Montco solicits input for plan through 2040

NORRISTOWN What was Montgomery County like 10 years ago? What do you want it to be 10 years from now?

Montgomery County planners are getting ready to solicit the public's input on a countywide master plan through 2040. Refurbishing Montco's trails are among the items the officials hope to look at. Here, Kevin Readinger, 20 of Conshohocken peddles his bike through the rain on the Schuylkill River trail near its railhead in Conshohocken on Thursday. (Ed Hille/Staff Photographer)Read more

by By Jessica Parks, Inquirer Staff Writer

Published Oct. 14, 2013, 3:01 a.m. ET

NORRISTOWN What was Montgomery County like 10 years ago? What do you want it to be 10 years from now?

Those existential questions will be front and center over the next year as officials solicit public input for a countywide master plan through 2040.

Such plans tend to be voluminous, dry, and bureaucratic. But they touch upon elements that affect residents' lives every day - transportation, parks and trails, housing, economic growth, recreation, senior care, energy, and more, said County Commissioner Leslie S. Richards.

"When I was a local supervisor and on the local planning commission, any issue that came up, we would go back and refer to it: 'Is this consistent with your municipal comprehensive plan, and is it consistent with the county plan?' " said Richards.

The last master plan, approved in 2005, emphasized transit-oriented development. Since then, the county has seen an increase in apartments and retail complexes with easy access to rail and bus stations.

The county's population over the next 20 years is expected to grow and become older. Senior housing is the type of thing that needs to be planned well in advance and across municipal borders, Richards said.

The county is mounting an extensive outreach effort, including four public workshops, Twitter drives, surveys, blogs, and a Facebook photo contest for which the winning entries will be included in the final master plan.

The county will also try to squeeze opinions out of an existing captive audience - people in the jury pool at the courthouse.

"We want as many people giving us their comments and opinions as possible," Richards said.

Here is the schedule for the public workshops:

Nov. 18, 7 to 9 p.m., 245 E. High St., Pottstown.

Nov. 19, 4 to 6 p.m., 2506 N. Broad St., Colmar.

Nov. 20, 7 to 9 p.m., 801 Loch Alsha Ave., Fort Washington.

Nov. 25, 4 to 6 p.m., 175 W. Valley Forge Rd., King of Prussia.

More information is available on the county website www.montcopa.org/2040CompPlan.

610-313-8117 @JS_Parks