Borough of East Greenville, PA Planning Commission

There is hereby created the East Greenville Borough Planning Commission consisting of five residents of the Borough of East Greenville, three of whom shall be citizen members and two of whom may either be members of the Borough Council or a member of Council and a representative appointed by the Borough to the Upper Perkiomen Valley Area Planning Council, or other official, as determined from time to time by the Council.

§ 12-2 Term of office.

The term of office of each member of the Commission shall be for four years or until his successor is appointed and has qualified, except that the members of the Borough Planning Commission appointed pursuant to Ordinance No. 3-62, approved April 2, 1962,' shall continue in office until the end of the terms for which they have been appointed.

The term of one member shall expire (after the terms of the first Commission members shall expire) at the end of the 14th day of April of each of three successive years, and at the end of the fourth year, the terms of two members shall expire April 14, and thereafter terms shall expire according to the same plan of three successive years and the fourth year, respectively, so that there shall be five members at all times, including the Chairman. No more than two terms shall expire in any one calendar year.

§ 12-3 Appointment of Chairman.

The Chairman of the Planning Commission shall be designated by the Borough Council and shall perform all the customary duties of a presiding officer until his term as a member shall expire, except that the Council at its regular meeting in March of each calendar year may designate another member as Chairman of the Planning Commission or, in its discretion, at the expiration of the term of the Chairman, may reappoint him as the continuing Chairman.

§ 12-4 Vacancies.

The Chairman of the Planning Commission shall promptly notify the Borough Council concerning any vacancies in the Commission, and the Council shall promptly fill such vacancy for the unexpired term.

§ 12-5 Statutory authority for changes to Planning Commission.

Changes in the constitution or responsibilities of the Planning Commission shall be made only in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as the same may be amended.

§ 12-6 Powers and duties.

The powers and duties of the East Greenville Borough Planning Commission shall be and include all those authorized under The Borough Code,2 as amended, and the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, being Act No. 247, approved July 31, 1 968,§ the provisions of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto the same as though set forth at length herein and as the same may be amended from time to time.

The Planning Commission shall prepare and keep up-to-date according to professional surveys an Official Map and plan made on behalf of the Borough Council or as may be authorized from time to time by said Council upon behalf of the Borough Planning Commission, depicting the exact location of existing streets, proposed streets and all public grounds, public storm and sanitary sewers, the Borough water system and all approved subdivisions and/or annexations.

The Planning Commission shall make recommendations for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and such additions or amendments to the Borough Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, the Zoning Ordinance of I 969§ or its amendments and such other regulations or ordinances as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable for the proper development of the Borough.

Article II Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission

[Adopted 9-2-1997 by Ord. No. 97-4]

§ 12-7 Creation; membership; and terms.

East Greenville Borough shall join with the municipalities of Pennsburg Borough, Red Hill Borough, Green Lane Borough, Upper Hanover Township, and Marlborough Township to create the Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission (Commission) as per the guidelines set forth under Section 1102 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Code, Act 247 of July 31, 1968, as reenacted and amended. Each participating municipality shall appoint two members. The term of each member shall be two years; however, initially each municipality shall appoint one member for a one-year term and a second member for a two-year term so that the term of membership of the members appointed by the individual municipalities shall be on a staggered basis. Qualification of members, the removal of members, the conduct of business, etc., shall be governed by Article II and Article XI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Code.

§ 12-8 Purpose.

The six municipalities of the Upper Perkiomen Valley have come to recognize that the issues associated with growth and development, such as, but not limited to, traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and loss of open space, are too large for any one municipality to deal with. They further recognize that current growth and anticipated growth, if not properly managed, will lead to the diminution of the region's quality of life. They are concerned that current zoning requirements which call for each and every municipality to provide for a full range of uses, regardless of historic development patterns, is inefficient and potentially destructive to the region's economic and social structure.

To this end, the six municipalities of the Upper Perkiomen Valley hereby embark on a course of action to implement regional planning and regional zoning. Only through regional planning and regional zoning can growth and development be rationally and fairly managed. Therefore, East Greenville Borough empowers the Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission to undertake the development of a Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan that shall encompass the six municipalities of the Upper Perkiomen Valley. Upon the successful completion of the Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan, and its adoption by all the participating municipalities, the participating municipalities may so instruct the Regional Planning Commission to undertake the development of a Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map.

§ 12-9 Powers and duties.

The Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission shall have the responsibility to prepare a Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan for the six participating municipalities of the Upper Perkiomen Valley. To this end, the powers and duties of the Commission are as follows:

To prepare a Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan pursuant to Article III and Article XI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

That in the preparation of the Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan, the members of the Commission shall represent the interests of their respective municipalities and shall cast one vote per municipality on all matters that require action.

Any vote taken by Commission members pertaining to regional planning and regional zoning must be unanimous for it to pass. All other non-planning and zoning related matters may be approved by simple majority.

Upon the completion of the Joint Municipal Comprehensive Plan by the Commission, and its adoption by all the participating municipalities, the Commission may be instructed by the participating municipalities to prepare a Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map which shall be presented to the participating municipalities for their consideration and adoption.

If so directed by the participating municipalities to develop a Regional Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map, the Regional Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map shall be prepared pursuant to Article VI and Article VIII-A of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

Should joint municipal zoning be formally adopted by the participating municipalities, the Regional Planning Commission shall review all proposed changes to the Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map and shall make a formal recommendation to the participating municipalities regarding said change. The recommendation of the Commission shall be advisory only.

§ 12-10 Local Planning Commissions and Zoning Hearing Boards.

Each municipality shall retain its own municipal Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board. The participating municipalities agree that for all matters relating to lot line changes, subdivisions, land developments, variances, special exceptions and conditional uses, or any other matter of a planning or zoning nature in which jurisdiction resides in the governing body of a municipality, shall not be a joint planning or joint zoning activity.

§ 12-11 Officers and terms.

The officers of the Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Secretary, all of whom are to serve for a term of one year. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be members of the Commission, but the Secretary need not be a member of the Commission.

§ 12-12 Withdrawal.

Any participating municipality may withdraw from the Regional Planning Commission after one month's formal notice. Upon receiving notice that a municipality wishes to withdraw from the Regional Planning Commission, the governing bodies of the remaining municipalities shall promptly schedule a meeting to consider whether the remaining municipalities wish to continue with the Regional Planning Commission. Should joint municipal zoning be enacted, notice of withdrawal shall be pursuant to the standards set forth in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.