Franklin County Coalition Makes Township Zoning Maps Available Via Webpage

CONTACT:
Thomas Linzey, Esq.
709-0457

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shippensburg (7/27) - The Franklin County Coalition and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund announced today that the groups have uploaded Township Zoning Maps onto their webpage at http://www.celdf.org. to make that information more accessible to Franklin County residents.

The maps, some in digitized format, show how Township governments in Franklin County have projected land use patterns in the County, and which areas the Townships have designated as residential, industrial, and commercial development areas. The maps also show whether the Township governments have zoned for conservation or wildlife habitat protection.

Tom Linzey, staff attorney for the Legal Defense Fund and coordinator of the Coalition, explained that "this is just another way in which the Franklin County Coalition is making local governmental materials and information available to all Franklin County residents. It is also intended to illustrate to Township residents how land use planning at the Township level can assist in ensuring that development occurs only in areas suitable for development. Finally, we've released these maps on the webpage to show residents that only five Townships in Franklin County have adopted zoning ordinances."

The Coalition recently released a "Costs of Sprawl" Study in Southampton Township, Franklin County which underscored the Coalition's contention that new residential housing developments actually cost Township governments more than the developments returned in tax revenue. The Study was circulated to the Township Supervisors as well as to Board members of the Shippensburg Area School District (SASD). The Township zoning maps are accessible via the CELDF webpage at http://www.celdf.org. under the Franklin County Coalition's section of the webpage.

The "Costs of Sprawl" study completed in Southampton Township is available for a small donation from CELDF. Copies of the study can be ordered from the Legal Defense Fund by calling 709-0457.