Letter to the Editor: Status of Manchester Township’s draft master plan

September 20, 2025

To the Editor:

I am writing to let Manchester Township residents know about the status of our draft master plan. The Manchester Township Board (MTB) will consider approval of the plan at their next board meeting on October 14. Residents should know that the draft plan available on the Manchester Township website since April has been significantly revised.

I was encouraged by the response of many in the community who took time to come to the public hearing on the master plan on June 24. They shared my concerns about protection of our natural and agricultural lands and raised other valid points. In particular, residents objected to the future land-use map, which designated large parts of our township for one-acre and quarter-acre minimum lot sizes. The current minimum is two acres. There were also comments on the text of the plan. I looked forward to seeing our new and improved master plan, as we were assured at follow-up meetings that our concerns had been heard.

During public comment at the MTB on September 9, knowing the revised version was almost complete, I asked the board to put the revised master plan on the township website. I did not ask for or get a response. After checking the website, I stopped by the office on Friday morning to ask again. They declined to do that but did give me a hard copy. It is available for review during township hours, 8:30am to noon, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Upon a brief review I found the original draft has been significantly reworked and reorganized, making it challenging to locate revisions and updates quickly using a hard copy. If this current draft were available electronically, other residents and I would be able to search for terms to compare the documents. I believe that the changes are appropriate, but I still want to see it for myself. This is one of the most important documents any township can adopt.

I renew my request to township officials to put this revised version of our master plan on the township website.

Sincerely,

Sybil Kolon
Manchester Township

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.