January 2023 e-Newsletter |
|
Lower Gwynedd Township Upcoming Meetings & Events: |
|
The Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors held their organization meeting on Friday, January 6th, 2023. Supervisor Danielle Duckett was elected Chair of the Board for a second year in a row. Supervisor Mike Twersky was also elected Vice Chair for a second year with Kathleen Hunsicker, Tessie McNeely, and Janine Martin completing the board. The Board of Supervisors approved the slate of staff, professional consultants, and appointees to various boards and commissions as listed on the agenda linked below. In addition, they established the banking institutions, set the meeting calendar, approved the holiday schedule, and adopted the fee schedule. Please note the Board of Supervisors will meet the second and fourth Wednesdays during the months of January through March. They will resume their normal Tuesday schedule beginning in April. All board meetings begin at 7pm.
|
|
 |
Residents can drop off their Christmas Tree at Ingersoll Park for the next few weeks. The trees will be chipped and used in our parks. Ingersoll Park is located at 905 Wister Avenue in Penllyn.
|
|
|
|
Holiday Lights
- Drop off your non-working holiday lights at Ingersoll Park
- Look for the green & red recycling bin & deposit your lights to be recycled at Ingersoll Park
|
|
|
|
|
Join the Lower Gwynedd EAC on a morning walk to observe birds in our township parks. The first walk is scheduled for Friday, January 20th at 8:30 am at Treweryn Farm Trail. We will meet at the parking lot along Sumneytown Pike. Walks are limited to 15 participants. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars. Please no strollers or dogs.
|
|
|
|
The EAC will hold a battery recycling drop off event on Saturday, January 21st from 9am-11am at the Township building parking lot. This collection is only open to LGT residents, and proof of residency will be required. Residents are asked to view the instructions linked below in order to have the batteries prepared for drop-off to speed up the process.
|
|
|
|
Happy new year to everyone in Lower Gwynedd!
Did you know that our township celebrates a milestone this year? It’s our 325th anniversary!
It's an ideal time for our Historic Advisory Committee to begin our first full year advocating for our historic resources and celebrating with everyone the amazing place (and places!) we call home.
The Board of Supervisors (BOS) officially approved the Committee over the summer. As a permanent advisory committee (as opposed to ad-hoc), we are looking to develop both short-term and long-term plans and tools that support and bolster our local historic places, communities, and landscapes.
Among our charges from the BOS: review and make recommendations concerning existing and proposed historical preservation ordinances; create or enhance a media database of historic properties in the Township; educate the public and highlight historic neighborhoods; identify historical resources and recommend plans and programs to the Township for the promotion and preservation and conservation of historical resources; make recommendations as to the possible use of historic properties owned or maintained by the Township. We have a lot of exciting work ahead in the coming year: creating historical markers to make people aware of our history, identifying and documenting more historic places, and making recommendations for the Gwynedd School and Ingersoll-Claytor House, both of which are owned by the Township. You will hear from us in both e-newsletters and on the township's social media page. We hope to hear from you, too. Tell us about the history that makes your corner of the township special so we can share it with others! Our committee meets on the third Thursday of every month- and you are always welcome as we strive to find that "balance between historic preservation and modern living." -Matt Metcalf, HAC Chair
|
|
Go Green in the New Year
Start off 2023 with a few resolutions to live your life more sustainably by Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling:
-
Reduce: only purchase what you really need, especially at the grocery store, to reduce the amount of food waste. And then keep your fridge and pantry organized so the items that will go bad or expire are front and center and won’t need to be thrown out because they are forgotten.
-
Reuse: shop at thrift stores to find items that others have donated rather than buying new, and instead of throwing out things like clothing, working small appliances, games, and many other household items donate them to a thrift store or charity that distributes them to others who can put your items to good use. Also look at joining an online group via the various social media sites like Facebook or Next Door. Look for ‘Buy Nothing’ or ‘Pay it Forward’ groups where people give and take items that still have life left, to keep them from ending up in a landfill.
-
Recycle: Recycling paper, plastic, metal and glass in your curbside bin (check here for details of what can and can’t be put in your bin) shouldn’t be the extent of your recycling. Bi-monthly battery collections take place at the LG Township on the second or third Saturday of the odd months. Put these dates on your calendar: 1/21, 3/11, 5/13, 7/15, 9/9, 11/11 and visit the website for details on which batteries are accepted and how to properly prepare them. Plastic film like grocery bags and wrappers for paper towels, cases of water, etc., can be collected and returned to some local grocery stores. The Giant in Spring House has a collection bin in their vestibule. This list has a complete recap of what films are recyclable. Also keep an eye out for future specialized recycling collections in the coming year.
Mark your calendar:
Friday, January 20th 8:30am – Bird Walk @ Treweryn Farm Trail Park. Please email lgteac+birdtown@gmail.com to be added to the email list in case of a cancellation and for reminders about upcoming walks, scheduled for the third Friday of each month at a local LGT park.
Saturday, January 21st 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.
Tuesday, February 7th, 7pm - Your Winter Backyard Birds presentation by LGT Bird Town, (location TBD), Learn about the birds of Lower Gwynedd and the best ways to attract them to your yard! In this one-hour presentation, the LGT EAC will provide ideas for creating habitat and setting up bird feeders. We'll also talk about identification of birds and how to participate in the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb 17-21). Free.
|
|
|
|
Boards & Committee Updates |
The BOS held their regular meeting on Tuesday, December 14th, 2022. The BOS approved the conditional use and land development applications for the Wissahickon School District's Turf Field project. A minor 2-lot residential subdivision project on Cedar Hill Road was presented to the BOS. The applicant is proposing to subdivide their property creating one new building lot. The BOS authorized the Solicitor to prepare an approval resolution. A second project on Cedar Hill Road was also presented. This project is for a 7-lot residential subdivision on Cedar Hill Road. The applicant is proposing to consolidate three lots into one and then subsequently subdivide the consolidated lot into seven individual lots. Two of the three existing homes will be removed, and one existing home will remain as lot #4. All of the lots will take access off of Cedar Hill Road. In other business, the BOS appointed steering committees for the Comprehensive Plan Revision and the Traffic Impact Fee Update. Both of these projects will begin in the new year. The BOS also discussed options for improving cell phone service in the area. They reviewed information compiled by staff including a mapping of the Township identifying Township-owned parcels. The BOS agreed that exploring opportunities for potential cell phone infrastructure should be pursued. The BOS also approved the 2023 Budget and Fiscal Plan with no tax increase. The tax rate was set at 1.223 mils. The Township Traffic Engineers, McMahon Associates, were approved as the construction manager and inspector for the Spring House Intersection Project and they authorized McMahon to advertise the bid for the intersection improvement. The BOS wrapped up the meeting with a few housekeeping items. They wished everyone safe and happy holidays. The BOS reorganized on Friday, January 6th (rescheduled from January 3rd) as noted in the above article. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25th, 2023, at 7pm.
|
|
The EAC did not meet in December. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 at 7pm. They will be meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in February and March. They will return to their normal schedule of the 2nd Wednesday beginning in April, 2023.
|
|
The Zoning Hearing Board met on December 8th, 2022. Their next hearing is scheduled for January 12th, 2023.
1005 Davis Road: A-Residential District; Applicant seeks a variance granting relief from the front-yard and side-yard setback requirements of the Lower Gwynedd Township Zoning Ordinance to facilitate an addition to an existing single-family residential dwelling. (Approved with conditions)
1430 Rose Lane: A-Residential District; Applicant seeks a variance to permit a deer fence 18 inches higher than the 6-foot maximum height permitted by code around their single-family residential property.
715 Evans Road: A-Residential District: Applicant seeks a variance to allow certain improvements associated with a single-family residential dwelling use resulting in an impervious surface coverage ratio of 31.82% where the maximum per Township Code is 25%.
|
|
The PC did not meet in December. The PC is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, at 7pm.
|
|
The PRB did not meet in December. They are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, at 6pm. Please check the website for an agenda.
|
|
The Lower Gwynedd Township Public Works Department welcomed two new employees late last year. Joseph Gordon and Dennis Gravinese were hired as laborers.
|
|
|
Joseph Gordon
Joe Gordon most recently worked as a concrete finisher before joining our Public Works Department. Joe grew up in Ambler and is currently Assistant Chief at Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department. Joe also is a member of Wissahickon Fire Company serving the residents of Lower Gwynedd. We're happy to have him join the staff! Welcome Joe!
|
|
|
|
Dennis Gravinese
Dennis Gravinese comes to us from Norristown Stormwater Authority and has over six years of Public Works Experience. He lives in East Norriton where he is a member of the Harmonville Fire Company No.1. Dennis has an Associate's Degree in Applied Science/Fire Science and has joined Wissahickon Fire Company to further serve the residents of Lower Gwynedd. We're happy to have him join the staff! Welcome Dennis!
|
|
|
|
The Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors and Staff would like to congratulate Kayin Nix who graduated from the Montgomery County Police Academy in December. Kayin joined the Lower Gwynedd Police Department last year but was required to complete the 24-week training program before reporting for active duty. Congratulations Kayin! |
|
|
Lower Gwynedd Township
1130 North Bethlehem Pike
Spring House, PA 19477
Phone: (215) 646-5302
|
|
|
|
|
Keep an eye out for our February issue! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
