Lower Gwynedd Township Upcoming Meetings & Events: 

EAC Green Tip of the Month

“Leave the Leaves” has been touted in recent years as a way to help the native wildlife, as doing so provides food, shelter, and nesting materials for many species, from invertebrates, reptiles, birds, and mammals. For more info about why and how to do this the National Wildlife Foundation has a great article. Another thing to keep in mind as you may be cleaning up your yard at the end of the growing season is to also leave the flower stalks. The graphic below shows how doing this helps create habit for native stem nesting bees. While some people may feel this looks messy and don’t want to do this, especially in the front yard, even just leaving a bed in the backyard or not as visible corner of your yard can help.

At the October 22nd Fall EAC Networking Conference, Mark Schafer, co-chair of the Lower Gwynedd EAC, presented a summary of the township's innovative stream sign project, which he conceived in 2022 and which is being implemented in phases. His presentation was among several selected by the organizers of the conference to highlight unique projects that can be adopted by other communities to further their sustainability goals. Lower Gwynedd residents will be familiar with the signs, which appear at creek crossings throughout the township. They name each creek and note that it "flows to the Wissahickon". This signage is intended to emphasize the interconnectedness of our waterways so that everyone remembers that how we care locally for our streams affects a much broader community and ecosystem. (The Wissahickon Creek flows to the Schuylkill River which flows to the Delaware River, a major source of drinking water and one of the country's "Great Waters." )

Sunday, November 5^th 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, November 18^st 9-11am – Battery & Techno Trash recycling collection @ LG Township Building. NOTE THAT THIS IS THE 3^RD SATURDAY, NOT ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 2^ND SATURDAY AS USUAL. Please check the webpage for details on what items are collected and how certain batteries need to be prepared before dropping them off.

Departmental Round-Up:

Building & Zoning

Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB)

The Zoning Hearing Board met on October 12th. They will meet on November 9th, 2023, to hear the applications listed below.

October Hearings- October 12th, 2023

1070 Peterman Lane: A-Residential District: Applicant seeks a variance to permit a shed within a side yard setback. (Decision Pending)

November Hearings- November 9th, 2023

901 Forest Drive: A-Residential District: Applicant seeks a variance to permit an inground swimming pool and associated improvements to encroach into the required riparian buffer area on the property.

300 Brookside Avenue: F-Industrial District: Applicant appeals the Zoning Officer's determination that the Zoning Ordinance does not permit a storage facility on the property.

Land Development & Subdivision:

Under Review:

• #23-03 LD- Gwynedd Mercy University Francis Maguire Innovation Center- Land development application to construct a 70,000 square foot two-story nursing center and associated improvements on their campus located at 1325 Sumneytown Pike. To be discussed at PC meeting on November 15, 2023. Under review.
• #23-04 LD- Spring House Innovation Park (SHIP) Building 14 Parking Lot Expansion & Electric Substation- Land development application to construct a 1,942 square foot electrical substation and add a parking lot at Building 14 on their campus located at 727 Norristown Road. Recommended for approval to BOS; Pending BOS approval. Approved October 10, 2023.
• #23-07 LL- 1304 Gypsy Hill Road Lot Line Adjustment- Lot line adjustment of two residential properties in AA Residential Zoning District. Land conveyance only with no proposed construction improvements. Plans propose to convey approximately 0.78 acres from lot 2 to lot 1. Recommended for approval at PC meeting on September 20, 2023. Scheduled on November 14th, 2023, BOS agenda.

Police Department-CRU

Crimewatch

The Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department and Chief Paul Kenny would like to announce the launch of a new website. The new website was developed in partnership with Crimewatch Technologies and is part of the Crimewatch Network. The online tool gives the general public a direct access to crime and public safety-related information happening in their community. The new website provides opportunities to:



• Sign up for free account and receive email alerts regarding crimes and emergency broadcast
• Register Camera and Alarms Systems
• Sign up for community programs such as Do Not Solicit List, Car Safety Seat Inspection
• Get connected with resources and services Local residents are encouraged to visit www.lowergwyneddpolice.org and/or download CRIMEWATCH Mobile from the Apple App Store or Android APP Store-See above flyer.

DEER ON THE MOVE, CROSSING ROADS MORE

With deer becoming increasingly active, and daylight-saving time soon to put more vehicles on the road during the hours when deer move most, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is advising motorists to slow down and stay alert. Deer become more active in autumn with the lead-up to their fall breeding season, commonly referred to as the “rut.” Around this time, many yearling bucks disperse from the areas in which they were born and travel, sometimes several dozen miles, to find new ranges. Meanwhile, adult bucks more often are cruising their home ranges in search of does, and they sometimes chase the does they encounter. When daylight-saving time ends Nov. 5, there also will be increased vehicular traffic between dusk and dawn – the peak hours for deer activity.

A driver who hits a deer with a vehicle is not required to report the accident to the Game Commission. If the deer dies, only Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass. To do so, they can call the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD and an agency dispatcher will collect the information needed to provide a free permit number, which the caller should write down. A resident must call within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer. A passing Pennsylvania motorist also may claim the deer, if the person whose vehicle hit it doesn’t want it.

Those taking possession of road-killed deer also are advised of rules related to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) that prohibit the removal of high-risk deer parts – essentially the head and backbone – from any Disease Management Area (DMA) or Established Area (EA). Those parts must be removed before the deer is transported outside a DMA or EA. For maps of these areas, the complete list of high-risk parts and other information on CWD, visit www.pgc.pa.gov.

To report a dead deer for removal from state roads, motorists can call the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation at 1-800-FIX-ROAD.