Custer, who sat in on meetings of the planning task force, says he believes the plan will be too accommodating to builders. He accuses the supervisors of keeping the comprehensive plan secret until after the election so voters will not be reminded of the delay. The supervisors deny that and say they are working diligently to complete it. In most cases, municipalities quickly approve a newly drafted plan after giving the public the required 45 days to comment. In Newtown's case, a date has not been set for a public hearing.
Officials say they plan to do that soon.
Officials say administrative changes, disagreement over the direction of the plan, and recent revisions in the Municipalities Planning Code have contributed to the delay. They also say they are scrutinizing every line and making dozens of changes. It has to be something the Board of Supervisors can look to for guidance. John E. Pickett, director of the Delaware County Planning Commission and a task force member, has criticized the township in the past for delays and says officials should hurry to approve the plan. It seems to be totally off the table.