After months of reviewing and revising Richland's zoning map and ordinance, residents will get a chance to voice their questions and concerns.

A public hearing is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. at Northern Tier Regional Library, 4015 Dickey Road.

The township's planning commission started examining the draft document in late April. Depending on the outcome of the hearing, the board of supervisors could approve the changes by July.

In 2004, municipal officials and consultants from Environmental Planning and Design began focusing their attention on the document after successfully updating the 30-year-old comprehensive plan, a blueprint for Richland's future over the next two decades. The zoning ordinance is a tool to help that vision become a reality.

A lot has changed since the 1970s, including state and federal regulations on land development. Municipal governments are, by law, required to adhere to the new rules.

During public forums last year, many residents declared their love for the township's rural character and asked officials not to destroy the aesthetic with an overabundance of strip malls and garish signs.

A draft version of the updated zoning map and ordinance is available on the township's Web site at www.richland.pa.us, at the municipal building and at Northern Tier Regional Library.