STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS ANALYSIS
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During the updating process the Focus Group paticipated in a SWOT analysis of the township when comparing it to the various elements of the Comprehensive Plan. The information from this analysis was used by Urban Research and Development Corp. to develop the new Plan. It was also used by the Focus Group to challenge the draft Plans to be sure the points discussed were being addressed. The following is the data developed during the SWOT sessions.
| Comprehensive Plan Element - Overall Land Use | |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
| • Planning
and zoning for 52 years • Codes governing land use • Diverse land use • Value of undeveloped land • Having the developing EAHS recreational fields next to Rt 22 |
• Areas
in northeast part of township and its relation to the traffic infrastructure
on Tatamy and VanBuren Rds. • Developers giving the poorest land for open space • Recreation land being developed in the later phases of the project |
Opportunities |
Threats |
| • Open
space in northern tier – to
properly develop • Redevelopment of some brownfield sites • Value of undeveloped land • Development of active adult communities • Future redevelopment of Bethlehem Corp and/or Taylor Walton sites • Freemansburg Ave – possible rezone to neighborhood commercial • Looking at Palmer’s open space requirements – do we have enough? • Trying to influence the new urbanization concept |
• Value
of undeveloped land • How do we deal with properties that are becoming run-down • As green space disappears it will hurt us in the future |
| Comprehensive Plan Element - Residential Use | |
Strengths
|
Weaknesses
|
| • Affordable
housing • Diverse range of housing • Broad range of housing types • Good mix of residents |
• Lack
of housing for retired/active adults • Substandard infrastructure in older areas of the township (substandard streets, stormwater runoff, etc) • Lack of apartments • Lack of housing for young professionals (apartment or townhouses) • Not having less costly active senior housing facilities |
Opportunities
|
Threats
|
| • Asking developers to connect neighborhoods | |
| Comprehensive Plan Element - Transportation | |
Strengths
|
Weaknesses
|
| • Location
near major highways • Easy access to highways • Good local roadways • Main local roads are state owned • Mass transportation • Opening 33 to 78 has reduced the traffic on Freemansburg and Wm Penn |
• Major
local roads are state owned limiting what we can do • Traffic • Not having four lanes from Park Ave to township line • State roads in township – speed limits to high • Need to increase the width of Wm Penn • Eventual need to improve Tatamy Rd. (Chrin development, Village at Mill Race, Industrial Park expansion) • Not having an easy an more direct route to trucks into and out of the Palmer Industrial Park (opening Corriere Rd to 248) • Northwood and Bushkill Drive intersection • More direct route of getting to Shawnee School • Bushkill Park Rd to Tatamy Rd intersection • Lack of mass transportation • Lack of park and ride lot |
Opportunities
|
Threats
|
| • Main St. (Tatamy/Nazareth) interchange at Rt. 33 | • North end development impact on traffic in central part of
township • Development of Rt 33/248 area and its impact on traffic in Palmer |
| Comprehensive Plan Element - Business/Industrial/Commercial | |
Strengths
|
Weaknesses
|
| • Near
shopping facilities |
• Too
much commercial in Palmer • Lack of job creating light industries |
Opportunities
|
Threats
|
| • Going after more light industry – how do we attract? – how do we market this? – development authority? – incentives? | • Shopping facilities in adjoining municipalities • Over development of retail – too much of same stuff • Lack of job creating light industries • Large “box” type building in the northern section |
| Comprehensive Plan Element - Community Facilities both Physical & Support | |
Strengths
|
Weaknesses
|
| • Township
parks • Public water and sewer/all utilities • Police/Fire/EMS services • Organized activities • Churches throughout the community • Palmer pool • Palmer branch of library • First class municipal complex • AA, Rec. Board, summer programs • Bike path • Community gardens • A number of higher education facilities in close proximity to township • Recycling program infrastructure • Waste hauling program • Composting program • Overall athletic programs |
• Library
treated as an orphan by the main library • Development impact on the schools • Lack of active adult recreational programs/facilities • Lack of athletic facilities to support programs (indoor) • Don’t have enough meeting rooms for all the activities going on in the township • Questionable park distribution throughout the township • Being able to properly man an all volunteer fire department as the township continues to grow especially the consuming senior leadership tasks • Increased vandalism in the parks |
Opportunities
|
Threats
|
| • Potential to get public service
facilities/equipment from developers in northern tier • Library could be a large asset • Utilizing the schools for activities during downtime • Changing the Palmer Library into a specialty type library • Look into developing a traffic impact fee structure |
• Declining
volunteers for all organizations • With more people gaining access to the Lehigh River is causing problems for emergency service – lack of access • Development’s impact on schools • Giving away our sewer capacity • Current rate of growth is stressing our emergency services • Lack of emergency service in the northern part of Palmer as development moves in that direction • Volunteer fire department handling growth |