Six Things You Can Do on Earth Day 2020

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by the members of the Lower Frederick Township Environmental Advisory Council.

On April 22, Americans will celebrate that which unites us all: planet Earth. 

Now a global holiday, Earth Day started in San Francisco in 1969. The event recognizes nature’s importance to our collective well-being and encourages the spread of science-based knowledge so that we can act in harmony with this vital-yet-under-appreciated life force.

Every person’s health, safety, economics, and the overall enjoyment of life is impacted by the health of our environment. Yet, this fact often gets little attention from local government officials who must also focus on finances, emergencies services, road repairs, waste removal, zoning, traffic, and more. 

In December 2018, the Board of Supervisors of Lower Frederick Township cleared the way for ecological wisdom to help both the legislature and public make informed decisions. They created the Lower Frederick Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). 

Seven resident volunteers from varied backgrounds were appointed to serve three-year terms. The township is now among 19 others in Montgomery County that have joined the EAC Network (eacnetwork.org). The council is tasked with identifying the township’s natural resources and unique characteristics as well as critical issues and solutions when they arise.

As our society’s environmental problems mount, a person can get discouraged. Meanwhile, an old adage says, “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” In recognition of Earth Day, each member of the Lower Frederick EAC (one of the seven seats is currently vacant) has each shared ONE THING he or she feels is a simple task you can do to help the earth every day:

No. 1 Monica Strawbridge says: Avoid single-use, plastic water bottles (and reduce plastic use overall). It takes 450 years for a bottle to completely degrade. Globally 1,000,000 plastic bottles are sold every minute. In the United States, only 30% of our own usage is recycled compared to Norway’s 97 percent. It takes 2,000 times more energy to produce bottled water as tap water. Plastic water bottles make up a good portion of ocean waste responsible for killing marine life. Switch to washable, reusable bottles instead. Source: National Geographic’s “How the Plastic Bottle Went From Miracle Container to Hated Garbage.”

No. 2 Jackie O'Neil says: Use less fossil fuel to heat, cool and power your home. First, buy renewable electric from your power supplier (PECO has an option or there are a few other renewable energy suppliers in our area). Second, lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in summer. Just a few degrees can save enough money to offset the higher cost of renewable power. Your home’s energy use primarily depends on four things: Type of Heating/Cooling System, Insulation, Home Size, and Temperature Differential (between indoor and outdoor air). The last is the easiest to address. The Department of Energy estimates you can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting or by turning it back a few degrees all the time.

No. 3 Gary Bonner says: Make your voice heard. Spend some of your COVID-19 stay-at-home time contacting your elected officials to encourage them to take action on climate and environmental issues. Support organizations that advocate for environmental protection. Volunteer your time and encourage others to get involved.

No. 4. Denise Finney, Secretary, says: Consider what’s on your plate: Everyone knows the saying “You are what you eat,” but did you know that what you eat also affects the planet? Producing a quarter pound of beef, for instance, requires the same amount of greenhouse gases (those that lead to climate change) as driving your car almost seven miles. Chicken equates to about two and half miles. And beans cut your dinner’s climate impact to just a half-mile. Plus large, concentrated animal operations in the United States bring a host of air and water pollution issues, some of which can be conduits for future pandemics. Go meatless for just one dinner a week and you might also improve your own health. See links below for more information: https://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/eat-smart

No. 5. Warren Jacobs, Vice Chairperson, says: Plant diversity in the landscape. Opt for an ecologically based landscape design for your property. Use indigenous plant species that are host plants for native insects such as butterfly larvae, which in turn feed birds and other wildlife.

No. 6 Ruth Heil, Chairperson: Raise Your Consciousness. Before you can find a solution, you must first identify a problem. And to do that, you must look and listen. Observation is a critical component of environmental protection. The clues are in the changes. Pay attention to the bird song, the tree’s buds, air’s fragrance, or soil’s sponginess. What differs from yesterday? What thrives? What wilts? Has nature been allowed to exist in the space at all? What does it try to do regardless? Then, bring any questions that arise to an expert, such as a neighbor who has been appointed to your town’s EAC.

Workshop to Show How EAC's Can Help Your Town

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Ross Snook.

The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards will be hosting a special public presentation about township and borough Environmental Advisory Councils (EACs) on Tuesday, March 5, from 6 to 7 pm at the Lower Frederick Township Building. 

The building is located at 53 Spring Mount Road outside Schwenksville.

“EACs in Action: What can an EAC do for your community?” will feature two Master Watershed Stewards (MWS) who are members of their local EACs as they share their experiences and how their councils are creating a positive impact in Montgomery County communities.

Although first authorized by PA state law in 1973, Environmental Advisory Councils – also commonly known as Environmental Advisory Boards (EAB) - have been increasing in popularity among local governments.

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association describes EACs as a small group of people typically appointed by a municipality to advise its elected officials and some municipal departments on the conservation and best use of the community’s natural resources. As part of the local government, these councils most often focus on local issues, meaning that each government’s EAC can take on unique roles and projects.

Two such examples will be highlighted at “EACs in Action.”

MWS Ross Snook serves on New Hanover Township’s EAB and will share his experiences working with the board to improve local stormwater ordinances, while MWS Mary-Margaret Monser of the Ambler EAC will discuss the council’s recent grant award to help residents add stormwater best management practices (such as rain barrels) to their homes.

The session also includes plenty of time for audience members to ask questions.

For more information about the MWS program, including details on Montgomery County’s upcoming Basic Training, visit https://extension.psu.edu/programs/watershed-stewards/counties/montgomery.

According to Snook, some topics to be discussed include:

A) Create an inventory of all possible environmental impacts to your townships
B) Aid in the completion of the MS4 program
C) Create a storm water basin inventory
D) List of known facts about sump pumps
E) Create a sump pump ordinance
F) Create a standardized review of plan sets
G) Create a standardized review of storm water plans
H) Create an infiltration ordinance
I) Create a review of the local Geology and Hydrology

A Show of Hands Against Increased Housing Density

Photos by Evan Brandt

Will all those who oppose allowing increased housing density in exchange for expensive sewer improvements in the Goshenhoppen Creek Zoning Overlay District please raise their hands.

To say that the majority of the more than 100 people who packed into the Lower Frederick Township Building Tuesday night opposed a proposed zoning overlay district that would affect only five parcels in town would be an exercise in understatement.

When all was said and done, only one resident stood up and asked the three-member board of supervisors not to support the idea, but at least to "consider all options."

Even before the standing-room-only meeting, the supervisors had taken one step back from the idea -- cancelling the official public hearing scheduled for the same time, and instead turning it into an "informational meeting."

By cancelling the public hearing, the supervisors indicated they have no current plans to move forward with the proposal, and if they do, will have to announce and hold another official public hearing before they do, said Chairman Robert Yoder.

"We may never hear about this again," but if the board does decide to move forward with the idea, an official a public hearing will have to be held before a vote can occur, he said,

If you like legalese, you can click on this link and read the draft ordinance as it was proposed.

Lower Frederick Township Engineer Carol Shuehler with the 

original plans for Melbourne Hill.

If not, a brief history lesson is required.

Back in 2008, a traditional 48-lot housing development on 41.5 acres called Melbourne Hill was granted preliminary approval by the township. It's entrance would be located at the intersection of Gravel Pike and Salford Station Road.

At the time, the developers had proposed an increased density allowance (more homes than allowed under zoning) in exchange for donating some open space to the township.

But the developers, T.H.P. Properties, went belly up as the housing crash began and that was the last time anyone mentioned "open space."

In the meantime, the township was dealing with an aging sewer plant that served the hamlets of Zieglersville and Spring Mount, ultimately embarking on what is now a $10 million effort to replace it.

When it's complete, the capacity will have more than doubled, allowing the township to take care of some problem areas in town where on-site septic systems are failing and a public sewer system would solve the problem and avoid sanction and forced solutions from state environmental authorities.

Montgomery County Plannner Donna Fabry shows that the

proposed overlay district is, within the square on the right, in 

the region identified as a "growth area" in the comprehensive plan.

Flash forward a few years, the economy is coming back and the owner of the property where Melbourne Hill was proposed comes to the township to revive the proposal.

But now, instead of open space, the township is looking at existing and potential on-site septic system problems on Little Road, which borders the proposed Melbourne Hill development.

The sewer planning that occurred during the housing market lull calls for an additional sewer line along Goshenhoppen Creek to deal with some of those problems in an area of town the Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission has identified as a "growth area" in its comprehensive plan.

As Montgomery County Planner Donna Fabry described it, "it's the place you want growth to go."

Although the sewer plan, called an Act 537 plan after the law that enacted it, calls for the sewer line, the township has yet to figure out how to pay for it. In 2013, it was estimated to cost $2.3 million.

The $10 million the township borrowed to upgrade the sewer plant and expand the collection system into problem areas of Spring Mount hamlet, will not cover the costs of the Goshenhoppen Creek line.

So rather than trade open space in exchange for increased density, the overlay district would allow specific density increases for specific public improvements, mostly sewers.

The idea, said Supervisor Terry Sacks, is that it would allow the sewer planning to go forward more cheaply, since unlike the township, a developer does not have to pay "prevailing wage" and other costs a public project must bear.

And, of course, the developer would be paying for it, not the township.

The fact that the draft ordinance was written by John Kennedy, a planner for the potential developers and former developers, as shown in the March 9 planning commission minutes, did not sit well with the already ornery crowd when it was confirmed by Township Engineer Carol Schuehler, who had the unenviable task of explaining all this to a room full of people not terribly inclined to hear it.

Township Engineer Carol Shuehler shows how her calculation of 

additional housing density in the overlay district was made.

In essence, the township supervisors were exploring an idea about how to get sewer service to those who now, or will eventually need it, in an area already designated in township, regional and county plans as a "growth area."

So let's crunch some numbers.

According to an analysis Scheuhler undertook for the meeting, a property in the overlay district needs to be at least 10 acres for the regulations to apply and there are five such properties including Melbourne Hill.

On the four properties other than Melbourne Hill, the overlay would allow 91 homes instead of the 35 allowed under existing R-2 zoning; an increase of 56 homes.

The red properties with stripes show those eligible for the

increased densities in the proposed overlay district, which is 

outlined in red.

For Melbourne Hill, the overlay would allow the 48 approved lots to increase to 85, said Schueler -- an increase of 37. When added to the potential increase at the other properties, the total additional housing units in the overlay district is 93.

How dense is that? A ratio as high as 2.5 homes per acre in two-acre zoning.

There was a bit of dispute about whether that represents "high density" zoning, with Fabry pointing out that official "high-density" zoning is as high as 10 units per acre, not 2.5.

But, the disputes about numbers, zoning and definitions may be moot.

It was pretty evident what the sentiment of the crowd at last night's meeting was -- opposed.

And given that the supervisors later in the evening said they have no plans to visit the subject again, one might conclude the matter is a dead letter.

But only time will tell.

If nothing else, township residents face an additional 48 units if Melbourne Hill is developed as already approved before the approval expires -- an expiration on which Township Solicitor Thomas Keenan threw some doubt.

Here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Crowd Balks at Swamp Creek Trail/Greenway Plan

Photos by Evan Brandt

One of many speakers at last night's public meeting on the possibility of creating a Swamp Creek Greenway and trail from Schwenksville to New Hanover Square Road suggests Sunrise Mill should be restored before any thought is given to building a trail.

The meeting room of the Lower Frederick Township building was a tough place to be Thursday night if you were facing the crowd.

A presentation on the kick-off of a feasibility study looking at the creation of a Greenway and Trail in the Swamp Creek Valley, stretching across 5,000 acres from Schwenksville to New Hanover, drew a capacity crowd to the Lower Frederick Township building Thursday night.

Michael Stokes, assistant director of the Montgomery County

Planning Commission outlines the plans so far.

Not too many of them were there to support the idea of a trail, if the comments were any indication.

Michael Stokes, assistant director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, doggedly tried to field questions and comments as residents spoke over him, and each other, in their effort to express their skepticism about and outright opposition to the project.

Many said the stream, which empties into Perkiomen Creek less than a half-mile from the township building, the surrounding woods and the wildlife that lives there would be best preserved by leaving it alone.

"There's a conflict between conservation and preservation when you say you want to bust a trail through it all," said Jim Rupert, a 15-year resident of the stream bank and one of the few speakers who took the time to give his name.

He said he has seen quite a bit of wildlife along the creek and those animals are "very sensitive to human activity. It's 100 percent untrue to say putting a trail through there would not be affected."

A resident of Delphi Road says it would be dangerous to put a 

trail along the curved street where there are many accidents.

Others said Montgomery County has enough trails, while many others questioned what their property rights are and whether the county would be taking any of it.

"I won't lie to you, government has the right to take your property for a public purpose, but that is not our intent," Stokes said.

The intent of the meeting was to get input from the community and to outline some very early concepts for what the county is considering. He added that the county already owns about 60 percent of the property that would comprise the greenway and host the trail.

Since 1971, Montgomery County has owned the Sunrise Mill property and it is a key element in the greenway and trail plan.

A photo of Sunrise Mill was used as the first slide in the presentation.

Not currently open to the public, it was built in 1767 and is structurally sound, but it has not been restored inside, said Stokes.

Several speakers suggested public money would be better spent restoring the mill and opening it to the public, rather than conceiving of a trail that is designed to bring people to a historic building they cannot tour.

"You're doing it backwards," said one speaker.

There were a few who spoke favorably about the idea.

One Limerick resident said she uses the Perkiomen Trail regularly and that 77 percent of Montgomery County residents polled view trails favorably, although it seemed evident not too many of those poll-takers were in the room Thursday.

Geoff Creary, from the landscape architecture firm
Simone Collins, 

listens to input from a resident about
the map showing the 

proposed Swamp Creek Greenway
prior to the start of Thursday night's meeting.

Dulcie Flaharty, a member of the Montgomery Planning Commission Board, employee of Natural Lands Trust and longtime open space advocate in the county, said fears about eminent domain are common when a trail is first-proposed.

"Look at where we've done trails already," she said, noting that all but a few of the 200 private property purchases necessary to create the Perkiomen Trail were negotiated sales, and only one lawsuit.

But that did little to convince the crowds and at one point, a voice int he crowd said "it's theft of private property."

Finally, one resident asked Stokes pointedly, if the majority of residents speak out against it, "what are the chances really, that it won't happen?"

"That's why we're here," Stokes replied.

Subsequent public meetings are planned for March and June.

Here are the Tweets as they happened during the meeting.