Lehman Township, unlike Milford Township, includes residents' input in its land use plans

To the Editor:

I recently came across an enlightening article regarding Lehman Township and their development of a new Comprehensive Plan.

Their approach involves hiring a firm to assist in developing the new plan, along with requesting public feedback via an opinion survey. That feedback encompasses Lehman Township residents’ vision of their future quality of life in addition to such topics as open space, parks, traffic patterns, and housing.

Lehman Township’s approach to their Comprehensive Plan stands in stark contrast to the way Milford Township’s supervisory board has been operating. Facing a zoning decision that will alter the face of the township, Milford Borough, and Pike County, township Supervisor Gary Clark is ramrodding the change full steam ahead despite township residents’ vocal objections to a dramatic shift in zoning policy. The board’s decision would permit multi-use construction of commercial strip malls, including 100-unit three-story apartment buildings on any land parcel of 20-plus acres. That the township residents do not want this zoning change became evident in his lopsided loss in the Democratic primary, in which he only garnered 20 percent of the vote.

At a recent township meeting, I shared the Lehman Township article with both Mr. Williams and Mrs. Luhrs, the other supervisors. (Mr. Clark was not in attendance.) Williams and Luhrs seemed interested in an approach involving residents’ feedback. The current proposed zoning amendment change must be made in the best interest of Milford Township residents and at the very least should be put to a referendum.

Hopefully Mr. Clark will come to the same conclusion and remember that our most defining document starts with “We The People...” not “I, the Supervisor."

Fred Weber

Milford