The Planning Commission is made up of five resident members. Their responsibilities include reviewing most development proposals for the township.
Working in conjunction with the Planning and Zoning Department, the commission determines a project's feasibility and studies the impact on the surrounding area and traffic. When reviewing new or planned development, the commission must also ensure the plan adheres to all township codes including open space zoning requirements as defined in the township’s zoning ordinance. Once plans have been reviewed, the commission submits them to the Board of Supervisors with their recommendations.
The Planning Commission meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday’s. Recent agenda items included the Amelia Street Townhomes and a subdivision on Mennonite Road. Geoffrey Grace is the Director of Planning and is also the township's Zoning Officer. He serves on the Planning Commission as the township representative. Geoff is in the township every day and available to the public during normal business hours. He is responsible for evaluating the plans that are submitted to the township as well as working on the overall comprehensive plan. He coordinates with developers and their legal representatives and reviews applications for recommendation to the Planning Commission.
Geoff considers his role in the Planning commission as both administrative and legal. He manages all the land development applications and “makes sure they meet their clock” and assists in getting them through the process. Geoff considers the Planning Commission as “probably the prime place for residents to get info about land development.” He also says attending the Planning Commission meetings is “a great opportunity for the public to interact with the government.”