Regional Comprehensive Plan Coolbaugh Township Borough of Mount Pocono Tobyhanna Township Tunkhannock Township June 2005

REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP BOROUGH OF MOUNT POCONO TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP TUNKHANNOCK TOWNSHIP JUNE 2005 This plan was financed by grants through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Land Use Planning and Technical Assistance Program (LUPTAP) and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnership Initiative Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund Program REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE Coolbaugh Township Werner Frank Daniel Ferguson Walter McGrath Tunkhannock Township Bill Bourke Bud Cook Maureen Sterner Tobyhanna Township Wes Shirk Jerry Hockenberry Hugh Lamberton Borough of Mount Pocono Dennis Noonan Monroe County Planning Commission Meredith Miler Christine Laytos Lead Consultant – Spotts, Stevens and McCoy, Inc. Sub-Consultant – Borton-Lawson Engineering TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Executive Summary i Chapter 1 Introduction 1-1 Chapter 2 Regional Vision and Statement of Goals and Objectives 2-1 Chapter 3 Action Plan 3-1 Chapter 4 Land Use and Future Land Use Plan 4-1 Chapter 5 Transportation Background and Transportation Plan 5-1 Chapter 6 Community Facilities and Infrastructure 6-1 Chapter 7 Natural Resource Protection 7-1 Chapter 8 Key Community Leader Interviews Results 8-1 Chapter 9 Summary of Questionnaire Results 9-1 Chapter 10 Past Trends and Future Needs 10-1 Chapter 11 Energy Conservation 11-1 Chapter 12 Plan Interrelationships 12-1 Chapter 13 Relationship to Monroe 2020 13-1 Chapter 14 Economic Development Plan 14-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont’d) Appendix 1 Questionnaire Results Appendix 2 Population and Housing Data Appendix 3 Pocono Mountain School District Data Appendix 4 Summaries of Municipal Growing Greener Audits Growing Greener Workbook Model Comprehensive Plan Language Describing Ordinance Improvements Needed to Implement Conservation Planning Objectives Appendix 5 History Appendix 6 Transportation Impact Fees Appendix 7 National and State Efforts and Legislation for Historic Preservation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Regional Vision The Vision for the Region serves as the basis for the other plan elements, including goals and objectives, the Action Plan, Future Land Use Plan, Transportation Plan, Community Facilities and Infrastructure Plan, Natural Resource Protection, and the Economic Development Plan. The Regional Vision is found in Chapter 2 and states that to retain the Coolbaugh, Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock and Mt. Pocono region as one of the world’s great places, the quality of life, beauty, diverse natural areas and open spaces that attract people to this Region will be maintained and enhanced. To accomplish this, growth will be managed and controlled and directed to existing centers and existing developments where adequate public infrastructure will be available. Efforts to preserve, protect and acquire critical natural areas and open spaces will continue. A balance will be accommodated between residential growth and economic development in order to provide family sustaining jobs for residents and address fiscal issues in the Region. Chapter 2 also contains a series of goals and objectives for natural and scenic resources; historic, architectural and cultural resources; land use; economic development; transportation; housing; and community facilities and services. Goals are relatively general aspirations for the Region, indicating desired direction and providing criteria for measuring success of this Plan. Objectives are more specific guidelines for the Region to follow in order to realize the goals. Goals include protecting and preserving the ecosystems, natural and scenic resources and beauty of the Region; protecting, preserving and enhancing the remaining historic, architectural and cultural resources and their surroundings; preparing a region-wide land use plan to manage, control and guide land use patterns and intensity of development; providing for economic development in the Region in an environmentally responsible manner to enhance the tax base and provide family sustaining jobs for local residents; facilitating the safe movement of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, air and rail services; accommodating an adequate supply of housing which meets the needs of all economic groups within the Region; and providing community facilities and services to serve the needs of the residents of the Region. Action Plan The Action Plan is found in Chapter 3. This is the most critical element of the Comprehensive Plan as it provides an outline of actions for implementation of the Plan. Actions are organized under several major initiatives, including an inter-governmental cooperative agreement and the formation of a regional planning committee; updating municipal zoning ordinances; updating municipal subdivision and land development ordinances; administrative actions for resource protection and enhancement; administrative actions for preservation of remaining agricultural lands; a variety of planning actions; administrative actions for economic and community development; and administrative actions for transportation enhancement. i Potential major elements of Plan implementation, including capital improvements planning and official maps, are discussed, as well as government programs which can help fund implementation of the Plan. The Action Program summary indicates the time frame for responsibilities, and potential partners and funding sources for the list of actions. Future Land Use Plan Chapter 4 discusses existing land use patterns in the Region and contains a key element of the Comprehensive Plan, the Future Land Use Plan. The Future Land Use Plan establishes policies for guiding future land use within the Region, and serves as a guide on which to base controls such as municipal zoning maps and zoning ordinances. The future land use categories, which are described in detail, include Conservation, Rural, Residential, Village Residential, Borough/Village Center Mixed Use, Neighborhood Commercial, General Commercial, Business Development, Industrial, Military Reservation, and Public. Designated growth areas and future growth areas are also identified. The chapter on land use also indicates steps which can be taken to preserve and protect resources within tracts of land as development occurs and identifies implementation strategies for the land use plan. Transportation Chapter 5 discusses the functional classification of existing roads, traffic volumes and trends in the Region, the modes of travel available within the Region, key traffic generators and congested areas, and the importance of the transportation system within the Region to quality of life, tourism, and economic development. The Transportation Plan discusses future transportation projects within the Region and a number of transportation management and enhancement strategies. Community Facilities and Infrastructure Community facilities and infrastructure are discussed in Chapter 6 including public water supply systems, sewer service areas, suitability for on-site sewage disposal, storm water management, and municipal and regional services. The Plan stresses coordination of sewer and water facilities and land use planning, cooperative efforts among the municipalities, and continuing to monitor needs of the Region’s residents. Recreation is not discussed in detail because the four municipalities have participated in regional Open Space, Park and Recreation plans. A plan for the reliable supply of water is detailed, as well as infrastructure implementation policies. A discussion is also included on municipal finances. ii Natural Resource Protection The scenic rural character, which still dominates much of this Region, is made up of a variety of natural and cultivated habitats. The natural features of the Region are regularly used for a wide spectrum of recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, boating, and hiking. It is the natural systems that help create scenic beauty on the landscape and provide various recreational opportunities, also functioning as habitats for many different species of wildlife including birds, wild plants, and animals. Some of these species have been deemed rare, threatened, and/or endangered. As growth continues to occur, the integrity of the natural environment with its many benefits can easily be lost without careful planning of growth and development. Careful planning can maintain open space, develop more scenic trails, preserve stream corridors from development, and preserve woodlands, which are important habitats for wildlife. A balance between growth and the conservation of scenic and natural resources can be achieved. The Future Land Use Plan takes into account where natural areas should be preserved while promoting growth in areas where growth can be serviced. Chapter 7 looks at the different types of natural resources which make up the natural system within the Region. These areas need to be protected in order to maintain the quality of life for the residents and wildlife habitats of the Region. Each individual resource is discussed including goals and objectives on how to preserve, maintain, and conserve these valuable resources for future generations, keeping in mind the overall goal is to “Protect and preserve the ecosystems, natural and scenic resources, and beauty of the Region.” Community Participation A number of ways of securing public participation were available during the course of the plan preparation. The planning process started with the cooperative effort of a Regional Planning Committee comprised of

Load more