Trinity Area School District

Kindergarten Registration is Now Open!

Click here for more information.

DCNR GRANTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Special Fall Grant Round 

North Franklin Township was awarded

a $354,800 grant from the PA DCNR

through the State Parks & Outdoor Recreation Program – ARPA

The grant will fund the Waterside Park Greenway Phase 1.

We thank the Pennsylvania DCNR for the support they have shown for the project

and for improving outdoor recreation in North Franklin.

WATERSIDE PARK WINS AIA PENNSYLVANIA MERIT AWARD

The Pennsylvania chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently announced the

2022 Architectural Excellence Awards.

From the 116 eligible submissions, the 2022 Architectural Excellence Design Awards Jury ultimately selected 20 projects by 12 Pennsylvania firms to receive an Architectural Excellence Design Award. Designed by the architectural firm PORT, North Franklin Township’s Waterside Park received a Merit Award in the Regional and Urban Design category. This is a great honor for our Township and we would like to thank the team at PORT, the volunteers on our study committee, and all those who gave their time and talent to help design an award-winning park! For more details on the 2022 awards, visit the Pennsylvania AIA Design Awards recipient gallery.

The Spotted Lanternfly is now in Washington County!

Your help is needed to Stop the Spread!

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect that has spread throughout Pennsylvania since its discovery in Berks County in 2014. SLF feeds on the plant sap of many different plants including grapevines, maples, black walnut, and other important plants in PA. If you see SLF, help us stop it in its tracks!

To report a sighting, use the reporting tool or call the Penn State Extension hotline at 1-888-422-3359.

Join the effort to control and prevent the spread of Spotted lanternfly.

   Any efforts you make in destroying the Spotted lanternfly or its egg masses help reduce populations on your property and in your community.

     – Spotted lanternfly can be controlled by a combination of:

• physical removal at any life stage

• removal of Tree-of-Heaven host trees

• pesticide applications

• If you are in a quarantine area, please “Look Before You Leave” as Spotted lanternfly can move easily.

   Use the Resident Checklist to complete inspections of vehicles, trailers, or any outdoor items before movement within or out of quarantine locations.

   Report Spotted lanternfly sightings:o1-888-4BAD-FLY (1-888-422-3359), Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

     – Online SLF Reporting

• Businesses & Employers: A Spotted lanternfly permit is required for businesses, agencies, and organizations(agricultural and non-agricultural) working within the quarantine, which move regulated articles (defined in the PA SLF Quarantine Order as any living Spotted lanternfly life stage, products, vehicles, or other conveyances, etc.) within or out of the quarantine.

• A permit is also required to move regulated articles into any part of PA from areas in other states with established Spotted lanternfly populations.

     – Check out our helpful Permit FAQs.

     – Sign up for the e-newsletter, The Spotted Lanternflyer, that provides the latest information and updates.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Penn State University and Extension to control and contain Spotted lanternflies. Learn more about current research efforts and Spotted Lanternfly program activities.

The Washington County Comprehensive Plan               Needs Your Input

The County’s last comprehensive plan was adopted in 2005 and has been guiding the direction of the County until now.  This is your chance to voice your opinion on the goals and strategies for the next decade or longer.

County Residents are also encouraged to complete the online survey! Click here to offer your input today!

Public Notice

Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan Update

North Franklin Township, Washington County, PA

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Act 537 Sewage Plan

Notice is hereby given that North Franklin Township intends to adopt an updated Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan (Plan).  The Plan is a municipal planning document used to address existing sanitary problems, accommodate future growth, and provide planning assistance for development in the Township.  Following a thirty (30) day public comment period, North Franklin Township will adopt the Plan by ordinance.  The Plan is available for public review at the Township Office from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday – Friday from June 10, 2022 through July 11, 2022.  All comments on the Plan must be submitted in writing and dropped off or mailed to the Township Office during the thirty (30) day period, at the following address:

Attn:  Erin Dinch (Act 537 Plan), North Franklin Township, 620 Franklin Farms Road, Washington, PA 15301

The plan investigates sewage disposal needs and construction of new public sewers to areas that are unsewered within the Township.   Additionally, it provides improvements to existing public sewers in order to accommodate future growth.   The study areas include the entire township, with a focus on growth around Reservoir No. 3 and 4 and properties along Van Kirk Road. The plan recommends replacement of the existing North Franklin Interceptor and upgrades to the State Route 40 Pump Station.   The typical user rate for the interceptor and state route 40 pump station is $50.00 per month. 

Secretary of Agriculture Shares Scary Thought

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding reminds Pennsylvanians to be vigilant against the Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted Lanternfly bugs are beginning to lay eggs on flat surfaces to hatch in the spring. “Every Spotted Lanternfly egg mass not scraped and destroyed now is up to 50 more of these invasive, destructive bugs we can expect to hatch next spring,” said Redding. “We need every Pennsylvanian to hunt for egg masses this fall and winter and destroy them – or we’re in for a scary spring.” 

Spotted Lanternfly egg masses are a light gray wax-like substance that take on the appearance of mud and include 30-50 eggs. Egg masses can be found on many flat surfaces including trees, rocks, and outside objects such as picnic tables, playground equipment, grills, and sidings of homes. 

Property owners can scrape egg masses whenever encountered using a hard or rigid tool such as a credit card, putty knife, or a stick. Research has not yet confirmed whether egg masses can survive if scraped onto the ground, so it is best to scrape the egg masses in a downward motion into a container or bag with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Click here for more. 

North Franklin Township Receives LSA Grant

We are happy to announce that North Franklin has received a $150,000 grant through the Washington County Local Share Account Program to be used toward the cost of our new municipal building. These grants are administered by the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington on behalf of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.  LSA funds are distributed annually through grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).   We would like to thank the Washington County Board of Commissioners and the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington for their support! 

WCCF Grant received by Lincoln Hill Playground 

We are pleased to announce that North Franklin Township has been approved by the Washington County Community Foundation for a grant totaling $5,000 from the Craig Gnagey Memorial Fund and the Alvin W. & Carol L. Berthold Fund for the Lincoln Hill Community Park Improvement Project.  The grant funds will be used in conjunction with the donation received from the Winston Family to make needed upgrades to the playground.  North Franklin is grateful for the work of the WCCF and the Lincoln Hill Playground Committee to improve the lives of our children.

Lincoln Hill Playground Receives $10,000 Donation

The Lincoln Hill Playground has received a generous $10,000 donation from Mr. Robin Winston and the Winston family.  Mr. Winston is a former North Franklin Township resident and is now a Principal in one of the largest minority-owned government relations, community affairs and public outreach firms in the nation.  The Lincoln Hill Playground Committee hopes to match this contribution with grant funds to improve the playground, and the quality of life, for the children in North Franklin. 

The Supervisors would like to thank the Winston Family for this tremendous gift! They would also like to commend the members of the Lincoln Hill Playground Committee for their ongoing commitment to this effort! By working together, you are making a daily impact on the lives of our youngest residents and on behalf of the entire Township, we thank you!

North Franklin Township Receives Growing Greener Watershed Protection Grant

The grant award is part of the DEP’s Growing Greener Plus Program, the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address Pennsylvania’s critical environmental concerns of the 21st century. 

The $65,000 grant will help fund streambank stabilization in North Franklin Township and will help the Township to meet its MS4 Permit requirements.  We would like to thank DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell and PA Governor Tom Wolf for selecting our project and helping us to reduce sediment pollution in our local waterways! 

More information available here. 

North Franklin Township Receives DCNR Grant

The $36,000 grant award is part of the Community Conservation Partnerships Program administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and will help to fund a Master Site Development Plan for the park property that was purchased by the North Franklin Recreation and Business Improvement Authority in 2016. 

We would like to thank Cindy Adams Dunn, the Secretary of the DCNR and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf for supporting our effort to provide a place for people to connect with nature in their own community.  We look forward to working with the DCNR to implement this project which will contribute to the quality of life for our residents!

DCNR is the primary source of state support for Pennsylvania recreation, parks, and conservation initiatives. Grant funding from DCNR assists hundreds of communities and organizations across Pennsylvania to plan, acquire, and develop recreation and park facilities, create trails, and conserve open space.
“Pennsylvania’s local parks, trails, and natural areas create many opportunities to be active outdoors. They define our communities and make them places where people want to live, work and play,” said Tom Ford, director of DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. “Our grants help our local partners meet the vision they have for their communities and regions.”

Funding for the grants comes from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (Key 93), the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener 1), and federal funding sources.

More information available here.

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