Lower Gwynedd Township Upcoming Meetings & Events: |
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The Giving Tree is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit educating children to spread kindness and give back to those in need through hands-on service projects. The organization has been educating and inspiring children ages 5-18 since 2009, and they are based right here in Lower Gwynedd Township. They work with public and private schools, scouting groups, sports teams, youth-centered clubs and organizations, and families to provide service projects for their students/children. Our area youth learn the merits of giving back to those in need through creative service-learning initiatives. All projects are paired with relevant curricula to teach students about the needs in their local communities.
The Giving Tree's #MontcoServes initiative, launched in December 2020, provides a service project to every public elementary and middle school in Montgomery County through community-funded grants. To date, they have worked with 31 schools and completed 6,810 projects in over 10 school districts in our county, including Wissahickon. 5,685 students have learned valuable lessons of kindness through the #MontcoServes Campaign. Please visit their website to learn more or to make a donation today. www.givingtreefamilies.org
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At the July 26, 2022 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Board accepted the resignation of Craig McAnally as Township Manager. Mr. McAnally has spent twenty-one years serving Lower Gwynedd Township and has been our Township Manager for the last six years. We are grateful for Mr. McAnally's service and wish him the best of luck in his next endeavor.
The Township has hired Mimi Gleason as the Interim Manager and has contracted with the Meyner Center at Lafayette College to conduct the search to permanently fill the position of Township Manager. Ms. Gleason comes to Lower Gwynedd with twenty years of experience in municipal government, fourteen of which were spent as a Township Manager, and the Board is confident that Ms. Gleason will be a valuable asset to our Township while the Board works with the Meyner Center to fill the position. The Meyner Center expects the process to take around three months.
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August 10, 2022
5:30 p.m.-700 p.m. (Kona arrives at 6pm) at the Penllyn Park
The Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department's Community Response Unit invites you and your family to come and meet your local police at this community friendly event!
The LGPD has partnered with Gerhard's Appliances and Kona Ice to provide tropical shaved ice FREE to everyone who participates!
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Available Dates: Tuesday, August 16th, 2022 or Tuesday, October 25, 2022- 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the Penllyn Woods Community Building
During this free educational seminar you will learn how Medicare works and what it covers, how part "D" prescription cards work and how to pick the right one for you, and the differences between Medicare supplements and Medicare advantage plans.
Presenter: Steve Perlman
Registration suggested not required: Call the Parks & Rec Departmet-215-646-5302
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Parks & Recreation Staff Honored During Parks & Recreation Appreciation Month |
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Mitch Kulp was awarded the Good Job Award by the Pennsylvania Recreation & Parks Society (PRPS) and presented a citation at the Township Building on Tuesday, July 19th. The award is presented annually to an individual who is nominated by their peers or coworkers for their leadership, community outreach, facilities management, maintenance, program planning and overall contributions to the vitality of their community through their work in local parks. Mitch is the Parks Superintendent at Lower Gwynedd Township. He is described as being nominated “not only because of the pride and dedication he takes with each project, but also how he works and treats his crew. His approach to completing projects and getting the job done and done correctly is outstanding…Mitch does an amazing job for this community. You won't find anyone else who is this dedicated." Congratulations Mitch!
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Sandi Feight-Hicks was also recognized by the PRPS for her innovative creation of an interactive digital trail map. She was asked to provide a guest blog post to describe the trail maps that are accessible through the Township website. Sandi used base maps through Google and enhanced them with reference points, distances, parking information, trail material, amenities and other information she felt was important to the end-user. She also added to and from trail distances and also panorama photographs of the trails. By utilizing the navigation technology in Google Maps, users are able to refer to the map to enhance their trail walking experience. The maps have been a complete success. Sandi was commended for her insight and forward thinking along with her technical know-how to bring this project to fruition. Her hard work and dedication is appreciated and she is deserving of the recognition.
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PennDot announced that Sumneytown Pike will be closed and detoured approaching U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike) from Evans Road beginning Monday, August 1, for roadway reconstruction under a project to widen and improve nearly three miles of U.S. 202 from south of Morris Road to Hancock Road in Whitpain and Lower Gwynedd townships, Montgomery County. The closure will be in place 24/7 through Wednesday, August 31. During the closure, Sumneytown Pike motorists will be directed to use Evans Road, Route 63 (Welsh Road) and U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike). Sumneytown Pike motorists can also use U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike), Route 63 (Welsh Road), Route 309 (Bethlehem Pike) and Norristown Road. Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone.
Grasshopper Lane will also have daily closures starting August 10th through August 12th to complete the paving to the entrance of Route 202. Route 202 traffic will not be impeded but traffic coming off of Route 202 will not be able to use Grasshopper Lane during the daytime work hours. There will be flagmen to direct local traffic.
Also, the Township's annual road program will wrap-up this month with the completion of the ultra-thin friction course on the following roadways:
- Hoover Road- From Pen-Ambler Road to Knight Road
- Wooded Pond Road- From McKean Road to cul-de-sac
- Ridgeview Lane- From Wooded Pond Road to cul-de-sac
- Sunset Drive- Evans Road to Forest Drive
- Forest Drive- Entire Road
Work is anticipated to begin the first week of August.
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Lower Gwynedd Fall Fest will be Saturday September 17, 2022 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The event will be held on Houston Road, sections of the roadway will be closed starting at 7:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. A 5K race will kick off the festivities, followed by an area packed with local vendors, crafters, food trucks, kids amusements and music. We have over 55 local vendors signed up for this year's event and we are at full capacity! Check out the Fall Fest page of the Township website to see all the vendors and food trucks signed up, as well as, all of the area sponsors!
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Governor Tom Wolf announced in July that 70 municipalities will receive over $37.8 million to support traffic signal upgrades, increasing safety and mobility across Pennsylvania’s communities through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT’s) “Green Light-Go” program. “The safety improvements supported by the Green Light-Go program help municipalities relieve congestion and traffic flow, as well as keep Pennsylvanians moving safely and efficiently,” said Gov. Wolf. “I’m proud to help our communities improve mobility for Pennsylvanians.”
Lower Gwynedd Township will receive $159,440.80 in grant funding to upgrade equipment at the traffic signal at Tennis Avenue and Norristown Road.
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As we’re dealing with heat wave after heat wave here in PA this summer, here are a few tips to stay cool and reduce your energy usage in your home:
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Windows and window covering. If you’re not home during the day, close all windows, curtains, and blinds to keep your house cool for as long as possible. If you’re home during the day and don’t want all the windows covered, cover them when needed. South-facing windows get a lot of sun while East-facing windows get sun in the morning and west-facing windows get the hotter and stronger sun in the afternoon and evening.
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Don’t add to the heat inside. Use appliances such as irons, washers, and dryers at night or early morning, or eliminate the dryer altogether and use a clothesline instead. A major contributor of heat is a stove. Microwaves use two-thirds less energy than stoves. Using a toaster oven for baking reduces the amount of heat produced.
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Keep your refrigerator well stocked. Refrigerators that are full of food don’t warm up as quickly when the door is opened, so they require less energy to stay cool.
Mark your calendar:
Saturday, September 10th, 9-11am – Battery recycling collection, LG Township Building. Please check the webpage for details on what batteries are collected and how certain ones need to be prepared before dropping them off.
Saturday, October 1st - Lower Gwynedd Township 1st Annual Native Tree Giveaway. More details on how to participate will be coming soon.
Saturday, October 22, 9:30am – 12:30pm, Storm Drain Marker event. Check the Fall Newsletter and future emails for more details.
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Boards & Committee Updates |
The BOS held their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 26th, 2022. At this meeting the the Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department gave a presentation introducing the newly formed Community Response Unit (CRU) of the department. Officer William Henry explained that the purpose of the unit is to get officers out into the community and to start building relationships with our residents. The CRU held an introductory event on July 21st at Oxford Park where they teamed up with Kona Ice and offered a cold treat on a hot day. More events like this are planned as the CRU is set to launch multiple initiatives with various community partners. More information will be posted on the Township website and social media outlets in the coming weeks. In general business, the BOS authorized the advertisement of an ordinance to restrict parking on Roberts Road, approved Ordinance #531 to install traffic signs prohibiting access to Ambler Yards from Brookside Avenue, and approved Ordinance #532 establishing the Historical Advisory Committee. As noted earlier in this newsletter, the BOS accepted the resignation of the Township Manager, Craig McAnally, and authorized the Solicitor to prepare a severance agreement. They also appointed Mimi Gleason as the Interim Manager and executed an agreement with The Meyner Center of Lafayette College to conduct the search for the next Township Manager for Lower Gwynedd. In other business, the BOS approved Resolution #2022-20 granting a waiver of land development for the Wissahickon School District for the conversion of the natatorium to classrooms at the Wissahickon Middle School. The BOS will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, August 23rd at 7pm.
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The EAC held their regular meeting on July 13, 2022. The EAC is planning a special meeting with the BOS to discuss goals and initiatives. This meeting will be held on Thursday, September 29th, 2022. The EAC continues to work on other items such as participation in Fall Fest, scheduling an additional 309 ramp cleanup event in the Fall, the first Tree Giveaway event in October, and a storm drain stenciling project on Brights Lane and Meadowcreek Circle. They will host the next battery collection in September. The EAC will meet on August 10th, 2022 at 7pm.
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The Zoning Hearing Board will not meet in August. The result of the July meeting is listed below. The next meeting is scheduled for September 8th, 2022.
July Hearings- July 14, 2022:
812 N. Bethlehem Pike: D-1 Business Zoning District: Applicant seeks a variance to allow outdoor storage associated with office and warehouse use on the subject property. (Approved)
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The PRB held their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 19th, 2022. The PRB continue to review a proposed ordinance for large group event permits. They are also exploring opportunities for more community partnerships. An example of this would be partnering with the Ambler Area YMCA to host a community event. The PRB also wrapped up the summer concert series in July. In addition, the Parks & Recreation Director, Sandi Feight-Hicks, and the Parks Superintendent, Mitch Kulp, were honored by the PA Recreation and Parks Society for their contributions to the community through their work in recreation. More details on their awards can be found at the beginning of this newsletter. The PRB does not meet in the month of August. They will reconvene in September.
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Interim Manager-Mimi Gleason |
The Township welcomed Mimi Gleason who started as Interim Manager on Monday, July 18th, 2022. Ms. Gleason comes to Lower Gwynedd with twenty years of experience in municipal government, fourteen of which were spent as a Township Manager. The Board of Supervisors and staff welcome Ms. Gleason.
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Police Department- Community Response Unit |
The Lower Gwynedd Police Department introduced their new Community Response Unit (CRU) at a Kona Ice Community Event at Oxford Park on Thursday, July 21st, 2022. Sergeant Mike Rogge and Officer William Henry are the first two officers assigned to this unit. The CRU will hold community events where they can get out into the community and interact with residents. A few of their initiatives include senior scam presentations, safety camera registry, elderly resident check-in (operation assurance), child car seat checks, bicycle and pedestrian safety training, and more. The CRU is trying to build an email database to reach various HOA presidents and business contacts and are asking people to email LGPDCRU@lowergwynedd.org to help build that email database. The next Kona Ice event will be held on August 10th, at 5:30 (Kona arrives at 6pm) in Penllyn Park.
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The Lower Gwynedd Township Public Works Department has immediate openings for two Public Works Laborer positions. These full-time positions are responsible for maintenance and repair of roadways, trails, parks, rights of way, storm and sanitary sewer and Township owned and maintained properties, as well as, snow removal. The desired applicants are preferred to have basic knowledge of the day-to-day operations of a municipal Public Works Department along with prior construction, maintenance or trade experience. Please submit all applications with resumes to Fred Zollers, Public Works Director, P.O. Box 625, Spring House, PA 19477 or e-mail fzollers@lowergwynedd.org.
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Lower Gwynedd Township
1130 North Bethlehem Pike
Spring House, PA 19477
Phone: (215) 646-5302
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Keep an eye out for our September issue! |
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