Meet your state police Community Service officers.

Posted on August 13, 2016 by admin

Interested in bringing the State Police Community Service Officers to your neighborhood? Does your neighborhood have an active crime watch group? Or are you interested in establishing a group?

Lower Macungie gets our police coverage from the Pennsylvania State Police. State Police Community Services Officers (CSO) are responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with neighborhoods to foster mutual respect and understanding within a station area. These forums are meant to reinforce an understanding that to continue to have a safe community we must work together to be smart and aware in our everyday lives.

The secondary benefit of these meetings is to connect or reconnect the State Police with established or new local Crime watch groups.

We have a number of active Crime Watch groups in our neighborhoods but many don’t. For those who want to establish a new group we have resources available to help residents with forming an organization or re-establishing one.

Regardless of what arrangement a community has for police coverage, officers tell residents one thing consistently. That is a little organization in the form of proactive, aware and engaged residents is the best defense against crimes of opportunity in your neighborhood. PSP CSO’s can help Lower Mac residents with this. For example if a new crime watch group forms they offer to conduct a personal safety presentation for your inaugural meeting.

If you are interested in either bringing the Troopers to your neighborhood, reconnecting the troopers to an existing crime watch group or establishing a new group please contact me at Ronbeitler@gmail.com and I can assist with facilitating. This can mean help getting the word out, working with the township for meeting space and connecting the group to township officials who interface with the PSP on a daily basis.

Lower Mac BOC Agenda Preview Aug 4th

Posted on August 3, 2016 by admin

HERE IS A LINK TO THE AGENDA WITH DETAIL
All township BOC meetings are available on video online
You can also always watch all our board meetings live on Channel 66 RCN cable.

I apologize for missing the last few meetings. Life has been busy + busiest time of year for work and also a number of time consuming township issues of which I’ll do my best to keep folks updated. Here is your agenda preview for the Thursday Aug 4th township meeting.

Announcements & Presentations:

We will hear a presentation from Kirk Summa on the 2015 Audit. The Single Audit Act of 1984 established requirements for audits of States, local governments, and Indian tribal governments that administer Federal financial assistance programs. (While local gov’t reliance on federal assistance is not necessarily a good thing these audits are). The yearly audit consists of the following exercises:

1. An examination of the general-purpose financial statements and teh auditor opinion
2. A review of compliance based on an examination of the general-purpose financial statements in accordance with the standards issued by the United States General Accounting Office
3. A study and evaluation of internal controls (accounting and administrative)

Library board update. These are the library board members and description of duties. Thank you board members for your volunteerism!

Presentation on the future of the Lehigh County Regional Wastewater System. This is a very important presentation and update. In 2009, EPA issued an Administrative Order to all the municipalities served by the regional sewer systems (that includes us). The order requires all municipalities to make major improvements to sewer systems. Specifically, to eliminate overflows.

Here are some links to get you up to speed if you are not.
My blog on Infiltration and Inflow 101 – overview of the overflow issue/problem.
Why is this important now? The federal mandate.
What the township has already had to spend in an effort to reach compliance. This is a massively expensive problem. And will continue to be for the foreseeable future. So far we have done this without significant rate increases. From 2009 to now the quarter rate has only increased about 10 dollars. We struggle with the question on whether we will be able to continue with that. This will certainly be a topic of conversation Thursday.
2009: $650.000
2010: $1,000,000
2011: $300,000
2012: $700,000
2013: $400,000
2014: $250,000
2015: $ 250,000
2016 projected $250,000

Hearings and approvals.
Conditional Use Hearing – Salvador Galindo Veterinary Hospital
This is a fairly minor land development on Hamilton Boulevard. It’s an existing building that will be converted into a veterinary hospital. A good reuse project. Example of what we need more of as opposed to strip and box retail.

Lot Line Adjustments and Land Development Plan Approval for Trexler Business Center
We will be talking about this at committee today at 4:30. This meeting as always is open to the public. It is expected the applicant will be asking for a waiver of the traffic impact fee. I will post an update on this discussion on my FB page tonight. Aside from that outstanding (but major) issue, this is an ok project but with an outstanding anchor. That is in terms of fit and impact. Unfortunately, it is another project that by and large was grandfathered many years ago. For what it is I think the developer worked with us to improve it on many aspects. But it still is yet another large big box, strip and pad retail/commercial project.

Pre-Construction Agreement for Spring Creek Properties Lots 7 & 8 (Liberty at Spring Creek) This also will be talked about today at Committee. Public encouraged to attend. Will update on my facebook page tonight.

Communications
Chris Greb from the Macungie Ambulance corp is requesting the township consider a portion of the Kratzer farm for a new ambulance station. See letter below. I support exploring this as part of the Kratzer Farm master plan study. Where is the Kratzer Farm? The additional station was needed 6 years ago because of growth. The corp currently leases a small area at the Wescosville Fire Station. Problem is this arrangement was temporary with an understanding the LMFD would need this space at some point.

Sen. Casey addresses Wal-mart impacts on local communities

Posted on June 13, 2016 by admin

Sen. Casey – Wal Marts and other box stores strain local resources.

When you develop a property you are not entitled to unlimited or unreasonable usage (waste) of public municipal resources paid for by tax dollars.

Our Lower Mac Wal-Mart, has for years been a considerable strain on police resources. This is well documented locally. (2013 Morning Call) Wal-Mart seems to rely on police to provide basic security at considerable cost to taxpayers. While every resident and business is entitled to call police for help or to report a crime it’s obvious Wal-Mart exploits this.

Not only do we face financial impact, but safety as well. When police are spending excessive time at one business they are taken away from other duties.

Similar issue, in 2013 we instituted a nuisance ordinance for excessive fire alarms. We did this after our Fire Dept. reported ] 30% of emergency calls from commercial users were false alarms. Same principle. While every business is entitled to fire protection, there came a point where excessive calls constituted a public nuisance. After enacting the ordinance along with corresponding fines we immediately saw a drop in false alarms. I believe if Wal-Mart had to pay for excessive call volume for totally preventable retail crimes we would see the retail giant suddenly become much more proactive with prevention.

Here is what Sen. Casey had to say in a letter penned to Wal-Mart President Doug Mcmillon.

“I write to request that Wal-Mart conduct a review of its internal security protocol to ensure adequate security staffing and procedures at stores in Pennsylvania and around the country,” Casey wrote. “Of course, police protect and serve every member of our communities, but the significant volume of calls from Wal-Mart stores raises serious questions about whether the company’s current security infrastructure effectively deters crime without overburdening local police departments, many of which already operate on stretched budgets.”

According to the article, a Wal-Mart representative said the retailer plans to meet with Lehigh Valley elected officials and police in coming weeks to discuss security measures. I have asked to be kept informed and to be a part of this meeting if possible. I made a phone call to Sen. Casey’s office this AM.

Farmland preservation through TDR

Posted on May 19, 2016 by admin

Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) is a voluntary, incentive based program enabled by the MPC that allows landowners to sell development rights from their land to a developer or other interested party who then can use these rights to increase the density at another more appropriate location.

Lower Mac is working through creation of a TDR program as a mechanism for preservation coupled with smarter growth. In our case we are dealing with one owner of two tracts. This strategy makes sense for number of reasons. First some background. In 2012 a prior board created a new zoning ordinance introducing residential uses into commercial zones. This mixing of uses could be considered smart growth. However, in my opinion the ordinance was weak in that regard. The zoning change also granted additional density for nothing. The decision increased the net density of the township. In contrast, with a TDR like the one proposed today we can accomplish desired mixed use development (of a higher quality) but without increasing the net density of the township and also preserving farmland at the same time.

To put it another way, under a zoning code a community has a net maximum amount of units that can built out. In 2012 the BOC at the time made a decision to increase that number. A poor decision in my opinion.

With the proposed TDR we have on the table today, while there would be increased density at one location as part of the TDR, (a location identified as more appropriate based on comprehensive planning) overall we will decrease the townships net density. In fact, our goal is to reduce significantly the total number of residential units that could otherwise be built over two tracts. Therefore, reducing the net density of the township. We are trying to erase more residential density in one location than we are replacing in another. The balance could be made up with farmland easements or neighborhood commercial uses that do not generate or drive traffic.

Goals are simple: Reduce the overall net density of the township through land preservation. Guide walkable mixed use growth to more appropriate locations closer to existing infrastructure.

Coverage: Lower Macungie pursues farmland preservation, mixed-use village.

Comparison of local tax rates

Posted on May 16, 2016 by admin

What are municipal taxes like in Lower Mac compared to other areas?

With the recently enacted homestead reduction residential properties assessed under 150,000 in Lower Mac have the lowest municipal property tax bills out of all East Penn communities + Upper Mac. Residents with homes assessed at 111,300 or less are the only remaining homeowners in the entire county who have a local property tax bill of ZERO. (about 1000 households)

Across the board, Lower Mac is tied for the 5th lowest municipal millage rate in all of Lehigh County out of 25 municipalities. Lower Mac’s millage is 50% lower than average for all townships. FYI neighboring Macungie Borough has the lowest municipal taxes out of not just the East Penn Boroughs but all 8 Lehigh County Boroughs.

The chart below shows municipal millage rates and the tax bills in dollars for various assessments in East Penn municipalities:

To compare what you pay in municipal taxes vs. what you pay in school property taxes see chart below.

For a home appraised at around 220,000 your Lower Macungie bill represents about 1% of your total property taxes. (See what that looks like below) With the homestead reduction over the last two years 50% of homeowners got a tax break 2 years in a row. 90% got a tax break in at least 1 of the last 2 years.

In Lower Mac we are continuing to fulfill our goal of 1st class services, facilities, parks, amenities and a very aggressive farmland and open space preservation program while keeping municipal taxes very low. Our low millage rate is unparalleled for a township our size with the amount of services and facilities we provide and public works we maintain.

Lower Mac taxes visually. The green slice (if you can find it) is your Lower Mac tax bill. Yellow is Lehigh County. Red is school district.

Approaching 10 year anniversary of 1st class township

Posted on May 11, 2016 by admin

Last week we celebrated Arbor day with the planting of a tree at a high visibility location on the municipal campus. In addition to the Arbor day tree we also planted a very nice Tri-Color Beech that was generously donated by Citizens for Change. Recently the group made the decision to disband after having been dormant for several years.

Citizens for Change (CFC) is best known for a successful campaign to change the classification and operation of the twp. from 2nd class to the more appropriate 1st class designation. The right move for a very large and (still) rapidly growing suburban community. With ten years hindsight it’s even more clear. I was honored to help commemorate the group who spearheaded this effort.

CFC began the effort in 2007 with the daunting task of gathering the required number of signatures (10% of registered voters) to place the question on the ballot. They had to do this since Supervisors at the time were resistant to a change. After having succeeded with the petition they then went on to launch a successful campaign resulting in 61% (4,487) voting in favor of conversion in the November 6, 2007 election. A huge victory. This was the first conversion in 40 years in Pennsylvania.

The biggest difference with first class designation is the introduction of more checks and balances on township finances. Structurally, the biggest problem with the second class arrangement is that supervisors also can work as township employees. The 2nd class form of government was designed for relatively small and often rural townships with minimal resources. The lack of oversight, checks and balances and inherent conflicts of interest almost certainly played a role in the embezzlements that took place between 1999 and 2006. A supervisor who was also employed by the township was charged but passed away before prosecution. The time was right for the residents to hit the “reset button”.

In contrast larger, first-class townships elect five commissioners for four-year terms, and they are prohibited from taking paid employee positions. 4 year terms as opposed to 6 increases accountability to residents. In the 1st class arrangement Commissioners develop policies, set direction and conduct oversight while a professional staff undertakes the day-to-day operations under the direction of our township manager.

This was a big step forward. A clean sweep after a major scandal. Next year, an appropriate commemorative plaque will be placed in the future at the tree location to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the township’s conversion to first class and CFC’s role. This was an important moment in township history. Even though CFC is now disbanding they played a big role in creating the culture of resident oversight that exists today.

Following in the footsteps of Lower Mac, last year Pocono Township made the conversion to 1st class.

BOC Agenda Preview 4/7

Posted on April 7, 2016 by admin

HERE IS A LINK TO THE AGENDA WITH DETAIL
FYI: All township BOC meetings are available on video online the next day at www.lowermac.com
You can also always watch them live on Channel 66 on RCN cable.

There will be an executive session prior to the mtg tonight to talk about litigation and real estate. I will provide an update on the real estate issue after tonight’s meeting. As much information as I can give I want to do so.

Announcements & Presentations:
The developers of Hamilton Crossings will be present tonight to provide an update on the major development project.

Last year I voted against the corporate welfare public funding of the project, but generally supported the land development. Although, I believe we could have required more stringent design guidelines. The TIF funding passed despite my objections 3-2. Even without the TIF developers rec’d 10 million dollars in state grants. Only $6.6 million of the total capital cost of $139 million is the subject of the TIF debate. About 5% of the total. This project would almost certainly still have proceeded without the township giveaway.

We will also get an update from the library board. This is regularly scheduled.

COMMUNICATION:
We have a letter from Upper Milford Twp. inviting us to a joint meeting of the UM supervisors and open space committee. Both as a Twp. Commissioner and a member of the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation board, I plan on attending this and thank UM for the invitation. The preservation of open space is a regional concern.

We have two letters from residents urging us to continue to preserve and protect open space. Although multiple elections have given us clear mandates and direction it’s nice to hear we are on the right track.

We have a letter from resident and chair of the walkways subcommittee to recall a number of walkway deferrals in multiple locations throughout the township. What this means is that either during a land development, or a subdivision a requirement to complete a sidewalk was deferred. This is not a waiver. A deferral means the twp. can call in the waiver at an appropriate time. It’s an obligation that could have been required immediately but was postponed by the township. Mr. Palmquist believes that time is now. I tend to agree. This will be an interesting conversation. Our policy is to no longer give deferrals in most cases.

We have a letter from a developer of a proposed shopping center on the Eastern Industries site. This would be the 3rd major shopping center of the past few years. The center can be built by right but has some serious access constraints. The developer is requesting the township endorse an application to study the problem with PennDot. At yesterdays Planning and Zoning Committee I expressed a number of concerns.

We have recommendations to appoint 3 residents to various boards and commissions. I want to thank these 3 volunteers. Interested in serving? Fill out the volunteer application form!

Engineering
We are continuing to restrict dangerous truck turning movements on Schoeneck, Quarry and Creamery. Unfortunately, the process takes a frustratingly long time because we have to work through PennDOT. Tonight we will advertise Rt. 100 and Schoeneck restrictions. I continue to be disappointed by how this is taking.

Rt. 100 corridor study. See my thoughts here. This is a warning not a roadmap.

Authorization to draft and advertise official map. This was a goal of mine. We are one step closer. More information here.

Award of proposal for Act. 209 study. This is the process to update the townships traffic impact fee plan. I’m going to try to write a post about this in the coming days.

Stop crowing about warehouse projects

Posted on April 7, 2016 by admin

Read today another real estate group and other economic development professionals crowing about another warehouse project along I78. They talk glowingly about the “hundreds of jobs” the project is forecasted to bring. (these forecasts usually end up being low, do not break down full time vs. part time and sometimes are inflated with temporary construction jobs.)

That being said giving the promoters of the project the benefit of the doubt and assuming this project will create 600 full time permanent jobs. . . Let’s #Dothemath and stop looking at job counts alone in a vacuum. We also must account for revenues, expenses, assets (land) and long term taxpayer liabilities. To do this we look at community return on investment.

Returns on investments – New Hamburg Commerce Park
Acres of land consumed: 200 acres mostly lost farmland.
Total Jobs: 600
Jobs/acre of land lost: 3 jobs per acre
Municipal revenue per acre: Unknown but based on Lower Mac comps very low.
Municipal liabilities per acre: High impact.

Warehouses generate very low jobs and revenue per acre. What a community does get… freight traffic which is a very expensive public liability.

To compare let’s take a Lower Macungie manufacturing facility. I usually use Mack Trucks to demonstrate but this time let’s use our newest facility Smooth-on.

Returns on investments – Smooth On
Acres of land: 12 acres. A reuse of an unused existing facility in a mixed use walkable neighborhood. This transition required no new infrastructure and no municipal taxpayer dollars. (I excluded the parking lot which is a separate parcel and will be redeveloped into employee housing reducing employee trips to and from the facility as an added bonus)
Total Jobs: 150
Jobs/Acre of land: 12 jobs per acre of land (all excellent paying jobs)
Municipal revenue per acre: $242/acre. In Lower Mac this is 2x the ROI of a warehouse.
Municipal liabilities per acre: Low impact.

Smooth on employs 150 people at excellent wages. Large majority full tim positions. Photo from the Morning Call

Smooth on employs 150 people at excellent wages at it’s East Texas facility. Large majority full time positions. Many employees choose to live within walking distance of the facility. Many more will in the future as the company re-develops a vacant parking lot with employee housing. This facility provides fantastic return on investment for Lower Macungie Twp.
Photo from the Morning Call

Another warehouse project. Another terrible low return and high impact project. *Missing information here is what taxpayer subsidies are being utilized on the Hamberg project. It’s likely there is some kind of assistance. Usually a RCAP grant or something similar. This is almost always the case. If so this makes the equation even more lopsided. I’ll dig a little deeper..

This particular project is outside the Lehigh Valley but it’s the same story. Moving forward our economic development and planning forces (local and regional) must start considering land as the increasingly finite resource it is. That means demanding higher return on investments. Especially when a commodity lost in the exchange is farmland, which is in itself a form of irreplaceable industrial infrastructure. The manufacturing facility example above generates 4-5x the return on investment in even the most conservative ballpark estimate. We’ve got to seek higher value development.

*Disclaimer – As always, logistics operations were always in the cards for our region. This is because of geography and highway access. My problem is I worry we have already lost balance and will go far beyond a certain critical mass our infrastructure can reasonably support. It boils down to a financial and impact equation. Financial solvency is a prerequisite for long term prosperity. We have not been and still are not doing the math. If we don’t expect to repeat this 20 years from now.

Rt. 100 corridor study is warning, not a roadmap.

Posted on March 28, 2016 by admin

Earlier this year at the request of the Board the township engineer prepared a report evaluating anticipated traffic impacts and associated liabilities resulting from three potential development scenarios of Rt. 100. They range from least to most intense.

To summarize:
Under the current scenario because of decisions made by the prior board including two ill advised rezoning decisions, both in conflict with comprehensive plans, corridor congestion will increase. Including an exponential freight volume increase.

However, the worst case scenario can still be avoided. That is, if the township stops rezoning land for more development and stays on track with land preservation and smart growth goals. We’re making progress. Most recently we put in motion plans to preserve 66 acres of farmland off Rt. 100. If this property is preserved we will take 75 homes and 100,000 SF of commercial off the table. By preserving today, we avoid traffic liabilities tomorrow. The way I see it, this corridor study is not a roadmap, but rather a warning. If we go off the rails again, we certainly end up with Rt. 100 the same as Fogelsville. What happens will be determined over the next 6 years.

Rt. 100 is going to get more traffic. But we can still avoid this.

Below are two engineering representations of additional capacity improvements needed under our current situation and under the worst case scenario.

Current Scenario:
Improvements slated to be built:
Rt. 100 and Weilers
-Left turn lane off Weilers Rd and Rt. 100 and a right turn lane off Rt. 100 onto Weilers Rd. Both associated with Jaindl Spring Creek Warehouses.

Rt. 100 and Spring Creek Rd.
– Additional eastbound and southbound turn lanes, additional northbound through lanes and additional westbound shadow lanes. All associated with Jaindl Spring Creek Warehouses.

Sauerkraut Ln. Extension. (connect Sauerkraut all the way “through” to Spring Creek Rd. Associated with Jaindl Spring Creek properties warehouses to give tractor trailers another way “out” to Rt. 100.

Schoeneck Rd. and Rt. 100 re-alignment. (New Traffic signal) – To address existing safety concerns related to freight traffic.

New signalization of Gehman and Rt. 100. New signalization and turn lanes on Rt. 100 and Willow. Associated with “Grandview” crossings. (Allen Organ supermarket and apartments)

Current situation – Includes these approved but not yet online land developments: -Jaindl Spring Creek Properties 4,785,000 SF of high cube warehousing. (result of 2010 rezoning) -Allen Organ supermarket and apartments – Grocery Store, fueling station and 200+ apartments. Rezoning approved by prior board. – Stonehill Meadows – 109 single family homes. Major upgrades will have to be made, but the roadway still avoids the character of Rt. 100 through Upper Macungie.

The worst case scenario – Traffic Armageddon.
Additional green, blue and white improvements outlined below are associated with the worst case scenario. This represents a roadway similar in character to Rt. 100 through Fogelsville. Along with it would come a major decline in quality of life and massive public liabilities that will fall on the backs of township taxpayers. This will happen unless the township remains serious about preservation. It totally depends on leadership maintaining it’s backbone.

This represents the worse case scenario. A sequence of 9 traffic signals. 4 lanes. Highway geometry. This represents full development of nearly entire corridor. Millions of dollars of needed capital improvements. All of which will have to be permanently maintained by Lower Macungie Twp. The look and feel of Rt. 100 in this scenario would be much like that in Upper Macungie.

Agenda Preview 3/17/16

Posted on March 17, 2016 by admin

Happy St. Patricks Day!

HERE IS A LINK TO THE AGENDA WITH DETAIL
All township BOC meetings are available on video online the next day at www.lowermac.com
You can also always watch them live on Channel 66 on RCN cable.

Announcements & Presentations:
We originally had two presentations scheduled for tonight however the Hamilton Crossings update has been pushed back to the 4/7/16 meeting.

The other presentation on the agenda is the LVPC update on the Southwest Lehigh Comprehensive Plan Update. If you cannot make it tonight for the update, we have all sorts of information here on the Plan Southwest Lehigh County Website!

Mark down these future dates to get engaged! So far over 1000 regional residents have either participated via survey or in person. We’ve had excellent public participation and feedback.

Under communication from the community a couple items of note:

First a thank you to Representative Ryan Mackenzie:

From the letter below: “I previously spoke with Commissioner Beitler about this issue. After our conversation, I reviewed HB 1683 and became a co-sponsor. I believe this bill will aid local governing bodies in recruiting and retaining volunteer first responders” – Ryan Mackenzie

This bill (HB1683) would allow us to give property tax credits to first responders including our volunteer fireman. I thank Ryan for his co-sponsorship. I’ll follow this and other similar bills closely and continue to be an advocate. Looking forward to working with Senator Pat Browne also on this issue.

Recruitment and retention of volunteer fire fighters is vital. Although we are in good shape today according to a recent fire study more incentives for recruitment and retention will ensure we remain in a good position. We depend on hard working and dedicated first responders on a daily basis to protect residents and properties.

Next a note a thoughtful letter from resident Julie McDonnel on the issue of whether or not to hire an in-house township engineer. This has been an ongoing conversation. To be honest, I’m still undecided on this issue. There are alot of pro’s and con’s. Julie outlines alot of items to be considered.

Last letter of note is from the LMT Library director. Kathee Rhode. The library is considering becoming a distribution point for a local CSA. I think this is an interesting idea worth considering. What’s a CSA? Learn here. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal produce directly from a farmer in their community.

Departmental and committee reports
We have 4 ordinances for consideration tonight. 3 deal with freight traffic:
1. Restricting Trucks on Creamery Rd. – You may have seen a guide rail was recently taken out by a truck attempting to turn on Creamery. No excuse for an 18 wheeler to be on this road. This ordinance is a no brainer. As we have to live with unfortunate decisions to increase warehousing made by prior boards we’ll have to continue working towards ensuring freight stays on appropriate routes.

2. Adding no parking zones on Industrial way. This is a safety and site distance issue that was brought up by the business owners along the roadway.

3. No parking on Gehman Rd. This was coming regardless as part of the Allen Organ development but was expedited at the request of PennDOT.

The last ordinance deals with tweaking and amending a couple SALDO standards. First, we are reducing the front yard setbacks in our commercial zone. This allows for better smart growth design allowing for friendlier neighborhood commercial design. This allows parking to be located to the side and rear of buildings. Visually that means…

THIS:

OR THIS

Eliminating arbitrary regulations like excessive setbacks + working with developers on design standards means higher quality development.

INSTEAD OF THIS….

A strip mall is categorized by large expanses of parking lot. Reduces setbacks gives developers the option to build more attractive neighborhood commercial designs.

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