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In accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and the City of Easton Planning and Zoning Code, the Bureau of Planning is charged with the task to review the following and present their findings with a recommendation to the City Planning Commission for further action:
- Land Developments
- Subdivisions
- Special Exceptions
The staff is required to review and recommend revisions, as appropriate, to the City Planning and Zoning Code, Building and Housing Codes and the City Comprehensive Plan. Other activities include the development and coordination of various plans, maps and programs which the Administration may assign to the Planning Bureau, as well as, ongoing reviews of area transportation, open space, parks, greenway and waterway plans which may affect the City and neighboring municipalities. Historic preservation, urban preservation, environmental protection, neighborhood identity & protection, quality mass transportation and economic viability and even the control of global warming are all concepts which help to govern the day to day work of the planning staff. Staff responsibilities include preparation for public hearings, presenting testimony before any city board or commission and keeping a record of all staff and Planning Commission activities.
In order to accomplish much of this work, the planning staff coordinates regularly with the following city offices and agencies: Zoning, Engineering, Police, Fire and Health as well as the Historic Commission (HDC), Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC), Easton Housing Authority (EHA), Easton Redevelopment Authority (ERA), the Easton Area School District (EASD) and various city neighborhood interest groups. At the county level the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) and the Northampton County Conservation District (NCCD) review all major plans submitted for review and many offices at the state level, especially the Highway Department (PennDOT) are in constant contact with the planning staff.
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