A public hearing is scheduled for Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. at the Snyder Township municipal building to hear public comment on the revised proposed comprehensive plan.
According to a legal notice published recently in The Daily Herald, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the revised proposed comprehensive plan update and to receive public comment. Complete copies of the comprehensive plan are on file at the township office and may be examined weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The supervisors will hold a special meeting immediately following the public hearing to take formal action on any necessary changes to the comprehensive plan.
The discussion of zoning in the township’s comprehensive plan began when the Snyder Township Planning Commission and the township’s former engineering firm, the EADS Group, held a comprehensive plan community meeting at the Bald Eagle Fire Company on July 28, 2005.
The comprehensive plan was designed by the Snyder Township Planning Commission, a group of seven township residents who were appointed by the supervisors. At that time, concerned residents said they did not want the future of the township, which includes about 3,000 to 4,000 residents, to be dictated by only seven people.
The comprehensive plan discusses the township’s past and current use of transportation, housing, infrastructure, land use, water and sewer, etc. One of the purposes of the comprehensive plan is to figure out where the township could possibly be in 10 to 20 years.
The planning commission also included recommendations for the township in the comprehensive plan, one of which included a possible future zoning ordinance for the township.
Even though it was a recommendation, concerned residents felt the mentioning of zoning in the comprehensive plan would lead to an eventual zoning ordinance by the township.
After much debate by residents at the township meetings, supervisors approved the deletion of any reference to zoning from the comprehensive plan at a September 2005 meeting.
The revised comprehensive plan will be discussed at Friday’s meeting.
