Salisbury Residents Urged To Chart Township's Future

The is urging residents to attend an important public meeting April 26 to contribute ideas to help shape the township’s future over the next 10 to 15 years.

Urban Research & Development Corporation, a Bethlehem consulting firm, has been meeting with the commission since July to update Salisbury’s comprehensive plan, a kind of blueprint or planning tool used by municipalities to help define their identity, growth and goals.

The comprehensive plan is important because it affects the quality of life in the township, from the look of the township to how it functions.

One of the key issues for Salisbury Township is that it needs help creating an and an image, said Bryan Cope, a planning associate with URDC at the February 8 planning commission meeting. Cope has conducted interviews with numerous public and private groups and officials.

“We kind of heard that over and over,” Cope said.

“It’s a difficult township, in the sense that you’re broken, you have Western and Eastern, to develop a sense of community,” said Tom Palmer, executive vice president of URDC.

Janet Keim, a longtime resident of Salisbury Township, said the township should use its rich pre-Revolutionary historical legacy, from its roles in the to the Fries Rebellion, as a unifying factor. Keim suggested declaring certain zones historic preservation areas.

“You’re looking for something to unify the township? Unify the township historically. You have a very historic Eastern end. You have a very historic Western end,” Keim said.

URDC will present their preliminary findings at the workshop April 26 at the township building. There will be a series of maps on display that residents are encouraged to view. Residents are encouraged to participate or submit written recommendations to the planning commission.

The comprehensive plan will examine:

• Land use and housing--- and explore such topics as neighborhood revitalization and rehabilitation; commercial and industrial areas; environmental conservation and historic preservation.
• Community facilities and services--- and explore entities such as schools, police, fire and municipal services and buildings; parks, recreation and open space.
• Transportation--- and explore road improvements, intersections, sidewalks, trails, linkages, parking and public transportation.

 Salisbury’s comprehensive plan update will incorporate a study underway by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on road access throughout the region. Bryan Cope, of Urban Research & Development Corporation, said the study suggests new zoning to allow the addition of non-residential areas.

“Zoning along Cedar Crest does not currently encourage commercial redevelopment,” Cope said.

 The final updated comprehensive plan will be presented later this summer.