close

Brownsville’s comprehensive plan ready for review

By Christine Haines 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Brownsville residents are being encouraged to submit their written comments on the borough’s comprehensive plan as soon as possible so they can be taken into consideration for the final draft. The public comment period began Tuesday and will run through Aug. 26. The plan is available at the Brownsville Borough secretary’s office for review. Comment forms are also available there.

“Every section I go to, BARC (the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation) is there. I don’t like that. BARC is not Brownsville Borough,” said resident Nena Kaminsky.

“A lot of information came from studies that organization has done, which saved a lot of time,” said council President Jack Lawver.

“BARC isn’t the governing body, council is and it seems like that’s the way things are going,” said Councilman Charles “Russ” McMaster.

Brownsville property owner Ernest Liggett questioned the document as a mere planning vehicle, noting that the introduction to the comprehensive plan states:

“The Comprehensive Plan provides a legally defensible basis for land use, land use controls and regulations recommended by or evolving from the planning effort. The regulatory environment is of great importance in developing growth management policies.”

“It’s a little more serious than a study,” Liggett said.

Liggett also questioned why BARC was listed as the agency to implement the plan in the section on Economic Characteristics and Sustainability. Lawver said that the comprehensive plan also offers alternatives for implementation, such as a coalition of local organizations.

In other matters, council adopted a new public speaking policy that requires all committee chairs to submit agenda items to the borough secretary by the Friday before each council meeting to give residents an opportunity to review the agenda prior to the meeting. Residents and taxpayers will be given up to three minutes each to comment on agenda items at the start of the meeting and a member of council may request that an issue raised by a member of the public be considered at the appropriate time during the meeting.

The policy also prohibits personal attacks and partisan political statements.

Council also appointed Glenn Wolfe of Pennoni Associates to fill the vacancy on the borough Appeals Board created by the death of engineer Harry Hall.

Council also gave borough code enforcement officer Edward “Woody” Nicholson the ability to hire outside contractors to cut grass at properties in violation of the high grass and weeds ordinance, then lien the properties for the cost of the mowing.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today