Polishing a Township Jewel in Upper Pottsgrove

Photos by Evan Brandt

A graph on the wall of the township meeting room shows where most of your tax dollars go.

At this time of year, I am obligated to reported first on the township's proposed $4 million budget, which calls for no tax increase over the current millage.

Adding to that good news, is the fact that the township is creating an "operational reserve" to the tune of $600,000 funded entirely with contributions from developers from projects dating all the way back to 2003.

The biggest is $390,000 that is available thanks to an agreement that ended a challenge to the township's zoning ordinance and ultimately involved the school board for a project once called "Crossroads."

The townhomes along Route 100 were first proposed by developer Richard Mingey but ultimately passed into ownership a non-profit building housing for working class incomes.

Part of that agreement requirement "contributions" to the township when permits were finally pulled for the long-delayed project.

Retiring Public Works employee Larry Kuser, left,. receives

a plaque recognizing 27 years of service from Elwood Taylor.

Add to that another $160,000 due to the township as a result of the completion of Coddington View, the townhouse development off Farmington Avenue that for years was tangled up with the bankruptcy of THP Properties.

Also of note at the meeting was the recognition of Larry Kuser, a public works employee who is retiring after 27 years with Upper Pottsgrove. He received a plaque from Commissioners Chairman Elwood Taylor, but declined to make a fuss. "I don't do speeches," he said.

Which brings us to the jewel that got polished Monday night.

As part of its charter, Althouse Arboretum director Ken Hamilton must deliver an annual report to the commissioners on the open space property Commissioner Herb Miller is fond of calling "a jewel in Upper Pottsgrove."

Hamilton delivered some starting and encouraging statistics about the use the 17-acre parcel.

He said the arboretum is run in partnership with an organization called Green Allies and has benefited from the services of nearly 400 volunteers.

Taking an informal census of users brings Hamilton to the conclusion that the property is used by an average of 23 people per day, or 6,343 people who simply walk the trails.

Upper Pottsgrove Commissioner Herb Miller, left,

introduces Ken Hamilton, director of Althouse Arboretum.

Add to that the 3,650 people who participated in the 58 programs sponsored by Green Allies and outside organizations and you're starting to talk real numbers.

In three years, the arboretum has hosted 2,300 elementary students and about 20,000 visitors.

New this year, and already the most-popular is a children's forest trail and a children's wildlife viewing platform is already under constructions.

The arboretum also sports a low-ropes course, which has already been used by 350 people and a Christmas tree recycling program that collected 300 trees last year, all with the help of Pottsgrove High School's Spark the Wave Club volunteers.

The arboretum hosted seven part- and full-day summer camps this year and they were sold out by March.

Miller said Althouse hosted more than 4,000 visitors in 2017 and 2,552 miles logged on township trails. "I think that's significant."

"This is not just open space, this is open space with a purpose," Hamilton said. In 2018, he plans to start a membership program at the site, which will be free at the basic level, to all Upper Pottsgrove residents whose voluntarily increased earned income taxes helped to buy the property.

"Our goal is to get as many people outside, and have a more healthy lifestyle, as possible," Hamilton said.

That all said, here are the Tweets from the meeting: