Municipal Outreach
To support local municipalities and implement Landscape3, the Chester County Planning Commission has conducted direct outreach to municipalities on planning opportunities, based on an analysis of each municipality's plans and ordinances. We are now offering a rolling mini-grant program to support municipal implementation of these initiatives.
Municipalities can receive up to $10,000, must implement one of the eight initiatives listed below, can apply at any time, and must complete the project within a year.
Expanding the Network of Open Space
Protecting open space and preserving the county's existing rural character are critical actions municipalities can support, using a variety of planning tools.
Open Space projects could potentially include:
- Open space action, implementation, or accelerator plan.
- Zoning amendments creating true agricultural zoning, cluster zoning, or transfer of development rights.
- Official map showing open space preservation.
- Study for the creation of an open space tax.
Guiding Local Solar Ordinances
Municipal ordinances can facilitate safe and appropriate installation of solar power without imposing unreasonable barriers.
Solar projects could potentially include:
- Solar power zoning ordinance standards.
- Study for installation of municipal solar power.
Protecting Natural Resources
Woodlands, floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes, and riparian buffers provide many benefits that communities can protect.
Natural resources projects could potentially include:
- Zoning or subdivision ordinance amendments improving protection of floodplains, riparian corridors, wetlands, steep slopes, or woodlands.
- Special study, action plan, or implementation plan for natural resource protection.
- Study and/or ordinance creating an Environmental Action Committee or Street Tree Commission.
Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis
Changes to local zoning can facilitate the construction of more affordably-priced housing, including starter homes for smaller or newly-formed households.
Housing projects could potentially include:
- Action or implementation plan for providing more affordable housing.
- Zoning amendments allowing accessory apartments, providing bonuses for affordable housing construction, allowing more diverse and missing middle housing, or creating inclusionary zoning.
Expanding Mobility Options
A variety of municipal actions support active transportation, which includes walking, biking, and taking public transportation.
Active transportation projects could potentially include:
- Action or implementation plan for developing trails, sidewalks, or public transportation facilities.
- Subdivision or zoning ordinance amendments with standards requiring the provision of trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, or public transportation facilities.
- Official map showing proposed sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes.
Creating Complete Streets
Complete Streets policies support roadways that meet the mobility needs of all users and provide for all appropriate transportation modes.
Complete streets projects could potentially include:
- Action or implementation plan identifying complete street characteristics for a community.
Encouraging Ag-Friendly Communities
Local zoning has not always kept up with the changes in agriculture, which needs to constantly modernize to remain competitive.
Ag-Friendly projects could potentially include:
- Action or implementation plan for strengthening agriculture in a community.
- Zoning amendments creating true agricultural zoning, allowing secondary farm uses, permitting and regulating agritainment uses, or creating farm-friendly standards.
Preserving Historic Villages
There are a range of planning tools municipalities can use to preserve their historic villages, while allowing these villages to evolve and thrive.
Village preservation projects could potentially include:
- Zoning or subdivision ordinance amendments creating or improving a village zoning district.
- Village district design guide or implementation plan.
- Creation of an Act 167 historic district for a village.
- Study and/or ordinance establishing a municipal historic commission.