Oct 26, 2017 By Mike Tony mtony@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

Menallen Township officials see the municipality’s comprehensive plan as their go-to guide for growth.

And because the guide needs updating, they’re looking to gather public input from residents and business owners about where they’d like to see the township head next.

Menallen Township will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8, to gather input on the update to its current comprehensive plan. The meeting will be held at the Menallen Elementary School at 7527 National Pike from 6 to 7 p.m.

Township officials have invited all residents and business owners to review progress the municipality has made since the last plan and weigh in on its assets, opportunities and challenges.

“Your citizens are your stakeholders,” Menallen Township zoning administrator Myron Nypaver said.

Comprehensive plans are guiding documents for a community incorporating priority issues covering topics such as housing, parks and recreation, transportation and natural resource preservation.

Municipal comprehensive plans are to be reviewed at least every 10 years, per the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Menallen Township last updated its plan in 2007.

“If you don’t have a comprehensive plan, you won’t get in line,” township Supervisor Joe Petrucci said, referencing the importance for municipalities of having an updated plan when applying for grants.

Interactive stations will be available at the Nov. 8 public meeting to collect input, and attendees will be encouraged to provide guidance on whatever they view as priority issues, which could include recreation, infrastructure and transportation issues or other topics.

Mackin Engineering Company, based in Pittsburgh, is facilitating the township’s comprehensive plan update, having done so for the township’s previous plan 10 years ago as well.

But that plan encompassed not just Menallen Township but Franklin, Jefferson and Perry townships, Nypaver said, adding that Menallen is going it alone for this plan update since it does its own planning and zoning and wants to focus on how to respond to projected growth in its residential population in the next several years.

Nypaver said the comprehensive plan should be up for approval by the township supervisors in the spring of 2018, after consideration from the township steering committee and plan preparation from Mackin Engineering. The township’s zoning ordinance will be updated following the plan update, Nypaver added.

For now, though, township officials are hoping for a robust turnout on Nov. 8.

“We want to have as many people as possible,” Nypaver said.