[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of Willistown 10-9-2000 by Ord. No. 9-2000. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
There is hereby created the Willistown Township
Open Space Review Board, which shall consist of seven members appointed
by the Board of Supervisors of Willistown Township, which may include
one or more members of the Board of Supervisors, one member of the
Environmental Advisory Council,[1] one member of the Parks and Recreation Board and one representative
of the Willistown Conservation Trust.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Environmental Advisory Council, formerly
described in Ch. 13, was terminated 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 1-2012.
The Board of Supervisors shall fill vacancies
in the term of membership for the unexpired term.
A.
The Chairman of the Open Space Review Board shall
be appointed by the Board of Supervisors until such time as the Open
Space Review Board members, by majority vote, elect their own Chairman,
and all other necessary officers, including a Secretary. All officers
shall be elected for a period of one year, that period of office to
be coterminous with the calendar year.
B.
The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of
the Open Space Review Board and make a copy of those minutes available
to the Board of Supervisors by providing a copy to the Township Secretary.
The Open Space Review Board shall adopt rules
and regulations for the conduct of its own meetings and business.
Said rules and regulations shall comply with all applicable statutory
regulations, including but not limited to the applicable provisions
of the Open Meetings Law, commonly referred to as the "Sunshine Act."
The Open Space Review Board shall establish regular meeting dates
and criteria for the calling of special meetings.
All members of the Board shall serve without
compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses
as approved by the Board of Supervisors.
The Open Space Review Board shall have the following
powers and responsibilities:
A.
To identify, review, evaluate and rate the relative
desirability of interests in real property to be acquired by the Township;
and submit recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for its consideration
to acquire such interests in real property.
The Open Space Review Board shall submit the
following information and reports to the Board of Supervisors unless
otherwise indicated herein:
A.
An annual report to the Board of Supervisors not later
than February 28 following the year for which the report applies,
and said report to include a summary of the activities of the Open
Space Review Board with particular reference to the extent and adequacy
of the program and its effectiveness in view of the public expenditure
involved and the public objectives to be met.
B.
Prepare and submit recommendations to the Board of
Supervisors regarding the following:
(1)
Type of real property (open space) interest to be
acquired (fee simple, conservation easement, other).
(2)
Type of use of real property (open space) to be considered
(passive, active, public access, public view, other).
(3)
Management, covenants and restrictions to be considered.
(4)
Establishment of a program to purchase open space
property interests on an installment or other deferred basis.
C.
Review proposed ordinance provisions that relate to
the protection, preservation and management of open space in the Township.
D.
Coordinate with the Parks and Recreation Board and
Planning Commission in evaluating any property to being considered
for active recreation or passive open space to effect program implementation.
Act 153 of 1996,[1] as amended, requires local government units to establish
procedures to review, rate and value open space interests as to their
relative desirability. In addition to any procedures recommended by
the Open Space Review Board and approved by the Board of Supervisors,
the following shall be reviewed and incorporated by the Open Space
Review Board into its procedures and recommendations:
A.
Township Comprehensive Plan; Township Open Space,
Recreation and Environmental Resources Plan; other Township plans
and studies related to land use and planning for the Township; and
the Chester County Comprehensive Land Use Plan (Landscapes); as each
may be amended from time to time.
B.
Orderly engagement and use of qualified professional
independent appraisers.
C.
Recordation of each interest in real property acquired
by the Township in the Chester County Office of Recorder of Deeds.
D.
Maintenance of records to be filed in the Township
Building of the interests in real property which have been reviewed
and acquired by the Township.
E.
Submit to the Great Valley School District, in compliance
with Act 153, a copy of the deed reflecting the open space property
interests acquired and certified by the Chester County Recorder of
Deeds.
F.
Compliance with Act 153 regarding the termination
or sale of open space property interests acquired under the Act through
this chapter.
G.
Compliance with all other applicable provisions of
Act 153, as amended.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 32 P.S. § 5001
et seq.
