Middlesex Township

MIDDLESEX TWP — Nearly one year after beginning the process to update the township’s comprehensive plan, supervisors held a public hearing on Wednesday night, May 15, on the nearly-completed work.

On hand to present the draft of the comprehensive plan was Carolyn Yagle of Environmental Planning & Design. She worked with the supervisors, the township’s planning commission, and an 11-member steering committee to put the updated comprehensive plan together, starting with a kickoff meeting last year.

A comprehensive plan is a broad outline for the future of a municipality. Middlesex Township hasn’t updated its plan since 2004.

According to census data, Middlesex Township is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Butler County, if not all of Pennsylvania. The township has seen a population growth of 32% since 2010, compared to 7% growth for the county overall.

Likewise, the number of households in Middlesex has increased by 29% since 2010, and the township now accounts for 3% of all housing units in the county — nearly all of which are owner-occupied.

Despite this, the major theme that emerged throughout the planning process was the desire of residents to maintain the township’s rural character and landscape.

“What resonated the most is the genuine love that people have for this community and for the character that it will continue to provide,” Yagle said.

In mid-2023, the township set up an online survey to collect feedback from residents on what they wanted to see in the township’s future. Some of the common themes that emerged from the public’s responses to the online survey centered around preserving natural areas, providing public services and infrastructure, and preserving rural character and charm.

As part of that survey, participants were asked to rank which topics the township should prioritize more. Land use and natural resources were overwhelmingly voted as high-priority items, while “civic space & amenities” and “transportation & mobility” were generally voted as middle or lower-priority items.

During the presentation, Yagle mentioned several tangible ways that the township could preserve some of its rural landscape while still allowing for urban development to take place. These include financial incentives from the Butler County Agricultural Preservation Board, easement programs from the Allegheny Land Trust, and working with the Glade Run Lake Conservancy to promote conservation of the township’s wetlands.

While some residents brought up concerns — most of which were about mapping — most in attendance Wednesday night were appreciative of the group’s efforts over the past year to put the plan together.

“There was some very good feedback, some thank-yous for going through the process, and also some ideas on minor changes to the plans,” said township manager Jeffrey Winkle. “But overall, as a whole, it was well-received.”

The plan is currently available for public review on the township’s website. Winkle said that the township is aiming to approve the comprehensive plan by August 2024 at the latest.

“The public hearing was closed, so the next phase would be advertising for adoption at a public hearing,” Winkle said. “I would anticipate it within the next three months.”

Al Terek, a member of the township’s planning commission who was also part of the steering committee for the comprehensive plan, succinctly summed up the township’s mindset.

“I’ve lived in Middlesex Township now for 73 years,” Terek said. “I remember when Route 8 was three lanes. I remember when 228 wasn’t there. … If you don’t grow, you die, plain and simple.”