The Need for a Comprehensive Waterfront Plan
The Bucks County Commissioners realizing the necessity to develop a plan that would provide for revitalization of the areas of the County’s waterfront along the Delaware River and not wanting to establish another committee decided to ask the Bucks County Enterprise Zone Committee to take on this challenge. It was with this in mind that the Commissioners, nearly a year before submitted an application for a half million dollars, $250,000 that would be used for a study and another $250,000 to develop a revolving loan fund to assist businesses in the waterfront area in their quest to expand or locate in this area.

The redevelopment of the waterfront would need to be preceded by a comprehensive plan, charting a well thought out vision and course of action. The plan should be developed in coordination and partnership with local municipalities (i.e., Morrisville Borough, Falls Township, Tullytown Borough, Bristol Township, Bristol Borough, and Bensalem Township, communities that now make up the Bucks County Enterprise Zone) and the various property and business interests along the waterfront.

The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks was selected as the lead agency and would move ahead with the revitalization of the waterfront with the assistance and guidance of the other Economic Development Agencies of Bucks County. (i.e. Bucks County Planning Commission, Bucks County Economic Development Corporation, Community and Business Development Program, Bucks County Transportation Management Association, Airport Authority, Community College, Conference and Visitor’s Bureau, International Trade Council, Office of Employment And Training, Planning Commission, Redevelopment Authority and the Workforce Investment Board.

The study would be guided by a Steering Committee. The Steering Committee would include representation from the leadership of each community members, county commissioners, and state and federal legislators. The mission of the Committee would be to oversee the development of a waterfront comprehensive plan. Part of its responsibility would be to define the general parameters for the investigation, including approval of scope of work, costs, timeline, definition of end-products, and hiring and overseeing of consultant

The Steering Committee could focus on specific target areas of study. Examples include:

1. Revitalization and Preservation: Land use, open space, historic, natural resource protection and preservation issues.
   
   
2. Transportation and Utilities: Water access (e.g., ports, marinas, bike-paths/walkways), land transportation (e.g., roadway, rail), and public utilities (e.g., water, sewer, electric, gas, telecommunications).
   
   
3. Business and Commerce: Issues of concern to existing and prospective commercial and industrial businesses (both large and small).
   
   
4. Financial and Fiscal: Tax issues and private and public funding needed to support the redevelopment of the waterfront.

It is anticipated that the study may take more than one year to be completed. This time-frame does not include all of the tasks required to adhere to the requirements of the funding agencies, including presentations, the completion of final reports and audit.