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AnnouncementsZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE After several years of review and revisions, the proposed draft zoning ordinance will be presented to the public through four (4) Informal Neighborhood Workshops held at four different locations through out the township. Here are the four locations and dates (all meetings will begin at 7:00 pm:
Meetings will be televised and broadcast on the township television channels and uploaded to YouTube. Steve Kline will be presenting these changes, as chair of the Zoning Ordinance Committee, along with Larry Matteo (Director of Code Enforcement & Land Development), Mark Penecale (Abington Zoning Officer) and Michael Narcowich (Montgomery County Planning Commission). After the presentation, we will be entertaining questions and comments. If you would like to read the executive summary, draft ordinance or view the presentation in advance of the meetings please follow this link - Abington Draft Zoning Ordinance info http://www.abington.org/resident/plans%20and%20maps.htm . If you have any questions or comments before or after these meetings you can contact the Zoning Ordinance Committee by emailing zoc@abington.org or call Mark Penecale at (267) 536-1017. Note - this is a draft ordinance and these meetings are not part of the formal approval process. It is the intention of the township to present the draft ordinance and address questions and concerns expressed by the public. This draft may be revised to incorporate comments received before, during and after these meetings. The formal vetting and approval process is expected to begin sometime in the Spring of 2014. More information on this at a later date. No schedule for this has been determined. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cold house? Button up your home and feel warmer. <-------- Click on the "Save Energy" link to learn more  You can make your house feel warmer and cozier by insulating and sealing up drafts in your home, especially in basements, and around doors and windows. You can do-it-yourself with inexpensive caulk, duct tape and foam products. You can also get a professional home energy audit to find those drafts and learn which home improvements are most cost effective. You will feel warmer and save money on your energy bills. Low-rate financing for energy-savings home improvements is still available. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Want to save money? You may be able to save money on your energy bills by switching from PECO to another energy supplier. How do you choose which company to buy your electricity and natural gas from? You can select by options such as price, clean energy options, or local sources. For information on switching, visit the PA Public Utility Commission at http://www.papowerswitch.com/ . To get to the details and find a clean energy supplier, visit "Make Ben Proud" at www.MakeBenProud.com . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Electronics Recycling Collection "Anything with a plug" Saturday February 22, 9:00-1:00 Abington Township Public Works Facility 2201 Florey Lane, Abington PA 19001 (on left) Need a service project? Volunteers needed The EAC offers community service learning project ideas for volunteers, whether for school service learning requirements, Boy Scout, Girl Scout, mitzvah or other projects. We are looking for volunteers for the projects listed above and also for: Building rain barrels Installing rain barrels and gutters Public gardens and green space Building raised vegetable beds and row covers Tree plantings and maintenance Mussel Surveys in local streams In October: Ocean Conservancy "International Coastal Cleanup" (litter cleanups) In spring: "Great American Cleanup" (litter cleanups) Hosting tables at public fairs and events (like the Pre-Night Out) Creating environmental videos ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New opening for an EAC member
Become a member of the Abington Township EAC
If you are an Abington resident, you can become part of a local network of concerned and generous people who care about our environment in Abington. A volunteer is needed to join the EAC as a full member. Associate members are also needed. EAC members work on local environmental issues, EAC events, projects, planning, and on-going maintenance of public green spaces. Preference will be given to the candidate who can assist the Sustainability committee, create content and update social media, help maintain public green spaces, and successfully engage the community in environmental initiatives. Candidates must be able to attend our monthly meetings (second Wednesday of month). Candidates should be able to attend other meetings as needed; be computer literate and maintain communications with EAC members and associates; work with environmental groups, community groups, schools, government officials, township committees and staff; work on the Public Relations committee, and contribute to social media. Please contact us for more information, or submit your qualifications to the Abington Township Manager Michael LeFevre, your commissioner, or eac.abington@gmail.com . Applications are being accepted through March 1, 2014. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Green Your Yard Learn how you can make a difference. Attend our workshop: Tuesday April 29, 2014, 7:00-8:00 pm at Abington Twp Building, 2nd floor board room 1176 Old York Rd, Abington, PA 19001. Save money and go green. Would you like to do less work and spend less money to maintain your yard? You can, all while making it safer for your family. Learn when to do what, and learn safer alternatives to harmful chemicals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Learn how you can make a difference. Attend our workshop: Saturday May 31, 2014, 10:00-11:00 am at Abington Twp Public Safety Training Center At end of Florey Lane, to the right, Abington, PA 19001. You will learn... You can help the environment by collecting the rain-water from your roof and gutters with a rain barrel. By holding back
rain-water during a storm, your rain barrels help lessen flooding, pollution and erosion. With less rain-water running-off the land, less pollution will flow into our
creeks and rivers (which are the sources of our drinking water). You can feel good knowing that you are making a difference.
Collecting and using your rain-water can also save you money on your water and sewer bills. Use the rain-water to water lawns, gardens and landscaping, fill fountains and ponds, and wash cars and other items.
------------------------------------------- Save Money by Saving Energy Please visit our "Save Energy" page to see how... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Help Abington Go Green! Please help us make Abington greener and healthier for us all. Everyone is welcome to attend our public meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Abington Township Building 1076 Old York Rd, Abington PA 19001, in the second floor board room. Our meetings are listed on the Abington Township calendar at www.abington.org/calendar/calendar%20year%20page.htm. Volunteer information is listed below and on the Volunteer page. You can make a difference. For more information, please contact us at eac.abington@gmail.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for helping plant trees at Abington Junior High! October 5, 2013 Thank you to the community and student volunteers who helped plant wildflowers, shrubs and trees along the East Branch of Baeder Creek at Abington Junior High School. Over 325 trees and shrubs were planted along the creek in front of the Abington Junior High School near the intersection of Jericho Rd and Tyler Rd. The project will create a natural, riparian buffer that will absorb stormwater run-off, improve water quality, and help reduce flooding. The East Branch of Baeder Creek is an important headwaters tributary to the Tookany Creek watershed, and is a key area for reducing flooding downstream. The creek’s location within the Abington School District’s secondary school campus also makes this an ideal location for outdoor learning opportunities with both the Junior and Senior High students and is an area with high visibility and accessibility to the community. The project is sponsored by TreeVitalize, the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTFWP), Abington School District, and the the Abington Township Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). More info at www.ttfwatershed.org . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Volunteer with us... Help us green your neighborhood
The EAC needs neighbors to help maintain public green spaces in their neighborhoods. You can learn the tricks of growing green in an urban environment, and discover free local gardening and plant resources. The township green spaces are listed on the Local Programs page, under the heading "Greening Projects". If you would like to adopt or help with a certain site, contact the person listed there, or contact eac.abington@gmail.com.
Become an associate member of the EAC If you are an Abington resident, you can become part of a local network of concerned and generous people who care about our environment in Abington. Volunteers are always needed to help with EAC events, projects, planning, and on-going maintenance of public green spaces. This volunteer work qualifies as community service for most organizations, and fulfills requirements for service learning and scouting. Please contact us for more information at eac.abington@gmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks for Keeping Abington Beautiful !Thanks to the 399 volunteers who helped celebrate Earth Day 2013 by cleaning-up and beautifying parks throughout the township. Cleanups are a great way to bring your community together and make a difference in your neighborhood. It adds up too! We count how much trash we pick up and report to the Great American Cleanup of PA*. In Abington this year, almost 400 volunteers beautified 20 parks and green spaces. Throughout Pennsylvania last year, 140,000 volunteers picked up over 6 million pounds of trash, and planted over 22,000 trees and flowers. What a difference! For event details, click on this Earth Day link.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Congratulations to I. Rice and Company, 2013 Montgomery Award recipient 
The I. Rice and Company has helped the environment by donating used food-quality plastic drums to be repurposed into rain barrels. They donated over 150 barrels for the Abington "Rain Barrel the Town" program that provides low-cost rain barrels to homeowners, organizations and businesses. I. Rice has also donated food-grade drums to several other organizations for stormwater harvesting projects. Dennis Gallagher accepted the 2013 award for I. Rice and Company. The Montgomery Award is given annually by Abington Township. For more info, visit the Montgomery Award page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for helping create a mural... 
Drive down Keswick Ave and see the new mural! Thank you to the volunteers and community for helping us create the mural at the Keswick Avenue train underpass (on Keswick Ave, between Mt. Carmel Ave and Glenside Ave). The mural is of two intertwining trees representing the "Connected Communities" of Glenside. The design was developed by a collaboration of community residents, Cheltenham and Abington Townships, and artist Kimberly Mehler. The project was supported by a grant from the PA Council for the Arts. For more information, contact Jennifer Sherwood at eac.abington@gmail.com , or June Parkinson at Facebook "Friends of Keswick Avenue Underpass." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you to our 2012 project partners
including: Abington Township, Abington Township Commissioners, Abington Township Parks and Recreation Department, Abington School District, Abington Senior High School Service Learning Program, Cheltenham Township and EAC, Constellation Energy, Girl Scouts, Meadowbrook Bird Sanctuary, Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Pepsico, Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association, TreeVitalize, Willow Grove NAACP, Briar Bush Nature Center, Boy Scouts, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Ocean Conservancy, Youth Aid Panel, and the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2013.05.05 |
