12/04/2012. Last week I called the twp. to scope out the meeting and was told by Solomon that there were no presentations and that people would be asked for their opinions.

So I typed a seven page plan for Holland to present to the planning committee.

 I brought a copy of “The Bucks County Comprehensive Plan” – a hollow masterpiece of 45 people taking two volumes to write up summary of what’s going on and a little VISION statement that’s full of jargon from the U.N. Agenda 21.  Read the plan on-line. I did. then printed it and that’s my comment about it.

You will recall I spoke about the BCCP to the Supervisors and Michael Savona said not to worry, the township had no intention of accepting the BCCP, 

What a surprise to find there was a presentation, not “No Presentation” like Solomon said. There were about 18 or so ideas from the BC Planning Commission and two team leaders to push the stilted plan about how Holland should look. To find the incompetent BC Planning Committee was going to tell Northampton what to do about Holland is worse than Northampton following the BCC Plan. They didn’t plan anything for the meeting except to limit things to the eighteen or so areas. They did not even know how width of the Holland Bridge.

So after being mis-led about the meeting, I waited until I got the lay of the land about what was going to happen and then spoke up about what would happen with these people leading things.  You will get a great looking document full of very little substance. 

It was not an attempt to be hostile but a series of warnings about the process and the people involved. Of course it was critical. I’ve been thru things like this before. My advice would be: “Don’t let them waste time and money on this.”

This is not hard. Planning takes thought but the thought must be done by competant people. The Bucks County Planning Commission wrote a comprehensive plan that’s a summary of where Bucks is today, not where Bucks will be. The County has no answers for the county. that’s includes a solution for The Holland Bridge.

The main problem with Holland is “The Bridge”.

The Side Barriers need to be redone so the bridge can accommodate three lanes.

That’s neither hard to do nor expensive. The structure is probably overdesigned but that’s easy enough to check. Bridge design has been around since Rome built their roads. We know how to calculate the stress’s and if it needs a few extra pieces to hold more traffic it will be cheaper than paying the BCPCommisison for a useless document that’s a regurgitation of opinions but only on those topics they decided in advance. There was a small place for other ideas but ho discussion, no planning about what the residents thought. A Rigged Meeting with a controlled outcome.

 After  fixing The Bridge, some serious plans can be made and business will come in and solve the problems of what should Holland look like.

Businesses want attractive buildings with easy access and ways to advertise their business/products. This is easy stuff.

 Hiring the BCPC was not a good move. They should be put on hold while Northampton solves the Holland bridge problem.

So far as FEMA, the flood plain, the Army Corp, That’s why we have representatives in Harrisburg and D.C.

We need to meet with them separately and together to plan how to get things done to accommodate getting rid of the eyesore that’s been Holland for the past 30 years.   

 So if there is some serious desire to solve the problem of the Bridge, I can do that with some thought and a new plan to “Get Holland Moving”.

I made a proposal to get that started. It’s not hard. A better plan can be devised without the County.

If these people –  who are political appointments know how to plan, where have they been hiding for the past 30 years?

You know the answer.

 Regards,

Bill O’Neill

12/04/2012

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