A survey administered by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission this year asked what Lehigh Valley residents like most and what they like least about living in the Lehigh Valley.

“The survey reached out to a wide swath of Lehigh Valley residents. A random sample of addresses were selected to receive postcards inviting residents to participate by using a web link provided. It also promoted the survey through media, encouraging residents who weren’t contacted to participate. It remained open from March 8 through April 16. The total number of participants: 1,064. “

This survey and similar ones conducted over the last few years, including during the Southwest Regional Comprehensive plan update have driven our local policy goals and priorities. 

Read the whole article here. 

It’s no coincidence many of the items residents indicated they like most about living here coincide with township initiatives, projects and goals. On the other hand, areas of concern are where we’ve also focused attention to address challenges. This has been by design.

Here are the top items and concerns from the survey and corresponding township initiatives:

Residents say they love the Valley’s rich Historic sites and unique architecture and they don’t want to see it lost. So, we worked to preserve a nearly 200-year-old farmhouse by working with a developer to approve a plan to integrate it into a new development. We also support the phenomenally active Lower Macungie Township Historical Society. Last year, they opened the new Bartholomew Center for the Preservation of Township History.  Moving forward the township is continuing to integrate more incentives for private property owners to preserve and maintain historic barns and other structures of significance through adaptive reuse. 

Access to cultural and entertainment activities are important. We made a major investment in our Community Center and library. A new children’s wing will be completed next year. Each year over 10,000 children attend more than 300 programs in our public library. Also, the community center and our wonderful recreation staff offer a wide variety of programs year round not just within the community center but throughout various public performance spaces in the park system as well. 

Residents value the low cost of living we have. So, we’ve worked to keep it that way by maintaining some of the lowest taxes in the Lehigh Valley. Including most recent, our utilization of the homestead program to reduce residential property taxes for homeowners. With this program, we shifted the burden of funding important capital improvements from homeowners to impactful land users. 

It’s abundantly clear residents see the preservation of natural and farmlands as a top priority. Lower Macungie is a leader in this area. Most know, we’ve instituted an aggressive farmland preservation program preserving 11 farms on 400 acres of land over the last 4 years. This includes the transformative preservation of the 185 acre Weiner Farm off Sauerkraut and Brookside Rd. This was the largest preservation acquisition of this type in Lehigh Valley history. Additionally, we’ve worked to preserve over 200 acres of non-farm open space including natural areas, the Shepherd Hills Golf Course and other areas.

We’re not finished. Based on the official map of priorities we adopted, we’re continuing to have conversations with landowners to preserve more farms and open space. 

Residents love the Valley’s Parks, trails and recreational activities
Over the last 4 years, Lower Mac has made significant capital investments throughout our 1400 acre township park system at multiple park locations. We’ve expanded Camp Olympic, staffed a Parks Director position and adopted numerous comprehensive plans that roadmap the future of our system. The township adopted and is now working on implementing an ambitious greenway plan along the Swabia and Little Lehigh Rivers. The first section will be completed next year. 

Not surprisingly, the top 3 concerns expressed by residents are warehouses, traffic and trucks. Last year we removed warehouses from the zoning code in all areas except where they are mandated by a court settlement negotiated in 2013 by a previous board. Simply put, the township now has more than our fair share of warehouses. Moving forward, with the new zoning code to be installed next year and through proactively working with developers on better projects we’re focused on attracting higher value employers in less impactful sectors. Development has to provide a higher return on public investments. Our policies work towards that goal. We also updated the traffic impact fee ordinance last year. Which means developers whose projects add significant traffic to Township roads will have to pay more to compensate for the increased congestion.