182
GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE
PLANNING ISSUE
On the federal level, the rules
for spending, especially for
highway improvements, are
onerous and create significant
delays. On both the federal
and state levels, more funding
is needed, particularly for
transportation.
Federal and State Role
Regional and County Role
Municipal Cooperation
Local Municipal Role
Existing Municipal Types
Federal and State Role
Federal Role
Generally, the federal government’s role in planning and
land development is indirect. For example, the federal
government provides significant funds for transportation
improvements and has many design rules about highway
construction, but the decisions on how and where to spend
this money are made at the state and regional level.
Although there are many federal environmental
regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
delegates the enforcement of most of these regulations to
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection
(PADEP), except for the following:
•
The Army Corp of Engineers does issue permits for
projects that have a large impact on wetlands.
•
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
adopts flood insurance rate maps, and local property
owners cannot get flood insurance unless their
municipality adopts a floodplain ordinance that meets
FEMA’s standards.
Other federal departments and agencies also have an impact
on development and planning. The Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) provides block grant and
housing funds; the Department of Agriculture has a variety
of programs used by county farmers, as well as a large
research facility in the county; and the National Park Service
runs Valley Forge National Historical Park.
What’s New
•
The federal government has allocated less money for
transportation, other infrastructure, environmental
improvements, community development, and
planning than in the past. New transportation
legislation does not have designated enhancement
money.
•
Federal funding for housing and community
development block grants has gone down, and HUD
wants affordable housing to be geographically
deconcentrated, with more money used for family
housing rather than elderly housing.
•
The Willow Grove Naval Air Station has closed,
which has reduced the military’s impact in Horsham
Township. Other smaller military facilities have
also closed in the county over the past decade.
•
State transportation funding is in dire straits, with
funding dependent on the Turnpike Commission
borrowing large sums of money that are then
transferred to PennDOT.
Federal highway construction rules create beautiful highways but add
significant delays and cost to projects.
Number of Federal Employees
2,900 employees
Amount of Federal-Owned Land
3,200 acres
FIGURE 136:
Federal Presence in Montgomery County
