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Approximately 50 percent of all land use in the study area is agricultural, reflecting a once exclusively rural way of life that lasted well into the twentieth century. The remainder is comprised of residential (15%) and commercial (35%), which has developed at an increasing rate since the 1960s. The mixture of land uses within the study area can be seen along the townships’ borders. As the study area is located between many towns and communities, the area experiences through traffic.
As with many rural settings, sprawl development has impact Montgomery County. In response, the Montgomery County Planning Commission developed the Municipal Open Space Grant Program designed to allow municipalities to acquire land for open space. The Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan directs growth to designated growth areas and brownfield sites zoned for intensive land use. The plan also proposes transitions zones between high-intensity industrial sites and residential neighborhoods. In addition, the preservation historic, agricultural, and natural resources should be achieved through interconnected open space and greenways throughout the county.
