Comprehensive Plan

What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A Comprehensive Plan is a long-range document that is used to influence future development and redevelopment of the Township. The document guides the Supervisors and Boards in their land use decisions, the development of ordinances, and the directing of Township investments in parks, transportation, and utilities. As required by state law, the Township updates its Comprehensive Plan every 10 years to ensure it is reflective of current trends, market conditions, and community needs.

The Township began the current update process in 2017 with the solicitation of community input, a review of existing conditions, and an evaluation of future trends and regional planning that may impact the community.

How does the Comprehensive Plan differ from zoning?
While the Comprehensive Plan provides general guidance at a community-scale, zoning is the implementation tool that provides specific regulations on the individual property level. The land use designation in the Comprehensive Plan is used as guidance for the identification of individual property zoning districts. Generally, a community has fewer Comprehensive Plan land use categories than districts. For example, while a property may be guided low density residential, it may be zoned r1s, r1, or r2 depending on the neighborhood. It is the zoning district that has specific regulations about allowable uses, setbacks, parking, impervious surface coverage, etc.