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Monday 17 October 2005: Session 2, 11:30:00 AM
Potential Land Preservation Areas in Derry Township and Options For Their Protection.
Presentation Abstract
Derry Township, Dauphin County, appeals to families because of its convenient location and educational, cultural, recreational, and environmental amenities. Consequently, some maintain development pressure threatens Derry's village, suburban, and semi-rural charm. To determine if Derry's Future Land Use Plan (Plan) protects critical environmental areas, such as wetlands and steep slopes, we constructed a Land Classification and Land Use GIS, and employed it to create a map of potential preservation areas (PPAs). We concluded the Plan does protect PPAs. PPAs may be further secured by (1) municipal land preservation efforts; (2) riparian corridor restoration; (3) conservation easements; (4) conservation commitments; (5) implementation of land use and greenway plans; (6) fortified transferable development rights; and (7) a Land Preservation Fund (LPF). Taxpayers would need to approve and finance an LPF. A $5 million bond issue would require a 10-year, 0.1% Earned Income Tax (EIT) increase. A Land Preservation Advisory Council, comprised of Derry citizens, would make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding purchasing or procuring rights to qualifying lands. Current economic conditions and our EIT revenue forecast, indicate the LPF would be capitalized at approximately $7.0 million. LPF monies would hopefully induce landowners to execute conservation easements or, possibly, to sell their lands. At $10,000 per acre, we estimate easements on, and to a lesser extent, purchases of, 360 acres of select riparian lands and 60 acres of choice mature forest would cost $4.2 million. We suggest the $2.8 million LPF balance be held to pursue other preservation opportunities as they arise. Collectively, through purchases, private projects, and Plan protection, we predict 21% of Derry's area would be preserved for its environmental value. This percentage compares favorably to Buckingham Township, Bucks County, a strongly agrarian and conservation-driven municipality that currently preserves 17% of its area.
Speaker Biographical Information
John Memmi Chair: Derry Township Planning Commission
Dr. Memmi has a broad professional background, which includes legislative policy, redistricting, information technology, and mineral exploration. He is Policy Director of the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Policy Development and Research Office, where he spearheads projects ranging from bioterrorism preparedness to tax reform. Dr. Memmi's previous positions include Technical Specialist for the Senate Majority Leader, Deputy Director of the Senate Republican Policy Development and Research Office, and Associate Director of the Pennsylvania Energy Office. He has also worked for the USDA Forest Service; the state geological surveys of Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming; and as an independent consultant. In addition, Dr. Memmi is in his tenth year of service on the Derry Township Planning Commission, which he has chaired since 2002. Dr. Memmi is a certified GIS Professional. He earned a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from The Ohio State University, an M.S. in Geology from Colorado State University, and a B.S. with honors in Natural Science from West Chester University.
Diane Myers-Krug Transportation Planner: Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
Diane Myers-Krug is a planner on staff at Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, where her primary work responsibilities focus on transportation and support for the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study (HATS) MPO program. Prior to coming to Harrisburg in April 2000, Diane worked at the University of Toledo as a Research Associate with the Urban Affairs Center, an applied research unit of the University. Much of her work involved examining development patterns and working with communities and government officials. While in Toledo Diane also worked as a regional planner with the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, the Toledo region’s MPO, to develop the transportation and land use connection for their work program. Diane began her career in 1984 with a private consulting firm in Pittsburgh, Environmental Planning & Design, after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State and a Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, both in Urban and Regional Planning. Diane grew up in a suburb of Boston, misses the snow, and now lives in Hershey with her husband (of 22 years) and two active boys, ages 8 and 12.
Jeffrey D. Keiser Director: Community Development Department
Jeff is the director of the Community Development Department in Derry Township.
