What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A comprehensive plan enables a community to establish its vision, goals, and aspirations for the future. The Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code (MPC) authorizes local jurisdictions to identify areas where growth and various types of private development (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural) will occur so that a full range of public infrastructure services, including sewer, water, highways, police and fire protection, public schools, parks, open space and other services can be adequately planned and provided as needed to accommodate growth.
Springfield Township has kicked off the process to update the Comprehensive Plan! A Comprehensive Plan is a document updated every ten years that establishes community goals and aspirations for land use, community development, and growth management.
Focus Area Work Sessions
We are excited to be entering the next phase in the Comprehensive Plan process: Focus Areas! During the next few months, starting in March 2023, the Steering Committee will meet to discuss approaches and recommendations in six Focus Areas:
- Resilient Systems
- Rural & Historic Preservation
- Safety & Mobility
- Community Connectedness
- Livable Centers
- Land Use
The recommendations that emerge from the Focus Area discussions will be included in the Comprehensive Plan.
A workbook was developed as a companion to the Focus Area meetings. The workbook is intended to be a reference prior to and during the focus area meetings. It is divided into three parts:
- Overview: An overview of how we arrived at the focus areas, the purpose and outcomes of this stage in the planning process, the focus area lenses and topics, and meeting timeline.
- Resources: This section includes resources and a general framework for the focus areas, including past plans, community feedback, and other contextual studies/initiatives. Before each set of resources, there are prompts to consider when reviewing the resources.
- Meeting Guides: This section includes agendas for the first and second meetings, as well as discussion questions that will guide the conversation.
The Resilient Systems and Rural & Historic Preservation Workbook can be accessed here. The Livable Centers, Safety & Mobility, and Community Connectedness Workbook can be accessed here.
Community Profile
A community profile was developed as part of the comprehensive planning process to provide a snapshot of the community and its various components, including housing, transportation, natural and historic resources, land use, and more. Read the draft community profile for Springfield Township here.
Public Engagement
As part of the process, the Township held, and will continue to hold, various public engagement activities to gather input from the community.
Findings from the Community Collaboration Meeting #1 will be shared soon.
Community Collaboration Meeting
A Community Collaboration meeting was held in-person on November 15, 2022, and an online version of the meeting was live from November 15-30, 2022, and February 5-28, 2023. The purpose of the meeting was to encourage community engagement in the planning process and to get feedback on community priorities to integrate into the Comprehensive Plan. Click here to read the Community Collaboration Meeting report.
Community Survey Report
From July 18 to September 4, 2022, a community survey was open to get feedback from community members in Springfield Township. The survey asked community members to share their thoughts on Township communications, services, facilities, and more, and identify priorities for the future of the Township. The survey received over 600 responses! Thank you for participating and sharing your voice!
Click here to read the Community Survey Report which syntheses all that we learned from your input. This feedback will be considered during the drafting of the comprehensive plan.
Comprehensive Plan Focus Groups — DRAFT Results!
As part of this effort, the Township held a series of topic-based Focus Groups held in-person at the Township Building and via Zoom on Wednesday, May 18th and Thursday, May 19th. The Springfield Comprehensive Plan Focus Groups were open to all interested residents, community members, and other Springfield stakeholders such as businesses, community organizations, and public sector partners. These Focus Groups were the first of many opportunities to participate in the Comprehensive Plan development process, which began in April 2022 and is expected to wrap-up by August 2023. The Focus Groups and results from the discussions are below:
- Public Services: Public groups (e.g., Palisades School District, Township Water Authority, Township Police and emergency services, neighboring municipalities) provide services in the township. Discussion may consider education, digital infrastructure, road maintenance, zoning regulation, or other topics germane to public services.
- Economic Development: Existing and prospective businesses (including commercial, industrial, service sector, construction, agricultural/farming, home-based businesses, etc.) to elucidate the Township’s current economic environment, and opportunities for improvement.
- Springfield Folks: Springfield Residents, from youth to seniors, shall consider needs and opportunities regarding the quality of life of Springfield in general. The discussion might touch on public transportation, recreation, parks, open space and conservation, or mitigation of climate change effects.
- Community Organizations: Nonprofits, volunteer organizations, community/neighborhood groups, faith-based organizations, and their role in enhancing quality of life, the environment, and community engagement.