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Upper Makefield Townsihp

BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

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You Are Here: Website Home / General Information / 2005 Open Space Plan and Goals & Objectives

Implementation of Goals and Objectives

The Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors charged the EAC with creating an open space plan and reviewing and recommending parcels which should be considered for open space preservation by the Board. In order to conduct this review process, the EAC has developed criteria to assist it in properly reviewing parcels which may have desirable features that will allow the property to be recommended for open space preservation by the Board. In developing the criteria the EAC focused on items determined to be essential in protecting and preserving the natural character and environmental quality of Upper Makefield Township. As part of the review of the plan, these criteria have been re-examined by the EAC and the public.

Properties are evaluated in relation to the six major categories that the EAC determined to be important in the preservation of open space. Each major category was divided into sub-categories and a numerical value system was established to assist the EAC in its evaluation. In addition, there are also other equally important factors such as Economic Value (overall cost to the Township), Accessibility, Barrier Potential, Suitability for Recreation, and the Availability of the Parcel are considered.

Thus, the EAC utilizes a two-step process for its open space analysis. First, numerical values are assigned to determine the extent to which a particular parcel meets each of the six major criteria and provides a basis for objective comparisons. Second, the EAC applies the practical factors listed above which can enhance or decrease the parcel's suitability for purchase. Although the process used by the EAC utilizes a sub-category numerical rating system to evaluate the relative strength of a parcel's meeting each major criterion, it is not intended to serve as a process whereby all that has to be done is simply to total all of the sub-category points, then rank properties by their total points. The EAC's evaluation must be thoughtful and deliberative, not simply mechanical.