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Council advances Bushkill Creek Greenway purchase, approves $100,000 for Plainfield Township trail work
Summary
Council adopted an ordinance authorizing purchase of roughly 43.36 acres for the Bushkill Creek Greenway and waived a second appraisal; council also approved a construction agreement and up to $100,000 in Act 13 funds for the Plainfield Township 2 Rivers Trail Gap 9a project.
Northampton County Council on May 15 advanced two open‑space items: an ordinance authorizing the county’s purchase of about 43.36 acres in Stockertown for inclusion in the Bushkill Creek Greenway and a construction agreement with Plainfield Township to build a segment of the 2 Rivers Trail. The council adopted the land‑purchase ordinance by a 6–1 vote and waived the county’s usual two‑appraisal requirement by a 7–0 vote.
The purchase resolution, introduced at the May 1 meeting, authorizes acquisition of approximately 43.36 acres from the Judith L. Bauer Trust. The council packet and staff presentation state the acquisition involves Highlands Conservation Act grant funding administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and that the transaction is subject to the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act of 1970. The waiver of a second appraisal was supported by a Federal Technical Review confirming the appraised fair market value and by staff comparisons to recent local acquisitions. The resolution text references a unit cost of $33,000 per acre; the meeting record ties the purchase to grant funding and federal appraisal standards rather than additional county cash commitments.
The council also adopted a Plainfield Township construction agreement for the 2 Rivers Trail Gap 9a project and authorized funding of up to $100,000 to be paid from Act 13 (Marcellus Shale) funds from June 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026. The agreement delegates construction responsibilities and certain long‑term maintenance tasks between the county and Plainfield Township and authorizes the county executive or designee to take steps necessary to administer the work.
Council members discussed administrative code requirements—normally two sealed appraisals for county purchases—and staff explained the federal grant requirements and the federal appraisal review that supported waiving the second appraisal. The purchases and the trail funding are tied to the county’s Livable Landscapes open space program and grant administration processes.
