Michael Gibson gave an update on the Borough Visioning Committee at the Emmaus Borough Council meeting Aug. 19.

Back in February, it was announced the planning commission had established a committee to develop a 10-year vision for the borough. Gibson, chairman of the committee, explained the initial plan was to identify 10 perspective goals and strategies to help better the borough. The committee is made up of long- and short-term residents and both for-profit and nonprofit businesses who have been in the borough for a variety of different years.

“Some of the factors we considered during these meetings were the changing demographics not only of Emmaus, but of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and our country as a whole,” Gibson said. “The rise of the on demand economy, increased urbanization, climate change, energy, diversity, the Internet, reduction of retail brick and mortar and many, many other items.”

Gibson said the committee has currently gone through seven out of the 10 perspective goals, which are community utilities, community services, natural resources, agriculture, directing use where appropriate, assisting development and community design. The final three will be housing, transportation (which includes pedestrian, bike, vehicular, rail and truck) and engagement, which entails both the community and council. They’ve also gone over sewer, stormwater, natural gas and the water system.

Along the way, Gibson said they uncovered several interesting things. One was that both long-term and short-term residents, including those on the committee, were not aware of the many assets the borough has including the community garden, Furnace Dam and the borough’s natural resources and agriculture.

Gibson said the committee was struggling to define what Emmaus is. “We don’t know what our look, our vibe, our feel, our character were for the borough, because it has been an ever-evolving borough.”

While they were taking a walk down Main Street, the committee took note the borough differs from other boroughs in regard to consolidation. Gibson said it could be three businesses in a row, then a house, then a business, then three houses. He said they are thinking of how that looks as they move into the future in regard to mixed use and the population.

“The reality is we are a landlocked municipality, so the only way we grow is to refurbish some of the properties we have since we are very limited with green fields,” he said.

Borough Manager Shane Pepe and council were very appreciate of the initiative and leadership Gibson has shown with this committee. They also praised the hard work of the committee itself and the direction they have for the future of the community.

Gibson noted the committee has utilized past and current studies of the borough to help give them direction. “I will say that was money well spent on those previous studies. Whether they came to fruition or not, what they did do was teach us as a committee that there are a lot of perception challenges that need to be overcome as well.”

The committee would like to hand their “wish list” to Pepe by the end of the year for him to review. They hope to present it to council with a plan around January or February 2020 and then open it up for public comment around March and April 2020. They want to have it completed by the second quarter of 2020.

In other business, a resident in the 600 block of Chestnut Street complained about a tree the borough planted in front of his house years ago. The tree is destroying his sidewalk. He said he is unable to get updated house insurance until he himself does some temporary minor repairs to the sidewalk. He says he wants the borough to remove the tree and replace the sidewalk back to its original state since they are the ones who originally planted the tree and henceforth are liable in his eyes.

Borough Solicitor Jeffery Dimmich said the ownership of the tree is “not ours” and the Shade Tree Commission and the borough’s insurance company need to be part of the discussion. The issue will be addressed at the next general administration committee meeting.

A resolution was passed that “conditionally approved the preliminary/final subdivision and revised preliminary/final land development plans” for the proposed Wawa.

It was noted by Councilwoman Teri Sorg-McManamon “nothing has changed regarding the development, only on the complication of easements and land ownership.”

Dimmich added “there is nothing of substance that’s different in this plan” compared to the one a few months back.

Developers expect construction for Wawa, 150 N. 10th St., to begin in September.