What are Planned Residential Developments (PRDs)?

Dear Middlesex Community Action members,

Here's a few explanations and thoughts on PRDs, of which we hear so much in present housing development.  

Baby Boomers!

Many new housing developments in our township (Middlesex Crossing, BlackHawk, GreyHawk) are Planned Residential Developments (PRDs). These were established under PA law in 1968, at a time when baby boomers were coming of age and looking for affordable housing in their townships. PRDs allowed townships to forgo their usual regulations and put up much denser small housing developments, thus providing houses for a growing population and ensuring agricultural land did not get eaten up.   So, basically a good move - at the time. 

And today

Things are different now. We no longer have a growing local population. Almost all our growth comes from people wanting to move into the township and mostly out of Allegheny County.  

If housing is to be added to our township, we still want it to eat up as little of our agricultural and woodland as possible but also, crucially, preserve the rural nature of the township. Many would argue that the present developments in no way do this. The housing styles are decidedly urban and make no attempt to blend in with the landscape.  Also, the  open spaces PRDs are supposed to build and get treated as an annoyance by the developers  with little attempt to provide the types of benefits (conservation easements, high quality habitats and natural recreation areas) which would offset the dense housing areas and advance the goals of the comprehensive plan.

Our Zoning Codes and PRDs

PRDs are covered by our zoning codes here. They are very detailed on housing standards and density but silent on housing character and rural preservation.   Lots of work to do changing these!

And the Courts are concerned

It also appears that some developers (not in our township) are not quite following the rules. Recently the courts have issued decisions tightening up on the use of PRDs (See here). Their ruling suggests that townships need to take more seriously their duty to review proposals submitted to them.

How to move forward?

Our Comprehensive Plan is very clear that we want to preserve the rural nature of our township, so the challenge for the Planning Commission, and the Supervisors, is to find a way to allow development, but within a legal framework that taylors that development to our landscape and community.  

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Peter