Agency Overview

CAPRA Self-Assessment

Significant agency awards and/or recognitions

The 9-11 Garden of Reflection in Memorial Park is designated as the Official Pennsylvania Memorial to the Victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Received two (2) proclamation awards from the U.S. House of Representatives:

1. The Flag of the United States was flown over the Capitol Building, March 9 & 10, 2018 in recognition of the dedication and opening of the Community Center.
2. For the spring open house all the opportunities the Park and Recreation department brings to the Community.

Winner of the Bucks County Happening list for The Pool, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

Lower Makefield Township was recognized in 2007 under the Leadership in Low Impact Development Recognition Program by the EPA and the Low Impact Development Center to highlight exceptional efforts in stormwater management.

Lower Makefield Township has been designated since 1998 as a Certified Local Government by the National Park Service that demonstrates a commitment to historic preservation as an integral part of community and economic development strategies.

Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award – Presented to LMT on April 22, 2009 by Governor Ed Rendell for environmental excellence.

National Environmental Protection Award – This environmental excellence award was presented to LMT at the National Constitution Center on September 5, 2008 by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson – First year award was given – LMT was only local community in the Mid-Atlantic Region so honored.

Describe significant rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, which influence the community

Lower Makefield Township is bordered by the Delaware River which allows many residents to participate in watersports like fishing, boating, kayaking and canoeing. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission owns and operates the Yardley Boat Access that provides a launch ramp and parking area along River Road in Lower Makefield Township.

The 58.9-mile Delaware Canal, a National Historic Landmark opened in 1832, is located within the Delaware Canal State Park owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The beautiful scenic towpath is a recreational multi-use path that extends from Bristol to the Lehigh Canal in Easton. There are 7 bridge crossings over the Delaware River connecting Pennsylvania’s Delaware Canal State Park and New Jersey’s Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park that allow residents to connect with neighboring municipalities by bike or foot and enjoy amenities of other River Towns.

Nature
Five Mile Woods straddles the geological divide between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau regions, the plant community of the Woods represents a unique blend of the two divergent ecosystems. Five Mile Woods was dedicated as a “nature preserve” by the Township, hiking on its trails, photographing its wonders and observing its wildflowers and birds are all appropriate uses of the woods. At one time the Five Mile Woods was Farmed and used for pastures now it is covered by forest.

Bucks County owns the Falls of the Delaware Park, approximately 176 acres of undeveloped land located between the Delaware Canal and the Delaware River in the southern end of the Township that adjoins 38-acres of Township-owned land.

Preservation
Lower Makefield has enacted Low Impact Development zoning regulations that protect floodplains, wetlands, watercourses, woodlands & steep slopes and provide for wetland/watercourse buffers, and building setbacks from these natural resources. The Lower Makefield Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance allows for clustering of development that limits the disturbance of natural resources and provides open spaces that are preserved.

The Lower Makefield Township Heritage Tree Protection Ordinance establishes policies, regulations, and standards for the protection and removal of Heritage Trees within the Township, in order to retain as many large or otherwise notable trees as possible and ensure that the Township will continue to realize the benefits provided by its tree resources. The provisions of this article are enacted to:

A. Establish and maintain the maximum sustainable amount of tree cover on public and private lands in the Township.
B. Maintain Township Heritage Trees in a healthy and nonhazardous condition.
C. Establish and maintain appropriate diversity in tree species and age classes to provide a stable and sustainable tree population within the Township.
D. Establish a Heritage Tree Program that will encourage private owners to voluntarily preserve and maintain large or otherwise notable trees on their properties.

Farmland Preservation
Created in 1985 by Township Resolution No. 555, Lower Makefield Farmland Preservation, Inc. owns and oversees 10 parcels of farmland comprising approximately 340 acres, all of which is located within Lower Makefield Township, and all of which was deeded to the Corporation by residential developers seeking to reduce the size of their building lots. Township Resolution No. 555 has allowed developers to sell building lots smaller than required by the Township zoning ordinance if they convey a fixed percentage of their development land to the Corporation. The Corporation leases the conveyed farmland to local farms.

183.3 acres of the township-owned Patterson Farm was permanently preserved through an agricultural preservation easement with Bucks County in 2017.

Significant social and/or cultural factors that influence the agency’s delivery of service

Lower Makefield Township, located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has something for everybody. It consists of suburban neighborhoods with a rich history, copious farmland, open space and numerous park and recreational facilities. Lower Makefield residents are proud of Township History, innovations in conservation and leaders in providing park and recreation resources.

The Township is set in a prime location approximately 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia and 70 miles from New York City allowing residents easy access by car or train to the city for work or play. Vacation locations are also just a drive away for winter or summer camping, residents can travel only 90 miles to the Pocono Mountains or only 50 miles to the Jersey shore for some activities on the boardwalk, or for fun in the sun.

The median household income is estimated $150,621 in 2020 which is more than 1.5 times the amount in Bucks County ($93,181) and per capita income is an estimated $69,804 which is also about 1.5 times the amount in Bucks County ($47,266) and double the amount in Pennsylvania: $35,518.

Patterson Farm
This 226-acre township-owned property is easily the most photographed site in the Township. The land is still an active farm that is tilled by a local farmer who leases the land. Other areas of Patterson Farm include the 5.1-acre Satterthwaite House property and adjoining barn, the historic Janney-Brown House and surrounding barns and property. This is the site for the non-profit Artists of Yardley (AOY), an art center that has over 100 artists in a full spectrum of disciplines, and offers art classes, camps, exhibits and shows.

Monuments and Park Land
Further inland Lower Makefield Township residents and guests can remember and reflect at the official 9-11 State Monument called the Garden of Reflection. The Garden sits within the Township owned 64-acre Memorial Park that includes a fully inclusive playground, tennis, pickleball, basketball, and sand volleyball courts, an arboretum, oak garden and community vegetable gardens.

The 9-11 Garden of Reflection was created to remember and honor all 2,973 people killed on September 11, 2001—including the 18 residents from Bucks County. It was formally dedicated on September 30, 2006.

Aquatics
Summers wouldn’t be complete without a membership to the Pool at LMT, the award winning Pool complex is the heart of the Township where love for the water starts and friendships are made. The aquatics complex is equipped with four heated pools, two amusement slides, a high dive and two standard diving boards. Just outside the gates of the pool sits a wooden playground that was built by the residents of Lower Makefield Township in the 1980s.

Golf
Makefield Highlands Public Golf Course Nestled in historic Bucks County, Makefield Highlands Golf Club resides on the former Pleasant Valley Estate Farm with history traced to the early eighteenth century.

In 2004, 168 acres of the original Penn Grant made to Thomas Bond (c. 1718) for land extending beyond the current location North and East to the Delaware River, became what is now Makefield Highlands Golf Club owned by Lower Makefield Township. The stone Manor House, which sits along the entrance of the course sets the stage for what were once rich rolling hills of farmland turned into a links style course. The course, designed by Rick Jacobson allows playing up to 7,058 yards with five sets of tees has been recognized by Golf Week Magazine as the #9 Golf Course You Can Play in PA (2013) and by Golf Range Association of America as one of the Top 50 Public Range Facilities. Makefield Highlands also hosts numerous events including the Lower Bucks County Pro-Am and the Golf Association of Philadelphia U.S. Open Qualifier.

Athletics
Lower Makefield Township has three sports complexes used for recreation and travel sports. Macclesfield Park, which is a 92-acre park with soccer, football, and baseball also includes walking trails and a playground. Fred Allan Softball complex has three softball fields and hosts one of the nation’s largest softball showcase tournaments, the Pennsbury Tournament. The Lower Makefield Athletic Complex has five baseball fields and sand volleyball.

Private Business
Shady Brook Farm is a popular location for area residents and is located in Lower Makefield. Shady Brook Farm has a large Farm Market and Garden Center, and hosts many events including Pumpkin Fest and Horror Fest in the fall, Santa’s Village and the Holiday Light Show during the Christmas season, and the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, as well as others throughout the year. Including the Wine Concert Series and Apple Festival.