TOWNSHIP BUDGET & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOCKAMIXON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
Comprehensive plans serve as a blueprint for the future development and preservation of a community. A thoughtful, comprehensive planning process will consider information, data, and trends that are current and relevant to the municipality, along with community input, in order to create a vision and goals for the municipality. As a long-range document, it serves as a guide for land use decision making to be used by residents, the Nockamixon Township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, private and public stakeholders, and governmental agencies.
The plan forms the basis for decision making and priority setting for local codes and ordinances. Guidance will be provided in critical areas of community development, preservation, and quality of life. The community’s conservation priorities are considered along with other issues, such as water supply, housing, transportation, and recreation, to ensure and support residents' health, safety, and welfare.
Why is Nockamixon Updating its Plan?
The township's first comprehensive plan was adopted in 1967 and updated in 1988, with the most recent update in 2005. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code recommends that municipal comprehensive plans be updated to reflect current needs and visions for the community.
The Bucks County Planning Commission will be working with the Nockamixon Township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors in reviewing and updating the 2005 plan. Below is the link to the Bucks County Planning Commission plan process for the Nockamixon Comprehensive Plan update including a timeline. Also below is a link for the current Nockamixon Township Comprehensive from 2005.
Nockamixon Resident Survey Results
An online Comprehensive Plan Update survey was launched on October 15, 2024 with a response due date of November 30, 2024. The survey link was distributed/advertised to Nockamixon residents as follows:
- Nockamixon Website: Main page of the Nockamixon Website.
- Nockamixon Fall Newsletter Mailing: The front page of the Nockamixon Township fall newsletter, which was mailed out to property owners on October 15, explained the purpose of the survey and provided the survey link.
- Flyers: Flyers were locally distributed online and in local community locations, such as post office bulletin boards.
- Hard Copy Surveys: Hard copies were made available at the Township office.
At the December 3, 2024 Planning Commission meeting, Bucks County Project Planners, Deanna Miller and Brynn-Erin Kerr, reviewed the results from the Comprehensive Plan Update Resident Survey as follows:
- Nockamixon Township’s best assets: Rural landscape and scenic beauty, agriculture and open space, and quality of life.
- Quality of life rating: Very Good 43% and Good 30%.
- Enjoy living in Nockamixon: 4.5-star rating out of 5.
- Residents planning to retire here: 38% said yes, and 20% said they had already retired in Nockamixon.
- Priorities for future planning: Retention of rural character, conservation and protection of natural resources, agriculture and open space, groundwater protection, and keeping taxes low topped the list.
- Priority issues for the future: Keeping the rural character, mitigating sprawl, and enforcement of ordinances were some of the issues cited.
- Safety: Safety was rated 4.0 out of 5.0, with 50.85% feeling safe and 28.81% feeling very safe.
- Climate Change actions: 60% thought Nockamixon should take actions toward mitigating climate change by encouraging small-scale alternative residential energy systems, such as solar, geothermal, and wind.
- Sustainability measures: Continuing to preserve land, providing electronic recycling options, and encouraging water conservation.
- Potential land uses for municipally owned properties: utilizing them as natural areas that protect environmental resources/wildlife, establishing hiking trails in natural areas, and farmland.
- Park usage: Most people said they had visited Nockamixon State Park (93%), the Delaware Canal State Park (81%), and Revere Veterans Park (58%) in the last year to hike, bike, and walk. Over 50% said the parks could be better maintained.
- Recreational opportunities: Suggestions included meadows, public gardens, hiking/biking trails, river access, and a community center.
Respondent demographics were as follows:
- Most of the respondents were aged 55 to 74.
- 33% were retired, 17% worked in the township and 16% worked elsewhere in Bucks County.
- Nockamixon was the primary residence for 98%.
- 90% owned their home.
- 50% had lived in Nockamixon for longer than 20 years.
- 30% said they associated themselves with the historic village of Kintnersville, 21% with Revere, and 17% with Ferndale. 24% said they did not associate with a village.