Council OKs priorities for planning commission

Walkability, permit parking studies top list

As the new year begins, officials heard a preview of the borough planning commission’s goals for 2020.

As a new year begins, borough officials are getting ready their to-do list.

Council heard a preview of the borough planning commission’s goals for 2020, signing off on three they think can make a big difference in shaping the town over the next two decades.

“These are all things that we would like to do, and the nice thing about them is that it isn’t going to cost us any money,” said Mayor Greg D’Angelo.

“We can do these items with assistance from the Montgomery County Planning Commission — we have a contract with them, and this is all covered,” he said.

In 2018 the borough, with help from MCPC, finalized their new “North Wales 2040” comprehensive plan update, spelling out a series of plans and projects to tackle over the next two decades. In 2019 the commission discussed an update to the borough’s transit-oriented development zone, D’Angelo said, which is currently undergoing a final engineering review, and applied for a PECO grant that’s also still in the engineering phase.

D’Angelo told council Tuesday that three of them have been identified by the planning commission as feasible for the next year and could pave the way for future projects.

“The three priorities that I’m bringing to you tonight, that we’re looking for council approval, are, one: an audit of the zoning and SALDO ordinance,” he said, referring to the town’s subdivision and land development codes.

Goals of that update would be to find areas in the code in need of updating, clarification, or new language, to ensure that code contributes to the “preservation and protection of existing community character,” according to the mayor.

“That would be an ongoing project, and we’re not going to start it without council’s approval,” he said.

The second goal recommended by the planning commission will be an audit of permit parking areas in town, which D’Angelo and police Chief Michael Eves said are largely located near the borough’s train station and are meant to prevent rail riders from parking on residential streets there.

“We will be looking at different times of day, and different days of the week, to see how many cars are actually out there,” D’Angelo said.

“We want to find out: are we giving out too many permits for the number of spaces? Does the permit zone need to be expanded? Things like that,” he said.

The third goal for 2020 would be to conduct a walkability audit, identifying areas throughout the town where sidewalk connections could be beneficial.

“That includes having every street in the borough reviewed, people actually walk and inspect the sidewalks, see where sidewalks are missing, see what needs to be repaired, see if any sidewalks are blocked by foliage, things like that,” D’Angelo said. Longer term goals recommended by the commission could include adopting a renewable energy ordinance encouraging the use of green energy in town, auditing the park system and updating their maintenance program and accessibility features, developing a formal plan for use of the borough-owned church and classroom building at 125 N. Main Street, and create educational materials for residents about what they can and cannot do on their properties. “They’re all priority items, but even the priorities have priorities,” D’Angelo said. D’Angelo said the planning commission would like council to encourage various other borough boards and bodies to assist with those goals, like the parks and recreation board for the park studies. Planning commission member Linda McAdoo said her understanding was that council could direct those boards and bodies to work with the commission on those tasks, and borough Manager Christine Hart said some discussions had already begun.

Council then voted unanimously to adopt the three 2020 goals: the permit parking, walkability audit, and SALDO update, and the manager and mayor said they would report back to council as the commission proceeds.

North Wales borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on March 10 at the borough municipal building, 300 School St.