LVGA

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission

LEHIGH VALLEY

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) is pleased to continue to offer the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute (PMPEI) courses in community planning and land use regulations. These courses are targeted to planning commissioners, zoning hearing board members, zoning administrators, elected officials and others with an interest or involvement in planning. Offering courses in Community Planning, Zoning Administration and Subdivision and Land Development, the LVPC serves as the region’s primary planning and development educator for appointed and elected officials and private consultants. Nearly 300 people from the public, non-profit and private sectors have graduated from at least one of the courses since 2014. Included among them are 53 (plus 2019) people who earned the distinction of being named a Certified Citizen Planning for attending three courses, ushering in a new era of community land use leadership.

PMPEI is an educational collaboration of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association and the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs. All courses are eligible for continuing credits from the State Board of Registered Landscape Architects, Uniform Construction Code Officials, the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board, and the State Registration Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. Learn more about PMPEI courses at http://pmpei.org/

2020 COURSES

COMMUNITY PLANNING
WHAT IS IT?
This is a course to teach planning commissioners, local officials and others how to carry out their responsibilities under the PA Municipalities Planning Code (MPC)—the statute that endows municipalities with the authority to plan. For those who don’t know or fully understand the provisions of the MPC, this course shows how the MPC gives a jurisdiction the authority to make critical decisions involving land use, which can shape their community’s quality of life.

WHEN: 5:30-9:00 PM
- Tuesday, September 8, 2020
- Tuesday, September 15, 2020
- Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Classes will be at:
LVPC, 961 Marcon Blvd., Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18109
Food provided
ZONING ADMINISTRATION
WHAT IS IT?
Participants learn the basic principles and procedures to effectively administer municipal zoning code. The course covers the rationale and technical aspects of zoning and how to build effective relationships with others involved in zoning administration. Hands-on experience and practice exercises are built into sessions and students learn how to conduct a fair zoning hearing in a mock hearing session.

WHEN: 5:30-9:00 PM
- Thursday, October 8, 2020
- Thursday, October 15, 2020
- Thursday, October 22, 2020
Classes will be at:
LVPC, 961 Marcon Blvd., Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18109
Food provided
SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
WHAT IS IT?
This course explores the work of planning commissions in the subdivision and land development review process, from pre-application meetings through project completion. Participants learn new skills for administering the review process, reviewing plans and calculating the impacts of development. The course also covers techniques for incorporating internal and external reviews in plan review and how information sharing can improve local and regional planning.

WHEN: 5:30-9:00 PM
- Tuesday, November 3, 2020
- Tuesday, November 10, 2020
- Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Classes will be at:
LVPC, 961 Marcon Blvd., Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18109
Food provided

Citizen Planner Certificate

Complete three courses at the Lehigh Valley Government Academy and you will be awarded the “Citizen Planner Certificate”. Certificates will be awarded during a ceremony at a Lehigh Valley Planning Commission meeting.