By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

Joanne Conley of Urban Research and Development Corporation, Bethlehem, gave a presentation on the proposed updated and revised Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan during the Sept. 12 North Whitehall supervisors’ meeting.

She presented an analysis of park land which explained the service area for a park 10-acres or more in size is 1 mile, or a half-mile radius.

The average person can walk a half mile in 10 minutes.

Pennsylvania supports the initiative for municipalities to provide a park or a trail within a safe and accessible 10-minute walk for all residents.

A map not only showed the distribution of park lands with 1-mile diameter rings around Ironton, Rising Sun and Laurys Station communities but also gap areas.

Conley said she had been working on the plan assisted by a committee during the past year.

She explained what often precipitates a plan is land use changes where people see open space declining and development increasing.

They want to make sure they have enough recreation and open space to provide for future needs, she said.

The plan can be downloaded from the North Whitehall Township website.

Township Manager Randy Cope gave his report.

“The turning lane and road widening project on Route 309 and Pennsylvania Drive is currently under construction,” he said.

“Construction is going well, and that project should be wrapped up in the next few weeks.”

He also mentioned farmland preservation signs were recently installed at two sites.

Pennsylvania recently protected 784 acres on 18 farms in nine counties from future development.

In Lehigh County there are two farms in North Whitehall Township; a 17-acre horse farm and a 50-acre crop farm.