An op-ed from NorCo Exec Lamont McClure, published in The Morning Call, touts the importance of our affordable housing and open space. Here is an excerpt.
"Our extensive parks and trail system has always been appreciated, but the pandemic showed us that these areas aren’t just a nice place to take a stroll on a Sunday afternoon, they’re a crucial resource to promote public fitness and, during lockdowns, necessary to keep our sanity intact. And they’re a reminder that good things don’t simply happen; they require planning. Governments do not have the luxury of just living in the present; one eye must always be on the future to build the infrastructure necessary to fulfill the needs of future generations.
"In 2022, some of Northampton County’s major challenges included the traffic and air pollution that comes from a building boom in large-scale distribution centers, and a shortage of affordable housing. To address the issue of warehouse proliferation, the county has been aggressive in protecting farmland, open space and environmentally sensitive land. We preserved 941 acres of farmland in 2022 and plan on continuing these programs in 2023 and beyond. But this approach won’t solve the problem of ill-conceived and ill-sited distribution centers. That’s why, in 2022, the county invested $75,000 to develop a Freight-Based Land Use Management Guide. This document provides drafts of model ordinances municipalities can use to prevent unsupportable freight development from being constructed in their communities.
"Housing is a thorny issue, as it is governed by the laws of supply and demand and constructed by private developers. However, we can’t ignore the fact that it is in the community’s interest for the people who work in Northampton County to be able to live in Northampton County. This year our Department of Community and Economic Development participated in two projects — planning for the development of five affordable townhouses at the site of the old Glendon Hotel and contributing $1 million in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley to buy 11 acres in Forks Township. Habitat for Humanity plans to build 50 affordable housing units on the property in coming years.
"The future of Northampton County is green. Green for the color of our environment and green for the color of our economy. It’s important that Northampton County works for everyone — farmers, factory workers, construction laborers, educators, health care professionals and outdoor enthusiasts. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” We look forward to working with our partners in 2023 in continuing the work of building a brighter future."
Blogger's Note: It's always a good idea to quote Lincoln, except for anything he said about predicting the future. If he was any good at it, he might have finished his second term.
Lamont needs a stroll with his John Kruk belly !
ReplyDeleteNeither Jesus Christ nor Lincoln has anything on this guy. Hosanna!
ReplyDeleteYa but- How will the the system vet who’s from Northampton County and not Patterson ,N.J. when occupants start moving into Forks Twp. In subsidized housing? How will they handle this Bernie?
ReplyDeleteA green future with lots of open space keeps our more undesirable populations confined to urban areas. A green future is the white thing to do.
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ReplyDeleteYeah. we already have our little acre of paradise with a nice big home. Screw these other assholes that think they too are entitled to a little piece of God's green acre. Build multi- family dwellings for the bulk of the population.
The last thing Forks Township needs is more urban sprawl from fifty affordable housing units. Instead of using that open space, why not use an area that is more urban. Roads are a gridlock now in township. Sullivan Trail is ridiculous now.
ReplyDeleteGridlock...in Forks?! Lol, surely you jest. Take your ridiculous comment and your NIMBYism and gtfo.
DeleteIf the county wants to go green, how about promoting hydrothermal carbonization at the sewer plants within the county, rather than dump sewage sludge (marketed as 'biosolids') on our preserved farmland.
ReplyDeleteIt is being done in Phoenixville and if Nazareth would have invested their $1M in the technology, rather than continue to propose the destruction of the Hower farm in Plainfield Township, we'd all be in a better place.
Nazareth hasn't $1M. It can't keep its roads from looking like the lunar surface. Legally dumping sludge is one of the smarter things the borough has done. That Plainfield chooses to be the area's collective sewer is on the citizens of Plainfield, who really like the dump money, too.
ReplyDeleteBernieOHare to all: just to be clear, many of those planing Plainfield’s sludge on Nazareth need to know that Nazareth Boro and the Boro Authority are two separate entities. The Boro Authority is actually a state authority. I suspect directors are appointed to staggered terms precisely to prevent the boro from having absolute control. That is how authorities work and why I often refuse to host OT comments that continually bring it up.
ReplyDeleteBernie off topic but important to the Lehigh Valley why would the Whitehall commissioners pay out 140000 dollars of taxpayer money if the mayor was innocent as he claims he is.
ReplyDelete7:05 The problem in Whitehall is the commissioners they are politicians not leaders they do not care about the taxpayer's money. By the way the mayor's sister was in charge of the tax Department that lost over seventy thousand dollars and it was never found.
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