Pottstown

and Boyertown.

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Upper Pottsgrove grew very slowly throughout

the first half of the twentieth century and the

Township’s road pattern changed very little. Farming, housing and minor commerce were the

main land uses in the community, as they remain

today. Housing along major roads and some

residential subdivisions have displaced much farm-

land in Upper Pottsgrove since World War II.

However, the Township has, thus far, remained outside of the path of strong growth that has

moved westward in Montgomery County from

Philadelphia over the last four decades.

A volunteer fire company was formed in Upper

Pottsgrove in 1949 and full-time police protection

began in the 1960s. Upper Pottsgrove became a

Township of the first class in 1965 in order to de-

feat further annexation attempts from property

owners in Pottstown who wanted to join the Township and access its public sewer system. The

most recent significant physical change in Upper

Pottsgrove occurred in the mid-1960s when Route

100 was relocated and upgraded to a four-lane,

limited-access highway.

EXISTING LAND USE ANALYSIS The Existing Land Use Analysis is the second part of the

Community Profile Chapter for the Upper Pottsgrove

Township Open Space Preservation Plan. This analysis

focuses on the current land uses within the municipal-ity, enabling a more in-depth focus of municipal land

use patterns. In addition to the Existing Land Use Map

(Figure 1.3), Figure 1.4 details the acreage of each

category and the percent change from 1972 to 2004.

The assigned land use categories are derived from

board of assessment parcel data. These numbers are useful in understanding changes in land use patterns

and help to identify potential open space and/or rec-

reational needs.

RESIDENTIAL

Residential uses account for most developed

land in Upper Pottsgrove. Single-family homes comprise nearly all of this residential develop-

ment. A small development of twin homes ex-

ists between Farmington Avenue and Poplar

Street on the Township’s municipal boundary

with Pottstown Borough. Conversion apartment

units are found in scattered locations in the

Township. There is very little housing in Upper Pottsgrove that is not single-family detached.

5


MAU

GER

S M

ILL

RD

SNYD

ER R

D

YARNALL RD

GILBER

TSVIL

LE R

D

E M

OYE

R RD

W MOYER RD

PIN

E FO

RD

RD

EVAN

S R

D

SWENK RD

MAPLE LEAF LAROSE V

ALLEY R

D

MIM

OSA

LA GLE

NDALE

AVE

HANOVER RD MEADOWVIEW DR

CHESTNUT GROVE RD

100

KUMMERER RD

CROSS RD

MING DR

FARVIEW LA

FARMINGTON AVE

BRUCE RD

DETWEILER RD

NEEDHAMMER RD

COMMERCE DR

LEVE

NGO

OD

RD

GROSS RD

Wolf Run

Fox Run

Spro

gles

Run

Goo

se R

un

663

STATE RD

MO

CK

RD

HEATHER PL

ORLANDO RD

663

MERVI

NE ST

WILLOW ST

MUL

BERR

Y ST

PRO

SPEC

T ST

DIAM

OND

ST

COO

LID

GE

ST

MAS

TER

ST

NEEDHAMM

ER R

D

01,

200

2,40

03,

600

4,80

060

0Fe

etMCPCM

ontg

omer

yC

ount

yP

lann

ing

Com

mis

sion

Mon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Cou

rtho

use

- P

lann

ing

Com

mis

sion

PO

Box

311

Nor

risto

wn

PA

194

04-0

311

(p) 6

10.2

78.3

722

(

f) 6

10.2

78.3

941

ww

w.m

ontc

opa.

org/

plan

com

Base

map

pre

pare

d Se

ptem

ber 2

005

This

map

is b

ased

on

2000

orth

o ph

otog

raph

y an

d of

ficia

l sou

rces

. Pro

perty

lines

wer

e co

mpi

led

from

indi

vidua

l blo

ck m

aps

from

the

Mon

tgom

ery

Coun

ty B

oard

of A

sses

smen

t App

eals,

with

no

verif

icatio

nfro

m th

e de

ed. T

his

map

is n

ot m

eant

to b

e us

ed a

s a

lega

l def

initio

n of

pro

perti

es o

r for

eng

inee

ring

purp

oses

.¯

Leg

end

Resi

dent

ial

Com

mer

cial

Indu

stria

l

Inst

itutio

nal

Util

ties

Und

evel

oped

Ope

n Sp

ace

Agr

icul

ture

Wat

er

Figure 1.3 Existing Land Use

6


0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Resid

entia

l

Comm

ercial/O

ffice

Industr

ial

Insti

tutio

nal

Parks

/Rec

reat

ion/OS

Agricult

ure

Total

Dev

eloped

Acr

es

1972

2004

Figure 1.4 Existing Land Use Comparison: 1972 and 2004

Land Use 1972 2004 % Change 1972-2004 Acres % Total Acres % Total

Residential 438 14.2% 1,567 52.2% 257.8%

Commercial/Office 25 0.8% 67 2.2% 173.2%

Industrial 5 0.1% 10 0.3% 124.4%

Institutional 14 0.5% 72 2.4% 409.2%

Parks/Recreation/OS 15 0.5% 77 2.6% 431.7%

Utilities 11 0.4% 1 0.0% -94.6%

Agriculture 499 16.2% 754 25.1% 51.0%

Water N/Av N/Av 3 0.1% N/Av

Total Developed 1,006 32.7% 2,551 85.0% 153.6%

Total Undeveloped 2,073 67.3% 450 15.0% -78.3%

Total Acreage* 3,079 100% 3,001 100% -2.5%

The pattern of single-family development in the

Township takes three basic forms. Small, uni-

form lots on grid pattern streets prevail in the

southern portion of the Township bordering Pottstown Borough. The remainder of the

Township contains two basic types of residential

development. Older homes and farmhouses that

front on long-established roads are found

throughout the Township. This older style, strip

development pattern is complemented by unified residential subdivisions. The Township’s newest

7


large residential development is the Soco-Skarbek subdivision. It was developed in the R-3 and R-4

zoning districts, with 38% of the tract set aside for

open space.

Upper Pottsgrove has many single-family detached

residential subdivisions which are scattered around the

Township. Nonresidential uses are clustered near

Pottstown, Halfway House, Farmington Avenue and

Route 100. However, rural areas in the Township still

exist, particularly west of Route 100. Overall, however, the Township is becoming increasingly suburban in

character. As shown in Figure 1.4, more than half the

land in Upper Pottsgrove is now used for residential

purposes.

COMMERCIAL/OFFICE

Commercial and office uses comprise about two

percent of the Township. Small concentrations of

commercial activities are located near Pottstown,

in Halfway House, along Farmington Avenue, and

on and near Route 100.

INDUSTRIAL

Upper Pottsgrove Township supports a very small

number of Industrial uses, some of which are clus-

tered on Commerce Drive. The total land area

occupied by industrial uses comprises less than

one percent of all land uses in the Township.

INSTITUTIONAL

Institutional uses comprise about two percent of the

Township. Some of these uses include the Potts-

grove Middle School; the Upper Pottsgrove Town-

ship office, police station, fire station, maintenance

garage; and a church.

PARKS/RECREATION

Approximately three percent of the Township con-

sists of parks and recreational activity areas. These

include Heather Place Park, Hillside Park, Hollenbach

Park, Mocharniuk Meadows, and open space set

aside in residential subdivisions.

UTILITIES

Utilities are only designated as taking up approxi-

mately one acre of land in the Township; this is the

land occupied by radio station WPAZ on Mauger’s

Mill Road.

AGRICULTURE

One-quarter of the Township is designated as

agricultural land. There are no permanently pre-

served farms in the Township, but there are 754 acres of farms, seven (261 acres) of which are in

Agricultural Security Areas (ASAs).

UNDEVELOPED LAND

Approximately 15% of Upper Pottsgrove Township

is as of yet undeveloped (approximately 450

acres). This is land that does not have built struc-tures, is not preserved as open space, and is not

used for agricultural purposes. Undeveloped land

lies scattered about the Township and is not con-

centrated in one particular area.

HOUSING TYPES

Figure 1.5 shows a breakdown of the residential land use category by housing types. There is a

predominance of single-family detached dwell-

ings; in fact, the Township has the highest propor-

tion of single-family detached housing in the

County. From 1990 to 2000 these types of units

increased by 29% in the Township, while all other

types declined or remained virtually the same. No other type of housing unit comprises more than

two percent of the Township’s housing units.

Over the decade from 1990 to 2000, there has

been a 23% increase in the number of housing

units in the Township.

CONCLUSION

Since the last Open Space plan for the Township

was adopted in 1995, Upper Pottsgrove’s land

use characteristics have changed quite a bit. The

most significant changes have been increases of

432% in the amount of parks, recreation and

open space; 409% in institutional land; 257% in residential land; and 173% in commercial/office

land. The largest increases in acreage were in the

residential and agricultural land uses. Residential

land increased by 1,127 acres, and agricultural

land increased by 255 acres. The amount of in-

dustrial land increased greatly in percentage

terms, but not in number of actual acres (approximately six new acres). Undeveloped land

was the only land use category which underwent

a major decline in the Township between1990 to

2000; this category decreased vastly, by 78%;

over 1,500 acres were developed in the Township

8


Figure 1.6 Population Classification

Population Type 1990 2000 % Change

Number % Total Number % Total 1990 to 2000

Household Population 3,315 100.0% 4,102 100.0% 23.7% Group Quarters Population 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.0% Total Population 3,315 100% 4,102 100% 23.7%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Census of Population and Housing, 1990, 2000.

Figure 1.5 Housing Types

2.4%

91.3%

3.0% 2.5%

0.8%1.6% 0.9%0.8%

95.9%

0.8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Single-

Fam

ily D

etac

hed

Single-

Fam

ily A

ttach

ed

Mult

ifam

ily (2

-4 U

nits)

Mult

ifam

ily (5

or M

ore U

nits)

Mob

ile H

ome/

Traile

r/Oth

er

1990

2000

Housing Types 1990 2000 % Change

Number % Total Number % Total 1990-2000

Single-Family Detached 1,085 91.3% 1,399 95.9% 28.9%

Single-Family Attached 36 3.0% 23 1.6% -36.1%

Multifamily (2-4 Units) 30 2.5% 13 0.9% -56.7%

Multifamily (5 or More Units) 10 0.8% 12 0.8% 20.0%

Mobile Home/Trailer/Other 28 2.4% 12 0.8% -57.1%

Total Housing Units 1,189 100% 1,459 100% 22.7%


9


in this time. In those ten year Upper Pottsgrove underwent a rapid transformation from a predomi-

nantly rural community with two-thirds of its land

undeveloped to a fairly suburban community, with

85% of its land developed. The Upper Pottsgrove

Open Space Plan should recognize this new reality

in order to effectively accommodate and plan for the Township’s open space needs.

COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS The Community Demographic Analysis consists of

information relating to Upper Pottsgrove’s

population, housing, and economics. With few

exceptions, the source of the information is the

decennial U.S. Census and other reports of the

Census Bureau.

Demographic characteristics provide insight when

planning for open space preservation and

recreational development. They can assist in determining not only how much land should be

preserved, but also where. Additionally, this

information can further assist a municipality in

determining what type of recreational facilities, if

any, should be placed in the preserved land.

POPULATION TRENDS

The rate of municipal population change (relative

population increase or decrease) is an important

measure of the magnitude of population change

that has occurred over time. Figure 1.6 shows

population trends in the Township.

Between 1990 and 2000, the Township

experienced a population increase of 24 percent,

or 787 people. This continues the growth trend

that began effectively at the Township’s inception.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commis-

sion (DVRPC) serves as the region’s metropolitan planning organization (MPO). Among other re-

ports, it provides population and employment

forecasts through the year 2025. These projec-

tions will be addressed in further detail in Chapter

7. According to these reports, during the next 20

years the population of Upper Pottsgrove Town-

ship is projected to continue to increase. In fact, if

projections hold true, the population would in-crease from 4,102 in 2000 to 7,300 by 2025. In

general, projections are based on several factors,

including past levels of development, recently

proposed development, proximity to employment

centers, available land, and public facilities

(particularly sewers). One factor which will serve to lessen the Township’s potential population

growth is the recent down-zoning of land to lower

density residential development (including the

creation of the R-80 Low-Density Residential Dis-

trict).

POPULATION CLASSIFICATION

Population classification refers to those segments of

the population either in households or in group

quarters (institutions). Figure 1.6 shows that all of

the Township’s population continues to be in

households, with none residing in group quarters.

This was unchanged since 1990.

AGE

A community’s age profile over time can be an

important measure of growth and change.

Among other things, shifts in the distribution

among age groups can have significant impacts

on the provision of social services, housing, school

enrollments, park and recreation needs, and the labor force. Figure 1.7 summarizes changes in the

Township’s age profile from 1990 to 2000. It

shows that the fastest growing age groups were

middle-aged adults (45-54), the elderly (75 and

over), younger adults (35-44) and school-aged

children (5-17). A population decrease was seen

among young adults (18-34). Families with chil-dren make up the bulk of the current population;

over time recreation needs may be affected as

Township demographics change.

INCOME

Figure 1.8 shows changes in per capita and

household incomes for 1989 and 1999 (in 1999 dollars). Among other factors, changes in income

reflect the state of the overall economy (recession

or growth) and social changes such as the matura-

tion of the baby boom generation (expanded labor

force).

Per capita income is a per person average com-

puted for every man, woman, and child in a given

10


Age/Sex Pyramid

600 400 200 0 200 400 600

0-4

18-24

35-44

55-64

75+

Ag

e G

rou

ps

2000 Female

2000 Male

Age 1990

% Total 2000

% Total %Change

Number Number 1990-2000

0-4 270 8.1% 293 7.1% 8.5%

5-17 636 19.2% 883 21.5% 38.8%

18-24 238 7.2% 232 5.7% -2.5%

25-34 579 17.5% 528 12.9% -8.8%

35-44 543 16.4% 792 19.3% 45.9%

45-54 364 11.0% 602 14.7% 65.4%

55-64 338 10.2% 330 8.0% -2.4%

65-74 233 7.0% 267 6.5% 14.6%

75+ 114 3.4% 175 4.3% 53.5%

Total 3,315 100% 4,102 100% 23.7%

Median Age 42.3 43.9


Figure 1.7 Age Profile

Figure 1.8 Income Levels (1999 $)

Income 1989 1989

(adjusted) 1999 % Change (adjusted)

Per Capita $15,437 $20,683 $25,607 23.8%

Median Household $44,640 $59,810 $70,500 17.9%

Note: "1989 (adjusted)" is income adjusted for inflation Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Census of Population and Housing, 1990, 2000.

11


Special Needs Group 1990 2000 % Change


Persons 16-64 with Disabilities 619 15.1% N/A

Persons 16-64 with Mobility and Self-Care Limitations 41 1.2% N/A

Over 65 Years of Age 347 10.5% 442 10.8% 27.4%

Under 18 Years of Age 906 27.3% 1,176 28.7% 29.8%

Income Below Poverty Level 70 2.1% 105 2.6% 50.0%

Total Population 3,315 4,102 23.7%


area. Per capita income also accounts for persons living alone, a growing segment of the popula-

tion that is excluded from family income tabula-

tions. As the percentage of the population earn-

ing income has increased, so has the per person

average. In Upper Pottsgrove, per capita income

grew by approximately 24 percent between 1989 and 1999 to nearly $26,000.

Median household income refers to the income of

the primary householder and incomes from all other person over the age of 15 in the home,

regardless of their relationship to the householder.

Because households of unrelated individuals can

be a fairly large proportion of all households, this

measure may be a better indicator of the typical

income for an area than the family income meas-ure. Also, since many households consist of only

one person, this measure is usually lower than

median family incomes. Upper Pottsgrove’s me-

dian household income grew approximately 18

percent to over $70,500.

SPECIAL NEEDS GROUPS

Certain groups within Upper Pottsgrove Town-

ship have special needs that should be consid-

ered in determining how much open space is needed, the type of open space that is needed,

and the specific design of the open space devel-

opment. In particular, the very young, the very

old, those with incomes below the poverty level,

and people with disabilities have special needs

that will affect the need for and development of

open space. Because definitions of persons with disabilities have changed between the 1990 and

2000 censuses, a direct comparison for these

groups could not be made. However, in 2000

approximately 15 percent of Upper Pottsgrove’s

population between the ages of 16 and 64 had

some type of disability. Over the past decade,

the number of people over age 65 in the Town-ship has increased by approximately 27 percent,

while the number of people under age 18 has

increased by about 30 percent. The number of

Figure 1.9 Special Needs Groups

Educational Level 1990 2000 % Change


Less than 9th grade 103 5.1% 94 3.5% -8.7%

9th through 12th grade, no diploma 357 17.5% 339 12.4% -5.0%

High school graduate (includes equivalency) 858 42.1% 1,041 38.2% 21.3%

Some college, no degree 207 10.2% 399 14.6% 92.8%

Associate degree 107 5.2% 176 6.5% 64.5%

Bachelor's degree 323 15.8% 444 16.3% 37.5%

Graduate or professional degree 84 4.1% 231 8.5% 175.0%

Total Pop. 25 years and older 2,039 100% 2,724 100% 33.6%


Figure 1.10 Education Level

12


Figure 1.11 Household Types

people with incomes below poverty level has in-creased slightly from 2.1 percent of Upper Potts-

grove’s population in 1990 to 2.6 percent of the

population in 2000.

EDUCATION LEVEL

Residents of Upper Pottsgrove Township tend to be fairly well-educated (Figure 1.10). Just over

seven percent of those aged 25 and over have

graduate or professional degrees, while nearly 17

percent have earned bachelor’s degrees. Since

1990, the percentage of Township residents aged

25 and over possessing a high school diploma has

increased from 77 percent to 84 percent, and the

percentage possessing a college degree increased from 25 percent to 31 percent.

HOUSEHOLD TYPES

A household profile is defined by the Census Bureau

as a person or persons occupying a single housing

unit. A household can be broken down into two categories. A family household is two or more re-

lated persons living in a single housing unit, and a

non-family household is occupied by a single person

or a group of unrelated persons. Nationally, as well

as locally, households are changing. Nationally,

there has been an increase in the proportion of

non-family and single-person households since the

Household Types 1990

% Total 2000

% Total % Change

Number Number 1990 to 2000

Married Couples with Children 417 36.2% 504 35.6% 20.9%

Married Couples with No Children 424 36.8% 522 36.8% 23.1%

Single Parent 45 3.9% 69 4.9% 53.3%

Other Family 47 4.1% 61 4.3% 29.8%

1 Person Nonfamily Households 177 15.4% 204 14.4% 15.3%

2+ Person Nonfamily Household 42 3.6% 57 4.0% 35.7%

Total No. of Households 1,152 100% 1,417 100% 23.0%

Average People per Household 2.88 2.89 0.6%


Figure 1.12 Labor Force by Occupation

Occupation 2000

Number % Total

Management 389 17.8%

Professional 433 19.8%

Sales 251 11.5%

Clerical/Office 317 14.5%

Construction 227 10.4%

Production/Transportation 369 16.9%

Farming 0 0.0%

Services 200 9.1%

Total 2,186 100%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Census of Population and Housing, 2000.

13


1970’s. Fragmentation of the family unit through divorce, death of a spouse, or children leaving

home to form their own households has contrib-

uted to an increase in the number of households

and a decrease in the size of households.

However, Upper Pottsgrove is experiencing a dif-

ferent trend. From 1990 to 2000 the proportion

of single-person households remained the same.

Figure 1.11 shows that family households re-

mained relatively stable, decreasing by less than half a percentile (from 77.1 percent to 76.4 per-

cent of the Township households). The traditional

household of married couples with children ac-

count for approximately thirty-six percent of

households in the Township.

The average household size is the number of per-

sons in households divided by the number of oc-

cupied housing units. This too has seen a na-

tional decline as households continue to diversify; however, in Upper Pottsgrove average household

size remained stable from 1990 to 2000. Continu-

ing suburbanization and rapid development of single-family detached homes in the Township is

the likely cause of Upper Pottsgrove’s stability in

household size and single-person households.

EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR

As used here, employment figures refer to the number of workers in a given area, and can

serve a variety of purposes. As one aspect of the

economy, they serve to inform the public of

current and anticipated future economic condi-

tions and may serve as decision-making input for

current and potential employers and investors in

the region. Because an area's growth and activ-ity is related to its economy, employment data

can also be tied to land use and transportation

planning.

In recent years, Montgomery County has experi-

enced a significant change as it has gone from

being principally a bedroom suburb for Philadel-

phia commuters to an area that is a major

source of jobs. The county's central location in

the region and its major road network that per-mits direct access from surrounding counties are

major reasons for this transformation.

OCCUPATIONS

The types of occupations held by residents in

1990 and 2000 are shown in Figure 1.12. The

wide range of occupations listed have histori-cally been classified as being “white col-

lar” (managerial), “blue collar” (operative), or

“other” (farm workers). Although this has gener-

ally been a useful distinction in terms of income,

educational requirements, etc., the lines of dis-

tinction have become less marked as the na-

tion’s economy has moved from being industri-ally based to information and service based. This

change is evident nationally with the proportion

of the U.S. labor force in white collar jobs in-

creasing from 37 percent in 1950 to 60 percent

in 2000. In Upper Pottsgrove Township, over

two-thirds of all jobs were white collar positions

in 2000. Due to this national shift, the census has implemented a new system for compiling

labor force statistics, making it difficult to draw a

comparison between categories from 1990 and

2000.

Figure 1.13 Employment Forecast

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1990

2000*

2005*

2010*

2015*

2020*

2025*

Year Total Employment Years % Change

1990 145 1990-2000 72.4% 2000* 250 2000-2010 20.0% 2005* 300 2010-2020 16.7% 2010* 300 2000-2025 60.0% 2015* 350

*Source: DVRPC Forecasts 2020* 350 2025* 400

14


EMPLOYMENT FORECAST

As with population, the DVRPC provides em-

ployment forecasts for the area. Employment is

projected to grow from approximately 250 jobs in 2000 to 400 jobs in 2025, representing an

overall increase of about 60 percent over 25

years (see Figure 1.13).

MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN MUNICIPALITY

Major employers in Upper Pottsgrove include

the Pottsgrove School District, Pottstown Urban

Transit, Upper Pottsgrove Township, CMD Ser-

vices (bus operator), D& D Collision (automobile

repair), and a few restaurants (including Burger King, Applebee’s, and Cope’s Halfway House).

STATUS OF RELEVANT PLANS COMPREHENSIVE PLANS

The primary existing planning document for the

Township has been its Comprehensive Plan,

which was updated in 1989 from the original

1972 version. The Township is looking forward to adopting the Pottstown Metropolitan Area

Regional Plan within the next several months,

which encompasses eight municipalities, six of

which are in in Montgomery County (Douglass,

New Hanover, Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Potts-

grove, West Pottsgrove, and Pottstown), and

two of which are in Chester County (East Cov-entry and North Coventry. This plan will serve

as the comprehensive plan for the region.

OPEN SPACE AND EVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE PROTECTION PLAN

The Township’s 1995 Parks, Recreation, and Open

Space Plan was developed in accordance with the

Montgomery County Open Space Preservation Pro-

gram Guidelines. For the past ten years it has served as a guide for Township open space preservation

activities, enabling the Township to use its open

space acquisition funding allocation included in the

County Program. This plan serves as the basis for

this 2005 update, and contains many of the same

sections. Among the key recommendations from

this plan were:

• Continue to develop Heather Place Park

• Acquire Hillside Aquatic Club Ball fields and Adja-

cent Land for a Community Park

• Acquire a Portion of the Malfaro Property for a

Passive Township Park

• Establish Greenway Trail Segments Along

Sprogels Run an explore establishment of a green-

way west of PA100.

• Expand the use of single-family clustering, in con-

junction with density bonuses and neighborhood design standards

• Consider a variety of ways to encourage more

agricultural preservation

• Update selected natural resource protection regu-

lations

• Establish a tree planting program

• Adopt and implement zoning regulations to pre-

serve historic structures

• Continue to create more non-sports activities,

especially for teens and adults

As part of the update of this plan, these and other

recommendations were reviewed in detail as part of

an audit process.

Figure 1.14 Major Employers

Employer Industry

Pottsgrove School District Education

Pottstown Urban Transit Transit

Upper Pottsgrove Township Government

CMD Services Bus Operator

D&D Collision Automobile Repair

Burger King Restaurant

Applebee's Restaurant

Cope's Halfway House Restaurant

Bike Line Retail

Arcade - Miniature Golf Entertainment

15

UPPER POTTSGROVE OPEN SPACE PLAN—CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2 GOALS & OBJECTIVES

The Goals and Objectives Chapter of the Upper Pottsgrove Open Space Plan is designed to provide

residents, planners, and officials the necessary background information to make well-informed decisions

regarding the future preservation of open space and natural areas within the community.

THE 1995 PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE PLAN Upper Pottsgrove Township completed its Parks,

Recreation, and Open Space Plan in 1995. At that

time, a series of goals and objectives were

developed to address issues regarding the preservation of open space and the protection of

environmental resources. As a part of the update

process required by the Montgomery County

Open Space Program, Upper Pottsgrove has

evaluated its previous goals and objectives to

address whether the goals are still valid and to

evaluate why some of the last plan's recommendations were not implemented. Below

are the previous goals and objectives with an

accompanying discussion of what was

accomplished.

GOAL FOR PROVIDING PARKLAND: TO ENSURE ENOUGH APPROPRIATELY LOCATED PARKLAND IS AVAILABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A GROWING POPULATION. OBJECTIVES

• Establish more centrally located parkland and recreation facilities for use by local athletic associations and Township residents.

• Complement centrally located parkland with neighborhood parks to serve specific residential areas.

• Continue to maintain and improve existing parks and recreational facilities.

• Continue to Develop Heather Place Park.

• Acquire Hillside Aquatic Club Ballfields and Adjacent Land for a Community Park.

• Establish Neighborhood Parks at the Proposed Cherry Tree and Sunnyside Subdivisions.

16


• Acquire a Portion of the Malfaro Property for a Passive Township Park.

• Identify and Acquire Additional High-Priority- for-Conservation Lands in the Future.

GOAL FOR CONSERVING THE TOWNSHIP’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORIC RESOURCES: TO PRESERVE SENSITIVE NATURAL FEATURES, HISTORIC SITES AND MORE PERMANENT OPEN SPACE. OBJECTIVES:

• Direct future growth to designated areas within the Township best suited to accommodate development.

• Strengthen zoning regulations designed to protect sensitive natural features.

• Begin to establish an open space network of greenways and other preserved lands.

• Conserve scenic and historic areas through a combination of regulations and voluntary initatives.

• Encourage farmland protection by promoting agricultural security areas and other agricultural preservation techniques.

• Establish greenway trail segments Along Sprogels Run.

• Explore the Feasibility of Establishing a Greenway West of Route 100.

• Expand the Use of Single-Family Clustering in the Township.

• Establish a Density Bonus Under Clustering.

• Encourage Developers to Use Neighborhood Design Standards in Conjunction with Cluster Development.

• Consider a Variety of Ways to Encourage More Agricultural Preservation in the Township.

• Updated Selected Natural Resource Protection Regulations.

• Establish a Tree Planting Program for Existing and Future Parks.

• Adopt and Implement Zoning Regulations to Preserve Historic Structures.

GOAL FOR ENHANCING THE LOCAL RECREATION SYSTEM: TO PROMOTE EXPANDED RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL RESIDENTS OBJECTIVES:

• To expand, better coordinate and publicize the range of recreation programs available to residents of all ages and both genders.

• To ensure all Township recreation properties are attractive, safe and well-maintained.

• To use creative financing techniques that will facilitate the affordable expansion of recreational facilities.

PROGRESS REPORT ON MEETING THE GOALS OF THE 1995 OPEN SPACE PLAN PROVIDING PARKLAND

The Township purchased the Hollenbach Tract

(25.2 acres), the Mocharniuk Property (6.0 acres),

and land to purchase the Hillside Park Ball Fields

(6.7 acres). These properties are relatively centrally

located. A playground was established at Cherry

Tree Subdivision. Not purchased were the following priority areas: land adjacent to Hillside

Aquatic Club at the intersection of Moyer and

Gilbertsville Roads (approximately four acres), and

land part of the Malfaro property.

CONSERVING THE TOWNSHIP’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORIC RESOURCES: TO PRESERVE SENSITIVE NATURAL FEATURES, HISTORIC SITES AND MORE PERMANENT OPEN SPACE

The Township is participating in the Pottstown Metropolitan Area Region Regional Planning Initiative with seven other municipalities. This collaboration will channel growth and redevelopment into Pottstown, regional and village centers, and appropriate suburban growth areas.

To strengthen the protection of sensitive natural features, the Township has adopted various ordinances since the last open space plan was completed, including those pertaining to:

• Landscaping

• Tree replacement

• Stormwater Management

• Water Resources Impact Studies

• Buffer Planting Requirements

• Limiting density and the pace of development while preserving rural character with the creation of the R-80 Low-Density District and downzoning other land to R-1 Residential.

• Creating cluster provisions, environmental adjustment factors, and open space provisions for the R-1 and R-2 Residential Districts, helping preserve sensitive environmental features.

17


The Township has begun the process of creating an open space network of greenways and preserved lands. Specifically:

• The Township has worked with developers to ensure land along waterways is preserved and accessible.

• The Township has purchased key open space parcels along greenways.

• The Township has worked with developers of a new recreation facility for the Pottstown Athletic League (PAL) on Chestnut Grove Road. This complex will include a baseball/softball field, soccer field, and football field.

developers to acquire open space through the development process. Of particular interest to the Township is land along the Sprogels Run and Goose Run.

ESTABLISH GREENWAYS AND TRAILS OBJECTIVE:

• Establish Sprogels Run Trail and greenway and link to parks, open space and County and regional trails. Coordinate with Lower Pottsgrove on design (a precondition of receiving County funding reimbursement for tree planting at Mocharniuk Meadows).

• Establish Goose Run Trail and greenway and link to parks, open space and County and regional trails. Coordinate with West Pottsgrove and Douglass Township, Berks County.

• Work with the County to construct the portion of the West County Trail in the Township as soon as possible. Coordinate with Douglass and Lower Pottsgrove.

PRESERVE HISTORIC RESOURCES OBJECTIVE: PRESERVE HISTORIC SITES IN THE TOWNSHIP, (INCLUDING HISTORIC FARMS, HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND INNS), USING THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

• Acquisition

• Purchase of conservation easement

• Consider zoning for historic preservation

• Consider nominating selected properties to National Register (or support their nomination through education and advocacy)

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OBJECTIVE: CONSERVE SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, INCLUDING WATERWAYS, RIPARIAN CORRIDORS, WETLANDS, STEEP SLOPES, AND FLOODPLAINS.

• Implement riparian corridor ordinance

• Require buffer between homes and public open space or trails in new subdivisions

• Implement wetland setback provision in Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance

ENHANCE THE LOCAL RECREATION SYSTEM: PROMOTE EXPANDED RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL RESIDENTS OBJECTIVES:

• Expand, better coordinate and publicize the range of recreation programs available.

• Ensure all Township recreation properties are

The Township’s purchase of Hollenbach Park fulfilled a goal of the 1995 Open Space Plan

2005 OPEN SPACE PLAN GOALS ACQUISTION OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACE OBJECTIVES:

• Acquire additional open space after objectively evaluating parcels for their value to Township residents. Factors for consideration include (but are not limited to): proximity to other open space; potential linkage to existing parks, open space, or trails; environmental or view conservation value; presence of historic resources; recreation value; accessibility; agricultural value; and ability to serve areas of the Township with few parks, trails, or public open space.

• The Township will continue to work with

18


attractive, safe and well-maintained.

• Use creative financing techniques that will facilitate the affordable expansion of recreational services.

• Work with the Pottsgrove School District to obtain access to athletic fields at school. This might be facilitated by allowing Pottsgrove Schools a reciprocal arrangement with respect to use of Upper Pottsgrove Township Parks.

• Continue to create more non-sports activities, especially for teens and adults.

• Continue to involve the Upper Pottsgrove Township Park and Recreation Board.

• Establish a system to project the potential maintenance of new parks and open space land.

• Conduct regular safety inspections of Township recreation properties.

• Be aware of the Township’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Establish a gifts catalog of items needed in Township Park and Recreation Areas. Give donors recognition to thank them and encourage new donations

• Establish a Park Endowment Fund for acquisition supported by donations and fundraisers

• Make greater use of fees and charges

• Prepare and distribute a brochure describing leisure opportunities in and around the Township

One of the Plan’s goals is to secure a greenway and establish a trail along the Sprogels Run

19

UPPER POTTSGROVE OPEN SPACE PLAN– CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3 EXISTING PROTECTED LAND

A key component of the open space plan is a review of existing protected land. An inventory of existing

conditions, along with an assessment of future needs, is necessary for formulating many of the plan's

goals and objectives. Existing protected land refers to land preserved for active or passive recreation use

and/or for environmental conservation purposes. In addition to municipally-owned areas, it can include

land preserved by private conservation groups, farmland, school sites, and private open space preserved

as part of residential or non-residential development.

This chapter identifies existing open and recreational land in the Township and separates it into two cate-

gories of protection - permanently and temporarily protected land. The latter category makes an impor-

tant contribution to the overall recreation base of a community by preserving open space, conserving sig-

nificant natural features, and/or providing recreation facilities that do not require municipal involvement in

maintenance. However, temporarily protected land can easily be lost. In evaluating open space needs,

this distinction is important, as is the goal of increasing the amount of permanently protected land so that

future generations can also benefit from open space.

PERMANENTLY PROTECTED LAND Currently there are 70 acres of permanently protected

open space in Upper Pottsgrove Township (see Figure

3.1). Following is a description of this land, which is

of great importance to the Township.

MUNICIPAL OPEN SPACE

Upper Pottsgrove’s existing system of parks and

open space has grown substantially since 1995,

when the Township owned and maintained only 2.5 acres of open space (Heather Place Park).

Today parks or open space is owned and

maintained by the Township in six general areas.

These include the following ten parcels:

20


• Heather Place Park—This 2.5-acre park is used

for active recreation and has play equipment.

• Hillside Park– These three parcels comprise a

combined 7.5 acres and abut the Hillside Aquatic Club. One of the parcels has front-

age on Gilbertsville Road, one has frontage

on West Moyer Road, and one newly-

acquired parcel lies along Sprogels Run. The

parcels are used for active and passive recrea-

tion; the parcel on Gilbertsville Road has ball-

fields. The parcel on the Sprogels Run will accommodate the proposed Sprogels Run

Trail.

• Hollenbach Park– This 25.2-acre property on

Hanover Street is designated as an active rec-

reation area. It lies adjacent to Moncharniuk

Meadows and Fox Run, the latter which con-

nects to Sprogles Run. The master plan for the park calls for ballfields, an amphitheater, a

picnic pavilion, and a trail connection.

• Mocharniuk Meadows– This 6-acre property is

to be used for passive recreation. It is an

extension of the Hollenbach Property and

includes the Fox Run and wooded areas.

• Two parcels in Cherry Tree Farms totaling

12.5 acres (one parcel on Laura Lane, and

one on Micklitz Drive).

These properties comprise a total of 69.6 acres, 36.1 of which are considered active space. The

active open space includes amenities such as ball

fields and play equipment. Each offers

community residents important recreational

opportunities and scenic amenities.

PRIVATE OPEN SPACE

Other areas of open space are permanently pro-

tected and in private ownership. This includes

the following areas:

• Hillside Aquatic Club– on land totaling 9.3

acres

• Chestnut Grove subdivision open space–

including wooded areas

• Turnberry Farms subdivision open space.

One of these parcels will soon be deeded to

the Township as public open space and will

accommodate the future Sprogels Run Trail.

The other contains a tributary to the Sprogels Run.

These properties all contribute important open space to the township.

PRESERVED FARMLAND

There are currently no permanently preserved

farms in Upper Pottsgrove. However, The Town-

ship will consider undertaking or assisting farm-

land preservation, and has identified several farms which it would especially like to protect. These

include the Smola Farm on West Moyer and Mick-

letz Roads (notable in part for its scenic vista and

historic structure), the LeFever Farm on Maugers

Mill Road (with attractive farm buildings visible

from the road, and source of a tributary to

Sprogels Run), and the Grim Farm on Hanover Road (adjacent to Mocharniuk Meadows public

open space).

Hillside Park

Mocharniuk Meadows

21


TEMPORARILY PROTECTED LAND ACT 319 LAND

The Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land

Assessment Act was created to preserve land

devoted to agricultural use, agricultural reserve, or

forest reserve. This preferential tax assessment gives landowners a small incentive to keep the

their parcel intact (minimum 10-acre parcel size). If

a breach occurs, the landowner must pay roll-back

taxes for the previous seven years plus interest.

With the high demand for land, this penalty is not

a significant deterrence, and therefore Act 319

provides minimal land protection. There are 28 Act 319 farms in Upper Pottsgrove.

ACT 515 LAND

The Pennsylvania Open Space Covenant

Act was created to stabilize open areas through the use of real estate tax

assessment techniques. It allows certain

counties to covenant with landowners for

preservation of land in farm, forest, water

supply or open space uses. Some eligible

lands can be as small as ten acres and

must be consistent with the county or municipal open space plan. Unless

properly terminated, covenants require

the landowner to pay roll-back taxes for

the previous five years plus interest. Act

515 provides little to no long-term land

protection. There is no Act 515 Land in

Upper Pottsgrove.

INSTITUTIONAL

Upper Pottsgrove also has significant open space

areas in institutional use. These include the follow-

ing uses:

• Pottsgrove Middle School. This facility provides

active open space (fields for football, soccer,

baseball, softball; and a running track), and passive open space.

• St. John’s Catholic Cemetery– passive open

space.

Institutional open space differs from the municipally-

owned spaces because it may not remain open

forever. In the case of public schools land use

decisions are made by school districts and not by

the municipality. Enrollment patterns in the region as a whole change over time. When this happens,

often schools are closed and used for other

purposes, including offices or apartments, and the

recreational and open space is lost.

Despite its temporary nature, open space on institu-

tional land is still important to the Township. The

open space provides additional recreation options

and improves aesthetics by opening up views and

providing some relief from the developed portions of the landscape.

In total, Upper Pottsgrove has a significant amount

of protected land, with 120 acres being either per-manently or temporarily protected. This land pro-

vides Township residents with many opportunities

to enjoy all that open space can offer -- recreation,

attractive views, natural areas, tranquility, beauty,

Rural Residence, Detweiler Road

Institutional land such as that at Pottsgrove Middle School is a source of significant open space, although it is not permanently-protected

22


Name Protection

Type Location Type Acreage

Cherry Tree Farms

Laura La. Passive 11.1

Micklitz Dr. Active 1.4

Chestnut Grove Permanent Fallbrook La. Active 4.1

Heather Place Park Permanent Heather Pl. Active 2.5

Hillside Park Permanent W. Moyer & Gilbertsville Rds. Active 7.5

Hollenbach Park Permanent N. Hanover St. Active 25.2

Mocharniuk Meadows Permanent N. Hanover St. Passive 6.0

Turnberry Farms Permanent Laura La. Passive 11.8

Woodbrook Permanent Gilbertsville Rd. Active N/A

Subtotal, Permanently-Protected Land 69.6

Hillside Aquatic Club Temporary W. Moyer & Gilbertsville Rds. Active 9.3

Pottsgrove Middle School Temporary Hanover St. Active 43.0

St. John's Catholic Cemetery Temporary Hanover St. Passive 9.0

Subtotal, Temporarily-Protected Land 61.3

TOTAL, Protected Land 130.9

Permanent

Figure 3.1 Protected Land

Heather Place Park

Hollenbach Park

23


MAU

GER

S M

ILL

RD

SNYD

ER R

D

YARNALL RD

GILBER

TSVIL

LE R

D

E M

OYE

R RD

W MOYER RD

PIN

E FO

RD

RD

EVAN

S R

D

SWENK RD

MAPLE LEAF LAROSE V

ALLEY R

D

MIM

OSA

LA GLE

NDALE

AVE


CHESTNUT GROVE RD

100

KUMMERER RD

CROSS RD

MING DR

FARVIEW LA

FARMINGTON AVE

BRUCE RD

DETWEILER RD

NEEDHAMMER RD

COMMERCE DR

LEVE

NGO

OD

RD

GROSS RD

Wolf Run

Fox Run

Spro

gles

Run

Goo

se R

un

663

STATE RD

MO

CK

RD

HEATHER PL

01,

200

2,40

03,

600

4,80

060

0Fe

et

MCPCMon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Plan

ning

Com

mis

sion

Mon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Cou

rtho

use

- P

lann

ing

Com

mis

sion

PO

Box

311

Nor

risto

wn

PA

194

04-0

311

(p) 6

10.2

78.3

722

(

f) 6

10.2

78.3

941

ww

w.m

ontc

opa.

org/

plan

com

Base

map

pre

pare

d Se

ptem

ber 2

005

This

map

is b

ased

on

2000

orth

o ph

otog

raph

y an

d of

ficia

l sou

rces

. Pro

perty

lines

wer

e co

mpi

led

from

indi

vidua

l blo

ck m

aps

from

the

Mon

tgom

ery

Coun

ty B

oard

of A

sses

smen

t App

eals,

with

no

verif

icatio

nfro

m th

e de

ed. T

his

map

is n

ot m

eant

to b

e us

ed a

s a

lega

l def

initio

n of

pro

perti

es o

r for

eng

inee

ring

purp

oses

.¯

Lege

ndIn

stitu

tiona

l

Oth

er P

arce

ls

Und

evel

oped

Publ

ic O

pen

Spac

e

Priv

ate

Ope

n Sp

ace

Agr

icul

ture

Wat

er

Figure 3.2 Permanently Protected Land

24


Figure 3.3 Aerial Photograph, U

pper Pottsgrove Tow

nship

25


and a sense of community. However, more than

40 percent of this open space could be lost to

development in the future if the land owners or

land use changes. If Upper Pottsgrove acquires open and recreational land, residents can be as-

sured the municipality will be able to offer them

the same or greater level of active and passive

open space as they enjoy today.

AGRICULTURAL SECURITY AREA (ASA) FARMS

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Security Area pro-

gram was founded in 1981 with the goal of

strengthening the sense of security a farmer has in his or her right to farm. Participating farmers are

entitled to special consideration from local and

state government agencies, and protection from

“nuisance” challenges. Agricultural security areas

are created by local municipalities in cooperation

with individual landowners who agree to collec-

tively place at least 250 acres in an agricultural security area. There are a total of seven farms and

261 acres of farmland in Upper Pottsgrove which

are part of the Douglass Township (Montgomery)

Agricultural Security Area (see Figure 3.4).

Owner Address Acreage

Grim, Marie 1478 North Hanover Road 20

Kummerer, Robert & June 1505 Kummerer Road 63

LeFever, John 145 & 185 Maugers Mill Road 34

Smola, Thomas 256 Mickletz Road 42

Stauffer, Ada 144 Snyder Road 21

Stewartz, Michael, et al. 385 Evans Road 39

Swenson, Lowell & Phyllis 115 West Moyer Road 42

Figure 3.4 ASA Farms in Upper Pottsgrove

26


27


CHAPTER 4 INVENTORY OF POTENTIALLY

VULNERABLE RESOURCES

A key component of the open space plan is a review of existing protected land. An inventory of existing

conditions, along with an assessment of future needs, is necessary for formulating many of the plan's

goals and objectives. Existing protected land refers to land preserved for active or passive recreation use

and/or for environmental conservation purposes. In addition to municipally-owned areas, it can include

land preserved by private conservation groups, farmland, school sites, and private open space preserved

as part of residential or non-residential development.

GEOLOGY Except for surface outcrops, bedrock geology is

unseen, and as a result its influence on natural

features is not always acknowledged. However,

the influence is both strong and pervasive, for

bedrock geology is the foundation of an area.

Bedrock, along with the hydrologic cycle, is responsible for changes in elevation, steep slopes,

location of watercourses, and orientation

(orientation, in turn, will influence vegetative

communities, soils, and availability of sunlight).

The bedrock or parent material has a great

influence on the type of soil formed. For example,

hard, igneous bedrock has resulted in soils with a

high stone and boulder content. Groundwater yield differs from one bedrock formation to the

next. In Montgomery County, the difference

ranges from under one gallon per minute (gpm)

to over 30 gpm.

Montgomery County is located in the Triassic

Lowland and Piedmont Upland section of the

Piedmont Physiographic Province. Upper Potts-

grove is located in the Triassic Lowlands, which

are primarily red shales and sandstones with intrusions of diabase. Four formations - Stockton

Sandstone/Conglomerate /Shale, Lockatong

Argillite/Shale, Brunswick Shale and Sandstone,

28


Brunswick FormationDiabase

and Diabase - comprise the Triassic Lowlands. The latter two formations are found in Upper Potts-

grove. Most of the geologic formations found in

Upper Pottsgrove is Brunswick Shale or Sandstone,

with a band of Diabase and Hornfels stretching

from the northern to eastern tips of the Township.

These formations are described below and shown in Figure 4.1:

• Diabase—Also referred to as “black granite,”

diabase is an igneous rock. It was formed

when molten rock was extruded into large

cracks in the surrounding Brunswick geo-

logic formation. The intrusions of diabase,

called sills and dikes, are generally narrow (less than half a mile wide an in some cases

only several feet in width). The intrusions

are very resistant to erosion, weathering,

water infiltration, and groundwater move-

ment. The formation is notorious for low

well yields and is very difficult to excavate. Diabase bedrock contains some fractures in

the weathered zone near the surface,

resulting in minimal opportunities for

absorption of groundwater; similarly, lim-

ited groundwater is typically obtained from

this zone. Groundwater levels in diabase

show a strong seasonal influence and are greatly affected by droughts. Areas of dia-

base are often steeply sloped and wooded,

with numerous surface rocks and large boulders. Most of the county underlain by

diabase is wooded since the rock formation

has been inhospitable to farming and de-

velopment. Diabase is a good source of

road material and fill. Diabase intrusions

have had an interesting effect on the topography of western Montgomery

County, particularly the nearly perfect ring

formed around East Greenville, Pennsburg,

and Red Hill Boroughs.

• Hornfels—Adjacent to the diabase intru-

sives, the shales of the Brunswick formation

have been altered by contact metamor-phism into dark, hard hornfels. The width

of the hornfels zones varies greatly, from

40 feet to more than a mile. As would be

expected, the groundwater reserves are

small. Hornfels make good trap rock due

to their hardness.

• The Brunswick formation underlies most of

the northwestern half of the county, except

where several diabase intrusions are found.

Brunswick shale and sandstone is charac-

terized by reddish brown shale, mudstone,

and siltstone. The topography of the for-

mation is characterized by rolling hills. Groundwater yields are highly variable,

with the greatest yields found in conglom-

erates; yields in shales are always adequate

for domestic use. The rocks are generally

fine-grained and allow little primary poros-

ity. Secondary openings, such as joints and fractures, are the key to adequate

groundwater flow. This rock is a good-to-

fair source of construction aggregate and

fill material.

TOPOGRAPHY STEEP SLOPES

Slope, or frequency of change in elevation, is

an important environmental condition. When expressed as a percentage, slope is defined as

the amount of change in vertical elevation over

a specified horizontal distance. For example, a

three foot rise in elevation over a one hundred

foot horizontal distance is expressed as a three

percent slope. These changes in elevation

throughout a community contribute a great deal to its appearance and natural diversity.

Figure 4.1 Geology

29


This is especially true of the steep slope areas of a community, which also cause limitations to

development. The slope and soils present on

steep slopes are in balance with vegetation,

underlying geology and precipitation levels.

Maintaining this equilibrium reduces the danger to

public health and safety posed by unstable hillsides. Steep slopes often have a combination of

vegetation, climate, soil and underlying geology

that differs from the surrounding area. Frequently

this means that the environmental sensitivity of the

steep slopes are different as well. Susceptibility to

erosion and mass movement may be greater than

the surrounding area, especially if vegetation is removed. Increased runoff and sedimentation

from disturbed slopes require increased public

expenditure for flood control and stormwater

management. Also, different species of plants and

the associated wildlife that depend on these plants

may be present only on the slopes, creating

unique recreation opportunities.

Steep slopes are a major feature of Upper Potts-grove Township. Using soil types from the Soil

Survey as a general guide, Figure 4.2 shows that

steep slopes are scattered about the Township.

Three areas have significant concentrations of very

steep slopes: (1) the northern tip of the Township,

(2) Maugers Mill Road near Sprogels Run, and (3) near the intersection of Chestnut Grove and State

Roads. Other significant areas of steep slopes

(between 15% and 25%) include: the ridge east

of and parallel to Farmington Avenue, the area

along Wolf Run between Farmington Avenue and

Commerce Drive, the area west of PA Route 100

and north of West Moyer Road, Sprogels Run south of Regal Oaks, and areas along Goose Run.

To the extent that development in the Township has been slope sensitive and/or has provided

open space, as with the Turnberry Farms Subdivi-

sion, some preservation has occurred, but other

steep areas remain vulnerable to development

and disturbance and should be considered in the

Township's open space preservation planning.

WATERSHEDS AND DRAINAGE AREAS

Water is arguably a community's most valuable

resource. It is consumed by people and industry, enjoyed for recreation, employed in the assimila-

tion of treated sewage, and integral to the scenic

landscape. The average precipitation in the

county is approximately 46 inches per year. Of this

amount, approximately 50% evaporates or is tran-

spired by plants, 25% becomes runoff, and 25%

replenishes groundwater supplies.

Upper Pottsgrove contributes to five separate mi-

nor watersheds as shown in Figure 4.3. Three of the minor watersheds (Manatawny Creek, Spro-

gles Run, and Ironstone Creek) drain into the

Schuylkill River Basin. The other two (Minister

Creek and Swamp Creek) are part of the Swamp

Creek Sub-basin of the Perkiomen Creek Basin.

As the water finds its way through the Town-

ship it erodes the land, carries soil sediment,

affects vegetation communities, and replenishes

the groundwater. The topography of any com-munity is a result of the interaction between the

geology and the surface water as it makes its

way across the landscape. The plants that are

found in an area differ depending upon their

location and the wetness of the soil. Finally, as

Figure 4.2 Topography

15% Slope

25% Slope

30


water flows across the land it also enters the underlying aquifers by filtering through the soil

and into the underlying bedrock.

SURFACE & GROUND WATER Water is a valuable resource, consumed by people

and industry, enjoyed at recreation facilities,

employed in the assimilation of treated sewage,

and integral to the landscape. The average rainfall in the county varies from 43 inches near

City Avenue along the County border with Phila-

delphia to 47 inches in the vicinity of the Green

Lane Reservoir.

The surface water that falls on and is carried

through Upper Pottsgrove affects the topography,

soils, vegetation, and groundwater and comes

from two natural sources: direct runoff and

groundwater. A third, manmade source, may also contribute to stream flow: effluent from

sewage treatment plants, which tends to dampen

the variation between high and low flow periods.

WATERWAYS

There are three major surface waterways that run

through the Township. Goose Run cuts through Douglass Township--Berks County before flowing

into the Manatawny Creek in West Pottsgrove. Spro-

gles Run flows into Lower Pottsgrove before entering

the Schuylkill River. Wolf Run flows into Pottstown

before being channeled underground and flowing

into the Manatawny Creek. Unlike many other mu-

nicipalities in Montgomery County, Upper Potts-grove’s major waterways all originate within the

Township’s borders. The Township therefore has

more control over preventing flooding and preserv-

ing water quality of streams within its borders than

other municipalities, since the Township receives little

or no stormwater runoff from other municipalities.

With this in mind, the Township should aim to maintain the natural conditions of its drainage

system, such as through preservation of open space

along watercourses.

The Sprogels Run and Goose Runs are extremely

important resources for the Township, providing

potential greenway and trail routes, and protecting

sensitive natural resources. For additional informa-

tion on the Sprogels Run, see Appendix A for the

summary analysis prepared by the Berks County Conservancy in 2001.

Figure 4.3 Watersheds

Ironstone CreekManatawny CreekMinister CreekSprogles RunSwamp Creek

The largest stream corridor in the Township is Sprogels Run

31


stream water seeps through the soil, down into the underlying aquifer. For this reason, open, undis-

turbed land is essential to groundwater recharge.

Undisturbed, vegetated land retains precipitation

and allows it to soak into the soil rather than running

off the surface. In turn, impervious surfaces (roofs,

driveways, etc.) prevent the infiltration of water into the aquifer and increase run-off.

The Township obtains its public water supply

from the Pottstown Borough Water Authority, which serves the southwestern part of the

Township, and the Superior Water Company

which serves the northeastern portion of the

Township. The companies utilize the Schuylkill

River, Popodicken and Trout Run Reservoirs in

Berks County, and groundwater.

A major groundwater issue in the Township is

the contamination of private wells by the sol-

vent trichloroethylene (TCE). The state recently released $1.8 million to fund the extension of

public water to approximately 200 homes and

businesses in the Farmington Avenue and Wolf

Run area to ensure they have safe drinking

water. The source of the contamination is be-

ing investigated.

FLOODPLAINS Of particular importance is the 100-year floodplain

as shown in Figure 4.4. This is a hydrological feature that affects the health, safety, and welfare

of Upper Pottsgrove’s residents. Much of the time

the floodplain is dry, but during storms the flood-

plain conveys and stores excess floodwater. De-

velopment within this area reduces the carrying

capacity of the watercourse and increases the height and destructive ability of floodwater. Flood-

plain areas are found along Sprogels Run, Goose

Run, and Wolf Run. It appears little or no devel-

opment encroaches in floodplain areas, although

the Regal Oaks Subdivision appears to abut the

Sprogles Run floodplain if not encroach on it.

Flooding events that damage local infrastructure and private property may be the result of insuffi-

cient stormwater management within the Town-

ship, or simply naturally occurring events.

WETLANDS In addition to carrying floodwater, the floodplain

and stream corridors are important in minimizing

WetlandsFloodplain

Note: Upper Pottsgrove Recognizes Wetlands Not Included in NWI

Figure 4.4 Floodplains and Wetlands

The Wolf Run is considered impaired and unfit for use as a drinking water source by the Pennsylvania

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The

stream was designated as having this status due to

the presence of an excessive amount of the solvent

trichloroethylene (TCE). For additional information,

see the section on Groundwater, below.

The Township also has several small ponds, including

the pond which is the source of Sprogels Run near

West Moyer and Evans Roads; one near the former site of Maugers Mill near Maugers Mill Road; and one

between Regal Oaks subdivision and Snyder Road.

GROUNDWATER

Groundwater behaves much like surface water, flow-

ing like a stream, only much slower. Groundwater is tapped as a source of drinking water and for indus-

trial purposes. The replenishment of groundwater

occurs slowly as precipitation and, in some cases,

32


Infiltration AreasHydric SoilsAlluvial Soils

PrimeStatewide

erosion and water pollution, protecting water quality (temperature, chemistry, and velocity), and

providing animal habitats and recreational oppor-

tunities. Well vegetated buffers along stream cor-

ridors will filter out non-point source pollutants,

shade the stream, and provide wildlife habitat.

Wetlands that filter and impede stormwater are frequently found along stream corridors. Uncon-

solidated gravel and stone deposits are also found

along stream corridors and these areas allow for

groundwater recharge.

Because basins are usually larger than one

community, an interrelationship exists whereby

municipalities that are upstream, such as Upper

Pottsgrove, contribute surface water flow to mu-

nicipalities downstream. Upper Pottsgrove con-tributes surface water flow primarily to Lower

Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, and Pottstown.

However, it also contributes to surface water flow

to Douglass Township—Berks County, Douglass

Township—Montgomery County, New Hanover

Township and municipalities farther downstream

(including those along the Swamp and Perki-omen Creeks). With this in mind, the Township

should aim to maintain the natural conditions of

its drainage system, such as through

preservation of open space along watercourses.

SOILS One of the most significant natural factors to

consider is the Township's soils. Shown in Fig-

ures 4.5, 4.6, and 4.7, local soils are the result of

the hydrology and the weathering capacity of the underlying geology. They are also influ-

enced by the orientation (north vs. south) of the

land and the types of vegetation that grow on

their surface. The following soils are discussed in

this section: prime and important agricultural

soils, hydric soils, alluvial soils, soils with poor

septic suitability, and soils with a high infiltration capacity.

PRIME AND IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL SOILS

The agricultural capability of soil is measured

based on fertility, depth to bedrock and groundwater, texture, erodibility, and slope.

Soils are classified as prime farmland, farmland of

statewide importance, and other land, based on

these characteristics. Prime farmland includes

Figure 4.5 Prime and Statewide Agricultural Soils

Figure 4.6 Hydric, Alluvial, and Infiltrating Soils

33


ALLUVIAL SOILS

Alluvial soils are frequently, but not always,

located within a floodplain. They have been

deposited by flowing water and are not stable as a result of their texture and composition. The

presence of alluvial soils is only one indicator of a

floodplain. Changes in the tributary drainage

area or slope of the adjacent stream may create a

floodplain that is either larger or smaller than the

area of alluvial soils. Also, alluvial soils do not

indicate the probability of recurrence of a flood (for example, a 100 year flood). An important

aspect of alluvial soils is that they often form

aquifer recharge areas. Alluvial soils are shown in

Figure 4.6.

HYDRIC SOILS

In general, soils that are saturated with water at or near the ground surface, particularly

during certain times of the year, are considered

to have a high water table. As would be

expected, such areas often exist near water

bodies and watercourses and may be part of

wetlands. Because of wetness, these soils

present a major constraint for development wherever on-site subsurface sewage treatment

is utilized, as in many rural areas, since

treatment depends largely on adequate water

percolation through the soil. Hydric soils are

shown in Figure 4.6.

HIGH INFILTRATION SOILS

There are areas of soil in the Township which

have a relatively high infiltration capacity, and

thus minimize runoff (these soils are shown in

Figure 4.6). The largest concentration of these

soils in the Township are located between

Farmington Avenue, Maugers Mill Road, and Hanover Street. There are also concentrations

of these soil types west of the intersection of

State Road and Chestnut Grove Road, and an-

other between Moyer Road and the Regal Oaks

Subdivision. These areas exhibit good drainage

and can provide the highest levels of ground-

water recharge.

SEPTIC SUITABILITY

Soils that provide very limited potential or no poten-

tial for on-lot sewage disposal are found in all areas

of the region, ranging in extent from small pockets

Figure 4.7 Septic Suitability

Potential for In-Ground or Sand MoundPotential for Sand MoundLimited or No PotentialMade Land - Undetermined

deep, well drained, and moderately sloped soils

that can support high yields of crops with little

management. Farmland of statewide importance

includes soils that support cultivation but require careful crop management. The remaining soils

are best used for pasture and woodlands.

Figure 4.5 shows that many Township areas

contain soils suitable for agricultural use,

including a number of areas with prime soils.

Many of these areas are developed or in the

process of being developed. However, some

areas with important agricultural soils remain

undeveloped, including land west of Chestnut Grove Road, north of Pine Ford Road, and in the

northern tip of the Township. Preserving land in

these areas will help protect the land for farming

(25% of all Township land was in agricultural use

in 2004, according to the land use analysis

shown in Chapter 1).

34


VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE WOODLANDS

The original vegetation of Montgomery County was a

dense forest of hardwoods which covered over 99

percent of the county. Oaks were the dominant

species, but chestnut, tulip poplar, hickory, ash, red maple, and dogwoods were also present. Several

hundred years of clearing and cultivation, and in

more recent times the rapid development of houses

and commercial facilities, have reduced woodlands to

a shadow of their former extent. The principle types

of woodlands remaining in the county are:

Red Oak - About 60% of all remaining woodlands.

Northern Red Oak is predominant, but Black, Scarlet

and Chestnut Oak are also abundant.

Ash/Maple/Elm - About 19% of all woodlands. Local

mixtures will vary, and include minor species, such as

the Slippery Elm, Yellow Birch, Black Gum, Sycamore, and Poplar.

Eastern Red Cedar - 18% of the county's wooded acres are covered with this species and associated

species: Gray Birch, Red Maple, Sweet Birch, and

Aspen.

Sugar Maple/Beech/Yellow Birch - The remaining

three percent of woodlands is comprised of this

association. Associated species include Red Maple,

Hemlock, Northern Red oak, White Ash, and Tulip

Poplar.

Woodlands and hedgerows serve many purposes,

both functional and aesthetic. Woodlands prevent

erosion, provide habitat for wildlife, provide buffers for creeks, and offer recreational opportunities for

residents. Hedgerows and wooded corridors also

prevent erosion and provide cover for wildlife

movement, shelter, and migration.

Figure 4.8 Wooded Areas

to broad swaths. Depth to groundwater or bedrock and the soil’s ability to percolate water

will affect on-site sewage disposal. Figure 4.7

shows the suitability for on-lot sewage disposal

based on soil categories.

In areas not served by municipal sewer systems,

soil suitability tends to restrict development to

lower density uses served by on-lot systems or

by various forms of community disposal systems,

where appropriate. Such sewage disposal sys-tems should help recharge the groundwater

supply. These include spray irrigation, sand

mounds, and traditional in-ground systems.

However, as technology improves, soil suitability

is becoming less important in determining de-

velopment potential. Consequently, the Town-

ship’s comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance,

and 537 plan should be consistent so that de-

velopment follows the vision for the Township and the Pottstown Metropolitan Region.

The red-bellied turtle is one of Pennsyl-vania’s largest native aquatic turtles and is restricted to the south-central and south-eastern regions of the Commonwealth. The continued existence of this turtle species is threatened by habitat destruction, poor wa-ter quality, and competition with aggressive non-native turtle species that share its range and habitat. —PA Fish & Boat Commission

35


MAU

GER

S M

ILL

RD

FARMINGTON AVE

GILBERTSVILLE R

D

E M

OYE

R RD

W MOYER RD

100

CROSS RD

EVAN

S R

D

PIN

E FO

RD

RD

CHESTNUT

GROVE RD

LEVE

NGO

OD R

D

LEVENGOOD RD

COMMERCE DR

HANOVER RD

WILLOW ST

POPLAR ST

PRO

SPEC

T ST

MU

LBER

RY

STD

IAM

ON

D S

T

MAS

TER

ST

MERVIN

E ST

ORLANDO STNEEDHAMMER R

D

663

MO

CK

RD

663

CHARLOTTE ST

CHARLOTTE ST

SNYDER RD

SWENK RD

YARNALL RD

DETWEILER RD

STATE RD

KUMMERER RD

GROSS RD ST

EIN

ME

TZ R

D

WIL

SO

N S

T

COO

LID

GE

ST

Sprogels Run

Wolf Run

Goose R

un

Fox

Run

00.

51

0.25

Mile

s

MCPCMon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Pla

nnin

gC

omm

issi

onM

ontg

omer

y C

ount

y C

ourth

ouse

- P

lann

ing

Com

mis

sion

PO

Box

311

Nor

risto

wn

PA

194

04-0

311

(p) 6

10.2

78.3

722

(f

) 610

.278

.394

1w

ww

.mon

tcop

a.or

g/pl

anco

m

Base

map

pre

pare

d Ju

ne 2

005

This

map

is b

ased

on

2000

orth

o ph

otog

raph

y and

offi

cial s

ourc

es. P

rope

rty lin

es w

ere

com

piled

from

indi

vidua

l bloc

k m

aps f

rom

the

Mon

tgom

ery C

ount

y Boa

rd o

f Ass

essm

ent A

ppea

ls, w

ith n

o ve

rifica

tion

from

the

deed

. This

map

is n

ot m

eant

to b

e us

ed a

s a

legal

def

initio

n of

pro

perti

es o

r for

eng

ineer

ing p

urpo

ses.

¯

Lege

nd

Stee

p So

ils15

% S

lope

25%

Slo

pe

FEM

A Fl

oodp

lain

Woo

ded

Figu

re 4

.9

Com

posit

e Vul

nera

ble R

esou

rces

36


MAUGERS MILL RD

FAR

MIN

GTO

N A

VE

GILBERTSVILL

E RD

E MOYER RD

W M

OYE

R RD

100

CR

OSS

RD

EVANS RD

PINE FORD RD

CH

ES

TNU

T

GR

OVE

RD

LEVENGOOD RD

LEVE

NGO

OD

RD

CO

MM

ERC

E D

R

HAN

OV

ER R

D

WIL

LOW

ST

POPL

AR S

T

PROSPECT ST

MULBERRY STDIAMOND ST

MASTER ST

MERVINE ST

ORL

AND

O S

TNEE

DHAMM

ER R

D

663

MOCK RD

663

CHARLO

TTE

ST

CHAR

LOTT

E ST

SNYDER RD

SWE

NK

RD

YARN

ALL

RD

DETW

EILE

R RD

STA

TE R

D

KUM

ME

RE

R R

D

GROSS R

D

STEINMETZ RD

WILSON ST

COOLIDGE ST

Spro

gels

Run

Wolf R

un

Goose

Run

Fox Run

Regional Conservation Value

Above Average

Highest 40%

Highest 30%

Highest 20%

Highest 10%

The distribution of woodlands in Montgomery County

can be described in three different patterns. Small,

widely scattered stands can be found east of the

central county ridge, often strung along alluvial soils. Long, linear stands along streams and on alluvial soils

are typical in the central part of the county. Large

forested blocks of land, often hundreds to thousands

of acres in size, are found on ridges in the central and

northern areas of the county.

Important woodlands in the Township can be found

along Sprogels Run, along portions of Goose Run and

Wolf Run, in the northern tip of the Township, in the

easternmost portion of the Township, and along the ridge east of Farmington Avenue (see Figure 4.7).

Currently little of these woodlands are permanently

preserved, with the exception of areas preserved as

part of the development process for subdivisions in-

cluding Turnberry Farms and Cherry Tree Farms.

WILDLIFE

The Township has received no evidence that threat-

ened plant or animal species currently exist in Upper

Figure 4.10 Piedmont Ecoregion

Figure 4.11 Regional Conservation Values

37


Pottsgrove. However, based on records in the Penn-

sylvania Natural Diversity Index (PNDI) database and

records maintained by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat

Commission, the threatened red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris) is known to occur in many

tributaries of the Schuylkill River. Because the turtles

are highly mobile and known to travel significant dis-

tances, the areas the turtles use could include water-

ways and water impoundments within Upper Potts-

grove, particularly any waterways connected to the

Manatawny Creek (i.e., Goose Run).

NATURAL LANDS TRUST SMART CONSERVATION PRIORITIZATION PROGRAM This is a project developed by the Natural Lands

Trust and sponsored by DCNR, DEP, and the Wil-

liam Penn Foundation. It is a model that analyzes

large quantities of spatial data about natural re-

soures from across Pennsylvania’s 15-county Pied-

mont Ecoregion (Figure 4.10). This includes data about native species habitat, impervious cover

change, protected lands, greenway corridors and

barriers, and impaired streams. The resulting map

is a tool allowing local officials to make “educated

decisions about how to prioritize between conser-

vation projects.”

For every area across this 15-county region, a value

was given describing that site’s relative priority status

for preservation. As Figure 4.11 shows, much of Upper Pottsgrove lies within the top half of priority

areas. The most valuable land (ranking in the high-

est 40% and represented by green areas), lies in the

northern and eastern corners of the Township, or

along the Sprogles and Goose Runs. The Township

therefore has a responsibility to manage this natural

resource land for the good of the larger 15-county Ecoregion.

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES Historic sites are another important vulnerable re-

source in a community. Individually and taken to-

gether, they provide a link to a community's past and

thereby can make a valuable contribution to its cur-

rent educational, cultural, and social environment. In

the case of historic structures, often their architectural significance and/or uniqueness create visual interest

by contrasting with surrounding development. Of

course, the number and type of historic resources

varies from place to place, dependent largely upon

the particular mix of political, social, cultural, and ar-

cheological factors.

Upper Pottsgrove has various historic resources of

note, including homes, barns, a tavern, and a former

school (currently used as a church). At the national level, the National Register of Historic Places contains a

record of properties considered worthy of preserva-

tion. Sites on the National Register are those that are

considered nationally to be worthy of preservation on

the basis of their historical, architectural, archeological, Buttaro Farm Complex, c.1790

Halfway House Tavern, c.1840, is an Upper Pottsgrove landmark

38


Number on Map

Name and Location Description

1 John Albright Farm 1234 N. State Rd. near Steinmetz Rd.

Built 1859. Includes a brick house and a wood and masonry barn both of conservative local Vernacular style.

2 Bauer Residence—1475 Farmington Ave. near Pine Ford Rd.

Built 1890. Victorian style farmhouse constructed of brick with wood trim.

3 Buttaro Farm Complex—Maugers Mill Rd. near Gilbertsville Rd.

Built c.1790. A complex consisting of a main house, a summer kitchen, an outhouse and a barn. All share Georgian architectural styling.

4 Calvary Heights Baptist Temple—Snyder Rd. at Gilbertsville Rd.

Built c.1870. Originally Cedar Grove School, this was a 1-1/2 story one-room brick school house.

5 Halfway House Tavern– 1495 Farmington Ave. at Maugers Mill Rd.

Built c.1840. The present tavern stands on the site of the 1727 Halfway House Inn that served as a stopping place for travelers between Pottstown and Boyertown.

6 Smola Farmhouse and Barn– West Moyer Rd.

Built c.1830. Complex consist of a stone house and two masonry and frame barns.

Figure 4.12 Historic Resources

1

2 3

4

5

6

In addition to the six properties listed in the table above, there are numerous other structures in the Township which appear to have historic significance

39


or cultural significance. This list contains a number

of sites in Montgomery County, such as Valley Forge

National Park. There are no sites on the National

Register in Upper Pottsgrove, nor have any been officially been designated as eligible.

Although Upper Pottsgrove has no sites on the National Register, there are several sites of historic

significance to the Township. At this time, the most

comprehensive inventory of Township historic sites

has been compiled by the Township’s Open Space

Plan of 1995. Figure 4.12 describes and illustrates

the location and styles of important structures. It

should be noted that the list is not intended to con-fer any priority to these sites in terms of preservation,

but rather simply highlights sites that are generally

recognized as important, such as Halfway House

Tavern.

SCENIC RESOURCES Scenic resources are elements of the natural and/

or built environment that stand out among the

attributes of a community. They tend to be the

most pleasant and interesting places such as historic

sites; natural features including hills, woodlands,

scenic vistas, or streams; and recreation areas.

Although the process of identifying a scenic

resource is largely dependent on the observer's own opinions and preferences, information collected

from a community group, such as a planning

commission, can provide a relatively broad

inventory. Wherever possible, these areas should

be preserved and linked to the community's open

space and recreation system. Scenic resources in

Upper Pottsgrove are summarized below under the combined heading of roadways and views and are

mapped in Figure 6.1. The defining element or

feature for each resource is noted.

Roadways with scenic attributes contribute to a

community’s open space system because they

provide a way to view its scenic resources and in

some cases also serve as recreation routes for

walkers, bicyclists, and joggers. Roadways with

Scenic View from Halfway House, with Berks County in distance (Scenic Viewshed #5 in Figure 4.13)

40


MAUG

ERS MILL RD

FARMINGTON AVE

GILBERTSVILLE RD

E M

OY

ER

RD

W MOYER RD

100

CROSS RD

EVANS RD

PINE FORD

RD

LEVENGOOD RD

COMMERCE DR

HANOVER RD

WILLOW ST

POPLAR ST

PROSPECT ST

MULBERRY ST

DIAMO

ND ST

MASTER ST

MERVINE ST

ORLANDO RD NEEDHAMMER RD

663

MO

CK R

D

CHARLOTTE ST

CHARLOTTE ST

SNYDER RD

SWENK RD

YARNALL RD

DETWEILER RD

STATE RD

KUMMERER RD

GROSS RDSTEINM

ETZ RD

WILS

ON

ST

COO

LIDGE ST

Sprogels Run

Wolf Run

Goose Run

Fox Run

BRUCE DR

CHESTNUT

GROVE RD

663

p

02,250

4,5006,750

Feet

MCPCMontgom

eryC

ountyP

lanningC

omm

issionM

ontgomery C

ounty Courthouse - P

lanning Com

mission

PO

Box 311 N

orristown P

A 19404-0311

(p) 610.278.3722 (f) 610.278.3941w

ww

.montcopa.org/plancom

Base map prepared October 2005

This map is based on 2000 ortho photography and official sources. Property lines were com

piledfrom

individual block maps from

the Montgom

ery County Board of Assessment Appeals, with no verification

from the deed. This m

ap is not meant to be used as a legal definition of properties or for engineering purposes.

¯

Legend

Steep Soils15%

Slope

25% Slope

FEMA

Floodplain

Scenic Road

1

25

4

Scenic View

1

6

3

Figure 4.13 Scenic Roads and Views

41


scenic qualities often provide a way of viewing an

historic resource in its natural setting. A number of

such roads exist in the Township.

SCENIC ROADS AND VISTAS

Scenic resources are elements of the natural

and/or built environment that stand out among

the attributes of a community. They tend to

relate to the most pleasant and interesting

places in an area, such as open vistas, natural

features such as hills, woods, creeks or lakes; historic sites; and recreation areas.

Although the process of identifying a scenic resource is largely dependent on the observer's

own opinions and preferences, information

collected from a community group, such as a

planning commission, can provide a relatively

broad inventory. Wherever possible, these

areas should be preserved and linked to the

community's open space and recreation system. Scenic resources in Upper Pottsgrove are

summarized below under the combined

heading of roadways and views and are

mapped in Figure 4.8. The defining element or

feature for each resource is noted.

The Township’s primary roadways have re-

mained essentially unchanged (in location and

importance) since the 19th century. Many of

these roads are scenic, and thus contribute to the community's open space system because

they provide a way to view its scenic resources.

The following scenic roads have best retained

the rural and bucolic character of their origin:

• CROSS ROAD - West Moyer Road to Town-

ship Line. This road provides a scenic view

north into Douglass Township—

Montgomery County.

• CHESTNUT GROVE ROAD AND PINE FORD

ROAD—These roads traverse gently rolling

terrain with views of agricultural areas and

the Goose Run riparian corridor in the imme-diate surroundings. Farther to the north is a

scenic view of the higher ground in the

northern tip of the Township and Douglass-

Berks.

• SNYDERS ROAD- This road passes through

attractive wooded areas and an occasional farm on gently rolling terrain.

• HANOVER ROAD– This gently curving road

provides views to the east across the perma-

nently preserved Hollenbach Park and down

into the Sprogles Run Valley, with Lower

Pottsgrove and Limerick in the distance.

There are also several scenic vistas which can be

viewed from certain points in the Township.

These include:

• HALFWAY HOUSE VILLAGE- This point pro-

vides one of the most distant and attractive

views in the region. Looking west from

this point, one can see the Goose Run val-

ley in the foreground, with the high hills

and mountain ridges of Berks County in

the distance.

• MOYER ROAD AT BROADMORE PLACE– This

high ground provides a view north of the

rolling farmland in Douglass Township,

Montgomery County.

• DETWILER ROAD– This provides a scenic

view looking south.

• ORLANDO ROAD, NORTH OF CONTINENTAL

DRIVE– This provides a scenic view looking

south.

As development continues, attractive rural scenes such as this one in Upper Pottsgrove become less common

42


43


CHAPTER 5 POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE

LINKAGES

An important aspect of open space is the accessibility of that space to community residents and to the re-

gion as a whole. This section of the plan identifies potential open space linkages that can tie together

open space sites within the Township and connect to open space in adjacent communities. Such connec-

tions help form a more comprehensive open space system for residents and contribute to the creation of a

more effective and enjoyable regional network. They can increase the accessibility of parks by allowing

off-street pedestrian and bicycle access and can offer recreational opportunities in and of themselves as

passive, natural recreational space. Examples of potential linkages include utility corridors, stream valleys,

abandoned rail lines, sidewalks, and similar linear features.

Identification of potential linkages on a regional level will help to contribute to Montgomery County's vi-

sion of a Countywide Trail System. Possible connections for Upper Pottsgrove are described below and

shown in Figure 5.1.

POTENTIAL TRAILS AND OPEN SPACE LINKAGES SPROGELS RUN

The Sprogels Run is the largest waterway in Up-per Pottsgrove. Its source is a pond which can

be seen from West Moyer Road, just north of the

intersection with Evans Road. The stream gener-

ally follows an arc shape to the Township’s southeastern boundary with Lower Pottsgrove.

From there it flows through Lower Pottsgrove,

passing Pottsgrove High School, Ringing Rocks

44


Elementary, Brookside Golf Course, and Alfred B. Miles Park and Nature Area, before flowing into

the Schuylkill River at Lower Pottsgrove’s Schuyl-

kill River Park (at Porter Road).

The proposed Sprogels Run Trail would follow

undeveloped stream corridor for a large portion

of its length, although in some locations the trail

may need to be routed alongside local roads.

The Township will investigate all trail options.

A Sprogels Run Greenway could utilize existing

preserved land at the following locations:

• Hillside Aquatic Club and Hillside Park

• Cherry Tree Farms Subdivision

• Sweetwater Subdivision (pending approval)

• Regal Oaks Subdivision, near property used

for Sewage Treatment Plant

• Turnberry Farms Subdivision

The acquisition of various strategic parcels along

the stream would facilitate trail development.

POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS

Development of a Sprogels Run trail would make

connections to other trails and parks possible (see

above). There are plans to link the Sprogels Run

Trail to the Schuylkill River Trail at Armand Hammer Boulevard in Lower Pottsgrove. The Schuylkill River

Trail will eventually extend from Philadelphia to

Reading.

A connection to Fox Run would allow users of the

Sprogels Run trail to easily access Mocharniuk

Meadows and Hollenbach Park on Hanover Street.

Other connections could be made with the pro-

posed West County Trail (see description of West

County Trail).

GOOSE RUN TRAIL

Goose Run has three main branches which begin

in Upper Pottsgrove. The north branch begins

near the northern end of Fairview Lane, the cen-

tral branch begins in two places: at the northern

end of Heather Place and near Pine Ford Road, and the southern branch begins near Levengood

Road near the Township’s boundary with West

Pottsgrove.

After leaving the Township, the Goose Run flows

into West Pottsgrove, Douglass Township-Berks

County, and back into West Pottsgrove where it

flows into the Manatawny Creek. Upper Potts-

grove will work with West Pottsgrove and Doug-

lass- Berks to investigate the feasibility of extending the trail along this portion of the Goose Run. West

Pottsgrove has expressed interest in investigating

such an option. A potential alternative to this ex-

tension of the trail along the Goose Run in West

Pottsgrove and Douglass-Berks would be to estab-

lish a linkage along Levengood and Sell Roads

connecting the future Goose Run Trail in Upper Pottsgrove to the future Manatawny Trail.

The 1991 Upper Pottsgrove Township Park, Rec-reation, and Open Space Plan illustrated the poten-

tial route for a greenway that could be established

along Goose Run and other nearby areas west of

PA Route 100. As stated in the subsequent 1995

Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan, “Goose

Run and its tributaries are both a scenic and envi-

ronmental resource in Upper Pottsgrove.”

The Sprogels Run Trail will follow the natural stream corridor/ greenway for most of its length, but will need to cross or travel alongside roads in limited locations

45


MAU

GER

S M

ILL

RD

SNYD

ER R

D

YARNALL RD

GILBER

TSVIL

LE R

D

E M

OYE

R RD

W MOYER RD

PIN

E FO

RD

RD

EVAN

S R

D

SWENK RD

MAPLE LEAF LAROSE V

ALLEY RD

MIM

OSA

LA GLE

NDALE

AVE


CHESTNUT GROVE RD

100

KUMMERER RD

CROSS RD

MING DR

FARVIEW LA

FARMINGTON AVE

BRUCE RD

DETWEILER RD

NEEDHAMMER RD

COMMERCE DR

LEVE

NG

OO

D RD

GROSS RD

Wolf Run

Fox Run

Spro

gles

Run

Goo

se R

un

663

STATE RD

MO

CK

RD

HEATHER PL

00.

40.

81.

21.

6M

iles

MCPCMon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Plan

ning

Com

mis

sion

Mon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Cou

rtho

use

- P

lann

ing

Com

mis

sion

PO

Box

311

Nor

risto

wn

PA

194

04-0

311

(p) 6

10.2

78.3

722

(

f) 6

10.2

78.3

941

ww

w.m

ontc

opa.

org/

plan

com

Base

map

pre

pare

d N

ovem

ber 2

005

This

map

is b

ased

on

2000

orth

o ph

otog

raph

y an

d of

ficia

l sou

rces

. Pro

perty

lines

wer

e co

mpi

led

from

indi

vidua

l blo

ck m

aps

from

the

Mon

tgom

ery

Coun

ty B

oard

of A

sses

smen

t App

eals,

with

no

verif

icatio

nfro

m th

e de

ed. T

his

map

is n

ot m

eant

to b

e us

ed a

s a

lega

l def

initio

n of

pro

perti

es o

r for

eng

inee

ring

purp

oses

.¯

Leg

end

Futu

re W

est C

ount

y Tr

ail

Prop

osed

Tow

nshi

p Tr

ails

Und

evel

oped

Publ

ic O

pen

Spac

ePr

ivat

e O

pen

Spac

e

Figure 5.1 Proposed Trails

46


Figure 5.2 Proposed County Trail Network

Not

e: m

ap sh

ows o

rigin

al p

ropo

sed

rout

e of

Wes

t Cou

nty

Trai

l

47


It is proposed that the Goose Run Trail would util-

ize land set aside as part of the development proc-

ess for the proposed Summer Grove Subdivision

(and potentially for any future development pro-posed between Pine Ford Road and PA100). Po-

tential to work with developers in the western

corner of the Township to establish a trail also

exists should land owned by Waste Management,

Inc. be developed.


A trail along Goose Run would connect to the

following places:

• Trails linking it to the Chestnut Grove and

proposed Summer Grove subdivisions

• The proposed Manatawny Trail (and from

there on to the Schuylkill River Trail).

• Heather Place Park

• Future Pottstown Athletic League (PAL) fields

WEST COUNTY TRAIL

Montgomery County’s proposed West County Trail

would connect the Schuylkill River Trail in Potts-

town or West Pottsgrove with the Perkiomen Trail in Green Lane. As it is currently proposed, the

West County Trail would pass through Upper

Pottsgrove in the vicinity of State Road and Gil-

bertsville Road. It would pass Hillside Park, Twin

Ponds Golf Club in Douglas Township, and would

pass through New Hanover and Upper Frederick

before reaching Green Lane Reservoir. The Sun-rise Trail would branch off this trail in Upper Fre-

derick and travel along the Swamp Creek, past

Sunrise Mill to Schwenksville and the Perkiomen

Trail.

The County proposes altering this route so the

planned portion south of the point where Gil-

bertsville Road crosses Sprogels Run would instead

follow the Sprogels Run Trail west, cross PA 100,

and then turn south where it would connect to the proposed Township Goose Run Trail. It would

overlap this trail until reaching the boundary with

West Pottsgrove. This proposed alteration would

remove the proposed route from areas with busy

roads, more developed areas, narrow roads with

little room for a trail, and less scenic areas. In-

stead, it would generally follow natural stream corridors.

TRAIL DEVELOPMENT VIA THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

The Township has used the land development

process to encourage the development of smaller,

more localized trails where appropriate. It should

continue to do so, and should support intercon-

nections between such trails and the Township’s

and County’s larger trail system.

The Township has also used the development

process to ensure segments of proposed Town-

ship trails are constructed. It should continue to utilize the land development process where possi-

ble to ensure proposed trails are constructed

when land along the trail routes is developed.

Most of the proposed trails in Upper Pottsgrove will follow natural stream corridors

48


PROPOSED TRAILS IN UPPER POTTSGROVE : COMMONALITIES AND VARIATIONS Some of the goals and proposed conditions for

the trails proposed in the Township are shared by

two or three of the trails, while other trail goals

differ by trail.

COMMONALITIES

All the proposed trails in Upper Pottsgrove will

follow greenways along stream corridors for most

all of their route. However, each of the proposed

trails will need to travel along roads for a portion

of their routes.

Another commonaltiy of the three trails is to con-

nect them to trails in other municipalities. The

West County Trail will connect to Douglass Town-

ship- Montgomery County; the West County and Goose Run Trails will connect to West Pottsgrove;

and the Sprogels Run Trail will connect to Lower

Pottsgrove.

VARIATIONS

All of the trails will travel along local roads for a

small portion of their lengths in the Township (including Snyder, Gilbertsville Road, and West

Moyer Roads, respectively). It should be noted

Gilbertsville Road is also proposed as a bicycle

route by the County and the Pottstown Metropoli-

tan Area Regional Planning Commission.

The category of trail and materials used to con-

struct the trails may also differ. Some of the trails

sections are likely to be pathway-types of trails,

intended to serve walkers, hikers, and joggers in relatively low volumes. However, the West

County Trail (and thus the Goose Run Trail) will be

constructed to handle a larger volume of trail us-

ers.

The materials used for the trails in the Township

may vary depending on the trail and the physical

and natural environment the trail passes through.

County Trails should be constructed of macadam

or packed cinder (e.g., limestone, sandstone, or crushed native rock). Township trails are likely to

be one of these materials as well, but the West

County Trail might use a different material than

the Sprogels Run Trail, for example. In addition,

the West County Trail might be constructed of

macadam along West Moyer Road, but switch to

cinder materials in sensitive natural areas along the

Goose Run to minimize disturbance. Signage

should be used to warn trail users of approaching changes in trail composition.

The County Trail may also differ from the local Sprogels Run Trail in width. The County proposes the

West County Trail be constructed with a 10-12 foot

width (although this might be narrowed in areas of

sensitive natural features or steep slopes). The

Sprogels Run trail, however, is likely to be narrower.

49


CHAPTER 6 ANALYSIS OF

UNPROTECTED RESOURCES

As outlined in Chapter Four, important vulnerable resources such as floodplains, steep slopes, woodlands,

scenic views and roads, and historic sites are found in the Township. This chapter identifies areas where

resources are not permanently protected and proposes priorities for their future preservation. Generally,

the priority categories are based on the extent of resources found in a given area, particularly where a

concentration exists, their location and contribution to community identity, and the open space goals es-

tablished in Chapter Two.

PRIORITIZATION OF AREAS FOR PRESERVATION The map of unprotected resource areas (Figure

6.1) shows areas which Upper Pottsgrove places a

high priority on protecting. These include areas

not already preserved in parks or public open space, and which contain sensitive natural features

such as streams, wetlands, and floodplains; steep

slopes; and areas defined by the Township as hav-

ing a large proportion of undeveloped or agricul-

tural land which is of value for its open space, natu-

ral resources, or scenic qualities. Areas of conver-

gence are higher priority areas. These areas should be protected through either acquisition,

conservation easements, or land use regulations.

The following are the concentrations of unprotected areas identified by the Open Space Committee, as

shown on the unprotected resources map in Figure

6.1:

• Area A and Goose Run Watershed—Rural areas

west of PA 100, including large undeveloped

parcels currently owned by Waste Management, Inc. This area includes most of the three

branches of the Goose Run, as well as riparian

corridors, wooded areas, steep slopes, and

floodplains along the Run. This area contains

parcels partly or wholly undeveloped or in agri-

50


MAUG

ERS MILL RD

SNYDER RD

GILBERTSVILLE RD

E MO

YER RD

W MOYER RD

PINE FORD RD

EVANS RD

SWENK RD

MAPLE LEAF LA

ROSE VALLEY RD

MIM

OSA LAGLENDALE AVE

HANOVER RD

MEADOWVIEW DR

CHESTNUT GROVE RD

KUMMERER RD

CROSS RD

MING DR

FAIRVIEW LA

FARMINGTON AVE

BRUCE RD

DETWEILER RD

NEEDHAMMER RD

COMMERCE DR

LEVENGOO

D RD

GROSS RD

Wolf Run

Fox Run

Sprogles Run

Goose Run

663

STATE RD

MO

CK R

D

HEATHER PL

YARNALL RD

PROSPEC

T ST

MU

LBERRY ST

MASTER ST

DIAMO

ND ST

COO

LIDGE

ST

WILLOW ST

MERVINE ST

ORLANDO RD

STEINM

ETZ RD

CHARLOTTE ST 663

100

FARMINGTON AVE

00.25

0.50.75

1M

iles

MCPCMontgom

eryC

ountyP

lanningC

omm

issionM

ontgomery C


lanning Com

mission

PO

Box 311 N

orristown P

A 19404-0311

(p) 610.278.3722 (f) 610.278.3941w

ww


Base map prepared July 2005


piledfrom


the Montgom



ap is not meant to be used as a legal definition of properties or for engineering purposes.¯

Protected

Unprotected Steep Slopes

Public Open Space

Unprotected Stream

s, Floodplains, &

NW

I Wetlands

Concentrations of U

nprotected R

esource Parcels

Unprotected

A

B

C

Figure 6.1 Unprotected Resource Areas

51


cultural use. This area lies in scenic viewshed #5

mapped in Figure 4.13. The central and west-

ern branch of the Goose Run protrude from

Area A, but there are advanced plans to pre-serve the central branch of the Run, along with

its riparian corridor, steep slopes and wooded

areas, through the development process.

• Area B - This area west of PA 100 also includes

a significant amount of undeveloped and agri-

cultural land, as well as the source of the Sprogels Run and western branch of the Goose

Run. This area includes scenic viewshed #6

and part of #5 from Figure 4.13, and abuts

Scenic Pine Ford Road. In the northern portion

it contains wetlands, and steep, wooded

slopes. An historic farm house in an attractive

setting (Historic Resource #6 in Figure 4.12) is

also part of Area B.

• Area C - This area includes the Sprogels Run and

its Fox Run tributary, along with steep slopes,

riparian corridors, wetlands, small ponds, flood-

plains, and wooded areas. There are also nu-

merous parcels with undeveloped land in this

area.

Fox Run is designated as an unprotected resource west of Hanover Road (left) but is protected east of Hanover Road as part of Mocharniuk Meadows (right). The Fox Run in Mocharniuk Meadows has been proposed as the general route for a future trail linking Hollenbach Park to Sprogels run.

This attractive rural residence on Detweiler Road is part of the cluster of unprotected resources designated “Area C” in Figure 6.1

52


53


CHAPTER 7 EVALUATION OF GROWTH AREAS

In addition to establishing open space preservation areas, it is important to identify areas that can accom-

modate any projected community growth. Upper Pottsgrove Township was traditionally a rural Town-

ship, but the trend toward suburbanization has rapidly increased during the past decade. In an effort to

plan for the future in a regional context, Upper Pottsgrove is about to adopt the Pottstown Metropolitan

Regional Plan. That plan delineates future growth areas as well as rural preservation areas. As part of the

planning process, a build-out analysis was performed to get an idea of the type and amount of develop-

ment Upper Pottsgrove can expect to experience in the next ten to twenty years. A summary of that

analysis (revised to account for recent Township zoning changes), is included in this chapter.

This chapter deals with growth (population growth, employment growth, and land development) and the

subsequent impact on open space preservation. The number of dwelling units being constructed on the

limited amounts of undeveloped or underutilized land continues rapidly. Growth projections in the Town-

ship indicate development pressure will continue in the future. This will likely have ramifications on the

Township’s supply of open space, land available for recreation, sensitive environmental features and his-

toric resources.

POPULATION, HOUSING, AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS This section explains the need to provide sufficient

increases in the number of dwelling units in the Township to accommodate the population pro-

jected for the year 2020. Certain areas of the Town-

54


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1990

2000*

2005*

2010*

2015*

2020*

2025*

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

1990

2000

2005*

2010*

2015*

2020*

2025*

ship can be designated as growth areas. The need for the additional projected dwelling units

must be balance with the need to protect and

preserve natural features and open space.

Based on regional population projections by the

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

(DVRPC), the Montgomery County Planning

Commission has projected that the Upper Potts-

grove population will increase from 4,102 per-

sons in 2000 to 7,300 persons in 2025. This projected increase in population is 3,200 per-

sons, nearly an 80 percent increase from the

Township’s 2000 population. There will be a

need for additional dwelling units to accommo-date both this growth in population and a pro-

jected drop in average Township household size

from 2.89 to 2.81 people per household by

2025. From 1990 to 2000, Upper Pottsgrove

added 270 new housing units (a 23 percent

increase) while its population increased by 787 persons (a 24 percent increase). These growth

trends are expected to continue. (Note: These

projections do not account for recent down-

zoning in the Township which would likely re-

duce the projected Township population in-

crease).

Figure 7.2 Employment Projection

Year Total Employment Years % Change

1990 145 1990-2000 72.4% 2000* 250 2000-2010 20.0% 2005* 300 2010-2020 16.7% 2010* 300 2000-2025 60.0% 2015* 350 2020* 350 2025* 400

*Source: DVRPC Forecasts

Figure 7.1 Population Projection

Year Population Years % Change

1990 3,315 1990-2000 23.7% 2000 4,102 2000-2010 19.5% 2005* 4,390 2010-2020 40.6% 2010* 4,900 2000-2025 78.0% 2015* 5,750 2020* 6,890 2025* 7,300

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census of Population and Hous-ing, 2000; DVRPC projections. * Projected population

55


Housing Types 1990 2000 % Change


Single-Family Detached 1,085 91.3% 1,399 95.9% 28.9%

Single-Family Attached 36 3.0% 23 1.6% -36.1%

Multifamily (2-4 Units) 30 2.5% 13 0.9% -56.7%

Multifamily (5 or More Units) 10 0.8% 12 0.8% 20.0%

Mobile Home/Trailer/Other 28 2.4% 12 0.8% -57.1%

Total Housing Units 1,189 100% 1,459 100% 22.7%


Figure 7.3 Housing Types

2.4%

91.3%

3.0% 2.5%

0.8%1.6% 0.9%0.8%

95.9%

0.8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Singl

e-Fam

ily D

etac

hed

Singl

e-Fam

ily A

ttach

ed

Mult

ifam

ily (2

-4 Unit

s)

Mult

ifam

ily (5

or M

ore U

nits)

Mob

ile H

ome/

Trail

er/O

ther

1990

2000

DVRPC figures project a need for 1,214 additional

units by 2025 (see Figure 7.4). With the projected

population of 7,300 persons, the average house-

hold size will have declined to 2.81 persons per dwelling unit. The acreage of vacant residential

and potentially developable private recreation land

was not calculated for the previous Upper Potts-

grove Open Space plan.

UPPER POTTSGROVE’S FUTURE GROWTH AREAS The Future Land Use Plan in the Pottstown Metro-politan Regional Plan identifies four categories of

land use that allow for residential development.

These are the Rural Resource Area, which allows a

56


maximum density of 1 unit per 2 acres; the Subur-ban Residential Areas, which would be served by

public sewer and water and allow a density of 5

units per acre to 1 unit per two acres; the Com-

munity Mixed Use Center, which would allow

high density residential as well as retail and shop-

ping center uses; and the Village Center, which would allow for mixed-use villages with a den-

sity of up to 8 units per acre.

Most residential development is expected to occur in these areas, and an adequate amount of unde-

veloped or underdeveloped land exists to accom-

modate projected future growth. Development of

surrounding areas would aim to preserve any

existing natural features.

Non-residential, non-agricultural development

would occur in the Regional Commerce area be-

tween PA Route 100 and Farmington Avenue,

with a Village Center focused on Halfway House.

BUILD-OUT ANALYSIS The Future Land Use Plan adopted as part of the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Plan (see map in

Figure 7.6) outlines the Township’s desired

growth patterns, and Upper Pottsgrove’s zoning

meets the minimum standards described in that

plan. However, a substantial amount of growth is

still possible under the existing zoning ordinance,

and a build-out analysis has been performed to illustrate approximately how much growth is pos-

sible in the future.

The method used to determine residential build-

out is the same method used by the County to

conduct a fair share housing analysis. This

method examines undeveloped land (those with

land use designations of country residence, unde-

veloped, private open space, and agriculture), but

does not consider underdeveloped land (land that has development on it, but could be further subdi-

vided or developed more intensely). It assumes

that natural features including floodplains, wet-

lands and steep slopes will not be built upon, and

that approximately 20% of a site’s area will be

used for roads, driveways, and utilities. The method used here represents potential house-

holds with red dots that have been randomly

placed within the developable areas based on the

maximum density allowed in each zoning district.

These dots do not represent the actual location of

future homes. Existing homes are represented by

black dots placed in the center of each residen-tially developed property.

Figure 7.7 illustrates one allocation scenario of full residential build-out in the Township. While 1,423

potential housing units can be built in the Town-

ship, by 2025 it is projected that the population

will require somewhat less than that: approxi-

mately 1,214 new units (Figure 7.4).

This future residential development is very unlikely

to occur all at one time, and in fact will be spread

out over many years. This projection shows that

at current densities permitted by Upper Potts-grove’s zoning, the Township is likely to accom-

modate residential growth over the next 20 years,

should it choose to do so.

Figure 7.4 Calculation of New Units Needed

Residential Number

2025 Projected Population 7,300

2025 Projected Group Quarters 0

2025 Projected Population in HHs 7,300

2025 Average HH Size 2.81

2025 Occupied Housing Units 2,598

2025 (2000) Vacancy Rate 2.9%

2025 Total Housing Units 2,673

2000 Existing Units 1,459

Future Units Needed 1,214

Acres Maximum

Density Maximum

Units *

R-1 505.1 1/acre 404

R-2 130.1 1/25,000 sf 181

R-3 36.8 8/acre 235

R-4 20.3 12/acre 194

R-80 676.2 1/80,000 sf 295

1,310 Total (Accommodates Units Grandfathered from Previous Zoning)

1,423

Subtotal

* Accounts for deduction of natural features and roads, driveways, & utilities.

Figure 7.5 Build-Out Analysis

57


MAU

GER

S M

ILL

RD

FARMINGTON AVE

GILBERTSVILL

E RD

E M

OYE

R RD

W MOYER RD

100

CROSS RD

EVAN

S R

D

PIN

E FO

RD

RD

CHESTNUT

GROVE RD

LEVE

NGO

OD R

D

LEVENGOOD RD

COMMERCE DR

HANOVER RD

WILLOW ST

POPLAR ST

PRO

SPEC

T ST

MU

LBER

RY

STDI

AMO

ND

ST

MAS

TER

ST

MER

VINE S

T

ORLANDO STNEEDHAMMER RD

663

MO

CK

RD

663

CHARLOTTE ST

CHARLOTTE ST

SNYDER RD

SWENK RD

YARNALL RD

DETWEILER RD

STATE RD

KUMMERER RD

GROSS RD ST

EIN

MET

Z R

D

WIL

SO

N S

T

COO

LIDG

E ST

Sprogels Run

Wolf Run

Goose

Run

Fox

Run

Not

e: p

rint a

t 1:4

8000

00.

51

0.25

Mile

s

MCPCMon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Plan

ning

Com

mis

sion

Mon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Cou

rthou

se -

Pla

nnin

g C

omm

issi

onPO

Box

311

Nor

risto

wn

PA

194

04-0

311

(p) 6

10.2

78.3

722

(f

) 610

.278

.394

1w

ww

.mon

tcop

a.or

g/pl

anco

m

Base

map

pre

pare

d Oc

tobe

r 200

5

This

map

is b

ased

on

2000

orth

o ph

otog

raph

y and

offic

ial s

ourc

es. P

rope

rty lin

es w

ere

com

piled

from

indiv

idual

block

map

s fro

m th

e M

ontg

omer

y Cou

nty B

oard

of A

sses

smen

t App

eals,

with

no

verif

icatio

nfro

m th

e de

ed. T

his m

ap is

not

mea

nt to

be

used

as

a leg

al de

finitio

n of

pro

perti

es o

r for

eng

ineer

ing p

urpo

ses.

¯

Lege

ndRe

gion

al C

omm

erce

Offi

ce, I

ndus

trial

, Lim

ited

Com

mer

cial

Reg

iona

l Ret

ail

Lar

ge-S

cale

Ret

ail U

ses

Rura

l Pre

serv

atio

n Re

siden

tial

Rur

al R

esid

entia

l V

illag

e C

omm

erci

al L

arge

-Lot

Indu

stria

l A

gric

ultu

re

Subu

rban

Res

iden

tial

5 D

U/A

cre

to 1

DU

per

2 A

cres

to

be S

erve

d by

Pub

lic S

ewer

and

Wat

er

Villa

ge C

ente

rs M

ixed

-Use

Vill

age

RRRERE

VC

RC

Hal

fway

H

ouse

Villa

geC

ente

r

SR

Figure 7.6 Draft Future Land Use, from Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Comprehensive Plan

58


!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

! !

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!!

!!!!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!!

!

!!!!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!!!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!! !

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

! !

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

! !

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

! !

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

! !

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

! !!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

! !

!!

!

! !!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!! !

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!!

!!

!!

!

!

!

! !

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!! !

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!

MAUG

ERS MILL RD

SNYD

ER RD

YARNALL RD

GILBERTSVILLE RD

E MO

YER RD

W MOYER RD

PINE FO

RD

RD

EVANS R

D

SWENK RD

MAPLE LEAF LA

ROSE VALLEY RD

MIM

OSA

LAGLENDALE AVE

HANOVER RDMEADOWVIEW DR

CHESTNUT GROVE RD

100

KUMMERER RD

CROSS RD

MING DR

FARVIEW LA

FARMINGTON AVE

BRUCE RD

DETWEILER RD

NEEDHAMMER RD

COMMERCE DR

LEVENGO

OD RD

GROSS RD

Wolf Run

Fox Run

Sprogles Run

Goose R

un

663

STATE RD

MO

CK R

D

HEATHER PL

ORLANDO RD

663

MERVINE ST

WILLOW ST

MULBERRY ST

PROSPECT ST

DIAMO

ND ST

COO

LIDG

E ST

MASTER ST

NEEDHAMM

ER RD

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!!

!

!

!!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!!!

!

!!!

!!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

01,200

2,4003,600

4,800600

Feet

MCPCMontgom

eryC

ountyP

lanningC

omm

issionM

ontgomery C


lanning Com

mission

PO

Box 311 N

orristown P

A 19404-0311

(p) 610.278.3722 (f) 610.278.3941w

ww


Base map prepared O

ctober 2005


piledfrom


the Montgom



ap is not meant to be used as a legal definition of properties or for engineering purposes.

¯

Legend

R-1-Residential

R-2-Residential

R-3 Residential

R-4-Residential

R-80

LI-Limited Industrial

CO-C

omm

ercial Office

Parcel Boundaries

Existing Hom

es (1,671)

Potential Hom

es (approxim

ately 1,423)

NO

TE: The residential buildout calculations are the result of a simplified

analysis based upon vacant land and zoning. The potential new units are

randomly distributed and have no relation to specific parcels. The num

ber of units perm

itted on a given parcel can only be determined follow

ing a site-specific analysis and strict conform

ance to the township's zoning and

subdivision and land development ordinances.

Public Open Space

Figure 7.7 Build-Out Map

59


Therefore, it is projected that build-out will not be

reached within the next twenty years. Beyond

that time period, it may be possible for the Town-

ship to reach the forecasted build-out if changes to the current zoning ordinance and other policies

are not made.

CONCLUSION Upper Pottsgrove Township, in coordination with

seven other local municipalities part of the Potts-

town Metropolitan Region, has committed to a

policy of growth management. Knowing which

parts of the Township will grow and which will

not enables Upper Pottsgrove to plan for its future infrastructure and open space needs. The Town-

ship has taken significant steps to control residen-

tial development and prevent sprawl. The actions

taken by the Township could be further refined in

the future by adding provisions for developers to

cluster development in zoning districts where this

is not already accommodated. This would help ensure ample recreation and open space areas for

future residents.

60


61

UPPER POTTSGROVE OPEN SPACE PLAN- CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8 EVALUATION OF

PARK AND RECREATION SPACE NEEDS

RECREATION STANDARDS This chapter of the plan will discuss the existing and projected recreational and open space needs for Up-

per Pottsgrove Township. The adequacy of facilities to serve existing and projected population growth will

be analyzed. National and regional standards for public recreational land will be reviewed and applied to

the Township. Needs will be assessed for the present and the year 2025.

THE SELECTION OF A STANDARD A 1983 guide by the National Recreation and Park

Association (NRPA) entitled “Recreation, Park and

Open Space Standards and Guidelines,” provided

strategies for calculating the acreage needs of munici-

pal park systems. The 1983 guidelines suggested a municipal park system include 6.25 to 10.5 acres of

land per 1,000 people. These standards, as well as

standards from Delaware Valley Regional Planning

Commission (DVRPC), have been used to calculate

park needs for a majority of the Open Space Plans

completed in Montgomery County. This publication,

however, has been replaced due to the expanded role parks and open space play in local communities.

The newest publication by the National Recreation and

Park Association and the American Academy for Park

and Recreation Administration titled Park, Recreation,

Open Space and Greenway Guidelines was produced in 1996. The new title without the word “standards” is

indicative in the shift of looking at open space. The

more recent publication shifted its philosophy to pro-

vide guidance only, ultimately allowing the amount of

park, recreation, and open space to be defined by

individual communities. The 1996 publication empha-

sizes a systems approach to park, recreation, open space, and greenway planning that focuses on local

values and needs rather than strict formulas.

62


This new systems approach looks at the level of service provided to the users of the facilities rather

than the size of the facilities based upon popula-

tion. This method reflects, in part, the dual func-

tion of municipal parkland: providing recreation

opportunities (passive and active) and protecting

important natural features. Municipal parks often contain a significant amount of environmentally

sensitive land that prevents much of the acreage

from being utilized for active recreation. Under

these guidelines a 5-acre municipal park that con-

tains few significant natural features and is fully

developed may provide the same level of service

as a 35-acre park that provides recreation and also protects important woodlands, wetlands, and

other environmental amenities. The difference

hinges upon the individual goals of the municipal-

ity and not an arbitrary per capita acreage figure.

For the purposes of this plan, however, both the

low and high ratios are used to create a range for evaluating existing conditions and to perhaps

establish an acreage goal for the community.

For example, the midpoint value of the recom-

mended range may be a good target.

Further, the NRPA recommends that the devel-

oped open space consist of a core system of park-

land, distributed among mini parks (such as tot

lots), neighborhood parks, and community parks.

Each of these components are of a certain size, have a defined "service area" (for example, 1.25 to

1.5 miles), and provide for certain uses (active

and/or passive). This division of acreage has been

applied to Upper Pottsgrove to determine if a par-

ticular recreation need exists now or may develop

in the future. Figure 8.2 shows the results of ap-plying the NRPA standards.

PARK TYPES As shown in Figure 8.2, Upper Pottsgrove’s current

total permanently-preserved park and recreation

areas (54 acres) meets the rough guidelines for

recommended amounts of recreational open space

needed to serve the existing Township population.

In twenty years, however, the public portion of

Upper Pottsgrove’s park and recreation land might not adequately serve the population (expected to

grow by 78 percent from 2000 to 2025). By then,

guidelines recommend having between 46 and 77

acres of park and recreation space; thus the 54

acres Upper Pottsgrove has will fall in the lower half

of the recommended range).

EXISTING PARKS AND FACILITIES Typical characteristics of community parks are large size (serve more than one neighborhood), a

central location, and a good range of facilities/

amenities (creek and woodlands corridor, ball-

fields, playground equipment, etc.).

Four Township sites - Hollenbach Park, Mo-

charniuk Meadows, Hillside Park, and Heather

Place Park- can be considered community parks in

this category (Mocharniuk Meadows is being con-

sidered a community-level park for this analysis since it acts to expand Hollenbach Park). All these

sites serve more than one neighborhood, and are

centrally or relatively centrally located (see open

space service areas in Figure 8.1) although only

Hollenbach Park has a good range of facilities and

amenities. Heather Place Park is relatively small,

but is considered a community-level park for this analysis due to its central location and its various

amenities.

As can be seen, the Township will likely need ad-

ditional community-level and neighborhood-level

open space by 2025. The Township’s community-

level open space is at the low end of the recom-

Hollenbach Park is the largest park in the Township (25 acres) and is con-sidered a “Community-Level Park” for the purpose of the NRPA Analysis

63


p

00.

51

0.25

Mile

s

MAU

GER

S M

ILL

RD

FARMINGTON AVE

GILBERTSVILL

E RD

E M

OY

ER

RD

W MOYER RD

100

CROSS RD

EVAN

S RD

PIN

E FO

RD

RD

LEVE

NGO

OD RD

COMMERCE DR

HANOVER RD

WILLOW ST

POPLAR ST

PRO

SPEC

T ST

MUL

BERR

Y ST

DIAM

OND

ST

MAS

TER

ST

MER

VINE

ST

ORLANDO RDNEEDHAMMER RD

663

MO

CK

RD

CHARLOTTE ST

CHARLOTTE ST

SNYDER RD

SWENK RD

YARNALL RD

DETWEILER RD

STATE RD

KUMMERER RD

GROSS RD ST

EIN

MET

Z R

D

WIL

SON

ST

COO

LIDG

E ST

BRUCE DR

CHESTNUT

GROVE RD

663

Hol

lenb

ach

Park

Mon

char

niuk

Mea

dow

s

Hills

ide

Park

Hea

ther

Pl

Par

k

Che

rry

Tree

Farm

s O

pen

Spac

e

MCPCMon

tgom

ery

Cou

nty

Pla

nnin

gC

omm

issi

onM

ontg

omer

y C

ount

y C

ourth

ouse

- P

lann

ing

Com

mis

sion

PO

Box

311

Nor

risto

wn

PA

194

04-0

311

(p) 6

10.2

78.3

722

(f

) 610

.278

.394

1w

ww

.mon

tcop

a.or

g/pl

anco

m

Base

map

pre

pare

d Ju

ne 2

005

This

map

is b

ased

on

2000

orth

o ph

otog

raph

y an

d of

ficial

sou

rces

. Pro

perty

lines

wer

e co

mpil

edfro

m in

dividu

al b

lock

map

s fro

m th

e M

ontg

omer

y Co

unty

Boar

d of

Ass

essm

ent A

ppea

ls, w

ith n

o ve

rifica

tion

from

the

deed

. Thi

s map

is n

ot m

eant

to b

e us

ed a

s a le

gal d

efin

ition

of p

rope

rties

or f

or e

ngin

eerin

g pu

rpos

es.

¯

Lege

nd

.5 M

ile O

pen

Spac

e Se

rvic

e Are

a

Publ

ic O

pen

Spac

e

Figure 8.1 Open Space Service Area

64


mended range for 2025. Although neighbor-hood-level open space is adequate for 2025 in

raw number terms, it is located exclusively in the

Cherry Tree Farms open space area and does not

exist in most areas of the Township.

Neighborhood-level open space refers to smaller

areas (less than an acre) that serve a particular

area of the community (typically one neighbor-

hood), a concentrated or limited population or

specialized group such as elderly or tots, and pro-vide for quiet, informal recreation as well as facili-

ties for short term, frequent and active use. Good

examples are playgrounds, tot lots, and "pocket

parks" (small green space within a highly devel-

oped area) and they are most valuable in areas

that are not conveniently served by existing sites because of distance or a natural or man-made

barrier (such as an expressway or steep hills). In

Upper Pottsgrove Cherry Tree Farms provides 12.5 acres of neighborhood-level open space. Other

communities have open space but are not consid-

ered for this analysis since they do not provide

recreation areas or trails and are more of an aes-

thetic and environmental asset.

Upper Pottsgrove has encouraged creation of

neighborhood-level open space in recent years

through zoning districts that require creation of

open space areas. Cherry Tree Farms has pro-vided two open space areas for its residents that is

both active and passive in function (see open

space service areas in Figure 8.1).

Overall, Upper Pottsgrove provides enough com-

munity– and neighborhood-level open space ar-

eas to meet current (2005) and projected 2010

minimum acreage standards. By 2025, however,

the recommended open space for the Township

Projected Population*

2000 2010 2025

4,102 4,900 7,300

Range From To From To From To

Recommended Acreage**

Community 21 33 25 39 37 58 Neighborhood 5 10 6 12 9 18 Total 26 43 31 51 46 77 Existing Acreage

Community 41 Neighborhood 13 Total 54 Difference

Community 20 8 16 2 4 --17

Neighborhood 8 3 7 1 4 --5 Total 28 11 23 3 8 --23

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; MCPC; NRPA * Projected Population ** Recommended Acreage - Range per 1000 persons as follows:

Community Level = typically 5.0 - 8.0 acres or having a range of amenities (in this analysis some smaller parks were considered community-level due to their range of amenities and their role in serving a wide area); Neighborhood Level = typically 1.25 - 2.5 acres and serv-ing a limited area with a limited range of amenities (in this analysis one larger area was in-

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding

Figure 8.2 Minimum Open Space Needs

65


Figure 8.3 Recreational Facility Needs

will increase with the Township’s growing popula-

tion. In order to more adequately accommodate the

projected increased population Upper Pottsgrove

should increase its inventory of open space with both additional neighborhood-level and commu-

nity-level open space.

In addition to meeting community-wide acreage

needs, additional specific improvements to existing

facilities should be considered. Site specific needs are

currently being evaluated by the Upper Pottsgrove

Parks and Recreation Committee.

RECREATION FACILITY NEEDS Figure 8.3 summarizes the results of applying recrea-

tion facility standards to Upper Pottsgrove and com-

Standard Per 1,000 Pop.

2000 Popu-lation

2025 Popu-lation*

Permanently Protected Facilities

2025 Deficit

Additional Facilities (restricted access, or in other municipali-

ties) 4,102 7,300

Recom-mended Facilities

Basketball Courts 0.2 0.8 1.5 1 -0.5 Pottsgrove Schools

Tennis Courts 0.5 2.1 3.7 0 -3.7 Pottsgrove Schools

Volleyball Courts 0.2 0.8 1.5 0 -1.5

Baseball/Softball Fields 0.4 1.6 2.9 3 0.1

Memorial Park, Pottsgrove Schools, future PAL fields

Soccer Fields 0.1 0.4 0.7 0 -0.7 Pottsgrove Schools, future PAL fields

Football Fields 0.3 1.2 2.2 0 -2.2 Pottsgrove Schools, future PAL fields

Running Track (1/4 mile) 0.1 0.2 0.4 0 -0.4 Pottsgrove Schools

Swimming Pools 0.1 0.2 0.4 0 -0.4 Hillside Aquatic Club

Playgrounds 0.6 2.5 4.4 1 -3.4

Picknicking Areas 0.2 1.0 1.8 1 -0.8

Multipurpose Fields 0.3 1.2 2.2 3 0.8 Pottsgrove Schools

Nature Areas 0.2 1.0 1.8 2 0.2

Pottstown (Schuylkill River-front)

Golf Courses 0.0 0.2 0.3 0 -0.3 Twin Ponds G.C., Brookside G.C.

* Projected Source: U.S. Census Bureau, MCPC; NRPA

Hillside Park features several popular ball fields

66


pares the results to the supply of existing Township

facilities. It should be noted that some results shown

as fractions are rounded up to a whole number; for

example, .7 soccer fields means at least one soccer field should be provided. As can be seen, the Town-

ship falls short of the recommended levels for all but

three of the facility categories (baseball/softball fields,

nature areas, and multi-purpose fields).

Several of the recreation facilities for which the

table shows a deficit are available at Pottsgrove

Middle School or at other nearby schools or parks

outside Township boundaries, which are rela-

tively easy for Township residents to access by car. It should be noted that recreation facilities at

public schools may require advance reservations

in addition to having their public use limited to

non-school hours. These sites include Pottsgrove

School District facilities in Upper and Lower Potts-

grove, Memorial Park in Pottstown, and Ironstone

Park in Pine Forge (Douglass Township-Berks County).

Upper Pottsgrove should not try to meet all of these standards, but should evaluate which can

most realistically be accomplished, and which are

likely to best fit the needs of Township residents

now and in the future, and which resident needs

are not being met by Township (and nearby) rec-

reation facilities. In 2006 the Upper Pottsgrove

Park and Recreation Committee will update its Master Plan, which will help clarify the Township’s

needs and goals in this area.

The Pottsgrove Middle School property provides various athletic fields and facilities for public use

67


CHAPTER 9 EVALUATION OF COUNTY,

REGIONAL, AND ABUTTING MUNICIPAL PLANS

The preceding chapters investigate the resources, needs, and opportunities that exist within the municipal

bounds of Upper Pottsgrove. With this information, recommendations can be made to effectively serve

Township residents. However, the land use decisions that Upper Pottsgrove makes affect the larger region

just as decisions made in neighboring municipalities affect Upper Pottsgrove. Therefore, this open space

planning effort should not be performed in the vacuum of the municipal borders, but consider surround-

ing planning efforts.

This chapter compares the recommendations of this plan with those in the County comprehensive plan;

draft Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Comprehensive Plan; and the comprehensive, open space,

and revitalization plans of abutting boroughs/townships/counties. The intent is to prevent conflicts be-

tween plans and to encourage collaboration of efforts. By gaining an understanding of how Upper Potts-

grove's plan will fit into the larger open space and trail linkage picture, partners can optimize both the

quantity and quality of future open space preservation and management.

COMPARISON TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY LAND USE PLAN AND OPEN SPACE PLAN In 2001, Montgomery County began updating its

Comprehensive Plan. Although not yet com-plete, this plan will help guide the growth of housing, transportation, economic development,

68


and natural & cultural resource management, through 2025 and beyond. Each of these fac-

tors could potentially bear great significance on

open space needs and opportunities in Upper

Pottsgrove.

Within this plan is the Vision of the County in

2025. This Vision sets up four issues as the high-

est priority for action:

• Controlling sprawl

• Controlling traffic congestion

• Preserving open space/natural areas

• Revitalizing older boroughs and townships

Upper Pottsgrove's Open Space Plan addresses

all of these issues by setting a future course for

wise land use, increasing linkages and

accessibility, clustering and diversifying growth,

and preserving open space.

The draft version of the Comprehensive Plan lists

48 goals that describe and expand upon the

Vision of the County in 2025. Several of the

goals (listed below) parallel those in this Open Space Plan, adding strength to the

recommendations set forth here.

(CHAPTER 4 OF VISION PLAN)

• Support Smart Growth and Preservation

Efforts both Regionally and Locally

• Work Together to Identify and Resolve

Problems and Concerns

• Implement Plans Effectively and

Cooperatively

• Identify and Address Problems at the Most

Appropriate Level - Local, Regional,

Watershed, etc.

LAND USE

• Direct Development to Designated Growth

Areas

• Enhance Older Developed Areas

• Preserve Rural Resource Areas

• Encourage Sound Land Use Planning and

Design

• Ensure Compatible Development in

Residential Neighborhoods

• Preserve and Create Community Identity and

a Sense of Place

OPEN SPACE, NATURAL FEATURES, AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

• Preserve Large Interconnected Areas of

Significant Open Space

• Protect and Manage Wetlands, Streams, Steep

Slopes, Woodlands, and Natural Habitats

• Create a Greenway System along Rivers,

Creeks, and Other Sensitive Natural and Historic Features

• Develop a Countywide Network of

Interconnected Trails

• Provide Park Facilities to Meet the Public's

Recreation Needs

• Preserve Farmland and Farming

• Protect Scenic Roads, Vistas, and Viewsheds

• Protect Historic Resources and Cultural

Landscapes

TRANSPORTATION

• Manage Traffic Congestion

• Improve Transportation Safety

• Increase Opportunities to Take Public Transit,

Walk, Ride a Bike, or Other Nonautomotive Transporta-tion Means

COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND UTILITIES

• Provide Environmentally-Safe Sewer Facilities

• Provide Adequate Energy and Communication

Utilities with as Minimal Negative Impact as

Possible

• Integrate Educational and Cultural Facilities

into Communities

WATER RESOURCES

• Provide an Adequate Supply of Water for

Both Consumption and Natural Habitats

• Protect Water Quality

69


• Effectively Manage Flooding

• Create Attractive Stormwater Facilities that

Control Flooding, Recharge Groundwater,

and Improve Water Quality

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Attract and Retain Business by Maintaining a

High Quality of Life

• Support a Readily Available Workforce

• Revitalize the County's Downtowns and Main

Streets

HOUSING

• Maintain and Conserve Existing Homes and

Neighborhoods

• Promote Walkable and Well-Designed

Residential Developments

The County also has a trail strategy which identifies

potential trail corridors. The County’s proposed West County Trail would pass directly through

Upper Pottsgrove on its way from the Pottstown

area to Douglass Township (Montgomery County).

One of the potential routes for this trail is along

Sprogels Run from Lower Pottsgrove north to Gil-

bertsville Road to Douglass Township

(Montgomery County). This trail would enhance the value and accessibility of open space along the

Sprogels Run trail and Hillside Park, and provide a

connection to the proposed Upper Pottsgrove

Township trail system.

RELATION TO PLANS OF ABUTTING MUNICIPALITIES Five townships and one borough abuts Upper

Pottsgrove. The open space policies and other

pertinent information of each abutting municipal-

ity are summarized below. Adjacent, yet incompatible, land uses may result in conflicts

while potential linkages could lead to cooperative

partnerships between municipal neighbors.

Based on the Montgomery County Open Space

Program in 1993, these municipalities, excepting

Douglass Township (Berks County), developed an

Open Space Plan soon thereafter. In the ten years

since the last update of open space plans, parcels

have been preserved, trails proposed and developed, and the needs of the community have

changed. It is therefore vital that Upper Potts-

grove keeps abreast of the continually evolving

planning efforts of its neighbors and the county.

DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP (MONTGOMERY):

Douglass Township (Montgomery) shares a

border of 2.0 miles with Upper Pottsgrove. Doug-

lass Township is currently writing its open space

plan. Following are some of the draft goals of its Open Space Plan:

• Preserve the township’s rural identity; pre-

serve farmland and ensure new develop-

ments have rural character and rural open

space.

• Increase active recreation opportunities, by

requiring new developments to contain both

active and passive useable open space areas,

purchasing land for new playgrounds, creat-

ing walking paths, and creating a new

Township park with ball fields.

• Actively pursue public/private partnerships to

preserve open space.

• Trails—Construct the portion of the West

County Trail that lies within the Township

(this trail would connect to Upper Pottsgrove

at Gilbertsville Road). Establish pathways

linking various subdivisions.

• Preserve historic sites, including the historic

school (and grounds) on Hoffmansville Road.

70


• Maintain tree coverage by preserving existing

woodlands, establishing a Shade Tree Com-

mission to oversee the planting and mainte-

nance of new shade trees, and consider revising the Subdivision and Land Develop-

ment Ordinance.

• Preserve Greenways- Work with the Mont-

gomery County Lands Trust to preserve

greenway along Middle Creek and/or Swamp

Creek, and develop a riparian corridor ordi-

nance.

DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP (BERKS)

Douglass Township (Berks) amended its 1988

Comprehensive Plan with an “Open Space and

Recreation Plan Element” completed in 1998.

Other findings and recommendations of the plan

included the following:

• Community parks—Ironstone Community Park

plays a valuable role in the Township’s recrea-

tion system. This facility is 20-acres and has

baseball fields, a basketball court and other

amenities. The Plan recommended a master

plan be developed for Ironstone Park, and

found 18 acres of additional community park-

land would be needed in the township by 2000.

• Neighborhood Parks- Creation of a new

neighborhood park in the lower south end of

the Township should be considered. Up-

grade of the Township’s Municipal Park

should be undertaken.

• Scenic road corridor regulations should be

developed in the Subdivision and Land Devel-

opment Ordinance and an inventory should

be established of scenic views along the

roads.

• The plan recommended the establishment of

a Parks and Recreation Committee, which has

now been formed.

LOWER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP

Lower Pottsgrove has completed a draft of its new

open space plan. The most important open space

issue affecting both Lower Pottsgrove and Upper

Pottsgrove is the need to coordinate their actions

to implement the Sprogels Run Greenway and trail. This will ensure a continuous, viable green-

way and trail is established linking the source of

the Sprogels Run in Upper Pottsgrove with the

Schuylkill River in Lower Pottsgrove. The draft open

space plan recommends rights-of-way be acquired

from property owners along Sprogels Run (from the Township’s border with Upper Pottsgrove to the

vicinity of the Kepler Road and Sunnybrook Road

intersection). Points of interest on the Sprogels Run

in Lower Pottsgrove include Pottsgrove High

School, Ringing Rocks Elementary, Brookside Golf

Course, Alfred B. Miles Park and Nature Area,

Schuylkill River Park and (in the future) the Schuylkill River Trail. The plan urges the Townships to work

together to maximize grant funding opportunities

for Sprogles Run.

Other draft goals include:

• Implementing the County’s Schuylkill River Trail

(East)

• Expansion of Schuylkill River Park

• Potential acquisition of additional open space

areas on or near Sprogles Run (including open

space at the Hartenstine Development, Sunny-

side Farm, and the Sitko Tract)

• A potential Sanatoga Creek trail

Also of note is the designation of a scenic vista on at

the intersection of Keim Street and PA 663, looking

up and down PA 663. The plan designates Keim

Street as a scenic road from PA 663 to Ringing Rocks

Park.

Cooperation between Upper and Lower Pottsgrove is essential to connect the proposed Sprogles Run and West County Trails to the Schuylkill River. Photo: Sanatoga Park, Lower Pottsgrove

71


NEW HANOVER TOWNSHIP

New Hanover Township shares a border of .8 miles

with Upper Pottsgrove and is currently writing its

Open Space Plan. Some of the draft goals include

the following:

• Preserve undeveloped land. The southern end

of the Township has less open space available but open space in this area would better serve

local residential development. Consider imple-

menting an additional earned income tax for

Township residents dedicated solely to open

space acquisition.

• Educate the residents of New Hanover about

the benefits of natural feature protection, in-

cluding by promoting the creation of simple

land management plans for properties, and

the implementation of best management prac-

tices for agricultural uses.

• Complete master plan for New Hanover Com-

munity Park by finding new sources of fund-

ing. Remaining elements include volleyball

courts, an amphitheater, a picnic pavilion, and

a BMX course.

• Investigate potential elements to be included

in Layfield Park, using the Temple Ambler Stu-

dent Studio document as a base.

• Establish a policy to work with developers in

the land development process to get their

cooperation in providing necessary neighbor-

hood park elements (prior to resident move-

ins).

• Provide adequate passive recreation areas. In

the southern end of the township this will be

pursued by working with developers.

• Protect scenic views.

• Work to develop trails called for in the 2004

Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails Master Plan for the Township. Work with the County so trail

property or easements of County interest can

be transferred to County ownership.

• Continue agricultural preservation efforts.

• Create standards to encourage development

remain within the sewer service area, includ-

ing by working with the Township Sewer Au-

thority to contain the sewer service area within

the current boundary.

POTTSTOWN BOROUGH

The borough of Pottstown is currently formulating

its Open Space Plan. The borough is pursuing the

acquisition of the former Iron Works property for use

as open space. Other focuses of the planning effort

include green infrastructure and trails.

WEST POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP

West Pottsgrove has expressed a willingness to

work cooperate with Upper Pottsgrove on plans

for the Goose Run Trail. If it turns out not to be

possible to construct a trail on the Berks County

portion of the Goose Run, a possibility exists of

still achieving a linkage with the future Mana-tawny County Trail via sidewalks or trails along-

side West Pottsgrove roads.

Goals of the Draft West Pottsgrove Open Space Plan include:

• Manatawny Park—Expansion of the public

lands along the Manatawny Creek adjacent

to the existing park would provide perma-

nent protection for the Manatawny Creek

and assure public access. To include a picnic pavilion, tables, recreation equipment.

• Manatawny Trail- Plans exist for public access

along the creek, and protection of riparian

buffers and wildlife along the creek. The

Township will support initiatives to further

acquire and protect these natural lands.

• Schuylkill Riverfront- When PennDot plans for

the relocation of the Stowe Interchange are

developed, any lands available along the

Riverfront and access routes to those lands

should be publicly held. The Township will

work with other units of government and community interest groups to secure the

lands for public ownership.

• Schuylkill River Trail- The county is developing

the trail along the Utility Right-of-Way south

of High Street. This trail will connect West

Pottsgrove Township with neighboring Berks

County to the west and the Borough of Pottstown to the east. Connections between

the trail and the businesses on High Street

could promote local business development

for tourism.

• Public access to waterways and natural habi-

tat— To the extent possible, the Township

72


will request public access to waterways and

the protection of areas of significant natural

habitat. One example of providing access

would be to negotiate public parking and access to the Manatawny Creek in the de-

velopment of the commercial property

along SR 100.

• Historic Preservation—West Pottsgrove

Township has many homes and home-

steads of historic value. The plan specifi-cally noted 23 individual sites and identified

an historic district area along Race Street

from Grosstown Road to Jefferson Street.

To preserve the historic and cultural heri-

tage of the community, the historic district

and these recognized properties in the

Township can be protected through the creation of an Historic District and an His-

toric and Architectural Review Board.

RELATION TO POTTSTOWN METROPOLITAN AREA REGIONAL PLAN The Pottstown Metropolitan Area Regional Plan’s

anticipated adoption is this year. This plan involves

the municipalities of Upper Pottsgrove, Pottstown,

Lower Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, Douglass

(Montgomery County), New Hanover, East Coven-

try, and North Coventry. The plan highlights the importance of investment in open space. Specifi-

cally, some of the plan’s open space objectives in-

clude:

• Coordinate park and recreational opportunities

among the Region’s eight municipalities (for

Regional parks see Figure 9.2).

• Develop a regional trail network to connect

communities and recreation areas.

• Implement the park and recreation goals of

municipal open space plans.

• Encourage parks and open space be provided

with new development.

• Emphasize park and recreation opportunities

that preserve natural linkages, environmental

resources and viewsheds.

• Designate growth and rural resource areas

within the Region to ensure preservation of open space areas (see Figure 9.2)

• Protect existing groundwater resources and

encourage groundwater recharge in the

designs of new development.

• Preserve sensitive natural resources areas,

including woodlands, stream systems, wetlands, steep slopes, and wildlife, especially

along the Schuylkill River.

Figure 9.1 Rural Resource Areas, Pottstown Metropolitan Area Region

73


Legend

Preserved Farms

Public Open Space

Private Open Space

MC

PC

¯ MontgomeryCountyPlanningCommissionMontgomery County Courthouse - Planning CommissionPO Box 311 Norristown PA 19404-0311(p) 610.278.3722 (f) 610.278.3941www.montcopa.org/plancomThis map is based on 2000 ortho photography and official sources. Property lines were compiledfrom individual block maps from Montgomery and Chester County Board of Assessment Appeals,with no verification from the deed. This map is not meant to be used as a legal definition ofproperties or for engineering purposes.

0 9,200 18,4004,600 Feet

Base map prepared November 2001

Figure 9.2 Existing Open Space and Preserved Farms, Pottstown Metropolitan Area

74


75

UPPER POTTSGROVE OPEN SPACE PLAN-CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 10 RECOMMENDATIONS:

ACQUISITION

This chapter makes recommendations for acquisition of public open space. Specific parcel information is

not provided; rather, criteria to guide land acquisition are included. General target areas for open space

acquisition are delineated. A number of methods of protecting open space or sensitive environmental and

historic resources are available to the Township in addition to outright purchase (fee simple ownership).

Such non-acquisition-methods include easements, leasing, and other options described in Chapter 12.

OPEN SPACE CREATION AND EXPANSION Open space acquisition opportunities will be

carefully evaluated by Upper Pottsgrove Town-

ship based on a variety of factors. These in-

clude the presence of the following resources:

• Woodlands

• Wetlands

• Floodplains

• Stream Corridors

• Other Water

• Steep Slopes Much of the remaining undeveloped and agricultural land left in Upper Pottsgrove lies west of PA 100

76


MAUG

ERS MILL RD

SNYDER

RD

GILBERTSVILLE RD

E MO

YER RD

W MOYER RD

PINE FORD RD

EVANS R

D

SWENK RD

MAPLE LEAF LA

ROSE VALLEY RD

MIM

OSA

LAGLENDALE AVE

HANOVER RD

MEADOWVIEW DR

CHESTNUT GROVE RD

KUMMERER RD

CROSS RD

MING DR

FARVIEW LA

FARMINGTON AVEBRUCE RD

DETWEILER RD

NEEDHAMMER RD

COMMERCE DR

LEVENGO

OD RD

GROSS RD

Wolf Run

Fox Run

Sprogles Run

Goose R

un

663

STATE RD

MO

CK R

D

HEATHER PL

100

YARNALL RD

00.25

0.50.75

1M

iles

MCPCMontgom

eryC

ountyPlanningC

omm

issionM

ontgomery C


lanning Com

mission

PO

Box 311 N

orristown P

A 19404-0311

(p) 610.278.3722 (f) 610.278.3941w

ww


Base map prepared October 2005


piledfrom


the Montgom



ap is not meant to be used as a legal definition of properties or for engineering purposes.¯

Legend

Undeveloped

Public Open Space

Private Open Space

Acquisition Focus A

reas

Proposed Trails

Agriculture

Figure 10.1 Acquisition Focus Areas

77


• Cultural Value

• Recreation Potential

• Historic Resources

• Trail Potential

• Development Potential

• Proximity to Existing Open Space

• Vegetation

• Wildlife

• Scenic Views

• Agricultural Soils

The following are Upper Pottsgrove’s primary

open space creation and expansion goals:

• Acquisition of land for trails. This includes

land along the Sprogels Run, Goose Run,

and West County Trail.

• Acquisition of land with important natural

resources (see above list).

• Acquisition of land with important historic

resources (including but not limited to

those historic resources designated in

Chapter 4).

• Creation of new parks for recreation, orna-

mental gardens, or scenic viewing areas

• Expansion of existing parks.

Much of the land being considered for acquisi-

tion lies along the Sprogels Run, Goose Run, or west of PA100 (see Figure 10.1). These lands

can be acquired by outright (fee simple) pur-

chase, or through the land development proc-

ess (zoning ordinances which require setting

aside a portion of a new residential subdivision

for open space). Other non-acquisition meth-ods of protecting open space (such as ease-

ments) are discussed in Chapter 12.

TRAILS

Figure 5.1 highlights the trail recommendations

from Chapter 5. The first priority for trail devel-

opment is the Sprogels Run and West County

Trails. These trails’ proposed routes overlap for

most of their length in the Township. The next-

highest trail development priority is the Goose

Run Trail, followed by shorter, more local trail systems (such as those serving the village of Half-

way House or just one subdivision).

TRAIL ACQUISTION METHODS

Where acquisition is used to develop trails, it may be

accomplished through either fee simple purchase by

the Township or through dedication to the Town-

ship through the land development process.

SELECTING TRAIL ROUTES AND CONNECTIONS

While the exact location of trail routes developed in conjunction with the land development proc-

ess will be dependent on site-specific conditions,

such as steep slopes, wetlands, and subdivision

layout, construction of the trail should occur in

conjunction with development. When selecting

the location of the various trails the following design considerations should be referenced:

• The trail should be separated from traffic as

much as possible and minimize at-grade road

crossings.

• The trail should be as continuous as possible

and avoid requiring users to travel on local streets to get from one link to another.

• The path should extend to parks and open

space areas, or other points of interest, or

make connections with other trails.

• When part of a subdivision or land develop-

ment, the trails should be constructed as part of the improvements and in place prior to the

construction of individual homes.

• The trail should have connections with as

many residential developments as possible.

• Road crossings should be made at signalized

intersections, where possible, or at intersec-

tions controlled by a stop sign. Signage

could be erected indicating the presence of a

trail to turning traffic. Any road crossing in

the middle of a block should be clearly

marked with signage and good sight dis-

tances, and may need to be controlled by a warning light or other device.

• The trail should avoid grades over 5%. Steeper

grades may be acceptable for short distances.

78


• The path should not parallel existing roads for

extended periods where the path will be

crossed by numerous driveways and/or road

crossings.

• The path should be set back from existing

homes in order to protect the privacy of the residents.

NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION

Figure 10.1 identifies the Township’s acquisition

focus areas. These include concentrations of most of the Township’s important natural re-

sources (see Figure 4.9 for a composite of natural

resources in Upper Pottsgrove). Protecting impor-

tant ecological lands helps protect waterways and

stream quality, plant and animal habitat, and pro-vide areas for groundwater recharge. It is the

Township’s intent to protect all these lands via

land use controls, such as riparian corridor protec-

tion ordinances. However, larger blocks of re-

source lands will be preserved via acquisition,

easements, and similar methods wherever possi-

ble. The focus areas for natural resource protec-tion are:

• Land along the Township’s waterways (i.e.,

the Sprogels Run, Goose Run, Fox Run, and

Wolf Run). These lands include the proposed

Sprogles Run and Goose Run greenways,

which are valuable for their potential to serve as trail routes. All the Township’s waterways

are preservation priorities; protecting them

will help protect riparian corridors, wood-

lands, floodplains, wetlands, water quality,

and wildlife habitats; and can help minimize

flooding.

• Wooded and steep slope areas. Many of

these are scenic, rolling woodlands which

greatly contribute to the Township’s natural

beauty. Specifically, these include the north-

ern and eastern corners of the Township.

• Infiltration areas. These areas will help pro-

tect groundwater quality. They include land

between Farmington Avenue and Hanover

Road, and land west of Chestnut Grove Road.

In addition to potential acquisition of these key

resource areas, the Township intends to pursue

non-acquisition methods for resource protection;

these strategies are outlined in Chapter 12.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

The Township has identified properties of special

historic interest (see Figure 4.12). These are Up-

per Pottsgrove’s highest priority properties for

historic preservation. Additional properties of his-

toric importance to the Township may be identi-

fied in the future. The Township will consider

protecting these properties through purchase (potentially by working with a historic society or

other nonprofit group). Other methods of protec-

tion are detailed in Chapter 12, such as the pur-

chase of historic conservation easements. The former Cedar Grove School, constructed c.1870 (Resource #4 in Figure 4.12, Historic Resources)

Upper Pottsgrove has many natural resource areas worthy of protection. Photo: pond source of Sprogels Run

79


In considering parcels for acquisition, the Township will consider a range of factors, including presence of natural resources, scenic views, and historic resources; potential to link to trails; and recreation value, among others

PARKS FOR RECREATION

Upper Pottsgrove is interested in obtaining addi-

tional parkland for recreation. This might be

achieved by acquiring new parks or by expanding

existing parks.

It should be noted the Pottstown Athletic League

(PAL) is in the process of developing land on

Chestnut Grove Road for a recreation area. PAL’s

plans for the first stage of development on this

tract include a soccer field, ball field, and football field; additional recreation amenities are planned

for the second stage of development. However, it

should be noted PAL’s facilities will not be available

to the general public free-of-charge.

AGRICULTURE

The Township will consider acquisition of agricul-tural areas for permanent preservation, and has

identified several farms which it would especially

like to protect if the opportunity arises in the fu-

ture. These include the Smola Farm on West

Moyer and Mickletz Roads (notable in part for its

scenic vista and historic structure), the LeFever Farm

on Maugers Mill Road (with attractive farm buildings

visible from the road, and source of a tributary to

Sprogels Run), and the Grim Farm on Hanover Road (adjacent to Mocharniuk Meadows public open

space).

ACQUISITION METHODS There are a number of ways a municipality can ob-

tain land for open space. An overview of these alter-

natives is provided here to serve as a guide for the

Borough’s future open space acquisition efforts. In

the long term, all of these could conceivably be used

by the Borough, although at any given time one or more may be more appropriate than others for ac-

quiring a specific site. More generally, however, they

indicate that the Borough can be flexible in its ap-

proach to implementing the plan’s goals.

FEE SIMPLE ACQUISITION

This option is the most direct way to acquire open space because it simply involves negotiating with a

80


private landowner to arrive at a mutually accept-

able purchase price and then completing the deal.

The municipality then has free and clear title to the

property, or fee simple ownership. Because it is usually a straightforward transaction, municipali-

ties often prefer this approach, particularly for es-

tablishing a community park.

Since the cost of land with valuable open space

characteristics is expensive, the Township is

planning to hold a referendum this fall on the

feasibility of allocating part of the Township’s

Earned Income Tax Revenue to open space

preservation.

EASEMENTS

Easements are a successful way to save public

funds, yet receive open space benefits. An ease-

ment is a limited right over land owned by an-

other person (often a government entity or land

trust). Legally, a person has the right to use his property subject to zoning laws, subdivision regu-

lation, etc; however, the owner may sell his/her

right to use the land in specific ways.

Conservation easements are used to preserve land

with relatively low cost (without acquiring the

whole property). The land remains privately owned

and the easement involves the property owner

voluntarily agreeing to donate or sell the right to

develop the land. The property has a deed restric-tion on the property that is binding for future own-

ers. It may require that there be no new buildings

constructed or woodlands will be preserved and

can result in tax breaks for owners.

Historic Preservation Easement or Façade Ease-

ments can be used to preserve the exterior of a

historic building. Access easements allow ac-

cess for the public to walk, hike, or ride bicycles

along a specific area.

INSTALLMENT BUYING

With this method, the municipality agrees to

purchase a set number of acres annually until

the full parcel is acquired. In return, the full site

is removed from the tax rolls when the initial

agreement is signed. The owner may choose to remain on his/her land until it is completely sold

and paid for. The advantage of this method is

that benefits accrue to both the municipality

and the landowner. For a municipality with

limited funds, installment buying spreads the

cost over a period of time. The landowner in the

meantime is relieved of real property responsibili-

ties when the agreement is signed.

LONG-TERM LEASE WITH OPTION TO BUY

This method involves the negotiation of a lease price

with a property owner and includes conditions for

use and possible purchase of the property. The

primary advantage is that it permits flexibility; if the property is not needed in the future for open space,

it returns to the owner.

MANDATORY DEDICATION

The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act

247) enables municipalities to require that residential

development dedicate land or fees in lieu of land for public recreation. In order to do this, municipalities

must have an adopted recreation plan and an

adopted ordinance relating to mandatory dedication

before land or fees can be accepted. The amount of

land required must be related to the demand for

recreation land typically created by new develop-

ment. The required fee should reflect the fair market value of the land.

PURCHASE AND LEASE-BACK

Purchase and lease-back results in buying land

and leasing it back to the owner in accordance

with agreed-upon policies for the use and protec-

tion of the land. Its primary advantage is that it permits purchase of property before prices rise or

before the property is lost to development. It also

permits flexibility because once the land is pur-

chased it can be used for another public purpose,

sold, or exchanged for another parcel.

PURCHASE AND RESALE

This method is similar to purchase and lease-back,

except that the land is purchased with the sole intent

of reselling it under conditions or restrictive cove-

nants. If the land is acquired at a low cost, the result-

ing profits help repay initial purchase costs and can

be used to acquire additional land. Another advan-

tage is that after resale, the municipality is relieved of ownership and maintenance responsibilities and the

land is taxable.

81


LEASING

This method is a popular, relatively inexpensive

way to acquire open space, especially if the

land is unlikely to be developed (for example,

reservoirs and utility land). The term of the

lease usually ranges from 20 to 50 years; at a

minimum, a period should be established that is

long enough to finance anticipated capital im-provements. The owner of the leased land pre-

scribes conditions and terms under which the

land can be used and the lessee is required to

carry liability insurance covering personal injury

and property damage.

EMINENT DOMAIN

Eminent domain is the condemnation of land

for a public use by due process of law. It must

involve the determination of a fair market value

for the property and a clear definition of the

public purposes for which it is being con-

demned. Before exercising the right of emi-nent domain, a municipality should study the

necessity of obtaining the particular site and

the feasibility of acquiring it by other acquisi-

tion methods. Only if all other methods fail

and the property is essential to an open space

system should eminent domain be considered.

LAND TRUSTS AND CONSERVANCIES

Land trusts and conservancies are private, non-

profit tax exempt trusts, usually organized by a citizen supported, non-profit agency. Their

funds can be used to provide open space and

to preserve natural resources such as stream

valleys. Administration and management of the

land are the responsibility of the service

agency. Private non-profits have an advantage

in that they can often move faster to acquire property than can a government agency. Fre-

quently a public-private partnership is formed

whereby the private agency acquires land and

then resells it to a government agency at a later

date.

As noted previously, there are a number of ex-

isting conservation groups what will work with

private landowners to conserve their land.

However, such situations may or may not in-clude provisions for public access. Because of

this, a municipality should work closely with

these organizations and landowners where

public access is a goal. In this way, conservan-

cies can function as an alternative method of

acquiring open space.

LAND EXCHANGES

This method involves the trading of land be-

tween one owner and another to obtain mutual

advantages. An arrangement can be made be-

tween landowners to exchange land that serves

their interests.

VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS

Voluntary agreements can be established be-

tween government agencies and owners of ag-

ricultural lands, industrial holdings, and utility

lands for various purposes. They are strictly vol-

untary, with permission to use the land for pub-

lic enjoyment in clearly specified ways. For ex-ample, a utility company might permit trail use

of a power line right-of-way.

PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

If the municipality is only interested in protecting

land or designated features of a property with-

out gaining the right for public access, then this

method of acquisition of partial interests rather

than full fee title in land is available. In essence, a municipality could preserve significant natural,

scenic, historic, or cultural resources by purchas-

ing a landowner’s right to develop the property

or otherwise alter the character of the features

that are deemed worthy of protection.

RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL AND PURCHASE OPTION

These methods involve establishing an agree-

ment which specifies that the land may be ac-

quired by the municipality at a future date. A right of first refusal provides the municipality

with the option to match an offered purchase

price within a specified time period should a

landowner receive a legitimate offer to sell. A

purchase option is simply a right that the mu-

nicipality holds to purchase the land by a speci-

fied date at a specified price. Both rights of first refusal and purchase option can be either do-

nated or sold to the municipality.

82


LIFE OR TERM ESTATES

This technique involves the acquisition of land with

certain restrictions attached to the deed. A munici-

pality may be better able to negotiate the pur-

chase of property if certain interests in the land are

reserved for the benefit of the landowner. For

example, a municipality could purchase land with

all rights of ownership conveyed except the right to occupy a house or a portion of the full property

for a specified term (usually 25 years) or until the

death of the landowner.

DONATIONS AND BARGAIN SALES

These methods of acquisition involve obtaining land at less than its full market value. Receiving

donations of the full value of land is the least ex-

pensive way for a municipality to obtain land and

can, in some instances, be a wise approach for a

landowner to take to directly benefit from tax in-

centives and the shelter effects of charitable de-

ductions. If a full donation of land is not possible or if the landowner has an immediate need for

cash through sale, then a partial donation and

bargain sale might be a prudent alternative. By

selling land at a price that is less than its full value,

a landowner can still receive tax benefits based on

the difference between the fair market value of the

land and its actual sale price. The primary benefit to these techniques is that a municipality acquires

land at a lower cost while the seller obtains tax

deductions.

83


CHAPTER 11 OPTIONAL PLAN ELEMENTS

This chapter addresses optional plan recommendations for Upper Pottsgrove, focusing on municipal trail

and pathway development and heritage resources conservation.

HERITAGE RESOURCE CONSERVATION A goal of the plan is to preserve historic sites in the

Township, including farms, homes, a former

school, and a tavern. The Township will use the

following methods to achieve this:

• Consider purchasing sites of historic

significance, with special focus on historic

resources listed in Table 4.12.

• Consider purchasing historic conservation

easements, with special focus on historic

resources listed in Table 4.12.

• Erect signage to identify and explain the

significance of historic sites.

• Establish a fund for historic restoration work

of building facades done consistent with the

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

• Promote heritage tourism by creating maps

and informational literature, and by working

to establish trail connections to historic sites.

MUNICIPAL TRAIL AND PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT SPROGELS RUN TRAIL

The proposed Sprogels Run Trail will generally

follow the course of the Sprogels Run, the largest

waterway in Upper Pottsgrove. It is proposed that

most of the Sprogels Run Trail in Upper Pottsgrove

(and all of the Sprogels Run Trail in Lower

84


Pottsgrove) also serve as the route for the

proposed West County Trail.

The Sprogels Run Trail would begin at the pond

which is the source of the stream in the

northwestern portion of the Township, north of

the intersection of Evans Road and West Moyer Road. The trail would join the proposed West

County Trail at Gilbertsville Road and proceed in a

southeasterly direction to the Township’s

southeastern boundary with Lower Pottsgrove.

From there the trail would pass through Lower

Pottsgrove, linking to points of interest including

Pottsgrove High School, Ringing Rocks Elementary, Brookside Golf Course, Alfred B. Miles

Park and Nature Area, before reaching the

Schuylkill River at Schuylkill River Park.

The Sprogels Run Trail can follow undeveloped

stream corridor for a large portion of its length. In

some locations trail users may need to be routed

along local roads. The Township will investigate

all trail options.

A Sprogels Run Trail could utilize existing preserved

land at the following locations:

• Hillside Park

• Cherry Tree Farms Subdivision

• Sweetwater Subdivision (pending approval)

• Regal Oaks Subdivision, near Sewage

Treatment Plant

• Turnberry Farms Subdivision

The acquisition of various strategic parcels along

the stream would facilitate trail development.


Development of a Sprogels Run trail would make

connections to other trails and parks possible

(some of which were discussed above). There are

plans to link the Sprogels Run Trail to the Schuylkill River Trail at Armand Hammer Boulevard in Lower

Pottsgrove. The Schuylkill River Trail will eventually

extend from Philadelphia to Reading.

A connection to Fox Run would allow users of the

Sprogels Run Trail to easily access Hollenbach Park

and Mocharniuk Meadows on Hanover Street.

Other connections would be made via the

proposed West County Trail (see description of

West County Trail below).

GOOSE RUN TRAIL

The proposed Goose Run Trail would begin at the

source of the stream branch north of Pine Ford

Road (between Kummerer Road and PA100), and

would proceed in a southwesterly direction to the

Township boundary with West Pottsgrove.

After leaving the Township, the Goose Run flows

into West Pottsgrove, Douglass-Berks, and back into

West Pottsgrove where it flows into the Manatawny

Creek. (for more information on the Goose Run, see Chapter 5: Potential Open Space Linkages)

Upper Pottsgrove will work with West Pottsgrove and Douglass Township, Berks County to investigate

the feasibility of extending the trail along this

portion of the Goose Run. West Pottsgrove has

expressed interest in investigating such an option.

A potential alternative to this extension of the trail

along the Goose Run in West Pottsgrove and

Douglass-Berks would be to establish a linkage along Levengood and Sell Roads connecting the

future Goose Run Trail in Upper Pottsgrove to the

future Manatawny Trail.

The 1991 Upper Pottsgrove Township Park,

Recreation, and Open Space Plan illustrated the

potential route for a greenway that could be

established along Goose Run and other nearby

areas west of PA Route 100. As stated in the

subsequent 1995 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan, “Goose Run and its tributaries are both a

scenic and environmental resource in Upper

Pottsgrove.”

It is proposed that the Goose Run Trail would utilize

land set aside as part of the development process

for the proposed Summer Grove Subdivision (and

potentially for any future development proposed

Trail at Riverfront Park, Pottstown

85


between Pine Ford Road and PA100). Potential to work with developers to establish a trail also exists

should land in the western corner of the Township

currently owned by Waste Management, Inc. be

developed.


A trail along Goose Run would connect to the

following places:

• Proposed Sprogles Run Trail via West Moyer

Road connector (see map of proposed trails, Chapter 5)

• Chestnut Grove subdivision and the proposed

Summer Grove subdivision

• The proposed Manatawny Trail (with

connections to the Schuylkill River Trail and

Parkland alongside the river)

• Manatawny Park

• Future Pottstown Athletic League (PAL) fields

• Heather Place Park

WEST COUNTY TRAIL

Montgomery County’s proposed West County Trail

would connect the Schuylkill River Trail in

Pottstown with the Perkiomen Trail in Green Lane. Originally the trail was planned to extend north

from Pottsown Borough, passing through Upper

Pottsgrove using State Road and Pine Ford Road

before reaching Gilbertsville Road.

Both original plans for the West County Trail and

Upper Pottsgrove’s suggested rerouting of the trail

would link it to Hillside Park before passing into

Douglass Township– Montgomery County. It

would pass Twin Ponds Golf Club, travel into New Hanover and Upper Frederick, and eventually

reach Green Lane Reservoir. The Sunrise Trail

would branch off this trail in Upper Frederick and

travel along the Swamp Creek, past Sunrise Mill to

Schwenksville and the Perkiomen Trail.

The Township proposes altering this route so the

planned trail section south of the point where

Gilbertsville Road crosses Sprogles Run would

instead follow the Sprogels Run to West Moyer Road, where it would head south, connect with

and follow the proposed Goose Run Trail, which

would take it into West Pottsgrove. This proposed

alteration would remove the proposed route from

areas with busy roads, more developed areas, narrow roads with little room for a trail, and less

scenic areas; instead it would generally follow

attractive natural stream corridors, and link to the

Manatawny Creek and future Manatawny Trail,

Memorial Park and the central business district in

Pottstown, and the Schuylkill River Trail.

TRAIL DEVELOPMENT VIA THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Upper Pottsgrove has used the land development process to encourage the development of local

trails where appropriate, and to ensure segments

of proposed Township trails are constructed

where those trails overlap land being developed.

The Township will continue to do so in the future,

and will also support interconnections among

local trails, Township Trails, and the County Trail system.

FARMLAND PRESERVATION STATE AGRICULTURAL SECURITY AREA (ASA)

State law allows groups of farmers, with municipal

approval, to create agricultural security districts.

These districts must comprise at least 500 acres,

although the farms do not have to be contiguous. If a municipality has farms but cannot meet the

acreage requirement, it can join another

municipality’s district. Landowners who join one

of these districts have absolutely no obligations

whatsoever, but they do receive three distinct

benefits.

First, farms in agricultural security areas are

protected from new ordinances that would restrict

normal farming operations or define farms as nuisances. However, the farm operation must use

acceptable farming practices that do not threaten

the public health, safety, and welfare.

Second, condemning land in agricultural security

areas is more difficult. Land condemnations by

the Commonwealth or local municipal authorities,

school boards, and governing bodies must be

reviewed and approved by a state agricultural

board before any action can be taken.

Third, farms in an agricultural security area can

apply to sell their development rights to the

county and state. When development rights are

86


sold, farmers receive the difference between the

development value of their property and the farm

value of their property. In return, a conservation

easement is placed on the property, permanently restricting any non-farm development on the

property. This program permanently preserves

farms.

Upper Pottsgrove will support the ASA program by

educating landowners about the benefits of such

a program. However, it is up to individual

landowners to manage the district.

87


CHAPTER 12 RECOMMENDATIONS:

NON-ACQUISITION PROTECTION METHODS

While acquisition of open space is a priority for Upper Pottsgrove, there are other ways that land can be

maintained as permanent open space without requiring a large expenditure by the Township. The tech-

niques described in this chapter involve zoning or subdivision ordinance provisions that would protect natu-

ral features or add additional open space. The chapter concludes with a discussion of what the Township

could include in its ordinances.

INCENTIVE ZONING Communities can encourage developers through

incentive zoning to provide recreation facilities or

amenities, and trails. The incentives are placed in specific zoning districts, and might allow a developer

to get a higher height or density than otherwise

permitted or a smaller lot size. The ordinances should

be crafted to ensure the cost of providing the

amenity does not exceed the benefit received from

the incentive.

NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION ORDINANCES FLOODPLAIN AND RIPARIAN CORRIDOR PROTECTION

The 100-year floodplain is the area where a flood

event is expected to be equaled or exceeded once

during that time period (or a 1% chance each year).

Most ordinances do not allow any development in the

floodplain in order to protect property from flood dam-

age, protect the environment within the floodplain, and reduce the possibility of raising the flood level.

88


Upper Pottsgrove does allow building in the flood-

plain, but for a restricted list of uses. Freestanding

structures are only permitted in the floodplain by

special exception or variance. The Township could choose to prohibit structures even by special excep-

tion or variance if it wishes to tighten the floodplain

regulations.

The Township should also consider implementing a

riparian corridor protection ordinance. The term

riparian refers to streambanks, but more specifically

the vegetated areas found along many water-

courses. A riparian corridor protection ordinance

would protect the land surrounding streams within a designated distance from the waterway (typically

75 feet on both sides). Riparian corridor protection

ordinances would help preserve a continuous plant

and wildlife habitat along the stream. Preserving

streamside vegetation could help minimize erosion,

protect water quality, maintain stream temperature

and the aquatic habitat, and reduce flooding.

WETLANDS

Sometimes, developers receive all of the federal and

state permits that they need, but they locate homes

right next to wetland areas. Although this is permitted

by state and federal regulations, it can lead to prob-

lems in the future if individual homeowners decide to fill in that wet spot behind their home so they can

have a more usable back yard. Local municipalities

can eliminate this problem by requiring a minimum

building setback from wetlands.

GROUNDWATER/WELLHEAD PROTECTION

Groundwater quality can be protected with wellhead

protection ordinances or aquifer recharge ordinances. Because aquifers are so large, wellhead protection

ordinances are more common. These ordinances,

which only protect public wells, not individual wells,

regulate development in an area which could poten-

tially contaminate the groundwater supplying that

well. This area, called a wellhead protection area, can

be identified in a number of ways, although the most accurate method is to conduct a hydrogeologic sur-

vey.

Development within the wellhead protection area can

be regulated by restricting certain uses, such as gas

stations; by limiting the intensity of development, such

as limiting the density of single-family detached homes

with individual septic systems; and/or by controlling

how a land use activity occurs, such as farming with

specific types of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals.

In addition, the community may impose design stan-dards on new construction that might pollute the

groundwater, including hazardous materials contain-

ment structures or areas, surface water runoff collec-

tion systems, and large impervious areas such as park-

ing lots and buildings.

Because of the low permeability of much of the un-

derlying geology, the Township is part of what is

known as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Groundwa-

ter Protected Area (GWPA) of the Delaware River Ba-

sin. In the GWPA, the Delaware River Basin Commis-sion’s groundwater regulations are more stringent

than in other parts of the Basin.

DONATIONS OF PROPERTIES FOR PERMANENT OPEN SPACE Landowners can preserve their land by donating the

full title of their property or by donating their

development rights to a nonprofit land conservation group. These two methods permanently preserve

open space.

Landowners who donate development rights receive tax benefits and their land must be permanently re-

stricted from future development. Land conservation

groups that operate within Montgomery County and

which may accept easements or donations include:

Montgomery County Lands Trust, Conservancy of

Montgomery County, and the Heritage Conservancy.

A segment of the Sprogels Run and its riparian corridor

89


ENDOWMENT FUND

The Township itself may also accept land, ease-

ments, or donations to an endowment fund for

the purchase or improvement of open space,

parks, and trails. Upper Pottsgrove is interested in

creating a program to honor open space donors.

This might involve recording their names and a

record of their gift on plaques or carved bricks on the open space site, or even naming a park, pond,

open space area, or trail (or segment of a trail)

after a donor.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCES While not directly related to open space preserva-

tion, historic preservation ordinances help save

historic properties that add to the character of an area. One technique for preserving historic build-

ings permits additional uses in historic buildings.

Additional permitted uses in a residential district

might include bed and breakfast establishments,

home occupations, galleries, cultural studios, or

antique shops. An ordinance could also be passed

to discourage demolition of historic properties and permit alternative uses of the property to be sug-

gested to the owner prior to demolition. A useful

tool for protecting scattered historic structures is a

historic preservation overlay zone. The Township

might also encourage nomination of individual prop-

erties for the National Register. This honorary listing

results in the property being considered for Federal, federally licensed, and federally-assisted projects. It

also makes the property eligible for certain tax provi-

sions, when available qualifies the property for federal

grants for historic preservation.

PERFORMANCE ZONING With performance zoning, the minimum lot size is

directly related to the natural features of the site. The

lot size corresponds to such features as: high water

table soils, floodplains, and steep slopes. When many of these features exist on a site, the minimum lot size

must be increased. If these features are not present,

the minimum lot size can be smaller, such as one

acre. These provisions are placed in the zoning ordi-

nance.

An example of performance zoning is where the envi-

ronmental constraints of a lot are subtracted from the

net lot area. If the zoning district allowed a minimum

of 1-acre lots and the applicant proposed a 2-acre lot

and the lot contained 1.5 acres of floodplain, then the

application would not be permitted because the net

area would be 0.5 acres.

Performance zoning ordinances can also apply

ratios to a wide range of environmental con-

straints such as floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes, soils, geology, woodlands, etc. The ratio

is multiplied by the constrained portion of the lot.

This is then subtracted from the lot area to yield

the net lot area. For example for a 5-acre lot with

a ratio of 100 percent for floodplains and 50 per-

cent for steep slopes that contains 1 acre flood-

plains and 1.5 acres of steep slopes:

1.50 (acres of steep slopes) x 0.50 = .75 acre

1.00 (acre of floodplain) x 1 = 1.00 acre

1.00 (floodplain) + 0.75 (steep slopes) = 1.75

5.00 – 1.75 = 3.25 net acres

Upper Pottsgrove utilizes performance zoning in its

R-1 Residential District and R-2 Residential District;

however, it could also be applied to its R-80 Low-

Density Residential District.

CLUSTERING HOMES One method to preserve open space is to cluster

homes within one portion of a development and

reserve the rest for permanent open space. The

overall density of the site is about the same, while the homes are on smaller lots. The open space

area might serve as a recreation area; it could also

be used to preserve the views, historic landscapes,

farmland, or natural features of the area. The

open space may then be dedicated to the

township as parkland or maintained by a home-

owners’ association.

Through clustering, significant portions of the site

can be preserved— sometimes as much as 75% or

80%. The open space may be in the developed portion of the site so that the homes have neighbor-

hood open space. While this type of development

preserves natural resources, it also benefits the de-

veloper by lowering infrastructure costs by reducing

road length, stormwater facilities, and utility lines.

Upper Pottsgrove utilizes clustering in its R-1 and R-2

Residential Districts, but it would greatly benefit by

also applying it to the R-80 Low-Density Residential

District.

90


“CONSERVATION BY DESIGN” ORDINANCES Applying this methodology as developed by the

Natural Lands Trust, communities create zoning and subdivision ordinances that enable the land

development process to best protect important

landscape features. The process “respects the

private property rights of developers without

unduly impacting the remaining natural areas

that make our communities such special places in

which to live, work, play and invest.”

Specifically, the four step process includes the

following:

1. Identify the land to be permanently pro-

tected

2. Locate proposed houses in order to

maximize open space potential

3. Design road network and other infra-

structure

4. Assign lot lines to individual parcels

SCENIC RESOURCE PROTECTION Communities have several tools available to main-

tain rural character. Land development regulations

can reduce the visual impact of rural development

by encouraging or requiring homes to be hidden

from view. For example, the zoning could allow a

smaller lot size if homes are located in wooded ar-eas or behind ridgelines. On the other hand, the

community could require homes that will be located

on existing roads to have a larger lot size, bigger

setbacks from the road, or screen buffers between

the road and the home.

Often, municipalities require rural subdivisions to

provide curbing and to widen the road, even

though these improvements may not be necessary.

It is necessary to widen streets and provide curbs in some areas. However, when these improvements

are required in locations that do not need them, the

historic rural character of the roadway is changed.

Sometimes, special features of the landscape, such

as historic bridges, tree rows, fences, and hedges,

are also destroyed in the process. Landscape buffer

and tree and hedgerow preservation standards in the subdivision ordinance are other tools.

TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS This method of preserving rural land transfers devel-

opment from rural areas to growth areas. With a transfer of development rights program, rural land-

owners can sell their development rights to develop-

ers in the township’s growth areas instead of devel-

oping their rural land.

For example, a rural landowner who has 50 acres

might normally be allowed to subdivide them into

twenty 2-acre lots. Instead, with a TDR program,

the landowner sells the right to build these 20 lots

Upper Pottsgrove’s R-2 Residential Zoning District requires that a portion of a development tract be set aside as open space. In the case of Turnberry Farms the open space was used to help preserve this riparian corridor along a tributary to Sprogels Run

Land development regulations can reduce the visual impact of rural development by encouraging or requiring homes to be hidden from view.

91


to a developer in a growth area. The developer

adds those 20 units, or more as appropriate, to

the number of units normally allowed to be built.

The rural landowner, who has been paid for these development rights, is then required to deed re-

strict the land against any future development.

92


93


CHAPTER 13 IMPLEMENTATION

BACKGROUND Implementation is perhaps the most important part of the plan. Also included in this chapter is a list of

potential funding sources and local conservation agencies. The implementation chart on the next page

indicates the proposed type of protection technique, specific action, entity responsible, and year of imple-

mentation for each project.

The following organizations have been designated as entities responsible for or supporting implementa-

tion:

• Board of Commissioners

• Department of Conservation and Natural Re-

sources (DCNR)

• Department of Public Works

• Historic Conservation Groups

• Land Conservation Groups

• Montgomery County Planning Commission

(MCPC)

• Open Space Committee/Commission

• Planning Commission

• Parks & Recreation Committee

• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS)

• Solicitor

• Temple Ambler

94


Go

al Sp

ecific Actio

n

Respo

nsib

le Party Im

plem

entatio

n

Year Po

tential

Fun

din

g M

atch

VERY H

IGH

PRIO

RITY

Acq

uire Parks an

d O

pen

Sp

ace

Ob

jectively evaluate p

arcels for th

eir overall valu

e to th

e Tow

nsh

ip,

based

on

po

tential co

nn

ection

to trails an

d o

ther o

pen

space,

enviro

nm

ental an

d scen

ic view co

nservatio

n, p

resence o

f histo

ric reso

urces, recreatio

n valu

e, accessibility, an

d ab

ility to serve areas w

ith

few p

arks or little p

ub

lic op

en sp

ace.

OSC

, BOC

, S 1

Tow

nsh

ip

Bo

nd

Th

e Tow

nsh

ip w

ill con

tinu

e to w

ork w

ith d

evelop

ers to acq

uire o

pen

sp

ace thro

ug

h th

e develo

pm

ent p

rocess. O

f particu

lar con

cern to

the

Tow

nsh

ip is lan

d alo

ng

the Sp

rog

els Run

and

Go

ose Ru

n.

PC, BO

C

On

go

ing

To

wn

ship

Establish

Green

ways an

d

Trails Estab

lish Sp

rog

els Run

Trail and

green

way an

d lin

k to p

arks, op

en sp

ace an

d co

un

ty and

regio

nal trails.

P&R

1-2 D

CN

R, C

ou

nty,

Tow

nsh

ip

Enviro

nm

ental C

on

servation

Pro

tect sensitive en

viron

men

tal features via fee sim

ple acq

uisitio

n o

r p

urch

ase of co

nservatio

n easem

ent

PC

1 B

on

d

A

dd

Clu

ster Provisio

n to

R-80 Low

-Den

sity Residen

tial Zon

ing

District

PC

1 n

/a

Enh

ance lo

cal recreation

system

: pro

mo

te expan

ded

recreatio

n o

pp

ortu

nities fo

r all resid

ents

Co

ntin

ue to

Invo

lve the U

pp

er Pottsg

rove To

wn

ship

Park and

Recreatio

n Bo

ard. C

om

plete n

ew Parks &

Recreation

Plan.

P&R

1-2 To

wn

ship

Estab

lish a System

to Pro

ject the Po

tential M

ainten

ance o

f New

Parks an

d O

pen

Space Lan

d (in

vestigate co

sts). P&

R 2

Tow

nsh

ip

C

on

du

ct Regu

lar Safety Insp

ection

s of To

wn

ship

Recreation

Prop

erties. D

PW

1 To

wn

ship

H

old

referend

um

on

use o

f Earned

Inco

me Tax to

Fun

d To

wn

ship

O

pen

Space A

cqu

isition

. O

SC, BO

C, S

1 n

/a

Figure 13.1 Im

plementation T

able

95


Go

al Sp

ecific Actio

n

Respo

nsib

le Party Im

plem

entatio

n

Year Po

tential

Fun

din

g M

atch

HIG

H P

RIO

RITY

Establish

Green

ways an

d Trails Estab

lish G

oo

se Run

Trail and

green

way an

d lin

k to p

arks, op

en sp

ace an

d co

un

ty and

regio

nal trails.

P&R

2-5 D

CN

R, C

ou

nty,

Tow

nsh

ip

Enviro

nm

ental C

on

servation

A

do

pt rip

arian co

rrido

r pro

tection

ord

inan

ce PC

2

Tow

nsh

ip

Enh

ance lo

cal recreation

system

: pro

mo

te expan

ded

recreatio

n o

pp

ortu

nities fo

r all resid

ents

To exp

and

, better coo

rdin

ate and

pu

blicize th

e rang

e of recreatio

n

pro

gram

s available.

P&R

2 To

wn

ship

, D

CN

R

Enh

ance lo

cal recreation

system

: pro

mo

te expan

ded

recreatio

n o

pp

ortu

nities fo

r all resid

ents

To en

sure all To

wn

ship

recreation

pro

perties are attractive, safe an

d w

ell-m

aintain

ed.

P&R

1 N

A

To

use creative fin

ancin

g tech

niq

ues th

at will facilitate th

e afford

able

expan

sion

of recreatio

nal services.

P&R

3 A

ll

Wo

rk with

the Po

ttsgro

ve Scho

ol D

istrict to o

btain access to

athletic field

s at sch

oo

l. This m

igh

t be facilitated

by allo

win

g Po

ttsgro

ve Scho

ols a

recipro

cal arrang

emen

t with

respect to

use o

f Up

per Po

ttsgro

ve To

wn

ship

Parks.

P&R

1 To

wn

ship

C

on

tinu

e to C

reate Mo

re No

n-Sp

orts A

ctivities, Especially fo

r Teens an

d

Ad

ults.

P&R

1 To

wn

ship

M

ake Greater U

se of Fees an

d C

harg

es. P&

R 2

Tow

nsh

ip

Prep

are and

Distrib

ute a B

roch

ure D

escribin

g Leisu

re Op

po

rtun

ities in

and

Aro

un

d th

e Tow

nsh

ip.

P&R

2 D

CN

R

96


Go

al Sp

ecific Actio

n

Respo

nsib

le Party

Imp

lemen

tation

Year

Poten

tial Fu

nd

ing

Match

PRIO

RITY

Prom

ote exp

and

ed recreatio

n

op

po

rtun

ities for all resid

ents

Be A

ware o

f the To

wn

ship

’s Ob

ligatio

ns U

nd

er the A

merican

s with

Disab

ilities A

ct. A

dm

in

1 N

/A

Enco

urag

e do

natio

ns an

d

con

tribu

tion

s

Establish

a Gifts C

atalog

of Item

s Need

ed in

Tow

nsh

ip Park an

d Recreatio

n

Areas. G

ive do

no

rs recog

nitio

n to

than

k them

and

enco

urag

e new

d

on

ation

s. Establish

a Park End

ow

men

t Fun

d fo

r Acq

uisitio

n Su

pp

orted

by

Do

natio

ns an

d Fu

nd

raisers.

P&R

2 To

wn

ship

Establish

Green

ways an

d

Trails W

ork w

ith C

ou

nty to

con

struct th

e po

rtion

of th

e West C

ou

nty Trail in

the

Tow

nsh

ip as so

on

as po

ssible.

P&R

6-8 D

CN

R, C

ou

nty,

Tow

nsh

ip

Preserve Histo

ric Resou

rces Fee sim

ple acq

uisitio

n o

r pu

rchase o

f con

servation

easemen

t on

selected

histo

ric resou

rce(s) O

SC, P&

R, H

CG

1-10

Bo

nd

N

om

inate p

rop

erties or su

pp

ort n

om

inatio

n o

f histo

ric pro

perties to

Natio

nal

Register

OSC

, P&R,

HC

G

1-10 B

on

d

A

do

pt h

istoric p

reservation

ord

inan

ce PC

3

-5 N

/A

B

OC

=Board

of C

om

missio

ners

DC

NR=

Dep

artmen

t of C

on

servation

and

Natu

ral Resou

rces

DPW

=Dep

artmen

t of Pu

blic W

orks

H

CG

=A H

istoric C

on

servation

Gro

up

LCG

=A

Land

Co

nservatio

n G

rou

p

M

CPC

= M

on

tgo

mery C

ou

nty Plan

nin

g C

om

missio

n

O

SC=

Op

en Sp

ace Co

mm

ittee

PC

= Plan

nin

g C

om

missio

n

PHS= Pen

nsylvan

ia Ho

rticultu

ral Society

P&

RC=Parks an

d Recreatio

n C

om

mittee

S= So

licitor

TA= Tem

ple A

mb

ler

97


FUNDING SOURCES In addition to the funds allocated through the

County Open Space Program, Upper Pottsgrove

is eligible for funds from a variety of sources

including grants, general revenue funds, bond

issues, and donations (of cash, materials, or labor).

Upper Pottsgrove will pursue other grants available from Montgomery County, the Department of Con-

servation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and others.

These grants can be used in conjunction with the

County’s Open Space grants to help defray the cost

of the Borough’s match. A sampling of possible

grant sources is described below.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY OPEN SPACE GRANTS (MCOS)

In 2003, a referendum to fund open space and

green infrastructure projects was passed in Mont-

gomery County. Know as the Green Fields/Green Towns Program, this funding was allocated to mu-

nicipalities, private non-profit conservation organiza-

tions, and the county to preserve more open space

and enhance the livability of existing communities

throughout the county.

Upper Pottsgrove is eligible to receive a total of

$714,786 for open space acquisition and enhance-

ment. This grant requires matching funds equal to

20% of project costs from the municipality. The county grants come with several conditions. The

most important condition is that any land purchased

with grant money must be permanently preserved

as open space or for active recreation. Another con-

dition is that Upper Pottsgrove must complete and

adopt its Open Space Plan. This plan must be ap-

proved by the County’s Open Space Board before grant money can be disbursed.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROGRAM (MCRP)

Initiated in 2000, this program is intended to create

a strategic, economic development program that will strengthen and stabilize the county’s older com-

munities for the long term. It helps these communi-

ties become more vibrant, livable, and attractive

places. Funding from this competitive program is

used for projects consistent with the Borough’s

Community Revitalization Plan.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DCNR)

DCNR manages a variety of grant and technical

assistance programs concerned with a variety of

issues . DCNR annually awards about $30 million

in planning, acquisition, and development grants

for parks, recreation, rivers conservation, trails, greenways, and protection of open space and

critical natural areas. Most DCNR grants require a

50/50 match. DCNR also provides pre-application

workshops to assist applicants in the preparation

of their application forms.

A priority goal of the these programs is to develop

and sustain partnerships with communities, non-

profits, and other organizations for recreation and

conservation projects and purposes. With this in mind, the Community Conservation Partnerships

Program (C2P2) was established. It is a combina-

tion of several funding sources and grant pro-

grams, including the Commonwealth’s Keystone

Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (KEY 93,

described below), the Environmental Stewardship

and Watershed Protection Act (Growing Greener, also described below), Act 68 Snowmobile and

ATV Trails Fund, the Land and Water Conservation

Fund (LWCF) and the Recreational Trails compo-

nent of the Transportation Equity Act for the

Twenty-First Century (TEA-21).

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (DEP)

The Growing Greener program has funded efforts

to clean up Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams,

reclaimed abandoned mines and toxic waste sites,

invested in new alternative energy sources, pre-

served farmland and open space, and developed watershed restoration programs. Thus far, Grow-

ing Greener has generated nearly $1.50 in match-

ing funds for the environment for every $1.00 in

state money. As the Growing Greener program

evolves, it will focus on brownfield redevelop-

ment, farmland and open space preservation,

water quality improvements, enhanced state and community parks, and an upgraded fish and

wildlife infrastructure. Growing Greener II will

accomplish these goals while making critical in-

vestments in community revitalization and the

promotion of the use of clean energy.

98


KEYSTONE RECREATION, PARK, AND CONSERVATION FUND

The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation

Fund Act was signed into law in 1993. It directs a portion of the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax to the

Keystone Fund, establishing a dedicated and per-

manent funding source for recreation, parks, con-

servation, and other programming. Grants from

this program require a minimum 50% match from

the recipient municipality or nonprofit organiza-

tion. As of 2002, $144 million had been granted to more than 2,100 projects. The demand on the

Keystone Fund already outstrips resources by a 4

to 1 margin.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (DCED)

The mission of DCED is “To foster opportunities for businesses and communities to succeed and thrive in

a global economy, thereby enabling Pennsylvanians

to achieve a superior quality of life.” Therefore there

are several assistance and grant programs available to

Pennsylvania municipalities. Often, local economic

and community revitalization efforts are supported by the implementation of green infrastructure and open

space plans. Below is a list of programs offered by

DCED through which revitalization funds may flow to

implement the recommendations described in this

open space plan.

• Community Development Block Grant Pro-

gram (CDBG) - Provides grant assistance and technical assistance to aid communi-

ties in their community and economic de-

velopment efforts.

• Community Revitalization Program (CR) - Provides

grant funds to support local initiatives that pro-

mote the stability of communities.

• Main Street Program - This program provides

assistance for revitalization planning and projects.

• Elm Street Program - Grant funds for plan-

ning, technical assistance and physical im-

provements to residential and mixed use ar-eas in proximity to central business districts.

• Industrial Sites Reuse Program - Grant and

low-interest loan financing to perform envi-

ronmental site assessment and remediation

work at former industrial sites.

PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL & MUSEUM COMMISSION (PHMC)

Many communities value their historic resources and

work to preserve them for future generations. These resources can then be integrated into the

open space network and cultural amenities of that

community to enhance local image and aesthetics.

The PHMC offers several programs that aid munici-

palities in these efforts.

• Certified Local Government Grant Program - Pro-

vides funding for cultural resource surveys, na-tional register nominations, technical and planning

assistance, educational and interpretive programs,

staffing and training, and pooling CLG grants and

third party administration.

• Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Pro-

gram - Funding for preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation.

• Pennsylvania History and Museum Grant Pro-

gram - Funding under this program is desig-

nated to support a wide variety of museum,

history, archives and historic preservation pro-

jects, as well as nonprofit organizations and local governments. There are 10 types of

grants.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (PENNDOT)

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL

This category includes projects for bicyclists and pedestrians that permit safe passage for children to

walk or bike to school. This includes activities that

enhance the transportation system through the

construction of new facilities or the improvement of

existing facilities to make them more usable for pe-

destrians and bicyclists. Some examples of eligible

activities include: sidewalk improvements, pedes-trian/bicycle crossing improvements, bike lanes,

traffic diversion improvements, off-street bicycle and

pedestrian facilities. In addition, this program may

fund traffic calming measures to slow the speed of

cars such as the following: curb extensions, bulb-

outs, traffic circles, raised median islands, speed

humps, textured or raised crosswalks. Funds can-not be used for bicycle and pedestrian facilities that

are solely for recreational use.

HOME TOWN STREETS

This category includes a variety of streetscape im-

provements that are vital to reestablishing our

99


downtown and commercial centers. These will

include activities undertaken within a defined

"downtown" area that collectively enhance that

environment and promote positive interactions with people in the area. Projects may include side-

walk improvements, planters, benches, street light-

ing, pedestrian crossings, transit bus shelters, traf-

fic calming, bicycle amenities, kiosks, community

"gateway" plantings, signage and other visual

elements.

DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION (DVRPC)

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

The TCDI program is intended to assist in re-

versing the trends of disinvestment and decline

in many of the region's core cities and first gen-

eration suburbs by:

• Supporting local planning projects that will

lead to more residential, employment or retail

opportunities;

• Improving the overall character and quality of

life within these communities to retain and attract business and residents, which will help

to reduce the pressure for further sprawl and

expansion into the growing suburbs;

• Enhancing and utilizing the existing transpor-

tation infrastructure capacity in these areas to

reduce the demands on the region's transpor-

tation network; and

• Reducing congestion and improving the

transportation system's efficiency.

CONGESTION MITIGATION AND AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CMAQ)

This program seeks transportation-related projects

that can help the region reduce emissions from

highway sources and meet National Clean Air Act

standards. The program covers the DVRPC region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and

Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania; and, Bur-

lington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties

in New Jersey.

TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT

PROGRAM (TE)

Transportation Enhancements is a set-aside of Fed-eral highway and transit funds, mandated by Con-

gress in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st

Century (TEA-21) for the funding of "non-traditional"

projects designed to enhance the transportation ex-

perience, to mitigate the impacts of transportation facilities on communities and the environment, and to

enhance community character through transporta-

tion-related improvements.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RIVERS, TRAILS, AND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The program offers technical assistance only to

nonprofit organizations, community groups, and

local or state government agencies. Rivers and

Trails technical staff offers the following types of

assistance for recreation and conservation projects:

• Building partnerships to achieve community-

set goals

• Assessing resources

• Developing concept plans

• Engaging public participation

• Identifying potential sources of funding

• Creating public outreach

• Organizational development

• Providing conservation and recreation infor-

mation

PECO ENERGY GREEN REGION OPEN SPACE GRANT PROGRAM

PECO Energy, a subsidiary of Exelon, is cur-

rently involved in several environmental part-

nerships including “TreeVitalize,” with DCNR,

clean water preservation with The Nature Con-servancy, and environmental education initia-

tives with the Schuylkill Center for Environ-

mental Education and Green Valleys Associa-

tion. Green Region grants are available to mu-

nicipalities in amounts up to $10,000. The

grants can be used with other funding sources

to cover a wide variety of planning and direct expenses associated with development and

implementing open space programs, including

consulting fees, surveys, environmental assess-

ments, habitat improvement, and capital im-

provements for passive recreation.

100


DELAWARE ESTUARY GRANTS PROGRAM

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ad-

ministers this grant program in cooperation with the Delaware Estuary Program, and other part-

ner agencies. Grants range between $5,000

and $25,000, and larger amounts are awarded

depending on whether the project relates di-

rectly to the action items of the Comprehensive

Conservation and Management Plan for the

Delaware Estuary or that would improve the Delaware Estuary.

WATERSHED ACTION GRANTS

These grants are awarded by the Conservation

Fund for applicants in southeastern Pennsylvania

and Southern New Jersey for implementation of

conservation plans. Grant awards are between $2,000 and $20,000 for projects that protect the

watershed, improve water quality, or promote

watershed stewardship.

WATERSHED RESOURCES EDUCATION NETWORK

The Watershed Resources Education Network

offers grants related to water resource education

and training.

GENERAL REVENUE FUNDS AND BOND ISSUE

Rockledge has the option of using general reve-

nue funds for open space and recreation pur-poses. It also has the option of issuing a bond to

pay for the capital costs of parkland acquisition

and development. The decision to pursue these

options rests with the Board of Commissioners

after being advised by the administration.

DONATIONS

Rockledge should encourage donations from

individuals, businesses, and groups to help pay

for parkland acquisition, development, and tree

planting. The donations may be cash, materials,

or labor. Rockledge could organize special days

during which local citizens and groups could

gather to participate in implementing open space projects.

SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA LAND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS PENNYPACK ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION TRUST-PALTA MEMBER

2955 Edge Hill Rd. Huntington Valley, PA 19006

Counties where acquisitions completed:

Montgomery

Mission: The mission of the Trust and its membership

is to protect, restore and preserve the lands of the

central Pennypack Creek valley so that they * remain

an enhancement to the quality of visitors’ lives, *

remain a vibrant and diverse natural landscape sup-

porting native plant and animal life, and * become the standard of excellence for innovative restoration

and stewardship practices to be shared with other

individuals and organizations joined in common

commitment to the environment.

Founded: 1970

Phone: (215) 657-0830

Email: [email protected] www.libertynet.org/

pert

BRANDYWINE CONSERVANCY- PALTA MEMBER

PO Box 141 Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Counties where acquisitions completed: Bucks, Ches-

ter, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia

Mission: The mission of the Brandywine Conser-

vancy's Environmental Management Center is to

conserve the natural and cultural resources of the

Brandywine River watershed and other selected ar-

eas with a primary emphasis on conservation of wa-

ter quantity and quality.

Founded: 1967

Phone: (610) 388-2700

Email: [email protected] www.brandywineconservancy.org

CONSERVANCY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY- PALTA MEMBER

PO Box 28

Ambler, PA 19002-0028

Counties where acquisitions completed: Montgomery

101


Mission: The business and purpose of this organi-

zation shall be to advocate the preservation of

historic and natural resources in Montgomery

County to ensure their protection for future gen-erations. The main functions of the organization

shall be to identify and protect historic structures,

open space and natural resources; sponsor educa-

tional preservation programs; conduct survey and

planning studies; promote, assist with and accept

conservation easements; and provide an informa-

tion network and clearinghouse for preservation information for county residents, businesses,

schools, municipalities and organizations.

Founded: 1990

Phone: (215) 283-0383

Email: [email protected]

HERITAGE CONSERVANCY- PALTA MEMBER

85 Old Dublin Pike

Doylestown, PA 18901

Counties where acquisitions completed: Bucks, Mont-

gomery, Susquehanna, York Counties where acquisitions anticipated: Northamp-

ton

Mission: Heritage Conservancy is a nonprofit organi-zation dedicated to preserving our natural and his-

toric heritage. Founded in 1958, it was concern for

the rapid loss of open space in Bucks County which

led to the formation of the Bucks County Park Foun-

dation, known today as Heritage Conservancy.

Founded: 1958

Phone: (215) 345-7020


www.heritageconservancy.org

LOWER MERION CONSERVANCY PALTA MEMBER

1301 Rose Glen Rd. Gladwyne, PA 19035

Counties where acquisitions completed: Delaware,

Montgomery

Mission: The Lower Merion Conservancy acts to pro-

tect our area's natural and historic resources, open

space, and watersheds for area residents and future

generations. Through education, advocacy, and

research, the Conservancy promotes collective re-

sponsibility for these resources.

Founded: 1991

Phone: (610) 645-9030


www. lmconservancy.org

MONTGOMERY COUNTY LANDS TRUST- PALTA MEMBER

PO Box 300

Lederach, PA 19450 Counties where acquisitions completed: Montgom-

ery

Mission: " It is the mission of Montgomery County

Lands Trust to permanently preserve land and to

foster the wise stewardship of open space of our

county by: Acquiring easements and encouraging

donation of land to appropriate stewards. Helping to

facilitate the creation of open space and natural

amenities in existing communities. Promoting envi-ronmentally sensitive, sustainable development

which preserves open space, significant natural re-

sources and our unique sense of place. Providing

educational programs that strategically advance its

mission.

Founded: 1993

Phone: (215) 513-0100

Email: [email protected] www.mclt.org

NATURAL LANDS TRUST- PALTA MEMBER

1031 Palmers Mill Rd.

Media, PA 19063 Counties where acquisitions completed: Bucks,

Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia

Mission: Natural Lands Trust is a non-profit, re-

gional land conservation organization working

to protect the most critical remaining open

lands in the greater Philadelphia region.

Founded: 1961

Phone: (610) 353-5587


www.natlands.org

NORTH AMERICAN LAND TRUST- PALTA MEMBER

PO Box 1578

Chadds Ford, PA 19317 Counties where acquisitions completed: Ches-

ter, Delaware, Lancaster,

Montgomery

102


Founded: 1992

Phone: (610) 388-3670

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

www.nalt.org

PERKIOMEN WATERSHED CONSERVANCY- PALTA MEMBER

1 Skippack Pike Schwenksville, PA 19473

Counties where acquisitions completed: Mont-

gomery

Mission: The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy

is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 by

local citizens to combat pollution in the Perki-

omen Creek and its tributaries. We provide an

integrated approach to environmental issues of

the Perkiomen Watershed area through environ-mental education, Watershed stewardship and

conservation programs.

Founded: 1964

Phone: (610) 287-9383


www.perkiomenwatershed.org

WISSAHICKON VALLEY WATERSHED ASSOCIATION- PALTA MEMBER

12 Morris Rd.

Ambler, PA 19002

Counties where acquisitions completed: Mont-gomery

Mission: Since 1957, the Wissahickon Valley Water-

shed Association has been the leader in protecting the open space of the Wissahickon Valley, in en-

hancing its water quality, and in educating people

of all ages about environmental concerns.

Founded: 1957

Phone: (215) 646-8866

Email: [email protected]:

www.wvwa.org

Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Commission 12/05

UPPER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP - montcopa.org

Documents

Transcript of UPPER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP - montcopa.org