Tu-Rbot Township Comprehensive Plan

TU-RBOT TOWNSHIP

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

PHASE = I 1978

NASSAUX HEMSLEY, INC. CONSULTANTS 56 N.SECOND STREET CHAMBERSBURG,PA. 17201 PH. 717-263-4109 THE PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT WAS FINANCED IN PART THROUGH A PLANNING GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COM- MUNITY AFFAIRS UNDER THE PROVISION OF ACT llA APPROVED AUGUST 20, 1977, AS ADMINISTERED BY THE BUREAU OF PLANNING, PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS,

TURBOT TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVES

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PLANNING COMMISSION

PLANNING CONSULTANT

Nassaux-Hemsley, Incorporated NHI Building 56 North Second Street Chambersburg, PA 17201 TABLE OF CONTENTS TURBOT TONNSH IP. NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. PtNNSYLVANJA COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM BACKGROUND STUDY PHASE I

PAGE NUMBER

CHAPTER 1 PHYSICAL FEATURES ANALYSIS Physiography and Relief ...... 1 Slopes ...... 1 Soils ...... 1 Soil Suitability ...... 3 Prime Agricultural Lands ...... 4 Flood Hazard Areas ...... 5 Drainage ...... 5 Climate ...... 5 Groundwater Resources ...... 5 Summary ...... 6 CHAPTER 2 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Introduction 7 Regional Historical Economic Character ...... 7 Employment Characteristics .Turbot Township .... 8 Manufacturing ...... 10 Agriculture ...... 12 Retail Trade. Services. and Other Industrial Categories ...... 13 Earnings by Industrial Category ...... 13 Family Income ...... 14 Current Labor Market Conditions ...... 14 Summary ...... 15 CHAPTER 3 MUNICIPAL FINANCE ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 16 General Considerations ...... 16 Taxation ...... 17 Turbot Township Revenues 1970 through 1977 ..... 19 Other Funds ...... 21 Municipal Borrowing ...... 22 Future Budget Considerations ...... 24 TaxRates ...... 27 Per Capita Revenues/Expenditures ...... 27 Tax Comparisons with Adjoining Milton Area School District Community ...... 27

i TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)

PAGE NUMBER

CHAPTER 4 COMMUNITY FACILITIES ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 28 Police Services ...... 28 Fire Companies ...... 28 Historic and Conservation Areas ...... 29 Municipal Building ...... 29 Public School Facilities ...... 29 Recreational Facilities ...... 30 Communications ...... 32 Religious Facilities ...... 33 Health Related Facilities ...... 33 CHAPTER 5 COMMUNITY UTILITIES ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 35 Municipal Water Supply ...... 35 Wastewater Collection/Treatment Facilities ..... 35 Wastewater Facilities and Township Development ... 37 Storm Water Facilities ...... 38 Telephone Service ...... 38 Electrical Service ...... 38 Solid Waste Collection ...... 38 CHAPTER 6 POPULATION ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 40 Population Trends ...... 40 Age/Sex Distribution ...... 41 Persons per Household ...... 41 Educational Attainment ...... 42 Resident Stability ...... 43 Population Changes ...... 44 Estimate of Present Population ...... 45 Population Projections ...... 45 Summary ...... 47 CHAPTER 7 TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 48 Recent Transportation Impacts ...... 49

ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT I NUED)

CHAPTER 7 (Continued) PAGE NUMBER Jurisdiction ...... 50 Traffic Generators ...... 50 Traffic Volumes ...... 51 Traffic Accidents/Hazardous Area ...... 53 Other Transportation Facilities' ...... 54 Future Transportation Considerations ...... 54 Summary ...... 55

CHAPTER 8 HOUSING ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 56 Housing Units by Occupancy ...... 56 Vacancy and Market Conditions ...... 57 Housing Conditions ...... 57 Housing Value ...... 59 Urban Development Projects ...... 60 Present Housing By Type or Use - 1978 ...... 60 Present Housing Conditions ...... 61 Housing Trends ...... 62 Housing Market Conditions .Needs ...... 62 Summary ...... 63

CHAPTER 9 EXISTING LAND USE ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 65 Residential Activity ...... 65 Commercial Activity ...... 66 Public/Quasi-Public Activity ...... 66 Industrial ...... 66 Forests and Orchards ...... 67 Agriculture/Open Space ...... 67 Land Use Trends ...... 68 Land Use and Its Relationship with Transportation Systems and Physical Features ...... 68 FloodPlains ...... 69 Annexation ...... 70 Summary of Land Use ...... 70

iii J IST OF MAPS

TITLE FOLLOWS PAGE NUMBER

Geology ...... 1 Slope Map ...... 1 Soil Associations ...... 2 Soil Suitability For On-Lot Disposal ...... 4 Prime Agricultural Areas ...... 4 Flood Hazard Map ...... 5 Potential Groundwater Yield ...... 6 Potential Groundwater Recharge Areas ...... 6 Recreational Facilities ...... 31 Keystone Water Company Service Area ...... 35 Proposed Sanitary Sewer Service Area ...... 36 Roadway Jurisdictions ...... 50 Traffic Generators...... 50 Traffic Volumes ...... 52 Traffic Accidents and Hazardous Intersections . . .. 53 Existing Land Use ...... 65 Areas Recently Annexed By Milton Borough ...... 70

iv LIST OF TABLES

TITLE FOLLOWS PAGE NUMBER

Soil Limitations and Suitability For On-Site Disposal of Effluent ...... 4 Occupation of Employed Persons ...... 8 Employment As A Percentage of Total Employment By Occupation of Employed Persons ...... 8 Industry of Employed Persons ...... 10 Employment As A Percent of Total Employment By Industry of Employed Persons ...... 10 Manufacturing Industries By Standard Industrial Code - 1977-1978 For Northumberland County Planning District No. 2 ...... 10 Agriculture - 1964 and 1974 - Northumberland County . 12 Earnings By Broad Industrial Sectors - 1970 ..... 13 Income of Families and Unrelated Individuals ..... 14 Comparisons of Median Family Incomes ...... 14 Labor Market Conditions ...... 14 Second Class Township Taxation ...... 18 Revenues Per Fund For 1970 through 1977 ...... 19 Expenditures Per Fund For 1970 through 1977 ..... 20 Turbot Township Tax Statement ...... 27 Comparison of Tax Data for Milton Borough and the Township of East Chillisquaque, West Chillisquaque and Turbot as of January 1, 1978 ... 27 Milton Area School District Facilities ...... 29 Proposed Standards For Public Recreation Development . 31 Population Trends ...... 40 Age-Sex Composition (Distribution) ...... 41 Occupied Units By Persons in Unit and Tenure ..... 42 Persons 25 Years and Over By Years of School Completed By Sex ...... 43 Persons By the Year Person Moved Into Housing Unit . . 43 Birth/Death Relationships ...... 44 Population Projections ...... 46

V LIST OF TAB1 ES (CONTINUED)

TITLE FOLLOWS PAGE NUMBER

Housing Units By Tenure and Vacancy Status - 1970 Occupied Units By Tenure and Persons Per Room - 1970 ...... 58 Housing Units Lacking Some or All Plumbing Facilities - 1970 ...... 58 Housing Units By Year Structure Built and Tenure -1970 ...... 59 Value of Housing and Contract Rent - 1970 ...... 60 Structures Tabulated By Use - 1978 ...... 61 Land Use of.Enventoried Acreage 1978 and 1974 . . .. 68 Approximate Acreage By Land Use Activity ...... 71

vi PHYSICAL FEATURES ANALYSIS

PHYSIOGRAPHY AND RELIEF

Turbot Township, in the northern quandrant of Northumberland County, lies within the Appalachian Highlands, Ridge and Valley province. This region of Northumberland County is largely a broad valley underlined by thin-bedded shales and limestones. The accompanying "Geologic Map" illustrates this geologic feature in Turbot Township indicating the approximate bedrock configuration. The rather flat to rolling landscape of the Township is characterized by a relief of about 260 feet. The highest elevation above sea level, 700 feet, occurs at several points in the central area of Turbot Town- ship; the lowest elevation, about 440 feet above sea level occurs at the southwestern corner of the Township where the West Branch of the Susquehanna River leaves the Township.

SLOPES

Slopes are an important consideration as the percentage of slope directly affects the rate and volume of surface water run-off and the general suitability of land for specific construction activities. The accompanying "Slope Map" indicates the areas of Turbot Township which exhibit slopes greater than 15 percent, based upon the soil series description. Typically, slopes which exceed 15 percent are less suitable for higher order development and have limited utility for agricultural and recreational uses. Furthermore, there is a direct relationship between the degree of slope and potential environmental degradation.

SOILS

Soils are composed of complex mixtures of weathered rock, primary minerals, secondary minerals, organic matter, water and air, and are formed through the physical and chemical activities of these materials. The characteristics of these soils depend on the nature of the parent material, climate, relief, vegetation, and length of time the materials have been exposed. In the Town- ship area, the nature of the parent materials is the major cause of most differences in soil texture and mineral content.

The soils have been mapped into soil associations which have distinctive proportional patterns, which may be on slopes, de- pressions, or along a stream. Consisting of at least one major and one or more minor soil series, the soil associations are named for the series which are most extensive throughout a parti-

-1- GEOLOGY TURBOT TOWNSHIP COM PREH EN SlVE PLANNING PROGRAM NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA SOURCE: PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENV IRON MENTAL RESOURCES cular landscape. The accompanying map, "Soil Associations", depicts the general soil landscape for Turbot Township. This map is useful in obtaining a broad idea of the soil types, in comparing different parts of the Township, and helps to determine the soils suitability of large tracts of land for certain uses. The soil associations found in the Township are:

Bedinuton-Weikert-Klinesville (BWK) : The association consists of shallow to deep, well-. drained, gently sloping to very steep soils found on uplands and derived from shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Depth to bedrock ranges from shallow to very deep. The deep, gently sloping to moderately steep Bedington soils are loamy, with shaly phases and a loamy subsoil with shaly phases. They have moderate permeability and moderate to high available moisture capacity. The shallow to moderately deep Weikert Soils are loamy, with shaly and very shaly phases and a loamy subsoil with very shaly.phases. They have moderately rapid permeability and low to very low available moisture capacity. The shallow Klines- ville Soils are loamy, with shaly phases and a loamy subsoil with very shallow phases. They have moderately rapid permeability and low to very low available moisture capacity.

Edom-Weikert-Klinesville (EWK) : This association contains shallow to deep, well-drained, nearly level to very steep soils found on uplands. Weikert and Klinesville soils are derived from siltstone, shale, and some sandstone, while Edom soils are derived from limestone and calcareous shale. They have moderate to moderately rapid permeability and very low to moderate to moderately rapid capacity. Depth to bedrock is shallow to very deep. Edom soils are silty clay loam, with a subsoil of silty clay loam and silty clay. Weikert soils are shaly silt loam, with a subsoil of very shaly sily loam. Klinesville soils are shaly silt loam, with a wubsoil of very shaly silt loam. Weikert and Klinesville soils are shallow and have lot to very low available moisture capacity, while Edom soils are deep and have moderate available moisture capacity.

Kreamer-Mertz-Elliber Association (KME) :

Soils in this association are deep, moderately well- drained to well-drained, nearly level to very steep soils derived from cherty limestone on the uplands. These soils have slow to moderately rapid permeability and low to moderate available moisture capacity. Depth

-2- TURBOT TOWIISIIIP GO py9 PR E II E 11 SI V E P LA N 11 II{ G PRO GR A 111 ti0 RT t1 U DE R LA 1.1 D C 0U 11 T Y, P E tJ NS Y LVA 14 IA

SOUR[ lrririou NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSY LVANlA SOURCE: PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF - .- -. ...-..-. 1 nrf.r\7 InpCC to bedrock ranges from deep to very deep. Kreamer soils are cherty silt loam, with a subsoil of cherty silty clay. Mertz soils are cherty silt loam, with a subsoil of cherty silt loam. Elliber soils are very cherty loam and very stony loam, with a subsoil of very cherty loam.

Wheeling-Sciotoville-Chenango Association(WSC) :

This association contains deep, moderately well-drained to well-drained, nearly level to strongly sloping soils found on terraces and formed in glacial outwash. Depth to bedrock is shallow to deep. The well-drained, nearly level to sloping Wheeling Soils are loamy, with a loamy subsoil. They have moderate permeability and high available moisture capacity. The moderately well-drained, level to gently sloping Sciotoville Soils are loamy, with a loamy subsoil. They have moderate permeability and high moisture holding capaciyt. The well-drained, nearly level to strongly sloping Chanango Soils are loamy, with some gravelly phases and a loamy subsoil with some gravelly phases. They have moderate moisture holding capacity.

SOIL SUITABILITY

Typically one of the most abused natural resources, soils are only capable of sustaining certain types of land uses. Therefore, an examination of the soil characteristics to determine their suitability for man's uses is perhaps one of the more important segments of the physical analysis. This investigation is critical to a rural community in that there exists an opportunity to perhaps correct and alleviate many of the misues that have occurred elsewhere.

The Soil Conservation Service has categorized soils relative to their suitability for certain land uses, comparing such characteristics as depth of soil, soil texture and stoiness, permeability, frequency of flooding, and degree of slope. Suitability or limitations were tabulated for specific soils, using the above criteria, and rated as slight, moderate, or severe. The degree of limitation is used as a general indicator of the problems to be expected for a specific use. As defined by the Soil Conservation Service, the three degrees of limitations are:

'Slight - These soils have few known limitations for the use indicated.

'Moderate - These soils have one or more properties that limit their use. Correcting these factors will increase the installation and maintenance costs.

-3- 'Severe - These soils have one or more properties that seriously limit their use. Using soils iwth severe limitations will increase the probability of failure and add to the installation and maintenance.

Examples of man's misuse of soils are numerous, but perhaps the most blatant disregard of soil suitability is the random use of on-site disposal techniques, typically the septic tank. Im- proper placement or design of disposal systems may degrade the groundwater and inhibit the soil from properly absorbing the effluent. Malfunctioning disposal systems may result not only in pollution of groundwater, but pose problems of insect and rodent breeding when effluent raises to the surface.

As on-site disposal of effluent is the only means available to residents of Turbot Township, the study of soil characteristics takes on added importance. Limiting factors of the soils relative to on-site disposal may include: depth.to bedrock: depth to seasonal highwater table; restricted permeability; slope; stoni- ness and/or frequency of flooding. The accompanying map and table, to be used in concert, illustrate the general suitability of soils in Turbot Township relative to Soils Association. Ac- cording to this data, the Wheeling-Sciotoville-Chanango Association has been categorized as being suitable for the conventional on- site disposal system while the remaining associations are only suitable for alternative disposal methods. Caution must be exercised, however, in employing these generalties as this map does not preclude the necessity for or the desirability of con- ducting on-site tests to determine specific soil characteristics.

PRIME AGRICULTURAL LANDS

The agricultural capability of land varies as a function of slope, soil depth, internal drainage, surface soil texture, amount of rock, organic content, flooding hazards and erosion hazards. The Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture has established eight (8) agricultural capabilities classes for soils in an effort to categorize the combined effects of the above characteristics. This classification system categorizes Class I and Class I1 Soils as prime agricultural lands, or soils that have few limiting factors restricting their use. The remaining six classes are represented by varying degrees of limitations, ultimately to Class VI11 Soils which prevent their use for commercial plant production.

Agricultural lands play a vital role in the natural environment by not only farming related activities, but provide wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, recreational opprtunities for hunting and fishing, and water supply preservation. As illustrated on the following map, the overwheliming acreage in the Township has been classified as being prime agricultural lands.

-4- NORTH U MBE R LAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA SOURCE: PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVl RONMENTAL RESOURCES COWAMP STUDY AREA -6 FltHi NASSAUX - HEMSLEY , INC. . C'"5ULTANTS 1

lnisitu ~ - SOIL LIMITATIONS AND SUITABILITY FOR ON-SITE DISPOSAL OF EFFLUENT

ON-SITE DISPOSAL ON-SITE DISPOSAL SOIL ASSOCIATION SOIL SERIES LIMITATIONS SUITABILITY

Bedington- Bedington Shaly Slight Suitable for Weikert-Klines- Silt Loam Alternative ville Weikert Channery Severe (Shallow Suitable for or Very Stony Depth to Bed- Alternative Silt Loam rock) Klinesville Severe (Shallow Suitable for Shaly Silt Depth to Bedrock) A1terna tive Loam

Edom-We ikert- Edom Silt Loam Severe (Shallow Suitable for Klinesville or Silt Clay Depth to Bedrock) Alternative Loam Weikert Channery Severe (Shallow Suitable for or Very Stony Depth to Bedrock) Alternative Silt Loam Klinesville Severe (Shallow Suitable for Shaly silt Depth to Bedrock) Alternative Loam

Kreamer-Mert z- Kreamer Cherty Severe (Slow Suitable for Elliber Silt Loam Permeability) Alternative Mertz Cherty Moderate (Shal- Suitable for Silt Loam low Depth to Alternative Bedrock and Hazardous) Elliber Very Slight Suitable for Cherty Silt Alternative Loam

Wheeling-Scio- Wheeling Silt Slight Suitable for toville-Chenango Loam (Hazardous) Conventional Sciotoville Severe (Shallow Suitable for Silt Loam Depth to Bedrock Conventional and Slow Per- meability) Chenango Gravel- Slight Suitable for ly, Sandy, or (Hazardous) Conventional Silt Loam

SOURCE: Comprehensive Water Quality Management Plan, Central Susquehanna River Basin Study Area 6, Chapter IV (Preliminary) 1975. PRIME AGRICULTURAL AREAS TURBOT TOWNSHIP SOURCE: PEN NSY LVANI A DE PA RTM ENT OF COMPREHENSIVE P LAMMING PROGRAM ENVl RONMENTAL RESOURCES NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA COWAMP STUDY AREA-6

5. : Btrhitu - FLOOD HAZARD AREAS ij Soils which exhibit a natural tendency to flood or have a high water table and chronic wetness pose major problems to man's activities. Examples of problems encountered on flood prone soils may include wet basements, foundation settling and crack- ing, and difficulties in basement excavations. Development of flooding areas also increase the potential of downstream flooding as the rate of stream flow is increased and the maount of water recharge is decreased because of the impervious surfaces.

An awareness of the flood hazards and resulting physical and social problems has been renewed during the early 1970's with the severe tropical storms. In response, Turbot Township is presently participating in a U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Flood Insurance Administration Program which provides low-cost flood insurance to the Township residents. As a participant, the identified areas subject to flooding have been mapped and illustrated on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map Commu- nity Number 420744-0005-B a copy of which accompanies this Chapter. When the flood hazard boundaries are compared with the Soil Survey for Northumberland County, there is a high degree of similarity between those soils identified as flood prone and the H.U.D. Flood Hazard Map. Soils frequently subject to flooding include Ashton Silt Loam, Huntington Silt Loam, Lindside Silt Loam, Melvin Silt Loam, and Senecaville Silt Loam.

DRAINAGE

The acreage of Turbot Township is within the Susquehanna River Basin Limestone Run and Muddy Run, with their tributaries representing the two major streams receiving surface runoff and dis- charging into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River which skirts the western boundary of the Township.

CLIMATE

The climate of Turbot Township and Northumberland County is typi- fied by warm summers and moderately long winters with much fog and cloudy weather. The prevailing winds are from the west. In general, the average annual temperature at Selingsgrove is 50.90F, with the difference between average summer and winter temperatures of 41.7OF. Average frost-free season extends from May 4 to October 9, however, killing frosts have been recorded as early as mid September and as late as early June. Average annual precipitation is 41.8 inches with over a quarter of the precipitation expected during June, July, and August.

GROUNDWATER RES OURCES

Groundwater plays a vital part in the natural and cultural pro- cesses in Pennsylvania. Groundwater is an intermediate step in the hydrologic cycle, which is the continuous circulation of

-5- water from the ocean to the atmosphere, over the land, and back to the ocean over and beneath the land surface. Only a frac- tion of the toal precipitation received per year by the Township enters the ground and percolates through the rocks and soil. The subsurface acts to detain the water and creates a reservoir which, during rainless periods, is responsible for supplying surface streams and springs with a more dependable source of water.

The availability and quantities of groundwater in a specific area are dependent on the properties of the subsurface material such as permeability, structure, and associated rock units. Quantity is also a function of the effort made to obtain water from the well, i.e. diameter and depth of the well, capacity of the pump and number of wells. The following map, "Potential Groundwater Yield and Recharge Areas" illustrates the general groundwater characteristics in Turbot Township.

SUMMARY

The analysis of the physical features of Turbot Township is one of the crucial elements of this Plan. A study of the physical conditions may help the Township to better understand the interrelationship(s) between the natural and built-up environment and the ability of the environment to accomodate growth. Turbot Township is characterized by a flat to rolling landscape, good productive soils, with few natural limitations and no known significant environmental problem areas.

-6- cates Flood Plain Areos

TURBOT TOb"J~dSIlIP FLOOD PLAIN MAP COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM SOURCE: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 11 RTH U PPIBE LAMD U M TY, PENNSY LVA ti IA ' Development - Federal Insurance Admin- 0 R C 0 istration Flood Insurance Rate Map on File in Turbot Township Office.

.. .) .... .,I *...... I. I... POTENTIAL TURBOT TOWNSHIP GROUND WATER YIELD COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM SOURCE : PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSY LVANlA ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES COWAMP STUDY AREA-6 LEGEND [-A [-A LOW

. I]HIGH

AT ER TURBOT TOWNSHIP RECHARGE AREAS COM PREH ENSlVE PLANNING PROGRAM NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSY LVAN IA SOURCE: PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES CO W A M P STUDY AREA - 6 [-IgH[ NASSAUX HEMSLEY ,INC. r-YSULTANTS I lwisitu ~ SIL Pull mtn . mIlIMuU.rI~ll1Inn lltomit rn.ni.ciit ECONOM I C ANALY S I S

INTRODUCTION

An analysis of the economic basis for a region may help to understand how a community has developed to where it is today and what the future prospects are. The regional economy, to a great extent, conditions the amount of land development that occurs, for example, an expanding economy with the implications it holds for new business and industries and population growth means more land devoted to commercial, industrial, or residential activities.

Further, the character of the employment opportunities within or near a municipality determines to an extent, the occupation and income of most of the residents. In an area where job opportunities are limited, it becomes necessary for people to seek employment outside the community. .Generally, as incomes within a community increase, the area as a whole prospers because more money becomes available for residents to spend on goods and services which may be produced and sold locally. A viable economy also provides a community with a tax base which is able to withstand an increasing financial pressure of local government. The financial burden on municipalities will undoubtedly continue to increase as the need for more sophis- ticated municipal services increases.

A recurring problem in gathering data for a minor civil division is clearly evident when pursuing labor and business information. Data collected by State or Federal Officials based on the unemployment compensation laws either encompasses too large a geographical area, or exclude important categories of employment. With this in mind,the following information is on a regional basis related wherever possible to the Township.

REGIONAL HISTORICAL ECONIMIC CHARACTER^

The early economic history of the Northumberland and surrounding Counties was influenced by the Susquehanna River. This River served as a source of transportation for trade and as a source of water power for mills, consequently, the earliest communities developed on the land adjacent to the Susquehanna River. As the flows on the River were unreliable to meet the transportation needs of the region, an extensive system of canals was constructed during the 1830's along the Susquehanna River.

During the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century, manufacturing and coal mining began to replace lumbering and agriculture in economic importance. Manufacturing became an important part of the regional economy, especially the communitites adjacent to the Susquehanna River. The River provided a source of water for cooling, cleaning, processing, and waste disposal, while the areas adjacent provided large expenses of land for factory development. Coupled with industrial development, coal mining became a major factor within the region, as demand for coal as a source of fuel increased. Anthracite, or hard coal, was found in Northumberland and neighboring Columbia County. How- ever, coal mining began to decline in production following World War I and has continued to decline in importance to the Region.

EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS - TURBOT TOWNSHIP

The types of occupational skills which the residents of Turbot Township possess are important when examining the community's economy. New industries, whether in the Township or the region are attracted, in part, by a labor supply capable of meeting the industry's occupational requirements. For example, an apparel industry has occupational needs quite different from heavy industry.

The Tables "Occupation of Employed Persons" and "Employment as a Percentage of Total Employment by Occupation" present the occupation of employed persons, 16 years old and over by industrial occupation. Approximately 20 percent, or 132 persons, of the Township residents were employed in the "Operatives, Except Transport" occupation in 1970. This occupational group includes such activities as: assemblers; blasters and powdermen; bot- tling and canning operatives; surveying chainmen, rodmen, and amen; manufacturing checkers, examiners, and inspectors; dressmakers and seamstresses, except factory; garage workers and gas station attendants; meat cutters and butchers; riveters and fasteners; knitters, loopers, and toppers; and miscellaneous and not specified operatives. Within this category of "Opera- tives, Except Transport", 50 percent of the occupations were listed as being in "Nondurable Goods Manufacturing" while 36 percent listed as "Durable Goods Manufacturing"2. The "Opera- tives" occupation was the largest occupational category for Northumberland County also, with 10,667 person or 27.7 percent of the total employment.

"Craftsmen, Foremen, and Kindred Workers" represented the next highest occupation in both Turbot Township and Northumberland County. In the Township, 119 persons or 18.3 percent of the total in the County were so classified. The "Craftsmen, Foremen, and Kindred Workers" category includes: mechancis and repairmen of air conditioners, heating and refrigeration; farm implements; heavy equipment; household appliances; radios and televisions; and railroad cars - metal craftsmen as job and die setters; metal molders, sheet metal workers; shop fitters and tool and die makers; carpenters including brick and stone masons, cement and concrete finishers; electricians; plasterers; plumbers and OCCUPATION OF EMPLOYED PERSONS NU RTH UMBERLAND COUNTY /TURBOT TOWNSHIP - 1970

-PERSONS EMPL( 'ED TURBOT TOWNSHIP YORTHUMBERLAND TURBOT PERCENT OF OCCUPATION COUNTY TOWNSHIP COUNTY

Professional, Technical, and Kindred Workers: 3,169 93 2.9% Engineers 106 0 Physicians, Dentists, and Related Practioners 165 0 Health Workers, Except Practitioners 507 11 Teachers, Elementary, and Secondary Schools 1,140 43 Technicians, Except Health 253 15 Other Professional Workers 1,018 24

Managers and Administrators, Except Farm 2,036 71 3.5% Salaried: Manufacturing 247 4 Retail Trade 448 15 Other Industries 89 8 40 Self Employed: Retail Trade 298 6 Other Industries 145 6

Sales Workers 2,425 54 2.2% Retail Trade 1, 606 24 Other Than Retain Trade 819 30 3.7%

Clerical and Kindred Workers 4,731 60 1.3%

Craftsmen , Foremen , and Kindred Workers 6,133 119 1.9% Automotive Mechanics, Including Body Rep a i rmen 639 6 Mechanics and Repairmen, Except Automobile 831 24 Metal Craftsmen, Except Mechanics 343 27 Construction Craftsmen 1,841 11 Other Craftsmen 2,479 51 OCCUPAT I ON OF EMPLOY ED PERSONS (CONTINUED)

TURBOT TOWNSHIP NORTHUMBERLAND TURBOT PERCENT OF j OCCUPATION COUNTY TOWNSHIP COUNTY

10,667 132 1.2% 2,756 48 6,696 66 1 I 215 6

Transport Equipment Operatives 1,971 12 Less Than One

Laborers , Except Farm 2,334 13 Less Than One Construction Laborers 491 0 Freight, Stock, and Material Handlers 828 0 Other Laborers , Except Farm 1,015 13

Farmers and Farm Managers 458 9.8% I 45 Farm Laborers and Farm Foremen 251 lol Service Workers, Except Private Household 4,019 51 1.3% Cleaning Service Workers 930 5 Food Service Workers 1,466 27 Health Service Workers 535 6 Personal Service Workers 554 0 Protective Service Workers

Private Household Workers

Total Employed - 16 Years Old and Over 38,489 650

SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count. EMPLOYMENT AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPAT I Oi4 OF EMPLOYED PERSONS

TURBOT TOWNSHIP

PERCENT OF OCCUPATION NUMBER TOTAL

Professional, Technical, and Kindred Workers 93 14.3% Managers and Administraters (Except Farme r s ) 71 10.9% Sales Workers 54 8.3% Clerical and Kindred Workers 60 9.2% Craftsmen, Foremen, and Kindred Workers 119 18.3% Operatives (Except Transport) 132 20.3% Operatives, Transport 12 1.8% Laborers (Except Farms) 13 2.0% Farmers and Farm Managers 45 6.9% Service Workers (Except Private House hold ) I 51 I 7.8% Private Household Workers 0 0%

Professional, Technical, and Kindred Morkers 3 ,169 8.2% Managers and Administraters (Except Farmers) 2,036 5.2% Sales Workers 2,425 6.3% Clerical and Kindred Workers 4 ,731 12.3% 1 Craftsmen, Foremen, and Kindred Workers I 6,133 I 15.9% I Operatives (Except Transport) 10,667 27.7% i Operatives, Transport 1,971 5.1% Laborers (Except Farms) 2 ,334 6.1% I Farmers and Farm Managers 458 1.2% Service Workers (Except Private Household) 4,019 1, 10.4% 1 I Private Household Workers I 295 I Less Than II I ! I One J SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of pipe fitters; roofers and slaters; construction and maintenance; and other craftsmen such as automobile accessory installers; bakers; cabinetmakers; telephone installers and repairmen; linemen and splicers; furniture and wood finishers; electronic power linemen and cablemen.

The occupational category "Professional, Technical, and Kindred Workers", including: engineers; physicians, dentists, and related practitioners, health workers, teachers and technicians, except health, employed approximately 14 percent of the Township residents in 1970. By way of comparison, this occupation was of greater relative importance to the Township than to the County where eight percent of the employed persons in the County were classified in this occupation.

The occupation "Managers and Administraters, except Farm", which includes: assessors, bank officers, and financial managers; wholesale and retail trade buyers; funeral directors, health adminsitrators; school administrators; Sales managers and retail trade department heads; and railroad conductors, involved almost eleven percent of the Township's residents, followed by the "Clerical and Kindred Workers" occupation at 9.2 percent of the residents. It is interesting to note that the "Clerical and Kindred Workers" occupation has a greater relative importance to the County than the Township, as approximately 12 percent of the County residents were so classified.

The occupational category of "Farmers and Farm Managers" accounted for 45 persons or 6.9 percent of the Township residents, but only 1.2 pervent of the County residents. This occupation includes: farm foremen; farm laborers; wage workers; farm laborers; unpaid family workers; and self-employed farm service laborers. Al- though this occupation plays a moderate role relative to other occupations in the Township, it does, however, involve a much greater relative importance than in the County where only 1.2 percent of the residents were classified as "Farmers and Farm Managers".

The data on occupation illustrates the importance of manufacturing related occupations within Turbot Township, and the relative importance of the Turbot Township residents classified as farmer within Northumberland County.

Another way to categorize occupations of the Township residents is arrange the individuals in four divisions:

'White Collar - Professional, technical, and kindred workers; managers and administrators, except farm; sales workers; and clerical and kindred workers.

'Blue Collar - Craftsmen and kindred workers: operatives, laborers, except farm. 'Farm Workers - Farmers and farm managers, farm laborers, and farm foremen.

'Service Workers - Service workers. \ Employing this Bureau of Census Dvisions for the occupations of persons employed in 1970,the Township has 42.8 percent white collar workers; 42.4 percent blue collar workers; 6.9 percent farm workers; and 7.8 percent service workers. These data indicate a well balanced mix between white collar and blue collar workers.

Closely associated with the occupation of residents are the data on employment by industry. The following Table, "Industry of Employed Persons: and "Employment as a Percentage of Total Employment by Major Industry", indicates that the manufacturing and wholesale trade accounted for employment of almost 52 percent of the Township residents in 1970 as compared to 43 percent of the County residents in 1970. The services industry accounted for 28.7 percent of the Township residents, followed by the retail trade at eight percent of Township residents. Again, the importance of agriculture as an industry in Turbot Township is shown as approximately seven percent of the Community's residents were employed in the agricultural industry as compared with about two percent for the County.

MANUFACTURING

The Borough of Milton is the major manufacturing center for the Sunbury-Shamoken-Mt. Carmel Labor Market Area, with 16 establishments in 1976, employing 3,659 people or 26.1 percent of all manufacturing workers, paying $41.3 million in wages and salaries or 31.4 percent of all wages and salaries within the Labor Market. These establishments, in 1976, provided $278.3 million in value of production and a value added by manufactur of $120,270,000, by far the greatest amount within the County. 5 As an update, there were 17 manufacturing firms in the Borough of Milton in 1977, representing 26 percent of all industries in Northumberland County, employing a total of 3,528 pers0ns.l There are no industries in Turbot Township, however, East and West Chillisquaque Township each have one manufacturing firm.

The following Table, "Manufacturing Industries by Standard Industrial Classification" tabulates the industries in the County Planning District No. 2 for 1976 and 1977,and the number employed. As illustrated by this Table, the Planning District gained one industrial firm in 1977 from 18 firms in 1976 to 19 firms in 1977, however, the total employment decreased by 141 persons for the same period. There was a gain of one manufacturing firm in the "Leather and Leather Products'' category and one establishment in the "Machinery, Except Electrical" category in 1977, but there was a loss of one industrial establishment in the "Fabricated Metals Products" category. to INDUSTRY OF EMPLOYED PERSONS NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, TURBOT TOWNSHIP - 1970 -

NORTHUMBERLAND TURBOT TURBOT TOWNSHIP INDUSTRY COUNTY TOWNSHIP PERCENT OF COUNTY

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing 805 45 5.6

Mining 718 0 0.0

Construction 2 ,700 28 1.0

Manufacturing 15, 766 318 2.0 Furniture, Lumber, and Wood Products 1,366 37 2.7 Metal Industries 1,441 19 1.3 Machinery, Except Electrical 416 4 Less Than One Electrical Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies 213 7 3.2 Transportation Equipment 1,312 69 5.3 Other Durable Goods 909 11 1.2 Food and Kindred Products 2 ,242 119 5.3 Textiles and Fabricated Textile Products 5 ,476 20 Less Than One Printing, Publishing, and Allied Industries 403 0 0.0 Chemicals and Allied Products 210 0 0.0 Other Nondurable Goods (Including Not Specified Mfg. Inds.) 1,778 32 1.8 Railroads and Railway Express Service 484 0 0.0

Trucking Service and Warehousing 816 5 Less Than One

Other Transportation 226 0 0.0

Communications 303 0 0.0 111UU3I KY Ut t.iiirLUYtU YtKSUNS (CONTINUED)

NORTHUMBERLAND TURBOT TURBOT TOWNSHIP INDUSTRY COUNTY TOWNSHIP PERCENT OF COUNTY

Utilities and Sanitary Service 615 0 0.0

Wholesale Trade 984 10 1.0

Food, Bakery, and Dairy Stores 1 I 225 5 Less Than One

Eating and Drinking Places 985 5 Less Than One

General Merchandise Retailing 789 22 2.8 Motor Vehicle Retailing and Service Stations 728 11 1.5

Other Retail Trade 1, 984 18 Less Than One

Banking and Credit Agencies 485 11 2.2 Insurance, Real Estate, and Other Finance 523 17 3.2

Business and Repair Services 634 12 1.9

Private Households 326 0 0.0

Other Personal Services 979 13 1.3 Entertainment and Recreation Services 183 0 0.0

Hospitals 1,250 12 Less Than One

Health Services, Except Hospitals 499 4 Less Than One

Elementary, Secondary SLhools, and Colleges - Government 1,643 57 3.5 INDUSTRY OF EMPLOYED PERSONS (CONTINUED)

NORTHUMBERLANJ TURBOT TURBOT TOWNSHIP INDUSTRY COUNTY TOWNSHIP PERCENT OF COUNTY

Elementary, Secondary Schools, and Colleges - Private 575 20 3.5 Other Education and Kindred Services 50 7 14.0

Welfare, Religions, and Non-profit Membership Organizations 550 4 Less Than One

Legal, Engineering, and Miscellaneous Professional Services 416 * 5 1.2

Public Administration 1,248 5 Less Than One

Total Employed - 16 Years Old and Over 38 ,489 634

SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count. EMPLOYMENT AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY OF EMPLOYED PERSONS

- MANUFACTURING & RETAIL AGRICULTURE CONSTRUCTION MINING WHOLESALE TRADE TRADE SERVICES OTHER I 7.1% 4.4% 0% 51.7% 9.6% 10.7% 16.4%

2.1% 7.0% 1.9% 43.4% 14.8% 13.2% I 17.4%

NOTE: Total empluyment includes persuns 16 years old and over. Numbers may not total 100% due to rounding. Category "Other" includes Transportation, Finance, and Government.

SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce Bureau of Census 1 II~IIUIl\b I UI\AI\U llluud I 1i~i-d u1 U If~llUfll\u INDUSTRIAL CODE - 1977-1978 FOR NORTHUMBERLAND PLANNING DISTRICT NO, 2"

NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITY ;IC ZSTABLISHMENT: SIC NAME PERSONS IMPLOYED 1978 1977 1976 1977 Milton 20 2 2 Food and Kindred Products 1,504 1,468 22 2 2 Textile Mill Products 157 145 23 2 2 Apparel and Other Finished 107 117 Products 25 1 1 Furniture and Fixtures 20 15 27 1 1 Printing, Publishing, and 41 42 Allied Products 28 1 1 Chemical and Allied Products 16 11 31 1 2 Leather and Leather Products 559 458 33 1 1 Primary Metal Zndustries 314 323 34 3 2 Fabricated Metal Products 238 141 35 0 1 Machinery, Except Electrical --- 37 37 2 2 Transportation Equipment 703 771 __-- E. Chillisquaquc 20 1 Food and Kindred Products 6 6

W. Chillisquaquc 34 1 Fabricated Metal Products 45 35 .- ______Turbot No Industries Listed.

-~ --,--- _-____I Total I_-- -_Y-lY- 1 ______-igJ---- _____ ! 3,71012 3,569 *Northumberland County Planning District No. 2 includes Milton Borough and the Townships of Turbot, East and West Chillisquaque. SOURCE: Pennsylvania Industrial Census, Series Release No. M-5-76 and 1977 Industrial DirectoLy of the Commonwealth of 'ennsylvania, 25th Edition. Within Planning District Number 2, the "Food and Kindred Products" category accounted for the largest number of persons employed at 1,468 persons in 1977. American Home Food, Incorporated, employed 1,462 persons and Rhoads Mills, Incor- porated, employed 6 persons. The Transportation Equipment (railroad equipment) Industry was the second largest area employer with the A.C.F. Industries, Incorporated, Amcar Division, employing 634 persons, and the A.C.F. Industries, Incorporated, Shippers Car, Incorporated Division, employing 137 persons in 1977. The third largest employer, Leather and Leather Products Industry, employed 458 persons in 1977.

Manufacturing employment in Northumberland County's 156 establishments in 1976, was 13,993 persons, up 632 jobs from a year earlier. This indicates that industry has recovered about 30 percent of the number of jobs lost from the effects of the nationwide 1974-1975 business recession. Increased business activities mainly centered with the Food, Textile Mill Pro- ducts, Lumber and Wood Products, Furniture and Fixture, Paper Products, and Footwear Industries.5

The thirty apparel and other finished products (SIC 23) plants were the largest employing group with 3,187 workers or 22.8 percent of the manufacturing work force. Next, with 3,090 employees (22.1 percent) were the thirty food and kindred products processors (SIC 20). Employment by the three furniture and fixture (SIC 25) factories accounted for 817 percent of the total or 1,219 jobs.6

In 1976, Northumberland County's manufacturing wages and salaries totaled a record $131.4 million, an increase of $17.0 million (14.8 percent) above 1975. Food and kindred products processors provided the largest payroll, $32.4 million. Value of production generated by County manufacturing was 712.7 million in 1976. This was an increase of $48.6 million from the 1975 figure. Again, the food and kindred products processors were responsible for the 1 rgest part of the value of production total with $258.8 million. 3

Using 1967 as a base year, a comparison of industrial characteristics over the ten year period for the County indicates that employment decreased each year excepting for 1970, 1973, and 1976. By 1976, employment was still 13.7 percent less than the base year (1967). On the other hand, wages and salaries have shown an unbroken upward movement through 1974, a slight decrease in 1975, and a record high in 1976.8

Value of production in Northumberland County receded in 1978, and moved upward again in 1979 and 1970. After recording a loss in 1971, value of production has increased each successive year

-11- to end the period 92.7 percent above 1967. In terms of personal income, an industrial worker earned on the average $4,880 in 1967, and in 1976, this amount was $9,388.9

According to the Pennsylvania Industrial Census Report, it appears that the industries in Northumberland County are sensitive to national and regional economic conditions. This sensitivity is usually associated with the apparel industry, which is the largest employer in the County. Although employment in the Milton Area is changing, the industries as a whole appear less sensitive to short-term economic conditions when compared with those of the entire County. AGRICULTURE^^

Agriculture plays a small but important role in the economy of Northumberland County with only 7 percent of the labor force in that occupation, however, the agricultural occupation accounts for 14 percent of the residents in Turbot Township, indicating a greater importance to the Community. Data on the agricultural activity for Northumberland County is illustrated on the Table, "Agriculture 1964 and 1974". In 1972, there were 1,110 farms in the County, a decrease of 52 farms since 1964. Although there was a decrease in farms, total sales increased $7,998,000 from $11,288,000 in 1964 to $19,286,000 in 1974. Sales per farm witnessed an increase of $7,660 during the ten year period of $17,375 per farm in 1974. The sale of livestock, poultry, and their products accounted for the largest sales with $14,757,000 in 1974, an increase of $6,478,000 in ten years. Sale of crops, including nursery products and hay, was tabulated at $4,529,000 in 1974 and $2,968,000 in 1964. In 1974, the County ranked 21st in total sales, and sales of crops; 20th in the sale of livestock, and 31st in sales per farm in the Commonwealth.

In 1969, the value of land and buildings used for farming in the County was $34,528,308. Average value per farm in 1969 was $35,161 and average value of an acre of land in 1969 was $265.57.

As may be seen from the Table, "Agriculture 1964 and 1974", the County slightly resembles a national trend of fewer farms and higher production and total sales. The many economic forces, such as higher operating costs, less return per hour worked, and development pressures, have influenced the agriculture community and this trend "fewer farms" may be expected to continue. However, through the use of tools available to the County and local governments, the best agricultural lands can be preserved while development is focused into other areas.

-12- AGRICULTURE - 1964 AND 1974 NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

1964 1974 Total Farms ...... 1,162 1,110 Total Sales (Thousands of Dollars) ...... 11,288 19 ,286 Sales of Crops Including Nursery Products and Hay (Thousands of Dollars) ...... 2,968 4,529 Sales of Livestock, Poultry, and Their Products (Thousands of Dollars) ...... 8 ,279 14 ,757 Sales Per Farm (In Dollars) ...... 9 ,715 17,375

SOURCE: 1964 Data - United States Department of Commerce Bureau of Census, Census of Agriculture - 1969 (Issued 1972). 1974 Data - Pennsylvania Department of Commerce, Pennsylvania Industrial Census Series Release No. M-5-76 (Issued 1977). When compared to other economic sectors in Turbot Township, Agriculture plays a reduced role or is less important for employment of the work force. This is evidenced by the fact that only seven percent of the work force is employed in the agriculture or primary economic sector. However, as noted in the Land Use Analysis, agriculture/open space lands account for 82 percent of the Township total land area.

RETAIL TRADE, SERVICES, AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL CATEGORIES

"Retail Trade'' Industry includes such categories as eating and drinking places, general merchandise retailing, motor vehicle retailing and service stations, food, bakery, and dairy stores and other retail trade. The retail trade industry in Turbot Township accounted for 9.6 percent of the total employed workers, while it accounted for 15 percent of the employed workers in the County. The "services" industry was credited with 13.2 percent of the County's employed persons and 10.7 percent of the Township's employed workers. Services industry includes the categories of school ( not government), hospitals, business and repair services, personal services, and recreational services. The industry termed "other" included the categories of transportation, finance, and government and accounted for 16.4 percent of the Township's workers and 17.4 percent of the workers in the County.

In 1972, there were 1,236 retail trade establishments in the County with a payroll of $18,761,000 and total sales of $207,970,000. During this same year, there were 768 selected service establishments with a payroll of $4,485,000 and total sales of $20,086,000.12 These three major industrial categories account for over one-third of the workers in the County. By way of comparison, over 60 percent of the Nation's work force is employed in the tertiary sector or services which indicate that the County is not typical of the Nation. This characteristic suggests that employment in these categories will increase to perhaps become more in line with the National Trend.

EARNINGS BY INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY

Earnings are an indicator of the economic welfare of the Com- munity's residents as well as a measure of the size of the consumer market and indirectly the industrial market. When compared with industrial employment, earnings indicate an industry's relative importance as a generator of income. The Table, "Earnings By Broad Industrial Sectors", presents personal earnings by major industry category for the County for 1970. Total earnings were $251,696,000 with the manufacturing category accounting for $102,630,000 or 41 percent of the total earnings, followed by government at $3,6,894,000 or 15 percent of total earnings, which illustrates the importance of manufacturing to the County's economy.

-1 7- NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY EARNINGS BY BROAD INDUSTRIAL SECTORS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS 1970

INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY DOLLARS

Agriculture 5,458 Mining 6,009 Contract Construction 13,780 Manufacturing 102,630

Transportation 18 ,892 Wholesale and Retail Trade 35,548

Finance 7,395 Services 24,652 Government 36 ,894

Other 438

TOTAL 251,696

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Office of State Planning and Development "Income Earnings", unpublished. FAMILY INCOME

The Table, "Income of Families and Unrelated Individuals" tabulated family income for the Township by census tract13 and North- umberland County. The statistics include the income of families and unrelated individuals 14 years and over at the time of the Census enumeration period, 1970. The $12,000 to $14,999 income group accounted for the largest number of families in the Township, while the $10,000 to $11,999 income group accounted for the largest number of families in the County. Median family income for the Township in Census Tract 0010, was $7,333 and in Census Tract 0011, $8,974. This is not too surprising as Census Tract 0011 encompasses the urbanized part of the Township while Census Tract 0010 encompasses the agricultural community, i.e. typically the median family income is lower for farm families as compared to non-farm families.

As shown on the Table, "Comparisons of Median Family Incomes" the median family income for both Census Tract 0010 and 0011 is greater than that for Northumberland County. Compared with urbanized area, e.g. Boroughs, Census Tract 0011 residents have a higher median family income than the Boroughs of Milton, Watsontown, and Northumberland. The above data indicate that the Township residents enjoy a higher standard of living than the families of the County in general. This is especially indicative of Census Tract 0011, and is possibly a result of the employment/occupation characteristics of those family members.

CURRENT LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS14

The Sunbury-Shamokin-Mt. Carmel Labor Market envelopes the Counties of Montour, Nothumberland, Snyder, and Union. The following Table, "Labor Market Conditions" presents the total estimated civilian labor force, percent unemployed, and estimated number of workers unemployed. In July 1978, there were as estimated 79,600 persons in the civilian labor force of whom 7,000 were unemployed or 8.8 percent of the labor force. This condition has not changed significantly from July 1977, where there were 6,500 persons unemployed or 8.4 percent of the labor force. In January 1978, the estimated civilian labor force was 74,000 persons of whom 7,000 persons were unemployed for 9.4 percent unemployment rate.

The United States Department of Labor has declared the Sunbury- Shamokin-Mt. Carmel Labor Market as a "Labor Surplus Area". This declaration does not directly impact upon the governing body of Turbot Township; however, it does mean that when the Federal Government awards contracts possible preference will be given to the firms in a labor surplus area.

-1 A- INCOME OF FAMILIES AND UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS - 1970 -

TURBOT TOWNSHIP BY CENSUS TRACT NORTHUMBERLAND I lNCOME (IN DOLLARS) COUNTY TURBOT TOWNSHIP --0010 0011 I Under $1,000 I 1,000 to 1,999

2,000 to 2,999 I ,706 17 I I O P7 I 3,000 to 3,999

4,000 to 4,999

5,000 to 5,999

6,000 to 6,999 2,963 43 5 38

2,600 28 12 16 2 ,628 44 5 39 I Y,OOO to 9,999 2 ,036 55 4 51 10,000 to 11,999 3 ,261 46 6 40 , 12,000 to 14,999 2 ,289 74 12

115,000 to 24,999 1, 411 43 0

125,000 to 49,999 248 5 5

22 0 0

SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count. COMPARISON OF MEDIAN FAMILY INCOMES - 1970 -

MEDIAN INCOME MEDIAN INCOME (FAMILIES (FAMILIES) AND UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS)

Northumberland County $7 ,364 $6 ,212

Turbot Township CT 0010 7 ,750 7,333 CT 0011 9 ,294 8 ,974

Milton Borough 8,344 ---

Lewi s b urg Borough 9,316 ---

Watsontown Borough 8 ,317 ---

Northumberland Borough 7,843 ---

SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 4th Count Data. LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS FOR THE SUNBURY-SHAMOKIN- MT, CARMEL LABOR MARKET

ESTIMATED TOTAL CIVILIAN PERCENT OF TOTAL CIVILIAN ESTIMATED TOTAL LABOR FORCE LABOR FORCE UNEMPLOYED NUMBER OF WORKERS (IN THOUSANDS) (IN THOUSANDS) UNEMPLOYED (IN THOUSANDS) I1 I -1/78 7/78 74.0 -1 79.6 I SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, September 1, 1978. SUMMARY

Turbot Township is highly dependent on manufacturing and wholesale trade industries where 51.7 percent of the total employment is recorded. The major manufacturing employers in the Milton Area were the Food and Kindred Products, followed by Transportation Equipment. This characteristic is different from Northumberland County, where the Apparel and Other Finished Products was the major manufacturing employer. The Township's relationship between the Food and Kindred Products and Transportation Equipment manufactures suggest more secure occupations for the residents, manifested in part by the higher median income and housing values when compared with the County.

Milton Borough is the largest manufacturing center in the Sun- burg-Shamokin-Mt. Carmel Lambor Market with 16 establishments in 1976 employing over one-quarter of all manufacturing workers in the labor market. However, it appears that the area has not kept pace with the changing national trends of an economy less dependent on manufacturing employment, to one increasingly oriented toward services.

The median family incomes for Turbot Township residents are greater than the County in general, but are rather typical of the urbanizing communities nearby.

The Sunbury-Shamokin-Mt. Carmel Labor Market has been declared a labor surplus area by the Department of Labor as unemployment apppears to be a chronic problem. Unemployment as of July 1978 was 8.8 percent of the labor force and 9.4 percent in January 1978. However, from the data above, Turbot Township does not appear to be experiencing the high unemployment characterized by the labor market, and the implications associated with unemployment. MUNICIPAL FINANCE ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

Local governments exist, to a large degree, for the purpose of providing certain services to the residents. Depending on the municipality's size and other factors, the level of services may range from rather modest functions such as highway maintenance to extensive social and economic programs. Gen- erally, a small community is more dependent on revenues provided directly from the residents while larger metropolitan areas benefit from broader State and Federal programs which are indirectly financed by all residents.

In order for any municipality to plan and realistically program specific services for their residents, the local government must be keenly sensitive to budgetary considerations. In small communities such as Turbot Township, it is essentially a combination of wilingness and ability "to pay" which largely determines the level of services provided.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

There are many factors involved with the provision of municipal services which may include the population, the development pattern, the tax structure, the financial resources, and magnitude of services to be provided. Relative to resources available, the following points should be considered:

*The Supervisors control only a portion of the revenue collected and expended, and total services provided. Vital services,such as schools, are handled by other agencies whose expenditures represent a sizeable portion of the total tax burden.

=No analysis of fiscal data will conclusively reveal whether the tax payers can afford, should they want, to pay greater taxes to increase public services.

*Relationship between costs of services and benefits derived from those services cannot be determined without a detailed management survey.

Public improvement financing is largely dependent on the municipal revenues from such sources as general property tax, gross receipts, and earned income taxes, licenses, fines, permits

-1 6- and fees, service charges and governmental aid from these revenues, communities pay for police protection, fire service, recreation and library facilities, snow removal, and highway maintenance.

TAXATION

Townships and Boroughs of Pennsylvania levy taxes on inhabi- tants and property within their jurisdictions. The tax on real estate for many communities has been one of the more productive of local taxes; others, such as a tax on occupation and personal property are minor in comparison. In 1947, the General Assembly passed the famous Act 481, misnamed by man, the "tax anything" law, which has enabled all localunits except Counties, to raise additional revenue from such taxes as those on earned income, mercantile transactions, real estate transfer, trailers, amusement, mechanical devices, and person. This law was superseded by Act 511 of 1965, and with its passage, the earned income tax has become a chief source of revenue for many municipalities.

The levy of local taxes is the function of the Township Board of Supervisors. This is done within the limits set by the Constitution and State Law. Local action is in the form of ordinances or resolutions, and levies are made in only one fiscal year. The rates of real estate taxation are on the basis of the number of mills for each taxable dollar, but the rate must also be expressed in terms of dollars and cents for each $100 of assessed valuation.

In Townships of the Second Class, the Board of Township Super- visors may levy on all real property and occupations an annual tax for road, bridge, and general Township purposes of not more than 14 mills; a tax of not more than five mills for lighting the highways, roads, and other places of the Township upon the petition of a majority of the owners assessment for the Township tax for the purpose of procuring a lot and erecting a Township house; a tax not exceeding two mills for the establishment of fire hydrants, with the assent of 51 percent of the electorate of the Township; a tax not exceeding two mills for recreation facilities, and an annual tax sufficient to pay the interest of indebtedness and sinking fund charges. The court may also levy a tax to liquidate indebtedness of the Township if the Township Authorities care to do so. Taxes under Act 511 may also be levied.

Townships are empowered to levy a tax upon all property taxable for its individual purposes, not to exceed five mills for the purpose of creating and maintaining a revolving fund to be used

-17- by such Township in making permanent street, sidewalk, water supply, or sewer improvements prior to the collection of the cost and expense, or any part thereof, from the property owners adjoining or abutting thereon under existing laws. Any such revolving fund may also be initiated by funds raised through the issuance of general obligation bonds of the Community, in the manner provided by law, for the making of permanent street, sidewalk, water supply, or sewer improvements.

Local Governments are also empowered to create a special fund to be known as the road machinery fund and to accumulate therein monies to be used exclusively for purchasing road machinery. Such special fund may consist of, (1) money transferred during any fiscal year from appropriations made from the general governments fund; (2) money transferred from surplus money in the general governments fund at the end of any fiscal year; and (3) money appropriated to the fund in the annual budget from the receipts of a special tax, not exceeding two mills, which the Supervisors may levy and collect for that purpose, annually, upon all property taxable for government purposes.

The Local Tax Enabling Act of 1965 (Act 511) allows local units to levy taxes on certain subjects and under certain procedures and limitations. (1) The per capita tax rate is $10 maximum and may be shared on a fifty-fifty basis with school districts. (2) The real estate transfer tax is one percent and is subject to a fifity-fifty sharing by the municipality and the school district unless otherwise agreed to by them. (3) The mercantile tax is from one to one and a half mills on sales. (4) On retail sales of personal property, the rate is two percent shared between the municipality and the school district. (5) As to occupation taxes, there is no limit on the rate and no requirement for sharing. (6) The tax rate of the occupational privilege tax remains at $10 maximum and is subject to sharing between the local units affected. The taxpayer must be gainfully employed and may work in more than one political subdivision. (7) On admissions to places of amusement, the rate is ten percent. Such a tax is prohibited on admissions to motion picture theaters.

Townships of the Second Class are limited to the type of tax and annual limitations by the Commonwealth. The following table is a summary of taxation tools available to Turbot Town- ships as a Second Class Township. SECOND CLASS TOWNSHIP TAXATION

TYPE OF TAX DESCRIPTION

General Purpose 14 Mills maximum (with consent of court additional 5 mills permitted).

Debt and Sinking Fund Sufficient to pay interest on indebtedness and Sinking Fund Charges.

Housing Apparatus, pur- 3 Mills (higher tax authorized with chasing and maintaining consent of electors). fire apparatus

Procuring a lot and/or Not to exceed 50% of the rate of erecting municipal assessment for Township Tax. building

Fire hydrants and fire 2 Mill maximum with consent of 51% hydrant water service of electors.

Parks, playgrounds, and May appropriate and cause to be other recreational raised by taxation, an amount neces- facilities sary to maintain and operate recreation places.

Lighting of Streets and 5 Mills maximum. public places

Revolving fund for 5 Mills maximum. permanent improvements

Garbage Disposal Per capita basis against adult residents of district served; reasonable charges for service.

Library 3 Mills maximurn.

Supporting ambulance and 1/2 Mills maximum. rescue squads

Special Taxes (Act 511) May levy the following taxes: Per capita or poll @ $10: occupation: mercantile - whole @ 1 mill, retail @ 1.5 mills; income @ 1%;real property transfer @ 1%;amusement @ 10% (except motion picture theaters); occupation privilege: retail sales @ 2%. SOURCE: Comparison of Borough and Township Government, Department of Community Affairs, 4th Edition, 1975. TURBOT TOWNSHIP REVENUES 1970 THROUGH 1977

Revenues obtained by Turbot Township since 1970 are tabulated on the table entitled "Turbot Township Revenues Per Fund for 1970 Through 1977". As shown, the revenues have been divided into five funds: General Fund, State Highway Aid Fund, Fed- eral Revenue Sharing Fund, Anti-Recession Fund, and Flood Funds.

General Fund: The general fund has been broken into two categories: Revenue Receipts and Non-Revenue Receipts. Monies from taxes, licenses and permits, fines, forfeits, and costs, grants and gifts, and interest and rents are classified as revenue receipts, while monies from the sale of property, supplies and equipment, refunds of prior years' expenditures, borrowed funds and transfers from other funds are categorized as non- revenue receipts. Generally, monies from the revenue receipts represent a larger percentage of the General Fund than monies in the non-revenue receipts.

In the category of revenue receipts, the earned income tax (Act 511) accounts for 56 percent to 61 percent of the revenue receipts in Turbot Township indicating a significant importance placed on this taxing sources. As a separate tax category, the real estate tax has been since 1970, the second most important source of revenue receipts. This feature of revenue sources for Turbot Township is rather enlighting as many communities throughout Pennsylvania still rely heavily upon the real estate tax. The occupational privilege tax was first initiated in Turbot Township in 1972, and represents the third most important revenue receipt source, followed by the occupation tax. Since 1970, the Township has indicated a high reliance on the "Act 511'' taxing tools as a source of revenue as in 1977, the occupational prividlege and earned incomes taxes totaled $35,965.32 or 68 percent of all tax receipts.

The largest category for revenues in the other revenue receipts category was the County Liquid Fuels Tax Grant, which has ranged from a low of $3,000 in 1970, to a high of $4,000 in 1971, 1972, and 1975. Fines, forfeits, and costs from motor vehicle code violations represent another category of revenue for Tur- bot Township. This category has fluctuated and is a function of enforcement. Unfortunately for the Township, fine and forfeits are now to be paid directly to the Commonwealth, which will result in Turbot Township losing this category as a revenue. Monies from the issuance of licenses and permits have increased over the years reviewed and may be attributed, in part, to the building which has been occuring in the Township, e.g. $579 in 1970 to $2,510.00 in 1977. TURBOT TOWNSH I P REVENUES PER

FUND FOR 1970 THROUGH 1977 -

YEAR - .EVENUE 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977

:eceipts Estate $ 8,695.89 $ 8,523.49 $ 8,696.07 $ 8,749.72 $ 8,746.48 $12,389.70 $12,713.47 $ 13,256.90 pation 223.25 233.65 245.96 162.52 136.34 184.95 150.47 137.32 ed Income 21,303.46 22,300.00 23,700.00 31,060.00 31,100.00 32,950.00 35,497.86 35,965.32 p. Priv. ------3,869.35 4,025.41 5,970.85 3,821.80 3,566.00 3,855.90 Revenue PtS 5,340.20 7,441.43 8,714.54 7,088.75 7,833.96 8,893.00 11.687.30 11,366.15 Rev. Receipts 326.04 341.21 16,761.47 4,091.50 4,586.16 2,738.00 6,409.11 13,711.34 Revenue P ts 35,562.80 38,498.57 45,225.92 51,086.40 53,787.63 58,239.45 63,615.10 64,581.59 Non- Revenue pts* 42,481.75 24,738.28 32,727.87 27,179.43 28,405.61 35,400.46 58,371.07 72,277.60 Gen. Fund 78,044.55 63,556.85 77,953.70 78,265.83 82,193.24 93,639.81 121,986.17 136,859.19

pts & Balances Hwy. Aid Fd. ------3,902.00 14,890.12 12,229.58 10,496.91 16,748.75 27,840.52 1

------1, 846 .OO 6,787.56

1 includes non-revenue receipts, cash balance at new year and securities and investments held new year.

CE: Annual Financial Report, 1970 to 1977 Turbot Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. TURBOT TOWNSHIP EXPENDITURES - 1970 THROUGH 1977

As with the revenues, the expenditures for Turbot Township have been broken down into various funds, e.g. General Fund, Sinking Fund, State Highway Aid Fund, Federal Revenue Sharing Fund, and a Flood Fund. The following table, entitled "Turbot Township Expenditures Per Fund for 1970 through 1977:, tabulates the expenditures since 1970. General Fund: The General Fund is divided into two categories, governmental expenditures, and non-governmental expenditures. Under the governmental expenditures, the category of highways has accounted for the greatest expenditure, except in 1973 when the general government category was the largest. During 1973, 24 percent of the total government expenditures were devoted to highways while in 1970, 85 percent of total government expenditures were put toward highways. Perhaps an explanation for this difference is the construction of the Turbot Township Municipal Building during 1973 and 1974, requiring funds channeled from other categories to the general government expenditure category. As may be anticipated, the lion's share of the expenditures under the highway category were a result of new roadway construction and maintenance of these roadways. Snow removal expenditures have been variable, and are a result of the winter snow fall. During 1973, for example, the Town- ship spent only $378.45 for snow removal while $4,247.50 was expended in 1977, characteristic of the winters. Inflation and new or better services have impacted on the cost of local government as general government costs have increased from $5,388.04 in 1970, to $17,320.59 in 1977 for a 221 percent increase. During 1973,however, the Township spent over $33,000 under the general government category, representing the largest single expenditure for that year. The reason for this significant increase was the construction of a new municipal building, e.g. $28,310.10 in 1973 and $15,586.89 in 1974. Expenditures for Protection of Persons and Property has increased 327 percent since 1970. This category includes costs for such things as school crossing guard, fire protection, and salaries/wages under building regulations, planning, and zoning. The category of Special Services and Miscellaneous involve ' costs of conventions, schools, and employee payroll taxes and benefits. Cost under Special Services began in 1973 at $1,907.42 and in 1977 was tabulated at $1,045.00. These costs are rather modest compared with the total, and is expected to remain a small part of the expenditures for Protection of Per- sons and Property. However, the Miscellaneous category has increased 696 percent from $1,441.92 in 1970 to $11,436.67 in 1977. TURBOT TOWNSHIP EXPENDITURES PER FUND FOR 1970 THROUGH 1977 7 -- .I YEAR

ENDITURE 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 a1 Fund nmental penditures ral Govern. $ 5,388.04 $ 6,667.22 $33,484.14*.$18,382.08* ection of ons/Property 1,467.18 2,771.23 2,789.77 3,182.91 5,517.81 6 ,354.60 6,265.50 th & Sani- on --- . --- 550.00 476.00 715.00 540.00 855.00 ways I 45,350.34 I 34,128.76 I 42,442.31 I 13,147.42 I 21,415.90 20,679.91 36,896.51 46,960.83 Renoval 3,052.13 3,101.40 378.45 559.53 1 ,987.75 3,101.49 4,247.59 & Bridges 14, 928.05 18, 186.33 9,020.79 13,077.77 2,417.82 26,095.90 34,049.32 truction & ilding Roads/ 15,372.58 7,148.59 13,818.77 14, 634.16 3,559.51 5,056.13 ral Services1 ------3,748.18 1,959.10 745.60 1,346.65 1 ,638.05 ial Services,i ------1,907.42 729.48 963.00 931.20 1,045.00 ellaneous 1,441.92 1,533.40 2,985.10 2,567.63 5,344.51 6 ,244.31 9,732.38 I 11,436.67 Gov. Exp. 53,647.48 47,590.45 54,865.86 54,446.38 49,530.88 41,777.85 63,419.91 83,883.59 Non-Gov. ditures 24,397.07 15,996.85 23,087.93 23,819.45 32,662.36 51,861.96 58,566.26 52,975.60 Gen. Fund 63,556.85 77,953.79, 78,265.83 82,193.24 93,630.81 121,986.17 136,859.13 ng Fund ------1,846.00 6,787.56

Hwy.Aid Fd. 12,549.40 21,411.90 25,250.07 27,891.39 23,711.53 i 22,222.31 I I Rev. Sharing; 14,890.12 12,229.58 /10,496.91 16,748.75 I 27,840.52 --- ______Fund 19.293-03 --- I --- I------J clud $15,586.89 under Municipal Buildings. URCE. Annual Financial Report 1970 to 1977, TL-aot Township , Northumberland County , Penns- ivania. Typically, the cost of government, i.e. payroll taxes, benefits, etc., are increasing for all local units of government and is especially true for the Township as it is becoming more involved with enforcing commonwealth regulations, e.g. zoning officer. It may be expected that expenditures in the Miscel- laneous Category will continue to increase as more and better services are provided.

Non-governmental expenditures include securities and investments held and cash balance, of which securities and investments represent the largest single category.

OTHER FUNDS~ State Highway Aid Fund or the liquid fuel allocation originates from an act of the General Assembly providing a permanent allocation of a part of the fuels and liquid fuels tax proceeds to Pennsylvania municipalities for their road, street, and bridge purposes. It also provides for the purchase of signs and road equipment. The Act provides a-formula to be used to determine the amount of payments to political subdivisions and also provides for a minimum payment. The appropriation is determined as follows:

First, one half of the annual allocation is divided by the total miles of public roads and streets which are maintained by municipalities in Pennsylvania. That number is than multiplied by the number of miles in a particular municipality to determine local share.

The second half of the annual allocation is divided by the total official population of the municipalities in Pennsylvania as of January first of the year in which the money is to be paid. That number is then multiplied by the official population of the particular municipality as of January first of that year to determine the re- mainder of the local share.

Revenues under this Fund for Turbot Township ranged from $12,549.40 in 1970 to $22,222.31 in 1977, for an increase of 77 percent to expenditures of the liquid fuels monies in Turbot Township during the 1970-77 period were for the maintenance of roads and bridges, construction of streets and roads, purchase of road machinery and road equipment, snow removal, and repair of tools and machinery. An examination of the General Fund category, highways, indicates that the percentage of general funds used for highways in the Township has not increased as rapidly as other governmental expenditures, however, the State Liquid Fuels Fund, supplements this highway category, and appears to be taking an added importance to the Township's over-all budget considerations.

Federal Revenue Sharing Fund as it is typically known, is the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972, authorized payments through a State and Local Government Fiscal Assis- tance Trust Fund to each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and approximately 38,000 units of local government through an allocation formula based in part on data furnished by the Bureau of the Census, Local Governments may use revenue sharing funds for eight specified categories of maintenance and operating activities; public safety, environmental protection, public transportation, health, recreation, libraries, social services for the poor or aged, and financial administration. Funds may also be used for capital expenditures for any legal purpose.

Since the passage of this Act in 1972, Turbot Township has received revenue sharing funds. In 1972, the total amounted to $3,902.00 and by 1977 the monies increased to $27,840.52 representing a 613 percent increase. The major expenditures under this fund were municipal building outlay in 1973 at $12,438 and equipment costs for the remaining years.

The Flood Fund was a one shot fund established by the Federal Government after the tropical storm damage during the early 1970's specifically for flood relief. During 1972, the Township received $7,568.39 while in 1973 it received $1,993.03, which were used to repay the Township General Fund for expenditures to repair flood damaged roads, stream channels, or bridges.

The Anti-Recession Fund, authorized by the Federal Government, accounted for $1,846 in 1976, and $6,787.56 in 1977, for Turbot Township. The monies from 1976 were combined with those received during 1977 to cover the costs of labor for snow removal, repair, and road maintenance. This Federal Program has now been terminated.

MUNICIPAL BORROWING^

The Local Government Unit Debt Act (Act 185 of 1972) limits local debt based on the average total revenue of your municipality. The debt limit has been specifically set at 250% of your municipality's average total revenue over the past three years. Before entering into any borrowing action, the legal and financial details should be worked out with the municipal soli- citor, a bond counsel, or other financial consultant. It is important to note that all borrowing actions in excess of $50,000 or 30% of the borrowing base must be approved by the Office of Legal Services, Department of Community Affairs.

Several major provisions of the Local Government Unit Debt Act change the past practices of the municipal codes and the Municipal Borrowing Law. Major provisions of the Unit Debt Act include:

1. No limit has been established on electoral debt. Prior to this act debt approved by the electors of a municipality was limited to 15% of the assessed valuation.

2. Bond anticipation notes may be issued in order for a municipality to obtain funds while pending the sale of long-term bonds or notes.

3. Bonds or notes may be sold at public or private sale.

4. The maturity date on bonds may not be more than forty years, or not more than the life of the project being financed. In the past, the maximum term of a bond was thirty years or the life of the project.

5. Bank notes maturing in five years or less are provided for. These short term loans require a minimum principal repayment averaging 20% per year.

6. Debt which is repair solely from rents and other user fees (self-liquidating debt) is not subject to the debt limit.

7. Temporary indebtedness, such as tax anticipation loans may not exceed 85% of the outstanding tax revenue and must be repaid during the fiscal year in which incurred. In the past, temporary indebtedness was governed by the municipal codes.

8. A municipality in a financial crisis may be able to fund, unfunded debt, in order to meet financial obligations.

-23- With the passage of Act 52 of 1978, which reenacts and amends the Local Government Unit Debt Act, other changes should be noted.3 The most significant change is the new requirement that all outstanding non-electoral debt and lease rental debt must be considered in determining debt limits in each instance of borrowing.

The effect of this provision is that municipalities and school districts combined non-electoral and lease rental debt of 550 percent of the borrowing base may now only incur debt in the amount of 350 percent of the borrowing base. Other provisions of the bill include the removal of the requirement to enact local ordinances in certain borrowing, which does not exceed $50,000 or 30 percent of the borrowing base (which ever is less), replacing this with the passage of a local resolution. The amended law allows the use of one overall sinking fund for debt repayment or, by arrangement with note purchaser, no sinking fund at all.

To determine the non-electoral limits, obtain the borrowing base by totaling the net revenues for the three preceding fiscal years, and divide by three. Multiply this average net revenue by 2.50 where lease rental debt is involved, add the amount of the lease rental debt outstanding to the outstanding net non-electoral debt, and multiply by 5.00. The result is the non-electoral debt limit.

Since the Local Government Unit Debt Act includes many speci- fics regarding procedures, certifications, and advertising, it is strongly recommended that the Township secure copies from the Association or the Department of Community Affairs. The above discussion on debt limitations is primarily for information purposes, and describes the latest regulations. The Township, according to the Secretary, does not have any outstanding debts at this time.

FUTURE BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS

In the preparation of a budget for upcoming years, it is common practice of governing bodies to examine the expenditures and revenues of the past years in order to project estimates for the next year. This practice can be fairly accurage if it is felt that the past years will be representative of the situation(s) expected in the upcoming years. However, many communities fail to incorporate the goals and objectives or recommended programs of the Comprehensive Plan into the budget system. Perhaps this lack of effort results for the most part, from the two programs, comprehensive planning and budget appropriations, being viewed as separate functions, with the former solely providing the rationale for a zoning ordinance and the later devoted primarily to a line budget process based upon previous commitments. Turbot Township could interrelate the two functions and establish a practical planning, programming, budgeting system at the local level for the purpose of effective, coordinated, direction oriented governmental operation. The following list attempts to illustrate how specific planning programs may be incorporated into the Township's objectives under the existing budgetary categorization.

A. General Government:

1. Determine and establish the appropriate ordinances and resolutions to provide a stable, diversified tax base.

B. Protection to Persons and Property:

1. Equitably administer zoning and subdivision ordinance. 2. Qualify for Flood Insurance Program. 3. Support Volunteer Fire Companies. 4. Initiate Township Police Service. 5. Disseminate Agricultural Preservation alternative to Township Residents. 6. Establish program for climinating blighted areas.

C. Health and Sanitation:

1. Enforce environmental laws of the Commonwealth. 2. Extend existing facilities where economically feasible. 3. Implement periodic "Clean-Up Program".

D. Highways : 1. Maintain and rebuild highway network according to Transportation Plan and climinate specifically defined problem conditions. 2. Implement snow removal program based upon appropriate roadway functions. 3. Initiate street lighting in petitioned areas.

E. Library and Recreation:

1. Improve library facilities within the Township. 2. Acquire land for recreational purposes according to the Recreation Plan with maximum emphasis upon. serving existing villages and hamlets.

-25- F. Special Services:

1. Establish program to extend Township equipment to residents. 2. Encourage and contribute to cultural functions which benefit Township residents.

An important characteristic of the foregoing objectives is tha they are intended to be more oriented towards "ends" rather than "means", in that they serve to illustrate what is ultimately desired to be accomplished. Certaily many of the objectives are difficult to reduce into dollar values and it is important that effects be weighted to cover both monetary and nonmonetary criteria. The ultimate decisions, of course, should be the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors, who with their political motivations and value judgements will render the final program determination.

One budgetary consideration for the implementation of the above is the capital budget and capital' improvements program, which are the primary elements of sound financial planning. A capital improvement is a major facility involving a nonre- curring cost which usually requires large capital outlay and brings returns over a long period of time. Programming involves a decision as to what the community needs most in the future, and the development of a schedule to pay for these facilities. within the bounds of the Township's ability to finance the facilities. A capital budget, normally set-up a year at a year at a time, outlines the capital expenditures the Township will be required to make in the coming year.

As the Township currently does not have a capital budget nor a capital improvements program, it is suggested that the Supervi- sors consider implementing such a program to help implement the above considerations. The following is a list of advantages of a capital improvements program. 4

1. Efficient implementation of the community's goals, objectives, and comprehensive plan.

2. Coordination of plans and policies to avoid over- lapping of projects.

3. Maintaining financial stability through lessened fluctuation in the tax rate.

4. Lengthened available lead time to avoid last minute delays caused by technical difficulties and the sched- uling of resources, and increase the likelihood of an improved credit rating and interest savings.

5. Enhancement of opportunities for State and Federal aid. TAX RATES

The Table, "Turbot Township Tax Statement, 1970 Through 1977", indicates the tax rate; rate of assessment, and total taxable valuation in the Township since 1970. For the first three years of this decade, the tax rate was 5 mills. In 1973, the County completed a County-wide reassessment of property, and the Township lowered the millage rate to 3 mills in 1973, which had to be increased to 4 mills in 1975 and remained at 4 mills through 1977. The rate of assessment, which is 25 percent, has remained unchanged since 1970.

PER CAPITAL REVENUES/EXPENDITURES

As discussed above, the total revenue receipts for Turbot Township in 1970 and 1977 was $35,562.80 and $64,581.50, respectively. Dividing these receipts in 1970 was $24.03 and in 1977, $35.39. Governmental expenditures in 1970 were tabulated at $53,647.48 and for 1977, at $83,883.59. Performing the same calculations resulted in a per capita expenditure in 1970 of $36.25 and $45.96 in 1977. A closer insepction re- veals that over the last eight years, revenue receipts per capita increased $11.36 while governmental expenditures per capita increased only $9.71 for the same period.

TAX COMPARISONS WITH ADJOINING MILTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY

The following table illustrates the tax rate, assessment rate, and taxable assessment for the Northumberland County communities of the Milton Area School District. The assessment rate throughout the County is 25% except the southeastern corner where the rate is 30%. It is interesting to note that the Town- ships of Turbot and West Chillisquaque have a tax rate of 4 mills and similar taxable assessments, $3,429,425 and $3,931,000, respectively. East Chillisquaque has presently a lower millage rate, 3 mills, and lower taxable assessment; however, the Township does have a charge of 22 cents per foot for lights and charges 2 mills for fire protection, perhaps to help make- up for a lower assessment. The Borough of Milton charges 16 mills, includes millages for water, lights, library and fire, and a taxable assessment of $9,333,275. These data for the Townships suggest that Turbot Township residents are taxes similar rates as the residents of West Chillisquaque Township and have a less burden then the residents of East Chillisquaque Township.

-27- TURBOT TOWNSHIP TAX STATEMENT 1970 THROUGH 1977

CATEGORY 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977

:a1 Purposes 5 Mills 5 Mills 5 Mills 3 Mills 3 Mills 4 Mills 4 Mills 4 Mills

of Assessment 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%

Taxable Lion $1,763,575 $1,797,575 $1,814,625 $3,091,725 $3,092,100 $3,092,100 $33,050.40 $33,050.40

SOURCE: Annual Financial Reports, 1970 Through 1977 for Turbot Township. COMPARISON OF TAX DATA FOR MILTON BOROUGH AND THE TOWNSHIPS OF EAST CHILLISQUAQUE, WEST CHILLISQUAQUE, AND TURBOT, AS OF JANUARY 1, 1978

TURBOT WEST CHILLISQUA- EAST CHILLISQUA- MILTON TOWNSHIP QUE TOWNSHIP QUE TOWNSHIP BOROUGH

Tax Rate 4 Mills 3 Mills* I I I 116 I Assessment Rate I 25% I 25% I 25% I 25% I Taxable Assessment $3,429,425 $3,931,000 $995,625 1 $9,333,275 I -

*East Chillisquaque Township also has 2 Mills for fire protection and charges 22 cents per foot for lights.

**Milton Borough Tax Rate includes millages for water, lights, library, and fire.

NOTE: Milton School District Tax Rate is at 64 Mills and Northumberland Tax Rate is at 20 Mills.

SOURCE: Northumberland County Assessment Office. COMMUNITY FACILITIES ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

An important ingredient in the attraction of any municipality is its community facilities. Typically, they concern those persons who plan to locate in the Township as well as those who live there. Community Facilities consist of the various services required for the education and health of the residents. This discussion is designed to examine the present facilities and use the information as a basis for the Commu- nity Facilities Plan which will be formulated later in this Program.

POLICE SERVICES

The Township of Turbot does not have its own police agency, and relies upon the Pennsylvania State Police with barracks located at the interesections of Pennsylvania Route 254, L.R. 49049 and T-601 in the southeastern portion of the Town- ship. Surveillance is offered on a 24 hour basis with in- vestigative services provided when needed. According to this State Police Office, crime or mischievous activity in Turbot Township has not been a problem and, in fact, is a rather "quiet community". The Borough of Milton provides no police services to Turbot Township. It would appear that the residents are provided with adequate police protection, especially in light of the small number of crimes within Turbot Township.

FIRE COMPANIES

Milton Borough has five fire companies providing service principally to the Borough and to outlying areas including Tur- bot Township. These companies are: Goodwill, Independence Miltonian, Fifty Ward, and Shimer. The Township of Turbot has one Volunteer Fire Company, "The Friendship", which is located on the west of Limestone Road just off Broadway Street, east of the Milton corporate limits. Equipment at the Friend- ship Fire Company's disposal include: 750 gpm pumper, 1500 gpm pumper 400 gpm pumper, 1,000 gpm pumper, and 700 gallong tanker. i

The Friendship Fire Company is located in the more urban part of the Township and can provide service to all but the outlying corners of the Communtiy within minutes of receiving an emergency call. The Friendship Fire Comapny has recently completed a communication systems hook-up with the Borough of Mitlon, which aids in response coordination. The fire protection services to the Township residents appear to be adequate for the future.

-28- HISTORIC AND CONSERVATION AREAS

Turbot Township has no designated historic sites or areas listed on the County or Pennsylvania inventory nor the National Register of Historic Sites. There are no designated Con- servation Areas in Northumberland County.

MUNICIPAL BUILDING

The Turbot Township Municipal Building was completed in 1974 and is located on the south side of Broadway Street, Penn- sylvania Route 254, just east of the Milton By-Pass interchange. The building has three bays, three offices and one meeting/community room, and is used for voting during elec- tions. The meeting room is, according to the Township Sec- retary, open to residents for educational related activities on a rental basis. These facilities appear to be satisfac- tory for the Township's future needs.

PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES

The Milton Area School District, encompassing 84 square miles, provides public education to communities which include: East and West Chillisquaque; Turbot Township and Milton Borough in Northumberland County; and White Deer Township in Union County. The School District currently has five school buildings which are: 2 Kindergarten through 4th grade; 1 Inter- mediate elementary building, grades 5 and 6; 1 Junior High School, grades 7, 8, and 9; and 1 Senior High School, grades 10, 11, and 12. Cosntruction will begin this year on a new Montandon School building for the grades Kindergarten through 4th. The accompanying table "Milton Area School District Facilities" summaries the vital statistics for this District.

Total 1978-1979 school year enrollment was estimated by the District Superintendent at 3,515 students. Comparing this enrollment to the capacity of present buildings at 3,905 students indicates that the Milton School District is not confronted with problems of overcrowding, and with the construction of the Montandon School building, capacity will be increased to 4,205 students. The amount of land area devoted to the School District facilities was tabulated at 93 acres

According to the District Superintendent, the Pennsylvania Labor and Industry, in 1977, sited the old Mantandon and present Intermediate school building with certain deficiencies. The Montandon school building has been abandoned and construction of a new building will begin in 1978 as noted above. The School Board has not yet indicated what course of action will be taken relative to the Intermediate school, as they have until 1981 to undertake any corrective measures.

-29- MILTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT FKILITIES

~------~-~___. t- ---1 -i I ~- -- Year Present Appro xima te I School Built Grades Enrollment Capacity Site Size

White Deer 19 54 K- 4 310 325 7 Acres Milton 19 69 K- 4 920 960 25 Acres * Montandon K-4 . * 300 6 Acres Ground Breaking November 1978 Intermediate 19 56 5- 6 550 620 3 Acres iI Junior High 1974 7- 8-9 9 35 950 22 Acres I Senior High 1963 10-11-12 800 1050 30 Acres

*New Montandon School Building will begin construction in 1978.

SOURCE: Milton Area School District One note of significance is that there has been, according to the Milton Area School District Long Range Plan, a tendency toward inter-district migration which affects the population of the communities, e.g. Turbot Township. For example, in 1970, the School District population was 14,931 persons, and in 1976, it was projected at 14,764 persons. However, Milton Borough had a 1970 population of 7,723 persons and by 1976 it is estimated to have decreased to 5,840 persons. The Long Range Plan estimated the Turbot Township population at 1,600 in 1976, an increase from the 1970 population of 1,480 persons. An observation put forth by the School District Re- port is that residents are moving to the outlying parts of the District away from Milton Borough. This characteristic of population increase, as it applies to Turbot Township, is discussed in the Population Analysis of this Report, which projects growth for Turbot Township.

An examination of the above data and reports from the Super- intendent of the School District indicates that once the Intermediate School issue is resolved, that the Milton School District facilities will be adequate to meet the needs of students to 1986.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

During the recent years, many surveys have been conducted of recreation users to determine the prime factors which influence recreation demand. Based upon these surveys, certain revealing factors were noted which include the following:2

*Three-quarters of all recreation activity takes place within 30 minutes of home.

-Over one-third of all recreation activity takes place at local government facilities which account for less than two percent of all recreation acreage in the State.

-Sixty percent of all public recreation activity takes place at neighborhood, municipal, and county recreation areas; and ten percent occurs at public schools and universities.

-The young (age 5 to 19) and the old (75 and over) spend about eighty percent of their public recreation activity days at local recreation areas.

'A greater proportion of activity days occur under over-crowded at local facilities than at state facilities. Neighborhood parks are most important for tennis, hiking, nature walks, basketball, baseball.. and street hockey. Community

-30- park facilities are most used for swimming, ice skating, baseball, basketball, football, tennis, golf, and street hockey. Public school facilities are used primarily for baseball, basketball, tennis, and football, whereas county facilities are more suitable for fishing, boating, swimming, ice skating and golf.

Coupled with these "factors influencing recreation users", many public and private agencies have formulated a set of standards from which an elevation of physical resources and facilities inventory may be conducted. Standards are an es- sential part in the development of plans for a recreation system and provide a useful guide in the acquisition and improvement of a single area. However, standards can seldom, if ever, be applied completely or without modification because a typical situation seldom exists. Generally, it has been accepted that at least one acre of recreation and park space be set a- side by urban type areas for every 100 of the present and estimated future population. 3

The County has established additional standards, from which the recreational facilities in Northumberland County were evaluated. The following table "Proposed Standards for Public Recreation Development" has been extracted from the County's Master Plan, 1971. This table will be reference thoughout this discussion.

The residents of Turbot Township are within easy access to many recreational facilities/activities for both the young and old. These facilities are mapped as follows and include:

*The Milton State Park, Milton Borough represents a 77 acre tract of land surrounded by the Susquehanna River, just off Pennsylvania Route 642. Activities available at this Park include picnicking, hiking, bicycling, and fishing. Annual attendance has been increasing significantly from 750 persons in 1972, opening year, to 31,649 in 1976.4

*Milton Community Park, located in the east central part of Milton Borough across from the High School, is within minutes from over 50 percent of the Town- ship's residents. Situated on 13.4 acres,5 the park offers activities which include: Baseball, swimming, picnicking and tennis courts.

*Camping facilities are provided in the Township by Fort Boone Camp Sites. This facility is privately owned and maintained encompassing approximately 39 acres and is open to all recreational vehicles.

-31- 'o;~u:atlon CIlltS pcr Acre :in 1 niurn Service Ixxstional erved: Or Unit ;1 LL: Area Critcris ,crcs pcr Mca :; 11 r crnc n t n ,000 person!; rcrcs

10 500 30 minute drive -Natural cnvironrncnt; 20-50 mile travel Hiking, nature study, trails, cabins and camping area, multi-purpose water sports, bridle path, picnicking, 6 go1f ing . County 4 50 15 minute drive- -Same JS regional Park Park ten mile travel plus athletic fields, playgrounds, 6 tennis crts. swimming facilities Community 3 25 2 - 5 mile travel -About 1/3 of the area is Park-Play- devoted to quiet or field passive recreation with landscaping, benches, and walkways: the re- mainder to provide athletic fields, a swimming pool 6 spray pool, picnic area, play lots, play equipment, paved game areas 6 tennis courts. Neigh borhool 2 5 0.5 mile or adjus -Same as Community Park Park- Play - ed to population but omit swimming pool, ground density,lot sizes picnic area, regulation safety, access. athletic fields. Within walking distance of residents. Amusement - - - Park Minia- ture Golf Dr. Range Archery - 30 May be located in a Com- munity or County Fark. Boating : Water bla jor 2 Area 100 May be located in a Re- gional Park. Rowing 8 Water Area 20 May be located in a Re gional Park. Camping 3 7 Campsites per 30 65-125 Mi. for May be located in a acre weekend camping. County or State Park. Fishing: 2 Water Lake Area 20 May be located in a Eounty or State Park. River - 1 mile per 4 per- - Stream - sons, 1 mile per - 1 person Go1f ing - 18 holcs(pub1ic) 150 Within 20 miles Site includes parking and per 50,000 popu- of pop. center. service areas, club house, lation, 8 acres natural and landscaped per hole. areas. May be located in a County, State or Re- gional Park. ,lun ti ng : - 300- 2 hrs. drive A special use area de- 500 center of high pending upon local interest. interest. ;un Clubs - - 45 Picnicking 2 3 tables per 20 1 hour drive: 50 Nay be located in a xre-10 tables mi. travel from County or Regional Park. 3er 100 persons a center of 20,000 3er day. POP - Snow skiing - - 80 1 hr. drive Site should include both i k.'intcr hilly 6 reasonably level Sports land. Weekend oriented ski sites have limited terrain, relative ease of access and a minimum of supporting facilities. Areas with less than 63" of snowfall per year depend upon snowmaking machinery. l iOURCE : :

*Golf is an activity provided by the privately owned Winding Brook County Club (Turbot Hill) located on approximately 117 acres between Pennsylvania Route 405 and L.R. 49102. In conjunction with the 18 hole golf course, the facility offers a swimming pool and indoor meeting rooms.

*The Milton Area School District sites available to the residents of Turbot Township and help to round out the array of facilities. Baseball, football, swingsets are among the facilities available.

Recreational opportunities exist elsewhere in the County as well as on a more regional basis and include Little Mountain State Game Lands; Shikellamy State Park; Susquehanna River and tributaries. However, the County does not have any hiking trails nor nature trails listed in the County inventory of recreation facilities.

The Northumberland County Master Plan, Report No. 2, 1971,has inventoried all recreational facilities within the County and compared it with the "proposed standards" which have been tabulated above. The results of this study indicate that North- umberland County is deficient in - Neighborhood Parks, 216 acres; Community Parks, 243 acres; Publicly owned camping, 337 acres; Fishing-Lak, 225 acres; Publicly owned golfing, 300 acres; and Picnicking, 270 acres. Caution must be used when applying these deficiencies because the data is County wide.

However, it would appear, in comparison with the existing facilities immediately available to the Township residents, that overall, Turbot Township residents are provided with adequate recreational facilities which is especially true for State Parks and Community Parks. On the other hand, separate neighborhood park facilities appear to be deficient when the County Standards are applied to the Township. Given a population projection of around 2000 residents by the end of this century, the Township would need at least 4 acres of land devoted to neighborhood parks, i.e., at 2 acres/1,000 persons. As the active recreational needs are provided by the Community Park in Milton, the passive recreational needs, such as benches, walkways, or quite areas, may be addressed.

COMMUNICATIONS

Northumberland County has seven radio stations and no tele- vision stations. There are three daily newspapers and one

-32- MILTON STATE PARK MILTON COMMUNITY PARK FORT BOONE CAMP SITE TURBOT TOWNSHIP BOATING FACILITIES 6 CAMPING FAClLlTlE M PREH ENSlVE PLANNING PROGRAM WINDING BROOK COUNTRY CLUB CO 6 MILTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT FAClLlT NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA RECREATIONAL FAClLlTlE

-JUr NASSAUX * HEMS!r,INC. CONSULTAN weekly newspaper in the County. The Milton-Stnadard, one of the three daily newspapers, is located on Arch Street in Milton Borough and prints all news of local significance in Turbot Township. It would appear that the news of local interest is well covered by the communications media.

RELIGIOUS FACILITIES

Like many other communities in Pennsylvania, the religious organizations of Turbot Township were founded on the prin- cipals of religious freedom. There are four churches located throughout the Township as well as those in adjoining communities representing a broad range of beliefs. At present, there are enough churches in the immediate area, i.e. Turbot Township, east and west Chillisquaque Townships and Milton Borough, to meet the religious needs of the Township residents.

CHURCHES IN TURBOT TOWNSHIP - 1978 Follmer Lutheran Church . . . . LR 49094 Paradise Church ...... LR 49060 Lutheran Church ...... Mahoning Street Christ Wesleyan Church . . . . LR 49059

HEALTH RELATED FACILITIES~

Turbot Township residents have convenient access to three hospitals, two in Northumberland County and one in Union County. Hospitals in Northumberland County are the Shamokin State General Hospital, in Shamokin, operated by the Commonwealth as a general service agency with 109 beds; and the Sunbury Community Hospital, in Sunbury, which is a non-profit general service shospital with 136 beds. The Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, Uhion County, is a general service hospital with 148 beds. According to the Central Pennsylvania Health Systems Agency, the area is adequately supplied with hospital facilities and related care.

Northumberland County is deficient in 275 nursing home beds according to the Central Pennsylvania Health Systems Agency. Of these 275 beds, 120 beds must be allotted to the southern area of the County, i.e., Shamokin area.

According to the Central Pennsylvania Health Systems Agency, Turbot Township is within a planning area which includes Lewisburg, Milton and adjacent Townships. The planning area has the current doctor/resident ratios: General Practitioners, 1:3327; General Internist, 1:6861; OBGYN, 1:7841; and Pedia- tricians, 1:10977. Based upon accepted health standards, this planning area has been found to be deficient in the following:

-33- -Pediatrician -- 1 -Full-time General Practitioner -- 1/2 -0tolarnygolist -- 10 -General Surgeons -- 2.0 -Psychologist -- 1 -Radiologist -- 1

-?A- COMMUNITY UT I LIT IES ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

Utility systems are an integral part of the services in the Township in that water, gas, electricity, and telephone lines are required for the continuation of home and community life today. On the other hand, sanitary sewage, storm water, and refuse collection systems must exist to remove the wastes generated by human habitation. The availability of utilities must, in part, be used to determine the growth potential of any area. The objective of this part of the Plan is to survey the existing level of utilities in the Township and their adequacy for meeting future needs.

MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY

The Keystone Water Company, White Deer Water District, provides water service to a portion of Turbot Township which is a part of the Company's entire service area to include Milton Borough, Watsontown Borough, Lewisburg Borough and the Townships of Delaware, West Chillisquaque, Buffalo, Kelley and White Deer. The Keystone Water Company utilizes the Susquehanna River for its industrial water needs and the White Deer Creek, Spruce Run and three reservoirs for the domestic water needs.

According to the office Superintendent of the Keystone Water Company, the areas in Turbot Township serviced by the Company include the Mahoning Manor Area, Broadway Area with lines extending eastward along Pennsylvania Route 254 to the intersection with T 582. Another distribution line extends along Pennsylvania Route 405 corridor north from Milton Borough to the Golf Course Land. The following map illustrates, graphically, the Keystone Water Company service area relative to Turbot Township.

The County Master Plan of 1973 states "the White Deer Water District will more than adequately serve the eastern shore of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River including Milton and Delaware, Turbot, East and West Chillisquaque Townships". This statement has been collaborated with the Keystone Water Company representative who states that there is ''ample water to meet all needs".

WASTEWATER COLLECTION/TREATMENT FACILITIES

Turbot Township does not have any municipal wastewater collection or treatment system, nor are any of the residents of the Township part of a community disposal system. All liquid

-35- TURBOT TOWNSHIP CO M PR EH EN SlVE PLANN I NG PROGRAM NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA KEYSTONE WATER COMPANY

I IfHI NASSAUX * HEMSLEY ,INC. C""SULTI\HTS 1 wastes are disposed of by the onsite disposal method(s). An examination of the map "Soil Suitability for On-Lot Disposal" located in the Physical Features chapter of this Report indicates that the soils in the Mahoning Manor Development and Broadway Area are generally suitable for conventional disposal systems, as is the area around Pennsylvania Route 405; while the remaining portions of Turbot Township are generally suited for alternative methods of on-site disposal. However, the Mahoning Manor and Broadway Area have such a density that the Township has had reports of malfunctioning of disposal systems and groundwater pollution according to the Township Secretary.

The Master Plan for Northumberland County, Report No. 5, recommends that the "areas of Turbot Township which lie immediately adjacent to the Borough f Milton be included in the Milton sewer service area" ,? Further recommendations for Turbot Township as found in the Master Plan include: "a 35,000 GPD tertiary package treatment plant be constructed at the I80 and Pennsylvania Route 254 interchange. These two areas in Turbot Township were planned for the Short Range Future. Scheduled for the Long Range Future is the Pennsylvania Route 147 (By-Pass), I80 interchange area with a separate treatment plant to serve 350 to 500 people.

In November 1977, Turbot Township submitted a Discretionary Grant Application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Ur- ban Development (HUD) for $200,856.58. These monies had been held in reserve for the Township as a result of a grant overpayment to the Northumberland County Redevelopment Author- ity, Project Pennsylvania R-655 - Disaster Relief Project. The project selected by the Township Supervisors was a sewer collection system for the Mahoning Manor, Broadway Development with the wastewater conveyed to the existing Borough of Milton Sewage Treatment Plant. The following map illustrates the service areas for this proposed collection system.

As of November 1978, there has not been any formal response from HUD relative to the approval of the Township's discretionary grant application. However, review comments from HUD have resulted in this application "being generally acceptable". Once word has been received from HUD on the approval of the grant application, the Township has, according to a HUD representative, a reasonable period of time, i.e., around 18 months, to begin construction of the proposed project.

-36- 0SERVICE AREA TURBOT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA PROPOSED SANITARY SEWER SERVICE AREA

YE: Itrlsins Herbert Assoicates, Townshiip Municipal Authority Engineer, has estimated the total sewer collection project cost at $1,072,190 in 1978. On January 17, 1977, the Township was awarded a State grant of $7,075.00 under the Land and Water Conservation and Reclamation Act (Act 443) to assist in the reduction of the outstanding indebtedness for the design of the proposed facility. This State grant, coupled with the possible HUD grant of $200,856 leaves the Township with $864,158 which must be financed locally. Therefore, this local share must be obtained and construction started within a "reasonable" time from the award of the HUD Discre- tionary Grant.

With this constraint in mind, it is suggested that the Town- ship, either through the Authority or Supervisors, actively investigate other Federal or State agencies which may assist the Township with its local share. The following is a description of agencies which may assist Turbot Township in the financing of a sewer collection system:

Farmers Home Administration Pennsylvania Department of Commerce Appalachian Regional Commission

WASTEWATER FACILITIES AND TOWNSHIP DEVELOPMENT

With the absence of community wastewater collection and treatment facilities, the homes and business in Turbot Township must utilize on-site effluent disposal methods. As illustrated graphically and discussed in the "Physical Features" chapter of this Report, the majority of the soils in the Township are generally suited for only alternative disposal system. This characteristic has a tendency to limit the magnitude and type of land use activity that may occur in the Township without environmental degradation. A case in point is the I80 interchanges, in which the full development potential of these commercial areas can not be maximized, in part because of un- suitable soils for the conventional disposal system, and lack of community sewers. Further, the Township's application to HUD as discussed above, states that the construction of a wastewater collection system in Turbot Township would enable the realization of high density residential units, e.g., housing alternatives, especially in the Mahoning Manor Area.

Given the present lack of municipal wastewater collection and treatment facilities in Turbot Township, higher orders of land use activity, e.g., apartments, townhouses, shopping center, will undoubtedly be surpressed and the full growth potential of the community or site will not be realized.

-37- STORM WATER FACILITIES There are at the present, no storm water facilities in Tur- bot Township. One of the basic problems with past development in the Township appears to be a lack of facilities to adequately carry surface water. Field observation coupled with citizen input suggest that periodic lawn and street flooding is a problem in the Mahoning Manor area. A 1973 Storm Drainage Report for the Township states, "the water flows on the shoulders of the streets, or in the streets and alleys and across some lawns" during times of "appreciable rainfall". The magnitude of surface water problem does not appear to be as great elsewhere in the Township.

TELEPHONE SERVICE

Adequate telephone service for the Milton Area is provided by the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania with business offices in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Turbot Township is within the Milton Exchange where the local calls may be made to Milton, Lewisburg, Mifflinburg, Northumberland, Sunbury, Watsontown, and Washingtonville areas at the monthly rate of $4.93 plus tax for private lines or $3.77 plus tax for a 2-party line. The Milton Exchange does not at the present time have touch dial service, however, such service is anticipated in the immediate future.

ELECTRICAL SERVICE

The Pennsylvania Power and Light Company provides electric service to the residents of Turbot Township. Charges for residential customers are 3.8 cents per KW hour with declining bulk rates for non-residential users. There appears to be no significant difficulties with this utility.

SOLID WASTE COLLECT ION

Turbot Township residents are provided with solid waste collection by B and W Disposal. This agency will service any area within the Township upon a call. B and W Disposal col- lects the wastes and transfers it to the S b W Landfill for ultimate disposal. Services and costs for this service are as follows:

=Collection one day per week at a cost of $3.75 per month. .Collection two days per week at a cost of $5.25 per month. *Provides upon request a 1/2 to 40 cubic inch container. -Agency does not provide bulky item pick-up services. B and W Disposal is the only collection agency providing services in Turbot. According to a spokesperson for B and W Disposal, the residents of Mahoning Manor and the Broadway area, as well as many of the commercial establishments in the Township, have requested this service. However, according to this spokesperson, many of the rural residents dispose of their own solid wastes at the S and W Landfill. The solid waste collection appears to be adequate with the exception of bulky item pickup, which remains the responsibility of the individual resident.

-39- POPULATION ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

Physical facilities and cultural activities of a community are created by the population and to a certain extent, required by the residents to maintain their lifestyle. Therefore, the major purpose of this analysis is to determine population characteristics and trends. The study of population characteristics in Turbot Township is basic to this planning program as it assists in estimating residential requirements for various dwelling types, consistent with existing and anticipated family sizes, income levels, and the needs of each age group. Population studies aid in determining special requirements for recreation areas, and other community facilities. Also an analysis of population characteristics help to provide clues relative to how various land uses and facilities should be located. Thus, this study shall examine past trends, density, age, and sex composition, mobility habits and projections of population as a means of measuring special needs for land use activities and aid in a determination of providing community services/facilities.

POPULATION TRENDS

An examination of population trends since 1940 for Turbot Town- ship indicates the municipality has experienced a 75 percent increase in total residents. During this period, the largest percentage increase occurred during the 1950's when the Township population grew from 995 persons to 1,337 persons for an increase of 34.4 percent. .The trend toward growth has been consistent with the Northumberland County "Planning District No. 2"1 which witnessed a 12.5 percent increase since 1940, from 10,801 persons to 12, 146 persons. By comparison, Northumberland County has been declining in total population from 126,367 persons in 1940 to 99,190 persons in 1970 for a 22.5 percent decrease. The following table "Population Trends'' tabulates the population trends for the Township since 1940, as compared with the Planning District and County.

The decrease in total population for the County is directly associated with the decline in population of anthracite (Hard) coal, and its resulting decline in employment opportunities .2 On the other hand, the region around Turbot Township has experienced significant industrial development, thus increasing employment opportunities and raise in total population.

-40- POPULATION TRENDS

YEAR 1 % % % CATEGORY 1940 1950 CHANGE 1960 CHANGE 1970 CHANGE

Turbot Twp. 848 995 +17.3 1,337 +34.4 1,480 +lo. 7 County Plan- ning District 10, 801 11 I 364 +5.2 11,535 +1.5 12,146 +5.3

% of District 7.9 8.8 --- 11.6 --- 12.2 e-- Northumberland County 126 I 367 116,599 -7.7 104,138 -10.7 99,190 -4.8 ------0.08 I 1.3 1.5 -. .- . -. I---__--

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, General Population Characteristics and COWAMP Report - Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Study Area 6, Chapter V. AGE/SEX DISTRIBUTION

The population of Turbot Township is fairly evenly distributed between males and females at 49 and 51 percent respectively. The 1970 Census tabulated 7.9 percent of the residents as 65 years of age and older: 33 percent, under 18 years old; and 8.3 percent were under the age of five years. The median age of all Township residents was 33.0 years. By way of comparison, the median age throughout the County ranged from a low of 25.4 years in West Chillisquaque Township to a high of 42.9 years in Shomokin Township. The following population pyramid, "Age-Sex Distribution" illustrates graphically the distribution of the residents per age and sex.

The population pyramid is aptly named as a municipality which is experiencing considerable natural growth, i.e. new babies, will have a graphic distribution similar to a pyramid or triangle.. On the other hand, if the data produced an inverted pyramid, it would be indicative of a community with a high number of elderly or older individuals with a limited growth potential. For Turbot Township, the above data suggest that there is a slight natural increase in total population, i.e. more children than elderly. However, as illustrated on the graph, the Township has a higher number of persons in the age group 45-54 years, followed by 35-44 years where compared with other age groups. This characteristic suggests that, if all other factors, e.g. birth rate and migration, remain equal, the Township will have a disproportionately large number of re- tire/semi-retired individuals within 20 to 25 years. The census data further suggest that the young adults, once graduated from high school tend to leave the Township for various reasons.

PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD

During the 1970 Census enumeration period, Turbot Township had 3.18 persons per household which is typical of the urbanizing Townships of "Planning District 2". By way of comparison, Northumberland County had 2.9 persons per household, East and West Chillisquaque Township had 3.20 and 3.29 persons per household respectively and Milton Borough had 2.89 persons per household. The following table illustrates the occupied housing units by persons in unit and tenure as a more detailed appraisal of household composition.

-41- AGE - SEX COMPOSITION TURBOT TOWNSHIP

AGE IN YEARS

16 OVER 75 Fl31 38 I65- 74 53

29 60- 64

55-59

I1 134 I1 45-54 153

35 - 44 1125

58 I25- 34 I82

20 - 24

15- 19

t 80 IIO- 14 86

61 5-9 84

- 64 I UNDER 5 165

I 1 1 I 1 1 1 I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0

MALES

S 0 U R C E : U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970 - 4 th Count. OCCUPIED UNITS BY PERSONS IN UNIT AND TENURE]

TOTAL RENTER RANGE OCCUPIED OCCUPIED 1 OCOZF:ED 1 (PERSONS/UNIT) 28 6 22 1 185 31 154 2 118 33 85 3 64 --- 64 4 49 15 34 5 45 12 33 6 Or More

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count Data.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

An analysis of the educational level of a population will give an indication of such factors as activities required within the community or region and the income level(s) of the families. Turbot Township had, according to the census data, 162 persons or 18 percent of the total residents 25 years and older with at least one year of college education compared to only 8.5 percent for the County under the same category. Over 75 percent of the residents in the Township complete high school training while less than 45 percent of the County's population finished high school. These data indicate that the individuals in Turbot Township va1ue.a formal education and that the employment opportunities within the Township Region require a higher level of educational attainment than certain other areas within the County. The following table depicts the educational level of persons 25 years and over by sex.

-42- ~~~ ~ ______PERSONS 25 YEARS AND OVER BY YEI;RS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED i BY SEX

~~ NORTMUMBERLAND TURBOT TOWNSHIP* COUNTY** ENROLLMENT CATEGORY MALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE

No School Years Completed 4 0 226 457 Elementary: 1 to 4 Years 0 6 990 1,122 5 to 7 Years 13 10 3,199 4,132 8 Years 39 28 4,971 5,987 High School: 1 to 3 Years 62 85 5,243 6,360 4 Years 203 282 10,031 12, 232 College : 1 to 3 Years 24 22 1,167 1,321 4 Years or More 64 52 1,557 1,076 Total 25 Years and Over 409 485 27 ,384 32 ,687 SOURCE: *U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Census 1970, 4Lh Count. **U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Census 1970, General Data.

RESIDENT STABILITY

Data on when a sample population moved into the Township can serve to reinforce total population tabulations, aid in determining mobility of the residents, and suggest type of person(s) residing in the Community. The following table extracts 1970 census information on persons by the year person moved into housing unit.

NUMBER OF NUMBER OF YEAR PERSONS YEAR PERSONS

1969-1970 192 1960-1964 1968 74 1950-1959 1967 70 1949 Or Earlier 1965-1966 160 Always Lived Here

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count Data.

As tabulated on the table, approximately eleven percent of those responding lived in Turbot Township since at least 1940, of which about two percent or 38 persons have always lived in the Community. Consistent with the population trends, there has been a steady increase of persons moving into the Township since 1940. The decade of the 1950's witnessed 602 persons moving into households or 38 percent of all persons while during 1960 over half (52 percent) of the residents moved into housing units. These data suggest that most residents have moved into the Township from toher geographic areas, no doubt to take advantage of the employment opportunities of the region and yet within a rural oriented community. As these residents are ''new", compared with other areas of the County, their educa- tinal attainment suggest that a more involved role by local government may emerge.

Further, as 90 percent of the persons moved into housing units Since 1950 implies that the housing stock has been expanded and is, therefore, relatively new, which has been substantiated by the data compiled in the Housing Analysis.

POPULATION CHANGES

Another important characteristic of population is the relationship between birth, deaths, and migration. An analysis of these three factors will aid the decision makers to anticipate whether people are moving into the community and at what rate. Of the three factors, the death rate, typically is rather constant; however, the birth rate depends upon the cultural values of the region and the influence of (stereo typing) while migration is a function of economic opportunity, better living standards, or conditions and health related reasons.

The natural fluctuation of population in the Township may be determined by computing the net difference between births and deaths. The following table, "Birth/Death Relationships", tabulates the net difference for the 1960's, indicating that there was at least 893 more births over deaths, or a natural increase of 89 persons over a ten year period. If migration of persons did not occur, the 1970 theoretical population for Turbot Township would have been 1,337 (1960 Census) plus the natural increase of 89 individuals or 1,426 residents. How- ever, the 1970 Census tabulated 1,480 persons, which indicates that there was an in-migration of 54 persons, or four percent of the total population, during the past decade.

-44- BIRTH/DEAT H REIAT I ONSH I PS

NUMBER OF NUMBER OF NET YEAR BIRTHS DEATHS DIFFERENCE

1960 37 No Data ---

1961 23 5 18

1962 32 9 23

1963 27 11 16

1964 18 11 7

1965 25 10 15

1966 17 17 0

1967 18 12 6

1968 20 17 3

1969 11 10 1

SOURCE: Bureau of Vital Statistics ESTIMATE OF PRESENT POPULATION

Using the 1970 Census data as a foundation, as estimate of the present population can be made by computing such information as building permits issued and birth/death records for the Township. According to the latest data on natural increase, Turbot Township has experienced an increase of 55 persons (net difference between births and deaths) from 1970 through 1978.4 Also, as noted in the Housing Analysis, there were 103 building permits issued for dwelling units since 1970, and assuming that all units were constructed and at least 3.0 persons per household, computes to an increase of 309 persons. However, since 1970, the Borough of Milton has annexted lands of Turbot Township, involving six dwelling units at 3.18 persons per household, or 19 persons, the net gain to data would be 290 persons. The data indicated that the 1977 population in Turbot Township was approximately 1,825 persons.

POPULATION PROJECTIONS

The population forecast is a fundamental tool vital to the entire planning process, useful to the governing body in projecting housing and community services needs, and to business to better determine the market and labor force. Fac- tors generally evaluated in the population projection include: past trends; age/sec characteristics; migration patterns; and social or economic conditions.

The projection of population for any governmental unit, especially for a small geogrpahic area, is at best, an exercise of anticipating local and regional influences which may affect the movement of people. For example, statistics on popultion movement during the early 1970's indicate that a reversal of long-term population trends is occurring. In the past few decades, rural non-metro counties throughout the nation have been subject to a decline in residents. However, during the 1970's these areas have been experiencing a net increase or in-migration. According to The Revival of Population Growth in Nonmetropolitan America, the general affluence, low total population growth, easy transportation and communication, modernization or rural life, and urban massings so large that they diminish the advantages of urban life, these factors may make a downward shift to smaller communities seem both feasible and desirable. Aside from national trends, local factors which to varying degrees, affect the future population of the Township, may include employment opportunities, natural increases, and migration trends.

As will be discussed in the Economic Analysis, the Milton Area represents a commercial and employment hub for the Coun- ty. This characteristic may stimulate in-migration to Tur- bot Township, and coupled with the natural increase in population would indicate that the Township will experience an increase in residents over the next two decades.

-45- Many techniaues are available to project the PO ulation a municipality, however, each method remains vuP nerable to outside factors which may influence the accuracy of the projected figure(s). For example, a local recession could stimulate an outward movement of people in search of jobs, or a manufacturing industry could locate in the community offering 100 jobs. In view of the limitations of any projection method, the Consultant has projected the population of Turbot Township using the arithmetic and geometric techniques. The arithmetic and geometric projections assume that the same forces affecting population change in the past will continue to apply in the future. The following graph and table show that using these two methods, the population is projected at a high of 2,880 persons and low of 2,441 persons by the year 2000. For comparison purposes, the graphics illustrate a projection accomplished by the Pennsyl- vania Department of Environmental Resources which projects the population of 2,230 by 2000.

The projections indicate that the Township will continue its growth, which may appear as a good indicator of vitality. However, the Township should become aware of the implications of these characteristics which include: more lands being required for residential/commercial activity; greater highway usage and associated demands; pressure from residents and possible State Agency (s) to provide additional community facilities, e.g. water and sewer facilities and recreational emenities; and more space required for educational/ cultural facilities.

POPULATION PROJECTION

TURBOT TOWNSHIP

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL NASSAUX-HEMSLEY, INC. RESOURCES BUREAU OF YEAR RESOURCES PROGRAM GEOMETRIC ARITHMETIC

1970* 1480" 1480* 1480* 1980 1723 1911** 1911** 1990 1984 2346 2176 2000 2230 2880 2441

*Department of Commerce Bureau of Census, 1970 Population **Nassaux-Hemsley, Incorporated estimate based on migration and building permit records.

-46- TURBOT TOWNSHIP POPULATION PROJECTIONS TO THE YEAR 2000

3000- 2900 - 28 00 -

2700-

2600 -

14004 I I I I970 1980 1990 2000 SUMMARY

Turbot Township, along with the County "Planning District Nubmer 2," has been characterized by an increasing population, from 848 persons in 1940 to 1480 persons in 1970 for a 75 percent increase over 30 years. The County, on the other hand, has decreased its total population by 22 percent over the same time period. One major reason for this trend of increasing population may be the economic opportunities available in the Turbot Area of the County.

Township residents may be characterized as "suburban family oriented, typically with a higher than average education level when compared with the County as a whole. The median age of the residents was 33.0 years in 1970 with the largest single age group represented by the 45-54 year old group followed by 35-44 year old group. The natural increase in residents coupled with an in-migration has attributed to the Township's growth during the past 18 years and these factors along with the economic vitality of the region will stimulate residential/commercial growth to the end of this Century. Implications of this projected growth may include additional demands for community services, proper maintenance of roadways, and more cultural/recreational facilities.

-47- TRANSPORTAT I ON ANALYS IS

INTRODUCTION The movement of people and commerce has always been a major concern throughout recorded history. Prior to the inven- tion of the wheel, approximately 10,000 years ago, the movement of people created a demand for routes of travel; and as civilization reached higher levels of technology, the importance of improved roadway became apparent.

Before road building in Northumberland County, the only land routes available were the Indian Trails cut out the wilderness, generally where the least resistance was encountered, e.g. along a stream or river. With the pro- gression of time, the paths became the means of transporting people and goods by horse and wagon. It was along these trails, usually at major intersections or at an interval of the day's travel, that settlements developed. With the perfection of the internal combusion engine, to be utilized in the automobile and the truck, the use of the roadways began to significantly increase. These gradual changes in transport methology have left an indelible mark on the history of every community.

The Turbot Township region is primarily oriented toward the highway and automobile, and it is for this reason that this Comprehensive Planning Program will address the facilities that relate to this mode of transportation.

Before the transportation system is discussed, however, it is important to understand certain general relationships that the roadways have with other planning elements. Typically, growth in population, increases in per capita income, and expansion of business increase the demand for land and tend to push up land values. Higher land values in turn, tend to limit land use to more intensive forms - more families per acre, multi-family dwellings, and higher traffic density in transportation corridors. At the same time, new transportation routes or expanded capacity of existing routes reduce travel time between parts of the community and tend to make land in the periphial areas more accessible to development. Thus, the transportation system of Turbot Township exerts an important influence on the existing land use characteristics, for example, and must be examined when establishing the goals for the Community.

-48- RECENT TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS

Turbot Township has the distinction of being the only community in Northumberland County through which Interstate 80 traverses.

This "Keystone Shortway", dedicated in 1970, spans 313 miles across the length of Pennsylvania linking the County via Turbot Township with major east/west market areas. There are two interchanges within the Township off 1-80, exit 31 at PA 147 and exit 32 at PA 254. With the average daily traffic of 18,400 to 24,4001 vehicles, the potential for significant growth pressures associated with regional interchange/commercial development should not be under- estimated. An example of the 1-80 impact on land use is the commercial activities along PA Route 254 at 1-80 Exit 32.

Traversing the Township in a north/south orientation, PA Route 147 represents another recent signficant impact to Turbot Township. This roadway, locally named the Milton By-Pass represents one of the County's major arterial roads, connecting Montoursville to the north with Lewisburg to the south. As with 1-80, PA Route 147 is a limited access highway through the Township which represents a potential for development at the exits with PA Route 254 and 642 and 1-80.

The construction of 1-80 and the Milton By-Pass has impacted upon the Township in a variety of ways. Undoubtedly, these roadways have enhanced the flow of regional traffic as well as local traffic through the Municipality, cutting the travel time and ease.of travel greatly. However, the construction of 1-80 has resulted in many locally maintained "dead-end" streets. These roads are T-586, T-583, T-581, T-590, T-592, T-595, T-597 and L.R. 41926. The construction of 1-80 and the Milton By-Pass have provided the impetus for more commercial establishments, especially at the interchanges.

The creation of a dead-end street by the development of an arterial roadway may not be entirely negative. Normally, a street, no matter how important, is used by some traffic not destined for or originating in that particular area. Such traffic is eliminated on the dead-end street, increasing the street value for residential purposes. However, the dead- end street does pose a problem of circulation which limits the roadway utility for commercial and industrial uses. Further, the dead-end street creates a danger to emergency vehicles such as fire fighting equipment.

-49- Alternatives to the dead-end road include the construction of a cul-de-sac to allow for a turn around for trucks and other vehicles, or the construction of local frontage roads connecting the dead-end street with another roadway so as to improve circulation. Still another impact of dead- end streets is the safety aspect. A dead-end road should be marked with adequate warning signs and a barricade constructed across the road.

An additional impact which is becoming evident in the Township is the emergence of regionally oriented commercial establishments. Examples of development which has secured as a direct result of 1-80 is the commercial establishments at the interchanges. Further, the Township's regional relationship between major market centers has made it an ideal location for truck terminals, e.g. 1-80 Pennsylvania 254 interchange. However, as ncted in the "Community Utilities" Chapter, the interchange areas will not reach their full development potential without community sewers.

JURISDICTION

The roadways in the Township are maintained by either the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the local Township government. The state classification of roads is only partly useful or meaningful for planning purposes. Gen- erally, the secondary roads were originally County maintained roads until they were taken over by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in 1931. Typically, the state roads carry larger volumes of traffic while local or township roads serve as local access roads. The accompanying map "Roadway Jurisdiction" illustrates those roads maintained by the Commonwealth.

TRAFFIC GENERATORS

The majority of the traffic using the main roadways within the Township is generated or caused by major industrial/ commercial activities located adjacent or near their alignment. Activities which attract high volume traffic are referred to as traffic generators and those land uses which affect the Township are identified on the accompanying map. Typically, the volume of traffic will sharply increase on the roads servicing as access to the activity, as the traffic disperses, the volume decreases.

Land use activities have different traffic generating characteristics which may affect the functional use of a roadway and for the safety of the persons using those roads. Agricultural land use activities do not attract or generate

-50- TURBOT TOWNSHIP 0 0 0 0 ROADS MAINTAINED BY PENN D.O.T. COMPREHENSIVE PLANN IN PROGRAM NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSY LVANlA NO RTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA SOURCE: MASTER PLAN - NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY * 1971 AND NASSAUX- HEMSLEY, INC. SURVEY. 1978 NASSAUX HEMSLEY ,INC. CONSULTANTS SOURC~: [IlH[ - - I liririiu ___ trips to the same extent that a shopping center does. Generally, employment centers in Milton Borough, commercial areas, e.g. Interchanges and Pennsylvania Route 504 corridor, and recreational/school facilities are the largest and most significant of the traffic generating activities. An awareness of the amount and location of traffic generators is an important factor in determing the volume of traffic that will be on the roads. This volume in part, affects the speed at which vehicles can move safely, the land use activities attracted to the area and the roadway construction and maintenance programs associated with the corridor.

TRAFFIC VOLUMES

Visual impressions of traffic movement are not a reliable measure of the roadway volume or vehicular nature. One method of obtaining an accurate and comparable record of traffic volumes is through the actual mechanical counts for a specific section of roadway. Such counts may also be used to determine the degree of traffic saturation on any highway and indicates the additional capacity that should be designed for to accommodate or to help determine whether the provision of a new facility would be more desirable. These latter functions are particularly useful, because traffic volumes increase beyond practical capacity, traffic density increases sufficiently to cause substantial delays. Although the resulting lower and more uniform speed may enable the accommodation of a higher traffic volume, ultimately congestion develops, speed drops, and a reduction of traffic volume results.

In analyzing traffic movements and volumes, it should be noted that there are basically three forms of traffic movement:

Trips that have both their origin and destination points outside of the community under consideration. Such trips are referred to as through trips.

Trips that have either their origin or their destination within the community, but not both. Such trips have been referred to as local trips.

Trips that have both their origin and destination located within the community. These trips are known as internal trips.

-51- Statistical data indicate that urban areas have a higher number of local and internal trips than do rural regions. Also, in rural areas, the number of through trips as compared with local and interal trips increases with the importance and quality of the road because major highways provide access from one community to another. An example of this principal is 1-80 and PA Route 405 which not only connect several communities, but act as access roads to major urban centers. Within Turbot Township, most of the trips on Interstate 80, PA Routes 405 and 147, and about half of the trips on PA Routes 254 and 642 are through trips. Internal and local trips are generally made on roads under local jurisdiction and the Legislative Routes, e.g. L.R. 49058 and L.R. 49049.

The data presented on the "Traffic Volumes Map-1974" was obtained from the latest statistics compiled by the Pennsyl- vania Department of Transportation. According to PennDOT, mechanical counters were placed at strategic locations throughout the Township from which the vehicles were tabulated over a 48 hour period. The figures shown as the volume are an average for only 24 hours, typically reflecting the traffic on a Tuesday and Tursday. Although these data are a good indication of roadway utility, there are noticeable variations due to season, weather, time of day, and land use patterns. Generally, the volume of traffic fluctuates to about 70 percent of the "average" in January, and to about 120 percent of the "average" during July. Typically, the movement of traffic changes during a 24 hour period, with the morning and late afternoon hours being the ex- treme and with noticeable increases in traffic as the weekend approaches. Also, different land uses generate a diversity in the traffic chacteristics; for example, agricultural land use tends to generate fewer trips than that of the shopping center.

As illustrated on the map, Interstate 80 generates the greatest volume of vehicles with a range from 18,400 ADT to 24,400 ADT. Pennsylvania Routes 147 and 405 carry the greatest number of vehicles for a State maintained roadway with 6,400 to 6,600 ADT and 7,900 to 5,500 ADT, respectively, and PA Routes 254 and 642 have a volume of 6,800 and 5,400 vehicles per day respectively between Milton Borough and the Milton By-Pass. It is interesting to note that the Milton By-Pass appears to be used by north bound vehicles from Mahoning and Broadway Streets to 1-80 as the ADT significantly decreases at the respective interchanges.

Traffic traversing PA Route 405 north of Milton Borough appears to remain rather constant at 6,400 to 6,600 vehicles,

-52- TURBOT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM TRAFFIC VOLUMES - I974

NO RTHUMBER LAND COUNTY, PENNSY LVANlA SOURCE : PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING - suggesting a through trip orientation. Although no data are available from PennDOT, Township Route 582, which parallels PA Route 147 to the east and connects Broadway and Mahoning Streets, field observations suggest that this roadway is extensively used in conjunction with the By-Pass.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS/HAZARDOUS AREA

An analyses of the traffic accident patterns and hazardous areas aid in the evaluation of the existing roadway system. While some accidents occur on local streets, typically the majority occur on higher density, major roads. The accompanying map, entitled "Traffic Accidents and Hazardous Areas," illustrates the general location and relative time of accidents that have occurred in the Township since January 1, 1978. The number of accidents is rather limited; however, there appears to be a relationship between vehicle volume and frequency of accidents. In general; however, the Township is fortunate in that there is no specific ''accident prone" area according to the Pennsyl- vania State Police.

Hazardous intersections are not uncommon in any community, as the transportation network was established generally prior to the wide spread use of high speed vehicles. Re- sidents are probably aware of these potential problem sites and drive accordingly, thus avoid a mishap. Never- theless, the land use survey resulted in the natation of certain intersections where the line of sight was limited because of topography or road alignment. These intersections have been graphically shown on the accompanying map and listed below:

Intersection Reasons for Hazard

LR 49126/T 586 Poor Horizontal Curve Alignment LR 49094/LR 49102 Inadequate Sight Distance (Alignment) LR 49058/T 616 Inadequate Sight Distance (Alignment) 1,000 Feet North of LR 49059/T 595 Inadequate Sight Distance (Alignment) LR 49094jT 587 Inadequate Sight Distance (Alignment)

The hazardous intersections noted above are a result of the roadway alignment which does not allow for proper clear sight distance before the vehicle negotiates the turn. As the traffic volume on these roads is rather limited, the problem is not severe, however, as growth takes place and volumes increase, the safety problems of these intersections will magnify.

-53-

OTHER TRAN SPORTAT I ON FAC I LIT1ES

Conrail Railroad: The Conrail mainline between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, traverses the entire length of Northumberland County, and generally parallels the western boundary along the east bank of the Susquehanna River. There are five (5) switching yards within the County, one of which is in Milton Borough. There is no passenger service from Milton on this rail line.

Mass Transit: Continental Trailways makes sixteen (16) scheduled trips per day in the County of Northumberland service Milton Sunbury, Watsontown, Northumberland, Kul- mont, and Mt. Carmel. The Greyhound Lines services the Township with several daily stops in Sunbury. Other mass transit lines servicing the area include BKW Line, Ashland and Shamokin Bus Line, S & N Line, Bellefonte Charter, Penn Bus Line, and Shamokin and Travorton Bus Line.

FUTURE TRANSPORTATION CONSIDERATIONS

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there are no highway or transportation improvements projected for Turbot Township. However, the Township has several roadways under local jurisdiction which are not ''improved" or paved as well as roads that are rather narrow for 'today's vehicles. The following map illustrates the unimproved roads in the Township which are: T-595, T-603, T-614, and T-583. Admittedly, these roadways have very little use as there are only one to three dwellings on one particular road, nevertheless the Township should have an objective of improving all local roads. Furthermore, the roads should meet PennDOT standards to be eligible for liquid fuels reimbursements.

As noted above, the construction of 1-80 and the By-Pass has resulted in certain roadways being "dead-end" streets. A future consideration of the Township may include the improvement of these roads by constructing cul-de-sacs or even a frontage road, and erecting traffic barriers at the end of certain roads to improve safety.

Further, many of the local roads are too narrow for safe two way traffice movement, e.g. T-586, T-587 and T-616 with a pvement width of 18 feet or less. To illustrate how the width of a highway can affect traffic, consider for a moment that a typical garage door width is eight or nine feet, or the common parking stall is around eight feet. On a roadway with a width of only eight or nine feet allotted per lane, few persons would consider entering a garage at 55 miles per hour. The Township may wish to consider a program for the improvement of the roadway widths.

-54- SUMMARY

Turbot Township is the key to the County for regional traffic from Interstate 80 with two interchanges. Interstate 80, coupled with PA Route 147, Milton By-Pass provides the community with a good, modern transportation system oriented to the automobile. Supplementing these routes are PA Routes 405, 254, and 642, used for the more localized trips. In contrast with the other roadways in the Township, PA Route 642 and 254 between Milton Borough and the By-Pass and PA Route 405 are rather urban in nature with residential/commer- cia1 encroachment. Locally maintained roads appear to be adequate for the present, but many have been blocked by the recent construction of 1-80 and PA 147 causing possible future problems should the corridor be further developed.

The traffic safety record and roadway conditions within the Township are good, according to statistical data and corre- spondence with the Pennsylvania State Police. Sites considered as possible hazard areas do not pose an immediate problem for Township residents, and are generally due to alignment.

-55- HOUSING ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

The basic function of a housing study is to explore dwelling unit conditions and identify any problem areas. Additionally, this analysis will help to provide a better understanding of other factors, such as population density, economic conditions, and the complex intra- and inter-community relationships.

Attractive houses and well maintained residential neighborhoods have been considered, by many people, as one of the more important assets to any community. Good housing helps to assure a sound tax base which will appreciate in value. Furthermore, the residents are generally assured of an environment which tends to enrich their life, rather than detract from it.

The following housing analysis will use the term "housing unit" as defined by the Bureau of Census; a housing unit "is a house, an apartment, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quar- tersIl.1 Consequently, a single-family house and a housing unit are synonymous, while a multi-family structure may contain many housing units. Because of the past trends and characteristics of Turbot Township, the vast majority of . housing units are single family structures.

HOUSING UNITS BY OCCUPANCY

The Bureau of Census tabulated 504 housing units in Turbot Township during the 1970'enumeration period. These housing units were categorized as 441 rural non-farm units and 63 rural farm units. Occupied housing units accounted for 489 units or 97 percent of the Township's housing stock. Of these occupied units, 392 units or 78 percent were owner occupied, 97 units or 19 percent were renter occupied. In comparison, the "Milton Planning District"2 accounted for 4,213 housing units with 2,735 units, or 65 percent being owner occupied, and 1,276 jnits, or 30 percent of the total, were renter occupied. A closer inspection of the housing comparisons indicates that Turbot Township has 14 percent and eight percent of the Milton Planning District's owner and renter occupied units respectively.

-56- VACANCY AND MARKET CONDITIONS

The number of vacant housing units, coupled with the occupied housing units may indicate the market conditions in Turbot Township. During the 1970 enumeration period, there were 15 housing units classified as vacant, of which only four units were vacant for sale and no unit was vacant for rent. These data suggest that many vacant units are not being placed on the housing market and may be dilapidated or seasonal, and therefore, cannot be tabulated in the total available housing supply.

TURBOT TOWNSHIP HOUSING UNITS BY

TENURE AND VACANCY STATUS - 1970

Occupied Units : Owned or Being Bought ...... 392 Rented for Cash Rent ...... 62 Rented with No Cash ...... 35 Vacant:

For Rent ...... 0 For Sale Only ...... 4 All Others ...... 11 SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count.

Based upon the above data, the vacancy rate3 in Turbot Township is tabulated at 0.008, and is much lower than for Northum- berland County (0.7) and the Milton Planning District (1.6). Indications are then that there is a very "tight" housing market in the Township, which tends to limit housing mobility.

HOUSING CONDITIONS

There are many measures of housing conditions, but the categories of "overcrowding", "adequacy of plumbing facilities", and ''housing age" are parameters accepted by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. An examination of these data may indicate the housing conditions in Turbot Township.

-57- The Bureau of Census categorizes a housing unit as "overcrowded" if more than one individual occupies the same room. The Township had eight units with more than one person per room. The following table illustrates the Occupied Units by Tenure and Persons per Room. It is surprising to note that the ''Overcrowded units" are owner occupied, however, the Township has a very small percentage, i.e. 2 percent of the total occupied housing units classified as "overcrowded".

OCCUPIED UNITS BY TENURE AND c PERSONS PER ROOM - 1970 TOTAL RENTER I RANGE (PERSONS I UNITS OCCUPIED OCCUPIED PER ROOM)

8 8 -- 1.01 - 1.50 0 0 0 1.51 or More

Units lacking or deficient in plumbing facilities may or may not . have hot water, but lack either a toilet or bathing facility, or both. Within Turbot Township, there were during 1970, only eight units or 2 percent of all occupied units lacking complete plumbing facilities.

HOUSING UNITS LACKING SOME OR ALL

PLUMBING FACILITIES - 1970 Occupied and Vacant Year Round Units ...... 8 Units Total Occupied ...... 8 Units Renter ...... 8 Units Owner ...... 0 Units SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count.

-58- The 1970 Census tabulated the housing units by year constructed since 1939, which provides an idea of housing condition relative to age. Generally, an area with a substantial number of units built before 1939 are more likely to contain a higher percentage of substandard housing units. As illustrated on the following table, only 43 percent of all occupied units were constructed prior to 1940, which indicates that, based on age, the Township's housing stock is relatively sound.

HOUSING UNITS BY YEAR- STRUCTURE BUILT

AND TENURE - 1970

TOTAL RENTER YEAR OCCUPIED OCCUPIED OCCUPIED VACANT

1965 March 1970 - 31 1960 - 1964 64 64 1950 - 1959 163 148 1940 - 1949 18 18 1939 or Earlier 212 130 8

SOURCE: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, 1970, 4th Count.

HOUSING VALUE

The value of a housing unit is another indicator of housing condition in Turbot Township. The following Tables, "Value of Housing" and "Contract Rent" represent sample results of the value of the respondent's estimate of how much property (house and lot) would sell for if it were for sale and contract rent or the monthly rent contracted for. The sample results indicate that the median value for housing in Turbot Township is $18,687, which represents a significant deviation for the County's median value of housing which was computed at only $8,100 in 1970. This comparison indicates that the median value of housing in Turbot Township is about 2.3 times greater than the median value of housing for Northumberland County. The median contract rent for Turbot Township was $52, which when compared with the contract rent for the County at $49 represent a slight difference. These data on housing value and contract rent indicate that the housing conditions during 1970, for Turbot Township, are significantly better than for the County of Northumberland.

-59- ~ VALUE OF HOUSING - 1970 I r TURBOT TOWNSHIP I i $5,000 $9,999 $14,999 $19,999 $24,999 $34,999 $35,000 I 19 25 65 80 77 46 1 15

LESS THAN $40- $60- $80- $100- $120- $150- $40 $59 $79 $99 $119 $144 More

10 21 11 2 1 1 0

Based upon the above measures of housing condition, e.g. overcrowding, adequace of plumbing, housing age, and value of housing, Turbot Township can only be characterized as being representative of a community with good housing units, especially when compared with Northumberland County.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

As a result of the tropical storms which damaged parts of Penn- sylvania in the early 1970's, Turbot Township was declared a ''disaster area" and was eligible for Federal and State sub- sidies and assigned State Project Number R-560. According to a Northumberland County Redevelopment spokesman, the project was located in the 10th and 11th Street Area just north of Milton Borough, and involved 7.3 acres. The aftermath of flooding resulted in 30 single family dwellings being demolished and all displaced residents were relocated in available housing in the Borough of Milton and in Turbot Township. As these lands are located in a designated flood hazard area, the Redevelop- ment Authority did not build any housing units in the Township to replace those units demolished, and the individual parcels of lands were sold for ''open space" activities.

PRESENT HOUSING BY TYPE OR USE - 1978 The following Table, "Structures Tabulated By Use - 1978", tabulates the structures in Turbot Township which are used for dwelling purposes and categorizes these structures into: Con- ventional Single-Family, Farmsteads, Multi-Family and Mobile- homes.

-60- I I I STRUCTURES TABULATED BY USE - 1978 I CONVENTIONAL MULTI- MOBILE- I SINGLE-FAMILY FARMSTEAD FAMILY HOMES TOTAL

Number of Units 430 65 2 16 I Percent of Total 83.9 12.7 Less 3.1 513100 1

SOURCE: 1978 Field Survey conducted by Nassaux-Hemsley, Incorporated.

The above tabulation suggests that the conventional single- family structure is the most preferred housing style of Township residents, as 84 percent of all housing has been categorized as single-family structures. As noted in the Land Use Analysis of this Report, the southwestern part of Turbot Township exhibits a rather urban character, with the Broadway and Mahoning Manor Development. Together, these two developments account for 59.3 percent of the Township's single-family structures, or 49.8 percent of all housing in the Community.

Farmsteads, or structures used for housing and associated with farm buildings and farming activities were tabulated at 65 units representing 12.7 percent of all housing in the Township. Mobilehomes accounted for 3.1 percent of all housing and were tabulated at 16 units. There were only two structures, which is categorized as a multi-family structure.

PRESENT HOUSING CONDITIONS

The above discussion of housing conditions utilized the 1970 Census, which is admittedly recognized as dated, but remains a good foundation from which to build. An exterior evaluation of structures was accomplished during a field survey conducted in the Summer of 1978, in which structures were categorized by their external appearance. The parameters used to classify strucutre were as follows:

Sound structures are those with no defects, or only slight defects which normally are corrected during the course of regular maintenance.

Deteriorating structures need more repair than would be provided in the course of regular maintenance. Such structures have one or more defects that need be corrected if the unit is to continue to provide safe and adequate shelter.

Dilapidated structures do not provide safe and adequate shelter and in their present condition endanger the health, safety, or well-being of the occupants.

-61- An examination of exterior conditions assumes the housing unit interior is in similar condition as its exterior and does not take into account whether the structure, as a housing unit, is overcrowded and lacks plumbing facilities.

Of the 512 structures examined, there was one that could be considered as dilapidated and only two categorized as deteri- orated, representing 0.6 percent of the structures considered less than "sound". It must be pointed out too, that the structure listed as dilapidated appeared to be vacant. Stated in another way, 99.4 percent of the structures used as housing units appeared to be in sound condition, suggesting that there is not a critical need for a housing rehabilitation program in the Township.

HOUSING TRENDS

An examination of the above Table, "Housing Units By Year Structure Built and Tenure - 1970" indicate that the Township began to experience a significant increase in housing starts shortly after World War 11. For example, during the 1950's, 163 structures were constructed. It was during this decade that the Mahoning Manor Area began to influence the housing character of the Municipality. During the decade of the ~O'S, 96 structures were constructed. This upward trend has continued to the present time as the Township issued 94 building permits for homes between 1970 and 1977. This trend, along with the indicators noted in the Economic Analysis of this Re- port, suggests that Turbot Township is part of a growing, economically vital area of Northumberland County, and there are no indications that at least in the short run, this increase in housing starts will change.

HOUSING MARKET CONDITIONS - NEEDS

According to the "Master Plan for Northumberland County, Re- port No. 2," ..."approximately one third of the County's manufacturing jobs are located in the Milton-Watsontown areas, but only less than 20 percent of the County's population resides in this area". Conclusions on the housing market are:4

-"Need for expanded new sales housing with 3-4 bedrooms within the $20,000-$30,000 price range, especially in the Milton and Watsontown Areas" ;

-"Needs for 3-4 bedroom moderate income rental housing in the County at rents ranging from $150 to $250 per month ... in the Milton and Watsontown areas especially", and

-" Need ...for low-rent units of the efficiency or one bedroom type.. . , especially for the elderly."

-62- The housing trend data as well as other statistics on housing for Turbot Township suggest that there is very little alternatives in housing styles. That is, there appears to be a need for housing perhaps in the form of apartments and townhouses in the Turbot Township area. In conjunction with housing styles, there appears to be a need for additional housing which may be rented. This conclusion is consistent with the findings relative to housing for Turbot Township which are exposed in the U.S. HUD Application for Discretionary Funds.

SUMMARY

The housing characteristics of Turbot Township have been discussed using the 1970 Census Data, and up-dated where applicable. Using measures as overcrowding, adequacy of plumbing facilities, housing age, and value of housing, the data, when compared with those for Northumberland County, indicate that the housing for the Township is in very good condition. This is further reinfoced by a 1978 evaluation of exterior conditions were 99 percent of all housing was classified as "sound", i.e. need only minor maintenance work. The value of housing for Turbot Township was computed in 1970 at $18,687, representing yet another indication of the good housing conditions in the Community when compared with the Countywide valuation of $8,100 for the County.

Federal Assisted Housing Projects have impacted on Turbot Town- ship with the aftermath of the tropical storms in the early 1970's. The 7.3 acre area around 10th and 11th Street was the site of a disaster project in which 30 structures were demolished. These lands were sold as "open space'' with no new housing units constructed under this project in the Township. Displaced persons moved into available housing in the Turbot Township/Milton Borough Area, and undoubtedly placed an added short-term demand on the area housing market.

The trend in housing is indicitive of the economic vitality of the region. Since 1950, a significant yearly increase in housing starts has been occurring. Most of the new housing units, until recently, have been in the vicinity of Mahoning Manor/Broadway Development. There is no indication to suggest that this housing trend will change. especially in the near future. Factors contributing to this trend are the Township's proximity to Milton Borough with the infrastructure available to support additional housing units. Further, as noted in the Community Utilities Chapter of this Report, the Mahoning Manor/ Broadway Development is within the Keystone Water Company Service Area.

-63- The overwhelming majority of the structures in Turbot Township, 84 percent of all housing is classified as conventional single- family units, and less than one percent were multi-family structures. This characteristic coupled with the housing conclusion of the County Master Plan, Report 2 of 1971, suggest a need for housing style alternatives and additional rental housing.

-64- EXISTING LAND USE ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

The study of the existing land use characteristics of Turbot Township is a basic ingredient in the development of a Com- prehensive Plan, as the present utilization of lands is a fundamental determinant of the "character" and development potential of the Community. This examination has two primary functions: first, it is in large part the basis for the preparation of a future land use plan which indicates type and location of area(s) needed for residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial purposes; and second, this analysis is valuable for the development of public and/or private facilities such as schools, parks, water, and sewer systems.

This examination of land use features for Turbot Township was based upon the "windshield" survey conducted during the summer of 1978, United States Geodetic Surveys and detailed review by the Township Planning Commission members. The large, coded land use map, and small generalized record, making it possible to determine, at a glance, the use of a parcel of land. It is suggested that the Township periodically review and update these maps to insure their continued applicability.

RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITY

The residential activity in Turbot Township accounts for approximately 385 acres or about 4.3 percent of the total acreage in the Municipality. The southwestern part of the Township adjacent to the Borough of Milton and west of the Milton By-Pass may be described as having an urban type orientation, while the remaining portion of the Township exhibits a rather rural orientation. The urban character is represented by Mahoning Manor Development, which strattles Mahoning Street, PA 642, and the Broadway Development adjacent to Broadway Street or PA 254. The two developments when combined account for about 50 percent of the housing units in the Township. Typical lot areas in this southwestern part of Turbot Township range from one-quarter to one-half acre lots. The remaining portion of the Township is rather sparsely settled with active farmsteads, single-family dwellings, on large lots, and mobile homes which are typically adjacent to the improved roadways.

As discussed in the Housing Analysis and observation from a field survey, the residential activity in Turbot Township has been steadily increasing. With the 1-80 and other highway improvements in the Township, coupled with employment opportunities of the Labor Marketl, it is anticipated that residential activities will continue to increase.

-65- TURBOT TOWNSHIP COMPREHEHSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM EXISTING LAND USE HORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSY LVANlA SOURCE: LAND USE INFORMATION BASED UPON FIELD COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

Commercial activity within Turbot Township accounts for approximately 224 acres or about 2.5 percent of the total acreage. Within Turbot Township, there are three discernable commercial clusters. One area is the commercial development adjacent to PA Route 405 north from the Milton Borough Corporate Limits to the Delaware/Turbot Township Limits. This 1.6 miles of strip development has attracted 18 highway/regional commercial units, and include: car wash; restaurants; service stations, campground; and business service activities. Another major commercial strip is adjacent to L.R. 49058 in the northwestern part of the Township and includes service garages and Milton Aluminum. A third commercial concentration is situated at the Interstate 80/PA Route 254 and Interchange and includes a service station, truck stop, and a truck terminal.

Other commercial activities were noted along PA Routes 254 and 642 among the residential uses, forming a dense "strip" development east, from the Milton Borough limits to the Milton By-Pass; and along PA Route 254 from the By-Pass to Ridge Road, T-583. The remaining commercial activity is located randomly throughout the Township. The largest single commercial use of land in Turbot Township is represented by the Country Club north of Milton Borough will 117 acres2 followed by the campground adjacent to PA Route 405 with 41 acres3.

Commercial activity, e.g. service oriented uses, typically grow in response to the extent of needs of both local and regional population. As the local population has clustered around and outward from the Borough of Milton, and regional traffic traversing 1-80, is resonable to expect commercial growth in those portions of the Township. For example, regional oriented commercial uses around the two 1-80 interchanges and community oriented commercial uses near the developed areas of the Town- ship around the Borough of Milton.

PUBLIC/QUASI-PUBLIC ACTIVITY

Consisting of churches, cemetaries, fire station, state police station, municipal building, and the roadway system, the Public/ Quasi-public land use activity accounts for about 375 acres or 4.2 percent of the acreage in Turbot Township. The way system represents the largest amount of land area in this activity at approximately 344 acres.4 There are no State Forest or Game Lands in Turbot Township.

INDUSTRIAL

Industrial activity in Turbot Township is limited to a warehouse for canned goods maintained by American Home Foods. This site

-66- is located along L.R. 49059 and accounts for about 23 acres of land. The lack of industry in the Township is understand- able, with the absence of community wastewater collection/ treatment facilities, and water supply system in possible industrial locations.

FORESTS AND ORCHARDS

Forest lands in the Township are found throughout the municipality and are rather small but together account for approximately 531 acres. There are no commercial "tree farms" suggesting that the forest or wooded lands are along the ridges or other areas which may not be conducive to easy farming pursuits. Orchard lands were noted throughout the community, but represent only about 65 acres.

AGRICULTURE/OPEN SPACE

The agriculture/open space land use activity is by far the largest single activity in the Township accounting for approximately 7,362 acres or 82.1 percent of the land area in the Municipality. As noted in the residential activity discussion above, the southwestern corner of Turbot Township is the only large area not characterized as rural atriculturally oriented. A discussion of the importance of agricultural activities to Turbot Township is found in the Economic Analysis of this Report. In that Analysis, it was found that only 14 percent of the Township's work force is involved in agriculture or farming. Thus, even though the majority of the Township's land use, 82 percent, is categorized as agriculture/open space, agriculture, as an economic activity does not have the significance that other economic activities such as manufacturing has in the Community.

Land use data on farming-activities are not available exclusively for Turbot Township, therefore, the following discussion is relative to agricultural land use in Northumberland County. The United States Soil Conservation Service tabulated 1,070 farms in the County during 1974, an increase of 88 farms since 1978.> Comparing the land use survey results for Turbot Township, which has 65 farmsteads, the Township accounts for approximately six percent of the County farmsteads. Of the total County acreage inventoried by the Soil Conserva- tion Service; forest land accounted for the largest single land use with 134,500 acres in 1974, followed by lands devoted to crops at 95,000 acres. Pasture lands in the County accounted for 10,900 acres and other land inventoried totaled 26,600 acres in 1974.

-67- LAND USE TRENDS

Since the end of World War 11, the land use activity in Tur- bot Township has been slowly changing from primarily rural farming activities to a more urban orientation. The most noticeable area of change has been the Mahoning Manor and Broadway Areas adjacent to the Borough of Milton, where since 1950, 255 single family dwelling units representing about 50 percent of the Township's residential activity on about two percent of the Township's total land area.

There appears to be a trend toward "strip development" adjacent to the roadways radiating outward from Milton Borough. North of Milton along PA Route 405 commercial activity has emerged, for example. Other examples of sprawl may be seen along PA Route 254 east of Milton Borough to Interstate 80. This emerging sprawl is perhaps caused, in part, by the ease of subdividing lands immediately adjacent to streets, the availability of water service, and the proximity to Milton Borough and the services located therein.

A cluster of commercial activities is beginning to emerge at the two 1-80 Interchanges in Turbot Township, especially at the 1-8-/PA Route 254 Intersection. This activity is not surprising given the regional traffic which traverses the Township and the demands for regional oriented commercial uses such as service stations, restaurants, and trucking terminals.

LAND USE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND PHYSICAL FEATURES

One of the major influences on land use activity is the transportation system within the Community and the relative importance of a roadway for regional and/or local traffic movement. Mans use of land throughout recent history has been characterized by the division of roadway frontage for the variety of land use activities, resulting in what is referred to today as "strip development". In the past, it has been easier for a land owner engaged, perhaps, in farming to sell a strip of land, 100 to 200 feet back from the roadway for residential or commercial purposes to help defray the costs of farming or perhaps to decrease the number of acres in production. Basically, a arelationship exists between the relative importance of a roadway to the density of land use activities associated with that street. A prime example of this relationship in Turbot Township is 1-80 and the two interchanges, i.e. PA Route 254 and 147. Interstate 80 is an important roadway in Pennsylvania carrying principally regional traffic, which has stimualted commercial oriented land use activities near the interchanges. Another example

-68- LAND USE OF INVENTORIED ACREAGE 1968 AND 1974 (IN THOUSANDS OF ACRES) NOKTHUMBE RLAND COUNTY

1968 1974

Total Inventory 266.2 267.0

Cropland 95.4 95.0

Pasture 8.5 10.9

Forest 135.3 134.5

Other Lands 27.0 26.6

NOTE: Number of Farms Computed at 1,070 for 1974 and at 982 for 1978.

SOURCE: United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. is the high density residential development in the southwestern part of the Township, stimulated, in part, by the importance of PA Routes 254 and 642 as an access into or from major employment centers in Milton.

On the other side of this relation, the land use activity adjacent to a roadway influences the functional classification and safety of that street, which is discussed in the Transportation Analysis of this Report.

Physical features influence land use activities in a variety of ways. For example, the soil suitability and geographic characteristics impact upon the degree to which farming activities can be pursued; and the degree and type of development which may economically occur. Ironically, however,the lands usually well suite to agricultural activities are generally the same lands that are suitabile for all other development activities. A good example of this characteristics today is the requirement that on-site disposal system areas be tested and permitted. Typically, a permit can be issued for the conventional on-site disposal system in areas that are equally suited to agricultural activities or stated in another way, equally suitable as "prime agricultural lands". Another example is the flood hazard areas which are subject to periodic flooding and represent areas in a Community where extensive damage may occur to any development activity. A furth,er discussion of flood hazard areas may be found in this Land Use Analysis Chapter herein.

Examples of how the roadway system, physcial features, economic characteristics and/or population characteristics influence the land use activities are numerous, but suffice to state that the land use is perhaps one of the most visible results of the relationships that exist. It is for this reason primarily that Comprehensive Planning must examine all these relaionships before a future direction can be envisioned.

FLOOD PLAINS

Development of the Flood Hazard Areas has not occurred to a significant extent in Turbot Township, with the major exception of the land in the PA Route 405 Corridor north of Mil- ton Borough. The development of these Flood Plains, identified in the Physical Features Analysis, has many negative implications for not only the municipality, but also the residents. Development of these flooding areas result in economic and social disasters such as occurred during the early 1970's but also include: a decrease in the groundwater recharge; increase in water flow rate; and an increase in flooding potential downstream.

-69- ANNEXATION

Since the beginning of the present decade, the Borough of Milton has successfully annexed two areas of Turbot Township. The first area includes the new Milton School District site and the new housing project constructed by the Northumberland County Redevelopment Authority situated between Mahoning Manor on the south and Broadway Area on the north. The second area of annexation involves lands along Turbot Avenue, L.R. 49102 and Redhill Road, T-589. The land area annexed by the Borough is approximately 187 acres.

The impact of this annexation on the Township, or any community, is that the total land in the Township is decreased. Further, with the loss of land, the Township's tax base decreased. Further, with the loss of land, the Township's tax base decreased. However, as most of the lands involved in this annexation were open space, and with limited residential activity, it appears that the Township did not experience a significant negative impact. The following map depicts graphically the lands recently annexed by Milton ' Borough.

SUMMARY OF LAND USE

Turbot Township land use remains an agricultural oriented community; however, change to a more urban perspective is slowly taking place. As noted, 82 percent of the land area in the Township is classified as agriculture/open space, indicating at first glance a rather large and important farming activities in Turbot Township suggesting that agriculture represents only a small portion of the Township's economic picture.

The areas around Milton Borough in Turbot Township are making the transition to a more urban character. This is evidenced by the Mahoning Manor/Broadway Area, where 50 percent of the Township's dwelling units are located on only about 2 percent of the total acreage. Sprawl or strip development, typically associated withurbanization, has emerged in Turbot Township' along the major roadway corridors of PA Routes 405, 642, and 254, and is composed of a mixture of residential and commercial activity. Commercial activity oriented toward the regional traffic, has recently increased with the construction of 1-80 and the Milton By-Pass, at the two interchanges.

This emerging sprawl clearly represents a negative influence on the Township. "For a fixed number of households, 'sprawl' is the most expensive form of residential development in terms of economic costs, environmental costs, natural resources consumption, and many types of personal costs."6

-70-

The costs are typically born by the local government, and in the study area, the Township is most affected. Results of sprawl are commonly in the form of both direct and indi costs. Examples of ''costs'' incurred may include: increased roadway maintenance; increased school operating costs; larger capital expenditures for public services, e.g. sewer and water: generally, a higher incidence of environmental effects such as air, water, and noise pollution. "In terms of alternative development patterns.. . .better planning will reduce all types of costs and their incidence on government ...I1.' Today there is an increasing awareness of the environmental effects and economic efficiency (or inefficiency( of residential and commercial development. Primary concern centers around the efficiency of "leap- frogging" where random and scattered development is inter- woven with unusable open space and the effects of incom- patable land uses adjacent to one another.

As a summation of land use for Turbot Township, the Table "Approximate Acreage By Land Use Activity" , tabulates the approximate acreage and percentage of the total acreage in the municipality.

Acres devoted to agriculture, i.e. farming, will decrease as a percentage of the total Township acres, as pressures for land for residential and commercial pursuits increase. As growth and associated change is inevidable, the Township must remain flexible and plan for the future to provide for the best mix at the least environmental/social costs.

-71- APPROXIMATE ACREAGE BY LAND USE ACT IVlTY

I--- I t APPROXIMATE APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE I LAND USE ACTIVITY 1 ACREAGE I OF TOTAL ACREAGE Re siden t ial 385 4.3 Commercia 1 224 2.5 1 Public/Quasi-Public 375 4.2 2 Industrial 23 Less Than One Agricultural/Open Space 7,362 82.1 Forest 531 5.9 Orchards 65 Less Than One TOTAL 8,965 100.0

'Includes areas devoted to streets which accounts for about 344 acres.

21ncludes warehouse owned by American Home Foods.

SOURCE: Nassaux-Hemsley, Incorporated Field Survey Estimates. END N OT ES FOR CHAPTERS 2 THROUGH 8

CHAPTER 2

'Historical Profile obtained from COWAMP, Lower Susquehanna River Basin Study Area 6, Chapter V, June 1975 Draft.

2Durable goods are items with a normal life expectancy of three years or more while nondurable goods are items with a relatively short life expectancy and usefulness. 3Source of Data - Pennsylvania Industrial Census, Series Release Number M-5-76, issued 1977 by the Pennsylvania Department of Commerce. 41977 Industrial Directory of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania, 25th Edition, Bureau of Statistics, Research and Planning, issued 1978.

5Pennsylvania Industrial Census Series Release No. M-5-76.

'ibid.

7ibid.

*ibid.

'ibid.

"Source of Statistical Data - 1964 and 1969 data from United States Department of Commerce, Census of Agriculture for 1969. 1974 data from Pennsylvania Department of Commerce Industrial Census Series Release No. M-5-76.

"Selected services include hotels, motels, trailering park and camps, personal services, bus services, auto repair, etc.

12Pennsylvania Industrial Census, Series Release No. M-5-76.

13Census Tracts for Turbot Township on the accompanying map.

14Data Source - Department of Labor and Industry, September 1, 1978.

CHAPTER 3

'The Township of Turbot has recently submitted an application for monies to help coristruct a sewer collection system under the responsibility of the Township Authority. A more detailed discussion of this project and financial consideration is found in the Community Utilities Analysis Chapter of this Report. i ENDNOTES (CONTINUED)

CHAPTER 3 (Continued)

*Handbook for Newly Elected Township Officials, Department of Community Affairs, 1977, Page 35-36.

3DCA Reports , Department of Community Affairs, August 1978, Page 3.

4Handbook for Newly Elected Township Supervisors, Department of Community Affairs, 1976, Page 75.

CHAPTER 4

'Master Plan for Northumberland County, 1972, Report 4

L"Recreation Close to Home", Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , Department of Community Affairs, January 1977, page 6-7.

3nPlanning Areas and Facilities for Health, Physical Educa- tion and Recreation", the Athletic Association and Am. Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 1966, page 13.

4Department of Environmental Resources , Bureau of Forestry and Bureau of State Parks.

'Master Plan Northumberland County Report No. 2, September 1971, page 5-2.

6Data on Health Facil.ities obtained from Central Pennsylvania Health Systems Agency.

CHAPTER 5

'Master Plan, Northumberland County, Sewage Disposal and Water Supply Plan - Update 1973, Report No. 5, page 16.

CHAPTER 6

'Planning District 2 is composed of Milton Borough and the Townships of Turbot, East and West Chillisquaque.

2Cornprehensive Water Quality Management Plan, Lower Susquehanna River Basin, COWAMP Study Area 6, Chapter V, 1975.

3N0 data on number of deaths were recorded for 1960.

ii ENDNOTES (CONTINUED)

CHAPTER 6 (Continued)

4Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources Division of Vital Statistics.

'Revival of Population Growth in Nonmetropolitan America, Page 14.

CHAPTER 8

'United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, Pennsylvania General Housing Characteristics, Number HC (VI)40, 1971.

LMilton Planning District, Planning District No. 2 includes Borough of Milton, and the Townships of East and West Chillisquaque, and Turbot Township.

'Vacancy Rates, Vacancy ratio computed, as the total vacant units divided by Total Housing Units.

4Master Plan, Northumberland County, Report No. 2, Housing Element, September 1971, Page 9-21. NOTE: Figures from this Report should be updated to reflect current market values, e.g. $20,000-$30,000 in 1971 dollars equates to $35,000-$50,000 in current dollars and $150-$250 in 1971 dollars equates to $225-$450 in current dollars.

iii TU-RBOT T0WNSHl.P

N 0 RTH UM BER LAND COUNTY P E N N SY 1V A N I A

COMPREHENSIVE P L A’N P H BS.E - 11 1978

WASSAUX - HEMSLEY, INC. . GO RI SU LTA NTS

5 6 N.SECOND STREET CHAM BERSBU RG,PA. 1720 1 PH. 717-263-41 0$ ‘ THE PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT WAS FINANCED IN PART THROUGH A PLANNING GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COM- MUNITY AFFAIRS UNDER THE PROVISION OF ACT llA APPROVED AUGUST 20, 1977, AS ADMINISTEREDBY THE BUREAU OF PLANNING, PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS,

TURBOT TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVES

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PLANNING COMMISSION

PLANNING CONSULTANT

Nassaux-Hemsley, Incorporated NHI Building 56 North Second Street Chambersburg, PA 17201 IABLE OF CONTENTS I URBOT TOWNSHIP. NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA COMPREHENSIVE PLANN I NG PROGRAM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN .PHASE I I

PAGE NUMBER

CHAPTER 1

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Introduction ...... 1 LandUse ...... 3 Environmental Protection ...... 4 Community Services and Utilities ...... 5 Transportation ...... 6 Housing ...... 7 CHAPTER 2

REGIONAL RELATIONSHIP AND IMPACT ANALYSIS Introduction ...... 8 Economic Relationships ...... 9 Impact Analysis ...... 10

CHAPTER 3

COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES PLAN Introduction ...... 13 Recreation ...... 13 Fining of Recreation Programs ...... 15 Solid Waste ...... 16 Police and Fire Protection ...... 16 Community Utilities ...... 17 Storm Water Drainage ...... 18

~ Wastewater Collection ...... 20 Health Facilities ...... 21

CHAPTER 4

TRANSPORTATION PLAN Introduction ...... 22 Functional Roadway Classification ...... 22 Safety Factors and Standards ...... 28 Intersections ...... 30

i TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)

PAGE NUMBER

CHAPTER 5 FUTURE LAND USE PLAN Introduction ...... 32 Flood Hazard Areas ...... 32 Agricultural/Farmland Preservation ...... 35 Residential Land Use Plan ...... 38 Planned Residential Development (P.R.D. ) ...... 41 Commerc.ial Land Use Plan ...... 44 General Use District - (Optional) ...... 45 Summary ...... 46 CHAPTER 6 ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAM AND PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Introduction ...... 48 Zoning ...... 48 Performance Zoning ...... 51 Subdivision and Land Development ...... 51 Planning Commission Responsibilities ...... 52 Summary ...... 53

ii LIST OF MAPS

TITLE FOLLOWS PAGE NUMBER

Northumberland County Relative to Pennsylvania UrbanAreas...... 8 County Re lationships ...... 8 Turbot Township Relative to Planning District NO.^...... 9 Neighborhood Park ...... 13 An Urban Parklet ...... 1'3 Future Water Line Extensions ...... 17 Proposed Storm Drainage System ...... 18 Functional Roadway Classification ...... 23 Recommended Street Improvements (Intersections) . . .. 30 Recommended Roadway Improvement Plan ...... 30 Flood Hazard Areas ...... 33

iii LIST OF TABLES

TITLE FOLLOWS PAGE NUMBER Roadway Cross Section ...... 30 Typical Roadway Cross Sections for Collector Routes . 30 Typical Roadway Cross Sections for Local Access ... 30 Planned Residential Development ...... 43 Flood Hazard Data ...... 47 Administrative Flow Charts ...... 54

iv GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

INTRODUCTION

A basic component of any comprehensive planning program is the establishment of clearly defined goals and objectives that reflect the desires of the Turbot Township residents. Goals and objectives serve as the foundation for structuring planning proposals and provide a guideline for future planning considerations. The importance of community goals and objectives is reinforced in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247) which specifically requires that a Comprehensive Plan include 'la statement of objectives of the municipality concerning its future development". Fur- ther, the Planning Code requires that each zoning ordinance contain a statement of community development objectives.

Briefly, goals and objectives, or sometimes referred to as development policy, are a series of general statements which will provide a desirable, acceptable course for expected growth. Following are some additional functions which may be fulfilled through the use of policy statements.

1. Policy statements facilitate public understanding and participation in the planning program. Policy statements are brief and easily interpreted.

2. Policy statements provide a consistent, practical, rational framework and readily-available point of reference concerning land development on which to base public and private evaluations of specific proposals. 'The policies permit involvement in the planning process by elected officials. The character of these statements enable elected officials to make decisions based on a review of the policy statements rather than a search through the entire final plan. Consistency becomes a characteristic of the planning program to the extent that the policy statements become established as policies on the basis of which development decisions are actually made.

3. Policy statements, by providing a common framework for basin decisions may serve a coordinative function for all agencies, both public and private.

4. Policy statements may serve as useful guides for governing bodies responsible for adopting and ad- ministering land use controls. Since land use controls such as zoning ordinances and subdivision

-1- regulations are flexible there is a need for an outside point of reference to determine whether decisions are in harmony with the community objectives.

5. Policy statements may add utility to the Comprehensive Plan. As changes in conditions warrant changes in policy, new policy carefully planned may affect but not necessarily destroy the plan consistency.

The following represent the goals and objectives that have been embraced by the Township. The goals have been itemized by category--Land Use, Environmental Protection,'Community Ser- vices and Utilities, Transportation, and Housing--with objectives for each major goal. As with the other Compre- hensive Planning Elements, the objectives should be periodically reviewed and revised when necessary to insure their usefulness to the Township.

-2- 1

- LAND USE -

GOALS

TO PROVIDE FOR THE ORDERLY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN- SHIP AND TO ALLOCATE LAND IN THE TOWNSHIP IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS AND THE LOCATION NEED^) FOR VARIOUS LAND USES,

OBJECTIVES

- Revisions to the present Turbot Township Zoning Or- dinance. - Revisions to the present Turbot Township Subdivision Ordinance. - To promote the preservation of agricultural farming activities/character in Turbot Township and discourage the development of the agricultural lands through economic incentives, and acceptable planning tools. - To promote future development in areas where communities services/utilities (infrastructure) are present or planned. . - Vigorous enforcement of the Township Comprehensive Plan implementation tools. - Coordinate planning of government and private activities. - Encourage new developers to set aside space for open space and/or recreational uses in new subdivisions.

-3- - COMMUNITY SERVICES AND UTILITIES -

GOALS PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADEQUATE PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE EXISTING AND FUTURE REQUIREMENTS,

OBJECTIVES

- Cooperation with utility company--Keystone Water Company--in order to continue to upgrade and ex- pand services in an orderly and logical manner. - To promote the installation of a storm water drainage system in the Mahoning Manor Develop- ment Area. - To promote the installation of a wastewater collection system consistent with the adopted Turbot Township Liquid Waste Disposal Plan (Pa. Act 537). - To promote the establishment of recreation facilities. - To promote and support the existing police and fire services.

-5- - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION -

GOALS

TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE OPEN SPACE AND TO PRESERVE THE SCENIC QUALITIES OF THE TOWNSHIP AND TO PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVE AREAS,

OBJECTIVES - To discourage development of the identified flood hazard areas by revisions to the Turbot Township Zoning Ordinance. - Revisions to the Turbot Township Zoning Ordinance to comply with new U.S. Housing and Urban Develop- ment and Commonwealth regulations. - Encourage the preservation of the prime agricultural lands in Turbot Township.

-4- - TRANSPORTATION -

GOALS

TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE AND SAFE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF TURBOT TOWNSHIP IN A MANNER WHICH COMPLI- MENTS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN,

OBJECTIVES

- Construction of certain local roadway improvements to improve roadway circulation and safety. - Establish right-of-way and access requirements. - Promote highway technology. - Maintain proper traffic movement.

-6- - HOUSING -

GOALS

TO PROVIDE FOR THE HOUSING NEEDS OF THE TOWNSHIP POPULATION BY ENCOURAGING A WIDE VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES, TO PRE- VENT DETERIORATION OF THE HOUSING SUPPLY AND ENCOURAGE A SAFE, HEALTHFUL LIVING ENVIRONMENT,

OBJECTIVES

- To promote the construction of housing alternatives in areas capable of supporting higher density development. - Encourage realistic housing alternatives in terms of style, cost, and location. - Encourage the construction of housing units for the elderly and lower-income families.

-7- REGIONAL RELATIONSHIP AND IMPACT ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

To better appreicate Turbot Township's regional relationships, the following is a description of the municipality's physical location relative to other communities. As illustrated on the map, "Northumberland County Relative to Pennsylvania Urban Area", Northumberland County lies in the east-central portion of the Commonwealth. The closest metropolitan areas are Hazleton-Wilkes-Barre to the northeast and Harrisburg to the south. Turbot Township, on the other hand, lies in the center of the northern panhandle of Northumberland County. The Township is bounded on the west by Union County and Milton Borough; on the east by Montour County; on the north by Delaware and Lewis Townships; and on the south by east and west Chillisquaque Townships. The map entitled, "County Re- lationship" illustrates the Township's location within North- umberland County.

Although the above description places the Township within the context of its physical location to Northumberland County, territorial boundaries are losing the ability to define, contain, or exclude those problems affecting local governments. Typically, the questions and solutions are larger than an individual municipality is able to adequately handle. In- ter governmental cooperation is a reality and must be the cornerstone of the effort(s) to meet chalaenges. Governments in general interact in two basic ways: "vertical relationships", or those which line a local governmental unit to a broader governmental unit; and "horizontal relationship", which describe a government's relationship to its neighboring communities on the same level of government.

Horizontal relationship between Turbot Township and other minor civil divisions and between various other Township agencies, e.g. Municipal Authority, are vital. An example of this relation may be the sanitary sewer agreement between the Township and the Borough of Milton. Under this agreement, the Borough has agreed to allocate treatment plant capacity to accept wastes from the proposed Turbot Township sewage collection system. Another example of this horizontal relationship, which has met with moderate success, is the formation of leagues or councils. Basically, this is an attempt by local governments to establish a forum for discussion and the exchange of ideas, thereby, enhancing the chance for an agreement and coordination on specific "common" problems.

-8- NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY RELATIVE TO PENNSYLVANIA URBAN AREAS

LAKE ERIE/ HI NEW YORK

OHIO

WEST VIRGINIA MARYLAND

The preparation of this mop was finonced in part through a planning grant from the Department of Community Affairs under the rovisions of Act IIA, approved 2OAug. 19 P 7,as odministered by the Bureau of Planning, Penna. Deportment of Community Affairs LYCOMING COUNTY RELATIONSHIP -A-/---q I

I 1 TURBOT TOWNSHIP

* Tu r bot viI I e YWdson-‘1itown I NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, UNlO PENNSYLVANIA

The preparation of this map was financed in port through a planning grant from the Department of Community Affairs under the provisions of Act IIA, approved 20 Aug. 1977,as administered

dJ by theeureau of PIanning,Penm.Department est -/--of Community Affairs .,hillisqua’que ,/ I /- I i- 1-’ - Further, this relationship extends to other arms of the Town- ship. The planning commission should develop and maintain good relations with not only the Supervisors, but the municipal authority as all relate directly to the execution of some portions of the Comprehensive Plan. School districts are very seldom thought of as part of this relationship, however, the planning commission has a relationship with the Milton Area School District not only in the proper planning and coordination of broad goals, but in monitoring population patterns.

Vertical relationships are perhaps the most visable, with coordination efforts with Northumberland County, the Common- wealth, and Federal Government. The County, for example, performs a number of functions which may affect Turbot Town- ship, e.g. County parks, bridges, and social programs. Further, the County assessment system may have a profound effect upon local programs. The County Planning Commission has the responsibility of advising minor civil divisions on certain planning problems which may affect other communities, although it should be stressed that this role is advisory. An example of the County planning commission's relationship is the creation of planning district number 2 which is represented on the attached map. Other vertical relationships become apparent when applying for certain federal funds. For example, the County, Regional Planning Agen- cy, i.e. SEDACOG, and state agencies play an important role in reviewing and endorsing a local program or project.

ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS

On the economic front, Turbot Township has close ties with the Milton Area. Interstate 80 and Route 147, both of which traverse the Township, coupled with Route 15 have been an impetus in industry's desire to locate in the Milton region. According to the Northumberland County Land Use Element, "Mil- ton...area have attracted several large trucking firms to the area making it somewhat of a transportation center." Fur- ther, economic ties stem from the fact that the Milton area is the economic "hub" for the Labor Market. Turbot Township has not been confronted with industrial related activities locating in the Community, however, the spin- off effects residentidl/commercial development are very much in evidence. This economic relationship to the region and local area has been a distinct advantage to the Township and is anticipated to continue. Refer to the Economic Analysis chapter of this Report for the economic discussion of Turbot Township.

-9- 1 TURBOT TOWNSHIP RELATIVE TO PLANNING DISTRICT NO. 2

SCALE IN M ILES

The preparation of this map was financed in part through a plannln grant from the Deportment of Comrnunlty Affoirs under the provisions of Act IIA, opproved 2OAug. 1977, as administered by the Bureau of Planning, Penna. Department of Community Affairs IMPACT ANALYSIS

Land use activities are perhaps the most basic issue in Tur- bot Township. Sound land use planning is fundamental to preserving the environmental amenities and to sustaining a stable economic and social base. The following summary will help to examine the relationship or impact of certain land use activities on the Township. From this discussion, basic parameters may be identified,and used as a foundation for planning policies. - Residential development - Unplanned development can have serious economic, social, and environmental impacts upon any community. Economic impacts, which are a legitimate concern of local governments, include the public costs and revenue generated by a new development. A recent study of the average costs of different development patterns indicated that sprawl development, i.e. low density unplanned "suburbia" ,. is significantly more expensive to service than compact, planned development.1 With extensive growth, additional people are likely to require new schools, fire houses, police stations, and tax rates are generally increased to off-set these new services. In the case of Turbot Town- ship, the impact of residential development has resulted in additional public expenditures for roadway maintenance and related services, and an attempt by the Township to obtain funds necessary for the construction of a sanitary sewer collection system in the population center.

Social impacts of residential development in Turbot Township have been rather modest. However, the influx of new residents, beginning in 1950, has brought into a heretofore, predominately agricultural region residents whose occupations are outside the community. These residents have a different income status, and frequently a different outlook as to the involvement of local government, which may over the years lead to a realignment of the Township government's participatory role.

Development usually degrades the environment to some extent. Uncontrolled development may bring with it particularly negative environmental impacts because it tends to be unanticipate, unico- ordinated, and haphazardly distributed or poorly designed. More obvious environmental impacts may be categorized as: air pollution, water pollution, water consumption, and solid waste. Air

-10- pollution sources in non-industrial areas are transportation and space heating of building. Although this is not a significant problem in Turbot Township, it would be better to encourage planned development which does have lower emission rates and greater amounts of open space for absorbing pollution than unplanned sprawl. Water pollution in Turbot Township is directly related to the disposal of effluent by on-site septic systems. Typically, as growth progresses and densities increase, septic tanks usually cause problems - houses are built on lots too small to allow sufficient percolation of wastes into the soil. Ac- cording to the Township Secretary, this is a characteristic problem in the Mahoning Manor Area of the Municipality. Generally, increased development increases the consumption of water and decreases the amount of land available for rainfall to permeate back into groundwater reservoirs. As with liquid wastes, the amount of solid waste generated is a direct result of the populations, thus as population increases, the problem of solid waste collection and ultimate disposal increases.

- Commercial/Industrial Development - It is harder to generalize about commercial and industrial development, but certain observations are generally valid. Taxes paid by commercial and industrial establishments usually exceed the costs of providing municipal services. On the other hand, these developments typically generate a significant amount of traffic, causing congestion. New facilities generally embrace larger areas of impermeable surface in the form of buildings, parking lots, and roads, thereby, inhibiting groundwater recharge, and storm- water runoff increases local flood hazards. - Highways - The impact of and relationship to major employment/market areas of the east is becoming more important with Interstate 80. As noted in the "Transportation Analysis" chapter of this Report, Turbot Township has the only two interchanges off Keystone Shortway in Northumberland County. The effects of highways result primarily from the change in access to developable land. In the case of Tur- bot Township, and other rural interchange areas, land use activities which typically occur are gas stations, restaurants, and motels.

-11- Business which locate adjace to the rural interchanges ususally have little local market and cannot support themselves without the highway. The area(s) of impact from such interchange development is generally 1500 feet2 from the highway. - Sewers - Sewers have a powerful effect on the locations, patterns, and timing of land use activities, especially residential development. Generally, development is attracted to areas served by sewers for a variety of reasons--consumers prefer houses with sewers; septic tanks require maintenance and are generally thought to be an undesirable responsibility; and an increased concern for the environment. As noted in the Community Utilities Analysis and Plan, Turbot Township is investigating funding to construct a sewer collection system in the Mahoning Manor and Broadway Areas. The construction of such a sewer will make unimproved lands suitable for medium and higher density development, where it otherwise, would be only suitable for lower density development. However, the construction of the wastewater collection system may have the tendency, if not properly planned to induce development taking land out of agricultural production, possibly cause sedimentation and erosion problems from construction activities and render additional lands, impervious.

The above summary on impacts was intended to give the Township an awareness of the possible implication of certain development activities. The classification of an impact as either "positive" or "negative" depends a great deal on the "trade-offs" Turbot Township is willing to take in its future development. However, the Township can limit the undesirable impacts by a- dopting realistic planning policies and workable tools to control and coordinate development. The goals and objectives established by the Township via this Plan attempt to address the possible development alternatives and impacts.

-12- COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES PLAN

INTRODUCTION

The basic goal for community facilities planning is to enhance the livability and attractiveness of Turbot Township through the adequate provision of a variety of services which are easily accessible to the citizens. The purpose of this "Community Facilities and Services Plan" is to present recommendations to alleviate any identified deficiencies which exist and to adequately provide for the future community needs resulting from development. An analysis of existing facilities and services was presented in the Phase I Report, from which the recommendations are based. The following discussion is directed toward those elements of the Community which the Township has a degree of control. However, it must be acknowledged that there is a relationship between the Town- ship, the School District, and Northumberland County in the provision of the total modern-day facilities and services.

In summary, the Phase I Report indicated deficiencies in the following areas: - Recreation Facilities - Solid Waste Management - Storm Water Management - Liquid Waste Management

RECREATION

The total recreation picture for Turbot Township reflects many facilities for both the young and old alike. Facilities located in or near the Township are: The Milton State Park, Milton Community Park, Fort Boone Camp Sites, Milton Boat Club, Winding Brook Country Club, and the Milton Area School Dis- trict. Generally, the Township residents are provided with adequate recreational facilities, especially for State Parks and Community Parks. However, separate neighborhood parks were determined to be deficient in Turbot Township when the Northumberland County Recreation and Open Space Standards are applied.

There are several options available to the Township to consider in addressing this deficiency. Generally, the back yard space available on a conventional single-family lot serves in a recreational capacity, especially as a "tot lot". Further the rural, open space nature of the Township provides additional recreational facilities. The backyard, and present open

-13- AN QDAN PAqYL€T 5ITL PLAN

0 IO L.J SOuRcf: spaces in Turbot Township are adequate for the majority of the Township, however, the Township may wish to consider a neighborhood park in the vicinity of Mahoning Manor. Such a facility would enhance the neighborhood identity and provide an opportunity for the residents of all age groups to recreate. The following map, entitled, "Neighborhood Park", illustrates that a target area to be in the Mahoning Manor Development.

A neighborhood park, encompassing approximately two to three acres, should be oriented toward both the "passive recreational" needs of the older residents and the active needs of the children. Activities may include benches, quiet areas, horse- shoes, swings, climbing bars, and similar facilities. The creation of a neighborhood park area has the advantage of providing a public facility for which participation of all age and sex groups is increased. For example, "neighborhood parks are the only kind of public facility for which participation by females is greater than by males.. . (s)ince neighborhood parks are also particularly important for participants 5 to 9 years old, it may be that neighborhood parks have relatively greater usage by mothers with their young children."l

Another option which the Township should consider is to amend the existing Zoning Ordinance to include a provision for Planned Residential Developments, (P.R.D.) .2 The requirements for cluster development would include the provision of a small recreational facility oriented toward the needs of the residents within that development. Generally, the PRD recreation requirements would be a function of the land area involved, density permitted, and development characteristics. This recreational alternative would be, however, oriented toward future development and would not address any present recreational needs. The maintenance of such a facility could be accomplished by a homeowner association thus, the financial burden of development and maintenance would not be placed on the Township.

A further consideration to address future recreation needs is to require the manditory dedication of land to the Township for construction of facilities. The amount of land dedicated to the Municipality would be a function of the number of families expected to reside in the subdivision or development. Disadvantages to this approach are that the Township would have small areas, dotted over the landscape for recreational purposes and the Township would be responsible for the development and maintenance of each site. The administrative and financial burden on the Township would, at this time, exceed the benefit of insuring future recreational sites.

-14- The flood ways or identified flood hazard areas within Turbot Township afford yet another opportunity to make recreational facilities available to the residents. These areas should be oriented toward the passive recreational needs and may include picnic tables, park benches, walking trail, and possibly small play areas for tots.

It is recommended that the Township Planning Commission and Supervisors stay on top of the desires of the residents relative to recreation and that the citizens have an opportunity to actively participate in any decision to create a neighborhood park in the target area identified above.

FINDING OF RECREATION PROGRAMS

The construction of the neighborhood park is an eligible activity for Federal Assistance under the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, P.L. 88.578 of 1965 as amended. This program is adminstered through the Pennsylvania Department of Commu- nity Affairs. The following has been extracted from the Catalog of State Aids to Local Governments, fourth edition, 1976: "Description: The program provides up to 50% of the cost of development of county and municipal park, recreation and open space lands. Funds are provided to acquire additional county and municipal park, recreation and open space lands in those regions of the State where a need exists. The need is determined according to the state- wide outdoor recreation plan and previous state or federal aid received.

Specific Aspects: 1) The funds are to be utilized primarily for outdoor recreation and park programs. These projects may eitherbe rural or urban in nature.

Development funds may be used for construction and improvement al- teration and renovation of local government outdoor recreational facilities. Included as eligible costs are necessary professional design fees.

3) Land acquisition includes the purchase of land in fee simple and any improvements thereon; right of ways and conservation easements

-15- i.e., the acquisition of certain property rights which will ensure that the land is maintained inits present state or that its future use is limited: public right of ways over conservation easements may be negotiated to permit public use, i.e., the purchase of rights to a stream valley area which would provide that the land remain in an undeveloped state."

It is recommended that the Township investigate this funding source to determine when monies may be made available and to determine. specific program requirements.

SOLID WASTE

The major population centers of the Township, i.e. Mahoning Manor, Broadway Street Areas and other areas adjacent to Milton Borough, are provided with adequate solid wastes collection by B and W Disposal. However, the remaining residents, according to a B and W Disposal representative, dispose of their wastes individually. This is not an uncommon characteristic of a rural area, where the farmers have vehicles to transport wastes to a landfill. However, it is recommended that the Town- ship consider licensing the collection vehicles to help insure that proper vehicle standards are followed. Also, it is recommended that the Township coordinate with collection agencies and encourage other residents to use the available collection services.

The Phase I Report identified that there are no means of disposing large "bulky" items such as refrigerators, stoves, tires, and tree trimmings. It is recommended that the Township consider establishing a "clean up" days(s) in which the residents would be given an opportunity to dispose of their bulky items. To accomplish this, the Township should coordinate its activities with the collection agencies. Under such a program, the Town- ship may wish to have placed in stragic areas a "roll-off" storage container and have the residents dispose of the wastes into the container, which would later be transported to the landfill. Such a measure will not only enhnace the aesthetic value of the community, but may also generate "community pride" through group clean-up programs.

POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION

The Pennsylvania State Police, with a barracks at the intersection of Pa. Route 254 and L.R. 49094, presently provides the

-16- police services to Turbot Township and adjoining townships. This service has been adequate in the past and is anticipated to meet the protective service needs over the short term future. There appears to be very little socio-economic differences between the residents to warrant a full time policy official and the related office space and vehicle. However, it is recommended that the Township stay abreast of the community needs as generally new growth is directly associated with the need for additional services.

The volunteer fire system coupled with the Borough of Milton Fire Department which presently serves Turbot Township has been adequate in the past. The economic benefits to the Town- ship of such as system surpasses the benefits of providing a fire system based on paid employees. For example, it is generally felt that for a paid fire company, it is necessary to have 3.5 persons for each position to cover a 24 hour period. It is recommended that the Township retain the volunteer fire protection services and provide the necessary financial and public support necessary for the acquisition of equipment. Fur- ther, as with the police protection, it is recommended that the Township remain "atuned" to the needs of the residents to anticipate any increase in fire protection services. In this way, the perceived needs can be addressed as the Township develops.

COMMUNITY UTILITIES

Water Supply

The Phase I Report indicated that the Keystone Water Company provides adequate service to the Township residents in the Mahoning Manor, Broadway Street, and Route 405 areas. Also, according to a Keystone Water Company representative, the company has an adequate supply and storage facilities to supply additional customers within the! eastern shore, West Branch of the Susquehanna River area.

The Northumberland County Master Plan, Report No. 5 - Sewage DisDosal and Water SupDlv Plan recommends that the water ma& be extended to LerviceA*- the following areas of Turbot Township which are illustrated on the map entitled, "Future Water Line Extensions" :

- Expansion of the water system eastward along Broadway and Mahoning Streets to T. Route 582, and northerly T. Route 582.

- Extension of the water system up to Interstate 80 interchange with Pa. Route 147.

-17- It is recommended that the Township embrace these County recommendations and coordinate the planning activities with the County and the Keystone Water Company. Such a coordination effort is necessary to adequately plan for land use activities within the water service area and the development of associated community facilities such as fire hydrants.

STORM WATER DRAINAGE

As noted in the Phase I Report, there are no centralized storm water drainage facilities in Turbot Township. A Storm Drain- age Report for the Township was presented in 1973, by Herbert Associates, Incorporated. This Report indicated that the Ma- honing Manor area experiences significant surface water drainage problems during times of "appreciable rainfall". "The water flows on the shoulders of the streets, or in the streets and alleys and across some laws". This Storm Drain- age Report'recommends that the Township construct a storm drainage system in the Mahoning Manor Development. This recommended system would terminate in the west with a 30" pipe "on the south side of Mahoning Street under the Milton Area Senior High School drive and be intercepted in the Borough of Milton by a proposed 30" pipe planned by the Borough. The flow east would terminate in a 30" pipe on the east side of Madison Avenue near Penn Street, then in an open ditch east of the 52" reinforced concrete pipe under L.R.1073". The alignment of this system is illustrated in the map entitled, "Storm Drainage System. I'

The need for a storm water management system has been noted in the above reference Report and by the residents of the area. It is recommended that the Township place this system on its priority list and continue their efforts to obtain supplemental funding necessary to construct this recommended system.

The following represents a brief summary of possible funding sources for the construction of a storm water drainage system:

Public Works EmDlovment Act:

This program was enacted as an antirecessionary measure and offers financial aid to local governments in high unemployment areas. This is a source for the community which has prepared plans and engineering specifications; however, the monies available are a function of the nation's economic condition and the Congressional Funding.

-18- TURBOT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM PROPOSED NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENHSY LVANlA STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Iniricn Comprehensive Employment and Training Programs:

This program provides job and employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged, unemployed, and underemployed persons. Further, these funds may be used to pay for certain equipment costs and a portion of the administration costs. However, as with the above program, this monies are a function of the economic conditions. Also, this program is currently undergoing changes and should there be another round of monies, the rules will most likely change.

Communitv DeVelODment Block Grants:

Administered through the Department of Housing and Urban De- velopment, funds are available for storm drainage systems; however, the project must be incorporated with a program which directly benefits the lower-income persons/families. Submitted as a singular project, a storm drainage system is unlikely to be funded under H.U.D.

Appalachian Supplements:

This program may be used as supplemental funds under any Federal grant-in-aid programs authorized before December 31, 1978. To be eligible, the project must be of high priority in the Commonwealth's Appalachian Development Plan.

General Revenue Sharins:

Federal Funds received under the revenue sharing program may be used to finance a storm drainage system.

Local Financinq:

The Township may finance the cost of construction of a storm drainage system by the issurance of general obligation bonds of the Township. The cost of construction may be charged on the properties benefited, or may be paid for wholly or partially by general taxation. Any amount not legally chargeable on the properties benefited must be paid out of the general Township Fund. However, local governments are limited in their borrowing capacity as defined in the Local Government Unit Debt Act, Act 185 of 1972. Therefore, another local method used to pay off the debt is the use of Municipal Authorities, which may generally finance projects through issuing bonds.

-19- The Pennsylvania Assembly recently enacted the Storm Water Management Act, which became effective October 4, 1978. This Act requires that all counties prepare and adopt individual watershed storm water management plans for each watershed within the county, including standards for storm water run-off control from existing and new land development. Further, each municipality within the county is to be involved in the planning process and preparation of this plan. Each municipality will be required to adopt and implement land use regulations necessary to control development which are consistent with the applicable county plan. It is recommended that the Township actively participate in the formation of a Northumberland Storm Water Management Plan, thereby allowing the Township to provide input into such a plan and be better able to implement the regulations and better appreciate the policies embraced within the document.

Generally, the Turbot Township Subdivision and Land Develop- ment Ordinance is the best vehicle to implement storm water management controls. However, it will be approximately two to three years before Northumberland County will have a Storm Water Management Plan; therefore, it is recommended that Tur- bot Township revise the existing Subdivision Ordinance to update the regulations to control storm water run-off during the intervening years. The objective of these revised regulations would be to enhance the safety of the present and future residents by providing storm water management guidelines for the subdivider and developer, and would be the responsibility of the developer.

WASTEWATER COLLECTION

As noted in the Phase I Report, the Township has applied to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Discretionary Grant to be used for the construction of a wastewater collection system. This proposed system would collect wastewater from the Mahoning Manor and Broadway Development Areas with treatment at the Borough of Milton sewage treatment facility. The objective of the collection system would be to correct certain identified on-site effluent disposal problems and malfunctions and to provide for the necessary services to enable the realization of housing alternatives such as garden apartments.

On December 1978, the Township received informal notification from H.U.D. that the application has been approved. How- ever, the Township has not indicated that there are sufficient supplemental funds to enable construction of the collection

-20- system at an economical rate or feasible user charges. To address this financial problem, the Township Municipal Authority and Supervisors have been advised by representatives from the Farmers Home Administration and the Appalachian Regional Commission, to submit a pre-application for supplemental funding. These pre-applications are to be submitted during April 1979 with possible approval within months. It appears that if the Township is successful in securing supplemental funding that by the early 1980's a cost effective wastewater collection system will be in operation serving portions of Turbot Township.

It is recommended that the Township continue to investigate funding sources to realize the construction of the collection system to further decrease the ultimate user charges. Also, it is recommended that the Official Liquid Waste Plan for Turbot Township be reviewed and if necessary, revised, to reflect the latest development and planning policies.

HEALTH FACILITIES- The Turbot Township region which includes Lewisburg, Milton, and the adjacent Townships, has been identified by the Central Pennsylvania Health Systems Agency as deficien in types of Doctors, and the County, in general, as deficient in nursing home beds. Unfortunately, there is very little that Turbot Township can do directly to address this problem area. However, it is recommended that the Township encourage and help the County Agencies, Health Systems Agency, or any private organization in their attempts to secure additional Doctors and nursing home beds.

-21- TRANSPORTATION PLAN

INTRODUCTION

A modern, efficient highway system designed to serve the Township is vital to the Community, therefore, a Transpor- tation Plan is an integral element of this Comprehensive Plan. This Plan is oriented toward creating and maintaining a transportation system which will adequately serve immediate and long range needs. Emanating from this Plan will be a classification of the circulation system, proposed highway realignments, intersection improvements and a list of improvement and ocnstruction standards for rural streets.

The Turbot Township transportation system was studied and discussed in the Phase I Report. Certain findings resulted from this analysis which are:

- The Township's transportation system, in general, is considered adequate. - The transportation system directly impacts upon the land use activities.

- Construction of 1-80 and By-Pass has resulted in certain circulation problems on locally maintained roads. - The Township is the location of the County's only 1-80 interchanges. - The Township has a relatively accident free record; with what traffic accidents that occur, are along the most heavily traveled roads.

FUNCTIONAL ROADWAY CLASSIFICATION Streets should be classified, designed, and constructed according to their funciton. The specific purpose of a street inpart helps to determine the right-of-way width, pavement width, and vehicle speed. Therefore, the basic concept of functional classification is that of grouping streets in- to classes according to the character of services they provide. Generally, these systems are classified on the basis of connecting traffic generators, volumes of traffic, trip length and speeds, and spacing between streets of similar classification.

-22- TURBOT TOWNSHIP CO M PR Ell E H SlVE PLAN M I NG PROGRAM FUTURE NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PEHNSY LVANlA WATER LINE EXTENSIONS Three general functional classifications have been established by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for rural highwaysl: Arterial, Collector, and Local Access. Invariably, most roads will be classified as either collector or local access with a great percentage being local access. ---ART E RIAL This classification is intended to include highways which provide connections between boroughs, larger villages, major resort areas, and other traffic generators which develop substantial volumes of traffic on an intercounty or intertownship-borough-city basis where the average trip lengths are usually five miles or greater. Design features of facilities in this class should permit high operating speeds.

"COLLECTOR

This classification is intended to include highways that provide connections with local access roads, arterials, and State highways. They may serve traffic corridors connecting villages, small boroughs, shipping points, mining and agricultural areas on an intracounty in widely diffused locations and a highway in this class function in its literal sense as a collector. Traffic volumes and trip lengths vary greatly depending upon size of localities served and the distances between them, but operating speeds between 40 and 50 mpg are desirable.

"LOCAL ACCESS

Highways in this class provide direct access to adjacent land. They connect farms, individual residences and commercial properties to higher classes or road systems. Trip lengths are short and operating speeds are low. Spacing between roads of this class and traffic volumes vary widely depending upon the intensity of land development and the distance to population centers. In general, this class includes all public roads which are not included in this higher classifications".

The accompanying map, "Functional Roadway Classification" illustrates the transportation plan for Turbot Township and is described below:

-23- J-

FI 0 RTH U Pi1 BE R LA N D C 0U !I T Y, PENN S Y LVA N IA Arterial Routes - It is recommended that the following be classified as Arterials. - Interstate 80 - Pennsylvania Route 147, Milton By-Pass - F.A.S. 240 - Pennsylvania Route 405 With the exception of Pa. Route 405, these roads are limited access highways. Interstate 80, the Keystone Shortway traverses the Township in an east/west direction and affords convenient access to Northumberland County via two interchanges in Turbot Township. This highway connects the area to east and west markets. There are no improvements or alternations projected for this highway.

The Milton By-Pass, a limited access highway, represents one of the most important north/south routes in Northumber- land County. Presently, only the northern half of this highway is four lanes, and the Northumberland County Master Plan, Report No. 6 proposes that "as traffic demands increase, the entire length of the Milton By-Pass be paved as a full four lane thoroughfare. The present route was constructed on a four lane right-of-way and overpasses were also built to accommodate the additional two lanes when required. There- fore, future costs would be confined to the actual construction of an additional two lanes 'I2. Presently, vehicles entering the By-pass from Mahoning Street and Broadway Street must come to a complete stop before proceeding. This fact is more an inconvenience than a safety hazard, however, it does pose a dangerous condition as does the area where this highway reverts back to a 2-lane road. It is recommended that the Township keep abreast of possible County and State prioritization of highway projects to realize the construction of the additional two lanes.

The Federal Assisted System 240 skirts the northwestern corner of the Township affording limited access from Pa. Route 405 to 1-80. Pennsylvania Route 405 represents another north/south arterial roadway important to Northumberland County. Presently, there are no reconstruction activities scheduled for these two highways in Turbot Township.

---Collector Routes - The following highway are recommended to be categorized as Collectors:

- Pennsylvania Route 254

- Pennsylvania Route 642

-24- - L.R. 49102

- L.R. 49059

- L.R. 49058 - Township Route 582 These collector routes effectively connect the Township together with the Arterial system. At present, their prin- ciple function will be to collect local traffic generated in the commercial areas and higher density residential areas with the remaining parts of the Township. One note must be made relative to Township Route 582. This roadway parallels the Milton By-Pass between Mahoning Street (Pa. Route 642) and Broadway Street (Pa. Route 254). No traffic volumes were tabulated by PennDOT on this road, however, field observations indicate this road plays an important "collector" role. Further, evidence of this role is the basic con- venience of movements as there are no stopping requirements as is the case on the By-Pass.

By virtue of these roadways being classified as collectors, more relative development will occur along the corridors as compared with the local access roads. Thus, the challenge before Turbot Township is to adequately plan for this anticipated development without hindering the functional capability of these roads.

Local Access - All roadways not assigned to one of the above categories are recommended as local access roads. These streets serve the more sparsely settled areas of the Township and include both Legislative and Township Route.

The remaining future roadway considerations will be primarily the responsiblity of the Township, especially in the form of roads serving new land use features, e.g. subdivision. These new roadways should initially be the obligation of the developer, but the Township's role is critical in determining function and specifying the design and construction of these streets or roadways through the Township standards. Ad- ditionally, the Township has several mechanisms at its disposal to improve the local street network when the coordination of local roads become crucial to the overall compati- bility of the Community. 1. Obviously the most direct and immediate method is for the municipality to initiate and finance the construction of a project in a staged process as the demand and need for the street increases.

-25- 2. Efforts could be made by the community to seek the assistance of the Pennsylvania Department of Tranporta- tion in the construction of a street.

3. The third method, which is the least direct, however, possibly the most economically feasible, is the use of the municipality's powers to draw and ordain an Official Map. The effect of such a procedure would be as indicated in Sections 401 through 407 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as follows:

"Section 401. Grant of Power--The governing body of each municipality shall have the power to make or cause to be made surveys of the exact location of the lines of existing and proposed public streets, watercourses and public grounds, including widenings, narrowings, extensions, diminutions, openings or closing of same, for the whole of the municipality and, by ordinance, to adopt such. surveys as the official map, or part thereof, of the municipality. The governing body, by amending ordinances, may make additions or modifications to the official map, or part thereof, by adopting surveys of the exact location of the lines of the public streets, watercourses or public grounds to be so added or modified and may also vacate any existing or proposed public street, watercourse or public ground contained in the official map, or part thereof.

"Section 402. Adoption of the Official Map and Amend- ments--Prior to the adoption of any survey of existing or proposed public streets, watercourses or public grounds as the official map, or part thereof, or any amendments to the offical map, the governing body shall refer such surveys and amendments to the planning agency for review. The planning agency shall report its recommendations on said proposed official map, part thereof, or amendment thereto within forty days unless an extension of time shall be agreed to by the governing body. Before voting on the enactment of the proposed official map, part thereof, or amendment thereto, the governing body shall hold a public hearing thereon after giving public notice of such hearing.

"Section 403. Effect of Approved Plats on Official ---After adoption of the official map, or part thereof, all streets, watercourses and public grounds on final, recorded plats which have been approved as

-26- provided by this act shall be deemed amendments to the official map. Notwithstanding any of the other terms of this article, no public hearing need be held or notice given if the amendment of the official map is the result of the addition of a plat which has been approved as provided by this act. ----"Section 405. Buildings in Mapped Streets, Water- courses, and Pu6lic Grounds--For the purpose of preserving the integrity of the official map of the municipality, no permit shall be issued for any building within the lines of any street, watercourse or public ground shown or laid out on the official map. No person shall recover any damages for the taking for public use of any building or improvements constructed within the lines of any street, watercourse or public ground after the same shall have been included in the official map, and any such building or improvement shall be removed at the expense of the owner. However, when the property of which the reserved location forms a part, cannot yield a reason able return to the owner unless a permit shall be granted, the owner may apply to the governing body for the grant of a permit to so build. Before granting any permit authorized in this section, the governing body shall give public notice and hold a public hearing at which all parties in interest shall have an opportunity to be heard. A refusal by the governing body to grant the permit applied for may be appealed by the applicant to court in the same manner, and within the same time limitation, as is provided for zoning appeals by this act.

"Section 406. Time Limitations on Reservations for Future Taking--The governing body may fix the time for which streets, watercourses and public grounds on the official map shall be deemed reserved for future taking or acquisition for public use. However, the reservation for public grounds shall lapse and become void one year after an owner of such property has submitted a written notice to the governing body announcing his intentions to build, subdivide, or to otherwise develop the land covered by the reservation, or has made formal application for an official permit to build a structure for private use, unless the governing body shall have acquired the property, or begun condemnation proceedings to acquire such property before the end of the year.

-27- "Section 407. Release of Damage Claims or Compensation--

The governing body may designate any of its agencies to negotiate with the owner of land whereon reservations are made, releases of claims for damages or compensation for such reservations, or agreements when properly executed by the governing body and the owner and recorded shall be binding upon the successor in title. I'

In:summary, the general functions performed by adopting an Of-ficial Map are among others:

-A rational and systematic method by which the street system may be preserved; *Gives needed guidance to developers as they develop the area or areas which are included in the Official Map.

-Provide an orderly method whereby official streets may be developed through coordinated, planned growth patterns.

SAFETY FACTORS AND STANDARDS

As noted in the Phase I Report, the Township has certain roadways which are considered deficient relative to adequate safety of the travelers. Although the Township has embarked on an ambitious highway improvement program, as is evidenced by the municipal expenditures; it is recommended that the Township incorporate certain tasks in this improvement program wherever possible.

Roadway width or the pavement width lends to the overall safety of the street. --Guidelines for Design of Local Road and Streets issued by PennDOT indicates that a roadway with an average daily volume of 50 or less vehicles have a pavement width of 18 feet or more with a four foot shoulder. Local roads with an average daily volume of more than 50 vehicles should have a minimum pavement width of 20 feet and a six foot shoulder. Collector routes on the other hand, should have a pavement width which ranges from 20 to 22 feet depending on volume of traffic. The following table, "Roadway Cross Sections" and graphics with the same title, illustrate PennDOT's recommended cross sections for each of the three classes of highways. It is recommended that the Township adopt these standards in their roadway improvement program.

Traffic safety encompasses a multitude of other categories, such as alignment and clear sight distance, right-of-way width and driveway circulation. Control over the roadway design and safety can best be implemented through the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances.

-28- Alignment for any street should basically conform to the topography and be consistent with the right-of-way and traffic volumes expected to utilize the street. It is suggested that sudden changes between curves of widely different radii be avoided or at least minimized. Rec- ommendations relative to alignment follow, based upon a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour.3

-Horizontal Alignment: 200 feet minimum sight distance; 90 degree intersection.preferred; less than 75 degree hazardous.

-Vertical Alignment: 10 percent maximum grade; flat grade at intersection; preferred 50 to 100 feet each way from intersection.

As noted in the Phase I Report, the following intersections were classified as hazardous because of alignment. The Township's Transportation Plan and .Program should include these sites to correct their alignment.

L.R.49094/L.R.49102

1,000 feet north of L.R.49059/T595

Right-of-way procurement to accommodate construction, drainage and proper maintenance is one of the most important elements to proper street design. Wide rights-of-way permit construction with gentle slopes and clear areas free from obstructions, e.q., utility poles, trees. Addition- ally, an adequate right-of-way enables the street to be widened in the future at a reasonable cost as volumes increases. 4

Driveways should be regulated as to design and location to avoid creating hazardous conditions. Ideally, the entry to the highway should be at right angles with the best possible visibility within the limits of the property. The width of driveways should be a minimum of 10 feet for residences and a minimum of 20 feet for commercial properties. The corner radius should be at least 10 feet and 15 feet for residential and commercial properties respectively. When commercial properties generate a high number of trips, more than one drive per property may be desirable. For any private driveway, care must be exercised so that the natural drainage is not obstructed. 5

-29- INTERSECTIONS

Acute angle street intersections of any less than 75 degrees are considered hazardous and should be avoided.6 In addition to the potential hazard, these intersections create excessive roadway pavement and create block shapes that are difficult and uneconomical to lot. It is best for all intersections to meet at about 90 degree angles.

Similarly, slight jogs at street intersections are undesirable. Intersections should be staggered if at all possible at a distance of 150 feet between centerlines. Furthermore, it is important to design and/or maintain an adequate clear sight distance at intersections. This can be accomplished by properly locating buildings and avoiding high shrubbery or fences at street intersections.

Although there were no significant problem areas relative to street intersections identified in the .Phase I Report, nevertheless, it is recommended that the Township be cognizant of these design standards. Further, the Planning Commission should review any subdivision or land development plans with reference to proper street intersection configuration. The graphics, "Recommended Street Intersections", illustrates the proper intersection patterns.

Dead-end Streets

As noted in the Phase I Report, the Township has several streets which are dead-end roads either because of 1-80, Pa. 147 construction, or improper subdivision design. It is recommended that the Township embark on a program to correct this problem area, beginning early next decade. The following map illustrates those roads recommended to be included in this program and the type of construction necessary.

Cul-de-sac

A cul-de-sac is simply a vehicular turn-around area at the closed end of a street. Generally, a cul-de-sac should not be used on streets exceeding approximately 1,000 feet long for single-family development and approximately 500 feet for multi- family developments. Typically, cul-de-sacs are designed as circles, however, the use of the I'Y" or I'T" back-around has similar advantages. The following roads are recommended to be constructed with a cul-de-sac: T-625; T-627; T-632; and T-603.

-30- RECCMMENDE 0 STREET I MP ROVE M E1\1 TS

I NTERSECTION AT LESS THAN R GHT ANGLE

Existing Re cc mni3 nd o d

THREE- STREET INTERSECTION

€xi s t i r 3 Recornmonded

STREET JOGS

SoURc E COMMUNITY BUILDERS HANG@OOK URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TUR5OT TBWHSHIP RECOMMENDED ROADWAY CQMPREIIEHSIVE PLAldNI tlG PROGRAM PI0 RTHU MGER LAFJ D COUMTY, PENNSY LVAMl A IMPROVEMENT PLAN

...... I,..I,.ISLS 15 Slllll ROADWAY CROSS SECTION (FEET)

FUNCTIONAL TYPE ARTERIAL COLLECTOR LOCAL ACCESS

50 50 CURRENT ALL * AADT* * VOLUME RANGE 400* 250/400 250 50/250 (PACED) (GRAVE

Pavement 24 24 22 20 20 l.8 22 (grave1c Shoulder 10 10 8 8 6 4 -

Clearance Beyond Shoulder Cut Side 12 Des. 8 Des. 8 Des. 8 Des. 6 Des. 5 Des. -

2 Min. 2 Kin. 2 Min. 2 Min. 2 Des. 2 Min. -

Rmb. Side 2 2 2 2 2 2 -

Cross Slopes (Tangent Sections)

Pavement .02 .02 .02 .02 .02 .02-. 04 .02-. (

Shoulders .06 .06 .06 .06 .06 06 .06

Side Slope 6:l up to 4 4:l up to 10 1+:l 1)i:l 4:l 4 to 10 2:l 10 2:l 10

*If four lanes are required, a minimum median width of six(6) feet should be provided. Where design speeds are 50 m.p.h. or higher, median barrier should be provided. See Part 2, Number 8, "Median" of this criteria for further discussion of Medians. **AADT - Average Annual Daily Traffic

Source : PennDOT TYPICAL ROADWAY CROSS SECTIONS FOR COLLECTOR ROUTES

ADT: 250/400

4'.

ADT: L250

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department d Transportation Design Stondords P DT Pub. 190 TYPICAL ROADWAY CROSS SECTIONS FOR LOCAL ACCESS

20'

ADT: L50

22' STONE /GRAVEL

SOURCE : Pennsylvonia Deportment of Transportotion Design Stondards P D T Pub. 190 Frontaae Road

It is recommended that as a long-term project, the Township construct a new road or frontage street parallel to 1-80 connecting T-581 and 591.

Barricades

In the interest of safety, the Township should erect barricades on T-592, T-590, T-586'to ward the motorists of the street termination.

-31- FUTURE LAND USE PLAN

INTRODUCTION

The Future Land Use Plan for Turbot Township represents the culmination of many months of detailed analysis of the community characteristics. A basic premise endorsed by the Township is that continued development of the Municipality's land area be properly guide and that the development be encouraged to take place in the most desirable manner. This Plan serves to provide the Township with a guide and foundation which promotes a desirable pattern of land use and includes usggested development standards and intensities for the generally accepted concepts of good living and economic prosperity.

The Plan, however, cannot serve as a "specific timetable", since the initiative for development anc change is not solely a municipal function, but is rather contingent upon the efforts and decisions of the private sector, both locally and regionally. The Plan represents the integration of all identified forces which affect land use in the Township, and establishes a future physical orientation consisten with the Com- munity goals and objectives.

The following represents a detailed discussion on the land use activities, which together comprise the recommended Future Land Use Plan for Turbot Township. The accompanying map illustrates the areas within the Community designated as: Low and Medium Density Residential; Agricultural Residential; Commercial, Flood Hazard, and Public.

FLOOD HAZARD AREAS

The natural areas which are generally adjacent to streams or rivers are subject to periodic flooding. During flooding, these lowlands or flood plains become part of the stream channel to carry the increased volume of water. Flood plains whereproperly managed, are beneficial because of their support to an abundance of plant life due to their moisture and fertile soil; roots of many plants and trees anchor the soil to retard erosion and prevent sediment from entering streams; and they are a viable recreation resource.

There are a number of problems associated with the development of the flood plains which include:

-32- - With high water tables, there exists a higher risk of basement flooding and failure of on-site sewage effluent disposal systems. - Covering the flood plain with impermeable surfaces, e.g. paved parking lots and driveways, decreases the groundwater recharge. - Building on a flood plain contributes to more frequent and more severe flooding.

- The removal of vegetation promotes erosion and storm- water run-off. - Structures constructed in flood plain area tend to block the stream flow.

Turbot Township has been participating in the Federal Insur- ance Program as administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Administration since June 15, 1973. Participation in this program by Turbot Township allows the residents of the Township to take advantage of low-cost flood insurance. It is recommended that the Town- ship retain its eligibility in this Federal program.

The natural, low lying areas typically adjacent to streams or rivers are subject to periodic flooding. During flooding, these low lands or flood plains become part of the stream channel to carry the increased volume of water. As previously stated, flood plains where properly managed, are beneficial because of their support to an abundance of plant life due to the moisture and fertile soil, and many are classified as prime agricultural soils; roots of many plants and trees anchor the soil to retard erosion and prevent sediment from entering streams; provide needed groundwater recharge areas; and they are a valuable recreation resource.

However, due to the proximity of rivers, relatively flat terrain and other features, the flood plains have historically attracted development. Development of the flood plain leads to increases in impervious ground cover, 1.e. asphalt and cement, and the concentration of run-off entering streams. Impervious ground cover also inhibits the infiltration of precipitation into soils resulting in lower groundwater recharge capabilities which may result in lower groundwater tables.

Building on flood plains contribute to more frequent and severe flooding. For example, hydrological studies have revealed that development has enlarged stream channels and augmented

-33- the peak discharge levels for tributaries in the Wissahickon watershed near Philadelphia by as much as three times.' Also, commercial and industrial development, with larger parking lots and building areas, generally impact greater on the flood plains than does residential development.

Furthermore, flood plain development involves a higher risk of basement flooding and typically a failure of on-site disposal systems. The hazards associated with flood plain development can be discussed at length, however, suffice it to say that the 1972 Hurricane Agnes flooding relates first hand, the disasterous socio-economic and environmental conse- quences of development.

Furthermore, recent Pennsylvania Legislation, The Flood Plain Management Act, effective October 4, 1978, requires all political subdivisions to maintain compliance with applicable H.U.D. requirements relative to the Flood Insurance Program. Failure to comply with H.U.D. requirements subjects the municipality to the withholding of State funds. To accomplish this required task, it is recommended that the Township amend the Zoning Ordinance to comply with the Flood Plain Management Act requirements.

The accompanying map illustrates the identified flood hazard areas within Turbot Township. These flooding areas are broken into the following zone designations. 3

Zone A - Areas of 100-year flood; base flood elevations and flood hazard factors not determined.

Zone Al- Areas of 100-year flood; base flood eleva- A30 tions and flood hazard factors determined.

Zone B - Areas betweeen limits of the 100-year flood and 500-year flood; or certain areas subject to 100-year flooding with average depths less than one(1) foot or where the contributing drainage area is less than one square mile; or areas protected by livees from the base flood.

Zone C - Areas of minimal flooding.

These identified flood hazard areas should be incorporated into the revised Turbot Township Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map. It is recommended that the flood hazard areas, as mapped, be treated as an overlay on the conventional zoning district. In conjunction with amending the Zoning Ordinance to address H.U.D. requirements, it is recommended that only conservation and agricultural related activities be permitted in the flood hazard districts. The Township may wish to consider permitting as a "conditional" or "special" use certain low density

-34- residential development, which would be subjected to additional specifications oriented toward flood proofing and structural stability.

The following tables list the "Flood Way Data" for Limestone Run, Muddy Run, and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. These data serve to better locate the extremities of the identified flood hazard areas and should be incorporated into the revised Zoning Ordinance.

AGRICULTURAL/FARMLAND PRESERVATION

As noted in the Phase I Report, the economy of Turbot Town- ship is oriented toward manufacturing and service employment while the land use in over three-quarters of the Township is classified as agricultural/open-space activities. In large part, the future land use decisions will revolve around the issue of farm land preservation. Associated with the debate of agricultural land preservation is an issue to retain the "rural atmosphere" characterized by Turbot Township. In- herent in this planning process for Turbot Township is the desire to retain valuable agricultural lands and the rural environment, balanced by provisions to encourage future growth and land use change in the most logical and compatible method (s) . State, county, and local governments throughout the nation have experimented with various methods to preserve prime agricultural lands (Class I and I1 soils). Many of the programs advanced are rather complex to administer or by their nature require the cooperation of county or state governments. However, a basic point that must be the corner stone of Turbot Township policy relative to agricultural lands is the provision of community utilities and facilities. Generally, development of farming lands is accelerated by the availability of water and sewer service. Within this context, it is recommended that the Township exercise caution in the construction or extension of water and sewer service beyond the developed areas adjacent to Milton Borough and encourage economically competitive agro-base areas.

The following is a summary of methods directed toward the preservation of farm lands: - Differential Assessment: Many state and local programs seek to preserve agricultural land by reducing the farmer's property taxes, thereby encouraging him to stay in farming. Differential assessment allows the farm land to be assessed at current use, rather than at full-market value. Penalities can be imposed if

-35- the land is later developed. While reducing taxes provides some relief, there is growing agreement that differentail assessment must be combined with other forms of assistance for an effective program. However, as Trubot Township has limited property taxing abilities, this type of approach must begin on the County level.

- Agricultural Districts: A program which permits a group of farmers, who meet standards of ownership, productivity, economic viability and other criteria to organize into an agricultural district. These people agree by contract not to develop their lands in return for certain benefits, including lowered assessments, state tax benefits, and other similar activities. There is very little that the minor civil divisions in Pennsylvania can do to encourage agricultural districts, as the benefits which may be offered are derived largely from the county and state governments. - Transfer of Development and Rights: This approach attempts to preserve farm land by transferring development rights from designated agricultural areas to designated development districts. Owners of agricultural land where development is restricted would be compensated by the sale of the development rights; those wishing to build in development areas would be permitted to build above a minimum density by purchasing additional development rights. The advantage of this method is that it employs the market to equalize benefits among land owners. The Trans- fer of Development Rights technique is still largely interested, however, and organizing a market for the development rights, and curtail legal problems, may prove difficult obstacles for Turbot Township.

- Purchase and Leaseback: This approach involves public purchase of agricultural land and leasing it back for farming purposes. Such a program represents a better means of guaranteeing the preservation of fanning land, however, the initial costs would be high, if not prohibitive.

- Purchase of Development Rights: Public purchase of development rights, or of scenic easements can be useful for agricultural preservation. But the costs involved with the acquisition of development rights may prove nearly as costly as the purchase of the lands.

-36- 8-USEMAP

SOURCl: lniritu - Restrictive Covenants: Property owners can be encouraged to attach restrictions to their deeds that limit the future use or intensity of development on their property. Owners can attach restrictions privately or covenant with a public agency. Although restrictive covenants can be effective as a preservation tool, theymay be difficult to. implement where owners are numerous or where they cnanot reach an agreement.

- Gifts, Grants, aRd Eequests: Owners may decide or be encourage to give or bequeath open land to the Township, to certain non-profit conservation groups or to a foundation. However, some organizations may require that funds be provided for the maintenance of the properties.

The above methods either require state and county cooperation, or for Turbot Township to set-up a fund for the purpose of purchasing either land or development rights. To reinforce this observation, the following has been extracted from the Pennsylvania Environmental Master Plan: "Evidence gathered in Pennsylvania suggests that local governments cannot preserve prime farm lands by themselves. Land use controls, public acquisition, and preferential tax programs to protect agricultural lands must be in support of environmentally sensitive land policy planning at all levels of governments".

Zoning is perhaps one of the more readily available tools to preserve agricultural land for Turbot Township. One of the options the Township may consider is large lot requirements for the areas to be preserved for farming activities. However, large lot agricultural zoning has not proven effective without a willingness of the residents to defend and support the land use policy. Further, when used, the municipality should be cautioned because frequently agricultural zoning has been used to zone undeveloped lands without serious inclination to protect agricultural lands. The residential land use plan which follows discusses the use of zoning as a tool to help preserve agricultural lands in greater detail.

In light of the above constraints, it is recommended that the Township embrace a policy which encourages the protection of prime agricultural lands and to coordinate activities with the Northumberland County Planning Commission.

RESIDENTIAL LAND USE PLAN

Turbot Township is primarily an agricultural and residential community and this Comprehensive Plan proposes the the Munici- pality retain this general characteristic. The population projections indicate that growth will occur, thus requiring additional lands for residential development. One of the most important objectives of the Plan is to encourage residential

-38- development in areas where the infrastrucure exists and to preserve the areas presently used for farming thereby retaining where possible, the agricultural open space lands. The land use policy is, therefore, to encourage a variety of residential opportunities for the residents in those areas adjacent to the Borough of Milton.

Since the Township presently has no community wastewater collection and treatment system, the residential plan must be based in part on the character of the soils for on-site effluent disposal. The Phase I Report contains a map illustrating the soil suitability for on-site disposal of effluent which indicates that generally, the soils better suited for the conventional disposal methods are located east of Milton Borough to Township Route 582 and north of Milton Borough along according to the map source, are generally more suited for the alternative on-site disposal systems, which does not, by the way, seriously restrict residential development.

Another consideration for residential development is the existing roadway characteristics. The Transportation Paln recommends that Pennsylvania Routes 405, 254, 642, Legisla- tive Route 49102, and Township Route 582 be classified as collector routes. These roadways presently exhibit the characteristics necessary to handle additional traffic volumes generated from residential development whereas the roadways classified as minor, would be less suitable for increased traffic volumes. It would appear thatthe residential growth should be encouraged to locate in the vicinity of these roadways.

Although the Township does not have a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system, the following areas are served by community water system: - Mahoning Manor, Pa. Route 642 corridor between Milton Borough and Interstate Route 80.

- Broadway Street corridor between Milton Borough and Township Route 582.

- Pennsylvania Route 405 corridor north from Milton Borough to the Country Club Road.

These water service areas would be more suited to residential development at a greater density than other non-service areas in Turbot Township. Further, a community water supply system is generally one of the necessary prerequisits for higher density, housing alternatives such as townhouses and garden apartments. The following residential plan is based, in part, on the above outlined characteristics.

-39- The recommended residential land use plan for Turbot Town- ship is designed to include three levels or densities of residential land use - Agricultural Residential, Low Density Residential, and Medium Density Residential. The thrust of this Plan is to encourage higher density residential usage in areas where the community services and utilities are available. The smaller lot area permitted in the medium density and low density districts would help to provide an economic incentive to develop those areas thereby helping to preserve the farming lands. The recommended residential districts are discussed below:

Agricultural-Residential District

Areas established as an Agricultural Residential Dis- trict would be oriented toward conservation and agricultural related activities with limited residential development. The conventional single-family residential development would be permitted on a minimum lot area of 45,000 square feet--may range from 40,000 to 80,000 square feet. Other recommended permitted uses would include: farm residents and accessory buildings; agricultural and agricultural related activities; forest re- serves; and conservation activities. These uses are similar to those activities presently permitted in the Township's Zoning Ordinance of 1967. The proposed Fu- ture Land Use Map illustrates this district as the largest single district, encompassing approximatelyT?/40 acres in the Township.

Low-Density Residential District

Areas which have been mapped and classified as a Low- Density Residential District would allow the conventional single family residential development as a permitted use at a density slightly higher than the Agricultural-Resi- dential District. Recommended densities are: - Where on-lot water and sewer are used one dwelling unit per 30,000 square feet.

- Where centralized water is available one dwelling unit per 20,000 square feet.

- Where centralized sewers available one dwelling unit per 15,000 square feet. - Where both centralized water and sewer are available, one dwelling unit per 12,000 square feet.

-40- Other recommended activities to be permitted in this Dis- trict included mobile homes and mobile home parks, uses permitted in the Agricultural-Residential District and those uses listed in the R-1 District of the Town- ship's present Zoning Ordinance. Recommended conditional or special uses would include duplex housing units, and townhouses.

This District is illustrated on the "Future Land Use Map" and includes that portion of the Township which will be influenced by future growth, and will provide a "buffer between the Agricultural-Residential Districts, and the Medium-Residential Districts. The land area involved in this District is approximately ,//9d acres.

Medium-Density Residential District ( Zz.0 Am) Areas categorized as Medium-Density Residential represents the portions of the Township where residential development would be encouraged by an ecohomic incentive of lower lot area requirements and the proximity to other community facilities. Recommend lot area requirements are : - Where on-lot water and sewer are used, on residential dwelling unit per 20,000 square feet. - Where either centralized water or sewer are available, one residential dwelling unit per 15,000 square feet. - Where both cehtralized was and sewer are available, one residential dwelling unit per 10,000 square feet.

Recommended permitted uses would include those activities permitted in the Low-Density Residential District, plus the duplex, townhouse, and the garden apartment.

PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT (P.R.D.)

The consumption of land certainly reflects populations growth and generally a higher standard of living - both characteristic of Turbot Township. However, the degree of consumption also relates to the conventional pattern of development which results in the misuse of land. Generally, tye typical subdivision is costly to build; expensive to service with utilities and community facilities; and damages the surroundign natural features and open spaces. Too often the zoning ordinance per- petuates this misuse by establishing inflexible standards on such requirements as yard set backs, housing diversity and

-41- density, and permitted land uses. The Planned Residential De- velopment offers a viable alternative to normally restrictive subdivision and zoning ordinances.

It is strongly recommended that the Turbot Township Planning Commission consider, in view of the goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan, incorporating a Planned Residential Development Ordinance as a separate and distinct article in the amended Turbot Township Zoning Ordinance. The following summarization attempts to illustrate certain benefits gained by the developer, resident and Township through the Planned Residential Development Concept.

1. Cluster Planning - Probably the single-most important aspect of the Planned Residential Development is the ability to group the housing units to satisfy a variety of requirements. Eliminating the rigid lot size and setback requirements of zoning and subdivision ordinances make this possible. In their place, flexible density standards permit the residential units to be grouped in a variety of forms. There is still an overall density or maximum number of units per acre and this density may or may not be the same as would be permitted under zoning and subdivision ordinances. However, the Planned Residential Development concept permits the given amount of units to be concentrated or spread out anywhere on the tract of land.

As an example, a 50 acre tract of land developed under normal zoning subdivision regulation requiring 20,000 square feet lots would permit 100 single family units to be spread across the entire tract on lots of 100 by 200 feet. Under Planned Residential Development these same 100 residential units might be clustered on 15 acres or 25 acres, thus permitting the rest of the tract to remain in open space. Furthermore, clustering results in shorter utility lines and roads to be installed by the developer and serviced by municipality. 2. Housing Type - The Planned Residential Development concept includes a variety of housing types. Single family detached, townhouses, garden apartments, high- rise apartments, and possibly mobile homes can be mixed to permit the community to accommodate a wide range of income and age groups. Besides providing a more visually pleasing appearance, a variety of housing types permits the residents to meet their chaning needs .at different times of their lives without being forced to move out of the community.

-42- 3. Unified Development - The Planned Residential Devel- opment concept the planning and design of the community as a single entity. Residential areas, shopping facilities, recreational areas and other services can be initially laid out to be compatible with one another. Utilities and road systems can be designed to handle the ultimate capacity of the development, thus eliminating costly expansion. Automobile, service, and ped- estrian paths can be separated. Our present practices frequently result in suburban sprawl situations with shopping centers and residential developments inter- mixing in an unplanned manner. Highway and utility system frequently have not been designed for this growth and cannot accommodate it. The initial planning for a total Planned Residential Development community avoids these potentially harmful situations and permits the developnent of a balanced harmonious community.

4. (?pen Space Preservation - Most Planned Residential Development ordinances require th’at a minimum amount of land (usually 20 percent or 25 percent) be set aside as open space and avoid developing environmentally sensitive portions of the tract. While the bulk of the open space land is normally left in its natural state, portions of it may be developed into active recreation areas foruse by the community. Open space land is frequently held in common ownership by all of the property owners. 5. Maximum Environmental Consideration - The ability to cluster housing and preserve open space permits the devloper to give maximum consideration to the individual environmental characteristics of the land. Thus it becomes possible to develop a community without building on areas of flood plain, forest, poor drainage, and erodable soil. 6. Minimum Development Size - While a conventional subdivision can take place on any number of acres, a large area is needed for a Planned Residential Development to permit it to contain all of the necessary ingredi- ents that make up a community. A 50 acre minimum is frequently cited as the smallest area for a Planned Residential Development; however, many municipalities may find that a 25 acre minimum is more realistic. The important consideration is the minimum number of dwelling units to support such community facilities as central water and sewer systems, recreation, neighborhood commercial areas, a community center and an elementary school. While all of these facilities are not required in a Planned Residential Development, it is desirable that sufficient facilities be incorporated into the Planned Residential Development to permit it to function as a community.4

-4 3- ._

.: Z...?. p-..;- .-- -7,......

CONVENT IONA L S U E; D IV IS ION

~1/2Acre Lots I

. .. ..-. . .- ... .- PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

24 Garden Apts.

.. _”. . .. Community . .,. Center --:.; . - ...... , I Commercial 20 Acres of Area The foregoing Planned Residential Development discussion illustrates some of the many ways in which a community benefits by providing alternatives to the more standard zoning ordinance and gridiron subdivision regulations. The Pennsylvania State Legislature in recognizing the need for certain alternatives have enabled local municipalities to incorporate separate Planned Residential Development requirements through the passage of the Pennsylvania Municpalities Planning Code (Act 247) effective in 1969.

The Planned Residential Development could be permitted "by- right" or permitted as a conditional or special use in any of the residential districts, or only in one of the three. However, it is recommended that the P.R.D. be permitted in the Low- and Medium-Residential Districts.

As stated above, the Residential Land Use Plan attempts to provide additional housing alternatives for the residents and yet preserve the active farming or agricultural character of the Township. In providing adequate standards for housing alternatives, that is the townhouse and garden apartment, the land is generally used more efficiently. These dwellings may be planned at densities which would not conflict with the existing residential character, and enable more people to enjoy the amenities of Turbot Township. Further, the garden apartment, for example, can provide the conveniences and freedoms associated with apartment living, and should be considered as desirable housing for the elderly and small or childless families.

COMMERCIAL LAND USE PLAN In any community, the residents or even people passing through, require goods and services offered by commercial activities. As new residential areas are created, new commercial development is generally close behind to meet increased demand. Thus as the Township continues to grow, so will the amount of land devoted to commercial activities. The purpose of this Plan is to designate certain areas of the Township where commercial activities would be encouraged to develop, and the density for such activities.

It is recommended that the commercial land use plan be divided into two categories--Community Commercial and Highway Commercial. A detailed discussion follows:

Community Commercial District

Areas classified as Community Commercial would be those located in close proximity to existing neighborhoods. This form of land use is aimed at generally meeting the day-to-day needs of the residents as opposed to meeting regional consumer demands. Recommended permitted uses within the Community Commercial District include small grocery stores; service stormes such as barber shops and beauty shops; drug stores; and residential dwellings. Lot area requirements for community commercial activities should be in the neighborhood of 10,000 to 15,000 square feet, with parking area requirements. Recommended Community Commercial Districts are illustrated on the "Future Land Use Map" and account for approximately~5 acres of land. Highway Commercial District (\do A~,~) Highway commercial activities directed toward serving a more regional vehicular oriented consumer, and include such services as, service stations, restaurants, and motels. At first glance, it would appear advantageous to locate highway commercial activities along heavily traveled roadway. However, every foot of highway frontage cannot be used for commercial purposes and the indiscrimate placement of speculative commercial establishments has a tendency to make the adjoining lands less desirable for other uses. The objective of this plan is to discourage the lateral congestion that borders so many major highways.

The "Future Land Use Map" illustrates the areas of the Township recommended to be classified as Highway Com- mercial. Generally, these districts are loated at the two Interstate 80 interchanges Recommended uses in this district are those activities currently permitted in the present Highway Commercial Zone. The Township may wish to permit as a conditional or special use light manufacturing or assembling activities such as electrical or optional manufacturing and laboratory activities. In conjunction with use requirements, the Township Zo- ning Ordinance should be revised to provide for minimum parking and ciruculation standards for non-residential activities. These standards are important because of the greater volume of traffic generated by Commercial and related activities. Minimum lot areas are recommended to be approximately one-half to one acre with minimum frontage of approximately 200 feet. The Highway District encompasses about acres.

GENERAL USE DISTRICT - (OPTIONAL) (\bo bur\ The Phase I Report indicates that there are no industrial firms in the Township and the land use activities in Delaware Town- ship immediately adjacent to Turbot Township are unique. The

.r activities within this region are oriented toward truck terminals and highway commercial services. Given this somewhat different land use in the vicinity of the 1-80/Pa. 147 Inter- change and L.R.49058 corridor, the Township may consider a General Use District, in lieu of the Highway Commercial designation discussed above for this area. Such a district would acknowledge the special land use activities presently in the region and would provide an opportunity to permit light manufacturing activities which would be more compatible with the existing land uses, than elsewhere in the Township.

When such a district is considered, it is recommended that the permitted uses include highway oriented uses as listed in the Highway Commercial District and light industrial activities. Should this District be used, the light industrial activities would not be permitted in the Commercial District.

SUMMARY

The Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Map; which has been developed for Turbot Township serves as a basic foundation and guide which promotes a land use pattern for the physical development. This Plan encourages development in the areas of the Municipality where community facilities are present to sustain "higher orders" of land use. On the other hand, the Plan attempts to discourage development in the agricultural areas.

The recommended Plan divides the Township into the following Districts: Agricultural-Residential, Low-Density Residential. Medium-Density Residential, Community Commercial, Highway Commercial, and an optional General Use District. These Dis- tricts are superimposed by a Flood Hazard District which is -. geared toward the preservation of the identified flood prone areas. The underlying concept of the Plan is one of a pyramid affect with the Agricultural-Residential District being the most restrictive and the General Use District representing the least restrictive relative to land-use activities.

This Plan may be implemented by the "Planning Tools'' discussed in the "Administrative Program" chapter of the Phase I1 Re- port. However, typically the zoning ordinance represents the most often used tool, and it is recommended that the amended to reflect this Comprehensive Plan.

The above tables list the "Flood Way Data" for Limestone Run, Muddy Run, and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. These data serve to better locate the extremities of the identified flood hazard areas and should be incorporated into the revised Zoning Ordinance.

-47- I

BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION

WIDTH SECTION MEAN WITH WITHOUT DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION DISTANCE (FT.) AREA VELOCITY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY IFT.) (SO.FT.) (F.P.S.) (NGVD) (NGVD)

:est Branch Susquehanna River 3 G 6 ,481 2 ,331 61, 972 5.1 471.2 470.2 1.0 3 H 9 ,066 2 I 203 55 ,698 5.7 472.0 471.0 1.0 I 3 I 11 ,586 2 ,017, 51 ,824 6.1 473.0 472.1 0.9 J 12, 766 1, 489' 45 ,025 7.0 473.5 472.6 0.9

,imestone Run 2 BU 5 ,540 280 2 ,105 2.3 . 475.1 474.2 0.9 2 - BV 5 ,96S2 370 3 ,353 1.4 478.8 477.8 1.0 BW 6 ,365 410 3,955 1.2 478.8 477.8 2 1.0 BZ 7 ,645 157 1, 914 2.3 483.5 483.1 0.4 2 CA 8 ,005 174 2,092 2.1 483.6 483.1 0.5 2 CB 8 ,385 153 1,643 2.7 483.6 2 483.1 0.5 8 ,745 208 2 ,177 2.0 483.8 483.1 cc 2 0.7 CD 9 ,170 200 2,052 2.2 483.9 2 483.2 0.7 CE 9,470 206 1,852 2.4 483.9 483.2 0.7

'Feet above Pennsylvania Route 642 Bridge 2Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River 3This width extends beyond corporate 1 irnits

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Fcdarl Insurance Administration FLOODWAY DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA [ NORTHUMBERLAHD CO.) WEST BRANCH SUSQUEHANNA RIVER AND LIMESTONE RUN BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION

~~ WIDTH . SECTION MEAN WITH WITHOUT DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION DISTANCE' AREA VE LOClTY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY (FT.) (FT.1 (SO. FT.) 1F.P.S.) (NGVD) (NGVDI

Amestone Run (continued) CF 9 ,730 196 1,721 2.6 484.5 483.7 0.8 CG 10,210 . 163 1,290 3.4 484.7 483.9 0.8 CH 10 ,830 2 35 1,640 2.7 485.2 484.4 0.8 CI 11,680 285 1,908 2.3 485.7 484.8 0.9 CJ 12 ,390 2 33 1 ,415 3.1 486.1 485.1 1.0 CK 12,640 261 1,372 3.2 486.4 485.5 0.9 CL 13,150 208 1,125 4.0 487.1 486.1 1.0 CM 13 ,450 214 1,248 3.6 487.8 486.9 0.9 CN 14,110 308 1,834 2.4 489.0 488.2 0.8 co 14 ,480 444 3,406 1.3 491.1 490.2 0.9 CP 14,770 4 70 3 ,784 1.2 491.2 490.3 0.9 CQ 15,635 - 243 1,842 2.4 491.3 490.4 0.9 CR 15,960 192 1,569 2.8 491.6 490.6 1.0 cs 16 ,700 2 10 1,743 2.6 492.0 491.1 0.9 CT 17,080 252 1,973 2.3 492.3 491.3 1.0 cu 17 ,500 2 34 1,730 2.6 492.7 491.7 1.0 cv 17 ,920 223 1,383 3.2 493.0 492.0 1.0 cw 18 ,250 2 26 1,628 2.7 493.4 492.4 1.0

1 Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT -I Federal I nrunncr Administration FLOODWAY DATA - I ll TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA Q [ NORTHUMBERLAND CO.] LIMESTONE RUN I FLOODING SOURCE BASE FLOOO FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION I WIDTH SECT1ON MEAN WITH DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION DISTANCE 1 (FT.) AREA VE LOCITY FLOODWAY i (F.P.S.) (FT.) (SO. FT.) (NGVD) ! I iimestone Run ( conthued 1 I

I cx 18,680 181 1,208 3.7 494 .o 493.0 1.0 I CY 19,320 213 1,305 3.4 495.6 494.6 1.0 i cz 19,905 168 1,227 3.6 496.9 496.0 0.9 I DA 20,415 186 1,361 3.3 497.8 496.8 1.0 DB 20,525 201 2,111 2.1 502.9 501.9 1.0 1 20,810 163 1,686 2.3 I DC 503.0 502.0 1.0 ! DD 21,095 159 1,510 2.6 503.5 503.5 0.0 DE 21,305 114 1, 065 3.7 - . 504.2 504.0 0.2 I i DF 21,680 88 * 976 4.0 504.8 504.6 0.2 ! DG 22,025 129 1,066 3.7 506.3 505.8 0.5 ! DH 22,725 2 30 2,905 1.3 506.7 505.8 0.9 i DI 23,020 2 20 2,673 1.5 506.7 505.8 0.9 I I DJ 23,360 2 40 2,610 1.5 506.7 505.8 0.9 DK 23,910 242 2,702 1.4 . 506.8 505.9 0.9 DL 24,080 261 2,850 1.4 506.8 505.9 0.9 i DM 24,600 3 34 2,859 1.4 506.9 505.9 1.0 1 DN 24 ,880 325 2,662 1.5 506.9 505.9 1.0 i I i

'Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River I I I I

OEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AN0 URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal Insurance Administration FLOOD WAY DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA (NORTHUMBERLAND CO.) LIMESTONE RUN I

FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY

WIDTH WITH WITHOUT CROSS SECTION DISTANCE 1 VELOCITYMEAN FLOODWAY DIFFERENCE fFT.1 I F LOOOWAY fFT.1 (F.P.S.) (NGVD) (NGVD) Limestone Run (continued) DO 25 ,315 247 1 ,981 2.0 508.4 507.4 1.0 DP 25 ,785 202 1,568 2.5 508.7 507.7 1.0 DQ 26 ,315 183 1,268 3.1 509.2 508.2 1.0 DR 26,665 246 1,719 2.3 509.7 508.8 0.9 DS 27,105 361 2,198 1.8 510.0 509.1 0.9 DT 27,530 306 2 ,168 1.7 510.2 509.3 0.9 DU 28,115 317 1,966 1.8 510.6 e509.7 0.9 DV 28,525 233 1,431 2.4 510.8 510.0 0.8 DW 29,375 2 32 1 ,086 3.2 511.8 510 .'9 0.9 DX 30,355 303 1,298 2.7 513.2 512.3 0.9 DY 31,625 358 1 ,424 2.5 514.6 513.8 0.8 DZ 31,915 - 236 1,066 3.3 516.5 515.9 0.6 EA 32,405 2 38 1,222 2.9 517.8 517.1 0.7 EB 32,850 237 1,150 3.0 . 518.8 518.0 0.8 EC 33 ,380 272 1,108 3.2 520.2 519.5 0.7

1 Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River

.. . . . - . . . . . - . .. . .

* OEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal lnruranca Administration F LOO0 WAY DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA [ NORTHUMBERLAND CO.) LIMESTONE RUN .I I I FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY BASE FLOOD WATER SURFACE ELEVATION ~____ SECT1 . MEAN WIDTH ON WITH WITHOUT DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION DISTANCE^ (FT.1 AREA VELOCITY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY (SO. FT.1 lF.P.S.1 (NGVD) INGVD) rFT.1

~~ Cributary No. 1 to Limestone Run FA 300 56 281 2.4 475.3 474.52 0.8 FB 590 27 137 4.9 475.6 474.82 0.8 FC 940 25 112 6.0 477.5 476. 52 1.0 FD 1, 295 29 124 5.4 479.7 479. O2 0.7 FE 1,580 36 171 3.9 480.8 480. O2 0.8 FF 1,820 30 147 4.6 481.4 480. 52 0.9 FG 1,995 26 144 4.7. 483.9 483.7 0.2 FH 2 I 280 31 167 4.0 485.8 485.5 0.3 FI 2,460 44 346 1.9 488.7 488.0 0.7 FJ 2 I 700 45 363 1.8 488.7 488.1 0.6 FK 3,070 39 210 3.2 488.9 488.1 0.8 FL 3 I 380 37 229 2.9 491.9 491.1 0.8 FM 3 ,705 40 175 3.8. 492.3 491.4 0.9 FN 3,955 35 123 5.4 493 * 3 492.5 0.8 FO 4,220 29 140 4.8 495.2 494.2 1.0 FP 4,545 39 190 3.5 500.2 499.3 0.9 FQ 4,730 43 197 3.4 500.6 499.6 1.0

1 Feet above confluence with Limestone Run 2Water surface elevations without considering Limestone Run backwater

...... - - . . .__ ...... -...... __ -......

DEPARTMENT OF tiOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT .(w Federal Insurance Administration FLOODWAY DATA J TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA I NORTHUMBERLAND CO.) TRIBUTARY NO. 1 TO LIMESTONE RUN . .. ~. . .. .

BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION

WIDTH SECTION MEAN WITH WITHOUT DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION DI STAN c E 1 (FT.1 AREA VELOCITY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY (SO. FT.) (F.P.S.) (NGVDI (NGVD) 1ft.1

luddy Run JA 4 30 50 528 9.1 452.7 452. O2 0.7 JB 575 62 85 7 5.6 456.7 456. 62 0.1 JC 1,195 62 804 6.0 457.4 456. 82 0.6 JD 1,535 68 84 3 5.7 457.9 457.32 0.6 JE 1 ,915 192 1,777 2.7 458.6 457. 82 0.8 JF 2 ,505 211 1,568 2.7 459.0 458.12 0.9 JG 2,885 185 1,831 2.3 459.3 458. 52 0.8 JH 3,155 188 1,025 4.1 459.7 '458.g2.. 0.8 JI 3 ,290 119 1,134 3.7 464.6 0.2 JJ 3 ,395 95 944 4.4 464.9 0.3 JK 3,735 215 2 ,285 1.8 466.1 0.9 JL 4 ,070 309 3,105 1.4 466.2 1.0 JM 4 ,560 - 343 3,355 1.3 466.2 0.9 JN 4,900 34 5 2 ,818 1.5 466.3 1.0 JO 5 ,145 284 2,297 1.8 ' 466.3 1.0 JP 5,550 299 2,579 1.6 466.4 1.0 JQ 6 ,170 171 1 I 294 3.2 466.5 1.0 JR 6,580 129 955 4.4 466.7 465.8' 0.9

1 Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River 'Elevations computed without considering backwater effects from West Branch Susquehanna River

-...... -- -- -.. . . - . - . . . .- . .-

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal I nrurance Administration FLOOD WAY DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA INORTHUMBERLAND CO.] MUDDY RUN BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION

WIDTH SECTION MEAN WITH WITHOUT DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION AREA VELOCITY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY DISTANCE’ (FT.1 (FT.1 (SO. FT.1 (F.P.S.1 (NGVDI (NGVDI

Muddy Run (continued) JS 6,910 65 564 7.4 470.1 470. l2 0.0 JT 7 ,300 189 1,730 2.4 470.7 470. 22 0.5 JU 7,635 154 1,234 3.4 470.8 470. 22 0.6 JV 7,835 116 1,151 3.6 470.9 470. 32 0.6 JW 8 ,070 52 707 5.9 473.3 472.6 0.7 JX 8 ,340 62 879 4.8 475 .O 474.7 0.3 JY 8,780 111 1,283 3.3 475.5 474.7 0.8 JZ 9 ,040 19 3 2 ,140 2.0 - 475.7 474.8 0.9 KA 9 ,470 196 2 ,075 1.9 475.8 474.8 1.0 KB 9,810 245 2 ,363 1.7 476.0 475.0 1.0 KC 10 ,270 282 2 ,884 1.4 476.1 475.2 0.9 KD 10 ,870 288 1,933 2.0 476.4 475.4 1.0 KE 1.1 ,490 235 1 ,468 2.7 476.9 476.0 0.9 KF 11 ,965 199 1,156 3.4 - 477.5 476.5 1.0 KG 12 ,455 128 717 5.4 478.3 477.5 0.8 KH 12 I 860 220 1 ,384 2.8 479.4 478.5 0.9 KI 13 I 365 134 855 4.6 479.8 478.9 0.9

1 Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River 2Elevations computed without considering backwater effects from West Branch Susquehanna River

I .. .. -...... ~~ . .. .-- ...... -...... -

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT 4 W Federal Insurance Administration I F LO 0 D W A Y DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA [NORTHUMBERLAND CO.] MUDDY RUN BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION

~~ WIDTH SECTION MEAN WITH WITHOUT CROSS SECTION DISTANCE DIFFERENCE ' (FT.) AREA I VELOCITY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY (FT.1 (SO. FT.) (F .P.S.) (NGVDI (NGVDI

bluddy Run (continued) KJ 14,190 19 7 1,234 3.2 480.7 479.8 0.9 KK 14,610 212 1,266 3.1 481.1 480.1 1.0 KL 14,860 240 1,326 2.9 481.4 480.4 1.0 KM 15,555 18 5 907 4.3 482.1 481.1 1.0 m 15,885 200 981 4.0 482.9 482.0 0.9 KO 16,795 299 1,492 2.6 484.0 483.0 1.0 KP 17,095 239 1,036 3.8 484.3 * 483.4 0.9 KQ 17,195 225 1,549 2.5 487.2 486.2 1.0 KR 17,765 275 2,231 1.6 488.7 487.7 1.0 KS 18,035 202 1,484 2.4 488.7 487.7 1.0 KT 18,270 139 84 6 4.3 488.7 487.8 0.9 KU 18,625 - 79 629 5.7 492.1 491.6 0.5 KV 18,945 15 2 1,402 2.6 493.4 492.5 0.9 KW 19,185 229 2,013 1.8 . 493.5 492.6 0.9 Kx 19,392 197 1,526 2.4 493.6 492.6 1.0 KY 19,742 159 1,266 2.8 493.7 492.8 0.9 KZ 20,122 213 1,204 3.0 494 .o 493.1 0.9

'Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River

. . . -. . . . . - ...... - - - ...... - ..

\ DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal Insurance Administration FLOODWAY DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA [NORTHUMBERLAND CO.] MUDDY RUN I I e - . . ... -...... - .. . . .

FLOODING SOURCE BASE FLOOD FLOODWAY WATER SURFACE ELEVATION

WIDTH SECTION MEAN WITH WITHOUT DIFFERENCE CROSS SECTION DISTANCE' (FT.) AREA VELOCITY FLOODWAY FLOODWAY (Sa. FT.) (F.P.S.) (NGVD) (NGVD) (FT.)

Muddy Run ( continued) LA 20,612 120 540 6.2 494.7 493.8 0.9 LB 20,912 136 772 4.3 496.0 495.1 0.9 LC 21,272 15 2 82 4 4.1 496.7 495.7 1.0 LD 21,692 142 80 8 4.1 497.4 496.5 0.9 LE 21,982 15 7 870 3.9 497.9 497.0 0.9

I 'Feet above confluence with West Branch Susquehanna River

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal Insurance Administration FLOODWAY DATA TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA [ NORTHUMBERLAND TO.) I MUDDY RUN E LEVATION DIFFERENCE^ BETWEEN 1.0% (IOaYEAR) F )OD AND BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE PANEL^ FHF ZONE 10% 2% 0.2% ELEVATION3 I (10 YR.) (50 YR.) (500 YR.) (NGVD)

West Branch Susquehanna River Reach 1 05 -7.5 -2.1 +7.5 0 75 A15 Varies

Limestone Run Reach 1 05 -4.3 -1.1 +2.5 045 A9 Varies Reach 2 05 -6.7 -2.3 +4.3 065 A13 Varies Reach 3 05 -2.8 -0.9 +3.2 0 30 A6 Varies Reach 4 05 -4.3 -1.4 +4.0 . 045 A9 Varies Reach 5 05, 10 -2.0 -0.7 +2.2 020 A4 Varies

Tributary No. 1 to Limestone Run Reach 1 05 -1.7 -0.6 +2.5 . 015 A3 Varies Reach 2 05 -0.6 -0.2 +O. 3 005 A1 Varies

'Flood Insurance Rate Map Panel *We i g h t ed average 3Rounded to the nearest foot - see map

> DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Fedmil lnruranca Administration FLOOD INSURANCE ZONE DATA I TOWNSHIP OF TURBOT, PA WEST BRANCH SUSQ JEHANNA RIVER, LIMESTONE RUN I 1 NORTH UMB ERLAN D-C 01 I AND TRIBUTARY f 0. 1 -TO-Llh!ESTONE RUN ELEVATION DIFFERENCE^ BETWE EN 3% (100-YEARl F IOD AND BASE FLOOD FLOODING SOURCE PANE ~1 F HF ZONE 10% 2% 0.2% E LEVATI ON3 (10 YR.) (50 YR.) (500 YR.) (NCVD)

bluddy Run Reach 1 05 -7.2 -2.8 +5.0 070 A14 Varies Reach 2 05 -5.6 -2.5 +4.8 055 All Varies Reach 3 05 -2.3 -0.9 +2.9 025 A5 Varies Reach 4 05 -4.1 -1.4 +3.6 040 A8 Varies Reach 5 05 -2.1 -0.8 +2.9 020 A4 Varies

-load Insurance Rate Map Panel 2Weighted average 3Rounded to the nearest foot - see map

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal Insurance Administrrtion FLOOD INSURANCE ZONE DATA TOWNSHIP TURBOT, PA OF MUDDY I N 0 R T ti U MB ER LAND C 0.1 RUN ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAM AND PLAN I MPLEMENTAT I ON

INTRODUCTION

The completion of the Comprehensive Plan should be viewed more as an "initial action" in the continuing planning process, rather than a "final step". The first phase of the Comprehen- sive Plan involved an analysis of the existing physical and economic characteristics. These characteristics were used as a basis for the phase two portion of the Plan which delineates rcconmiendcd future uses of land for residential, commercial, and industrial activities. Further, the Plan contains goals, objectives, and development policies which are intended as a guide for both private and public activities. Thus future public policies hsould be examined in light of the over-all Comprehensive Plan.

Implementation of the goals, objectives., and policies contained in the Plan are typically accomplished by the adoption of or amendments to a zoning ordinance complimented by a subdivision and land development ordinance. To supplement these tradi- tional tools, there exists a myriad of municipal actions and programs which may be coordinated in an attempt to expedite the attainment of the Comprehensive Plan. Obviously, not all of the alternatives will be conducive to Turbot Township; however, they are briefly presented herein to illustrate the significant on-going role the Planning Commission and Governing Body can play in guiding and shaping the future 05 the Township.

ZONING

Zoning is one of the typical tools used for the control of land use activities and the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. Zoning may be defined simply as the division of land into districts each having different use and density requirements. It should not be thought of as a negative device for keeping something out, but rather as a positive tool for causing the community to grow according to a logical plan. Only recently have people begun to realize that the benefits that accrue to the individual property owner and to the community as a whole are just as numerous and just as important in rural and semi-rural areas as they are in the city. The resistance to zoning on the part of some rural people has stemmed partly from a misunderstanding of the objectives of a zoning program. The general feeling in some circles is that zoning would seek to interfere with the particular farming operations or require some outlandish demands. In reality, a zoning ordinance for a rural or semi-rural area should not interfere with normal farminq operations but

.- should be designed to regulate the land uses in such a manner that property values will be protected, public services costs reduced, and the municpality itself made a better, healthier place in which to live. In other words, zoning more often seeks to protect the rural farmer's interest rather than regulate his activities.

The cocept of rural zoning differs from urban zoning in two respects. First, while urban zoning is seriously concerned with the height, size and area of buildings, rural zoning is primarily interested in the use of land; secondly, rural zoning differs from urban zoning in the degree of application in that it will seldom occur that all the urban purposes of zoning are important to the rural orientated community. Therefore, zoning may be adopted to either a complex or a simple situation and may provide intelligent direction for the growth of any community.

The following represents a brief discussion of the key elements of a zoning ordinance and are presented to familiarize the planning commission with the concepts in preparation to the zoning amendment process:

Use and Regulations: The zoning ordinance sets forth land uses allowed in each zone, usually distinguishing between "uses permitted outright" and "special or conditional uses" and establishes such requirements for these uses as minimum lot size, area of yards, height of buildings, and proportion of that lot which may be occupied by structures. Supplementary Regulations are those which apply in a number of districts, although not necessarily in all zones. Two special areas which receive much attention in this part of the Ordinance are signs and off-street parking.

Exceptions: The zoning ordinance has incorporated in it sections that deal with pre-existing situations. For example, in establishing a density patterns, minimum lot areas are specified in each district. There will be undoubtedly, some existing lots in the zone which do not meet the area requirements, and provisions are made to permit an owner tomake reasonable use of this property.

Definitions: An important section of any ordinance, the --r - list of definitions to certain "key" words or phrases is important as an aid in the attempt to alleviate major misconceptions or misunderstandings. Variance: The variance is a grant of relief from the strict interpretation of the zoning ordinance requirements when it is shown that due to an unusual condition related to the property, strict application of the regulations would result in an unnecessary hardship that is not the result of action by the property owner. How- ever, the term hardship does not mean ordinary inconvenience or difficulty, as variances are related to hardships pertaining to.the property and not to a personal hardship or desire of the applicant. Generally, there are two types variances--dimensional and use. Di- mensional variances are where the applicant seeks relief from lot size, open area or similar requirements while an example of an use variance is when an applicant seeks to place a commercial use in a residential zone. There is no difference in theory between the dimensional and use variance, but in practice, it is extremely difficult to obtain a use variance.

Special or Conditional Use: The special or conditional use authorizes some activities on a case-by-case approval basis. The special conditional uses listed- in the ordinance for a given district have specific, additional standards which must be adhered to prior to construction. The Zoning Ordinance is adminstered by the zoning officer, who in the case of Turbot Township is the Building Permit Of- ficer. The zoning officer issues permits and insures that the activities are in strict conformance with the zoning ordinance. The position of the officer is basically black and white as he cannot issue permits when the activity does not conform to the strict interpretation of the Ordinance. If a request for a permit is turned down, the zoning officer must show how the activity failed to meet the regulation. The following are the options available to the property owner when a permit is denied.

If the plan failed to meet the letter of the law, but substantially followed the spirit of the ordinance, the property owner may ask for a variance or waiver of the strict interpretation of the regulations. The developer usually presents his case on the grounds that the property is defective in some manner and that to abide strictly by the rules will deprive him of the use of the property. Perhaps the property is unusually narrow and building a house would be difficult within the zoning constraints. Following notification of the adjoining property owners and a public hearing, the zoning hearing board may grant the request and instruct the zoning officer to issue a permit. If a land owner seeks a permit for an activity or builds a structure that is not allowed in the zone, the zoning officer must reject the request for a permit. The developer must take his case through the zoning amendment procedure. The amendment request is forwarded to the Board of Supervisors who inturn requests that the planning commission review and comment on the request. Following notification of adjoining property owners and a public hearing, the governing body decides whether the zoning ordinance and/or map shall be changed. As with the decision eminating from the zoning hearing board, the decision may be appealed through the regular court system if the developer desires.

PERFORMANCE ZONING

Classical zoning in rural areas has been frequently difficult to implement, because of the inherent land use restrictions contained in the designation of specific districts. As an alternative, rural oriented communities can consider a somewhat more flexible approach zoning by being concerned more with the way projects are actually developed instead of the specific use of land. Such an approach stresses the performance criteria placed upon the developer in terms of environmental and community protection. For example, non- residential activities may be permitted as a conditional or special use throughout certain residential districts, providing, however, that the developer demonstrates that he will be incompliance with such requirements as parking, ingress and egress, screening lot coverage, and other similar regulations. Underlying the performance, zoning concept is the realizattion that land use activities will continue to be influenced by market conditions and that the community utilities are rather modest. Consequently, as long as certain stnadards are met, the Township remains flexible and open to different land use activities. The performance zoning concept will be incorporated into the proposed Turbot Town- ship Zoning Ordinance amendments.

SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT

As with the zoning ordinance, the subdivision ordinance is implemented through the adoption by the legislative body after preparation by the planning commission. Subdivision control as a tool by itself has tremendous usefulness in that it gives the subdivider basic and minimum guidelines or standards to properly develop a parcel of land. This tool has further benefit in accomplishing the comprehensive plan in areas that are still substantially vacant. Proposed development of neighborhoods can be laid out in such a manner and iwth necessary facilities to prevent them from becoming areas of blight in the future. The end purpose of subdivision control is, of course, to benefit the community as a whole, the real estate developer, and the potential buyer of the home or lot. In a typical subdivision situation, a developer studies the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance regulations and may even have an informal discussion with the Planning Commission to review the Comprehensive Plan as it relates to the subdivision. A preliminary plan is prepared illustrating proposed lot layout, streets, utilities, grades, and lands reserved for public purposes. The planning commission reviews the proposals relative to the standards and recommends to the Supervisors that the plan be approved or disapproved. After preliminary plan approval, a final plan is prepared and submitted to the Planning Commission, who after review, recommends to the Supervisors that the final plan be approved or disapproved. Once the final plan re- ceives final approval, the subdivider records it at the County Recorder's office. PLANNING COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES As stated above, the adoption of a Comprehensive Plan does not signal the termination of the Planning Commission's activities. The activities involved in Plan implementation require continuing planning commission participation. The review of zoning amendments and the administration of subdivision regulations are just two examples of activities. Additionally, the Supervisors may wish to have the Planning Commission's opinion on a plan for a new park, school, bridge, or a public building. In this on-going process, the purpose or function of the Planning Commission is to gather, analyze, and present information to the Supervisors to enable the elected representatives to better perform their responsibilities more effectively to the ultimate benefit of the Township. The Municipal Governing Body is the most important local policy making agency since it adopts the Comprehensive Plan, the Zoning Ordinance, the Subdivision Ordinance and controls public expeditures. The Planning Commission, on the other hand, is primarily an advisory body. It prepares the Compre- hensive Plan, and advisory document, and reports to the Gov- erning Body on zoning changes and other policies relating to the development of the community. However, through the review of land subdivisions and site plans, the Planning Com- mission will influence the design of new residential and business areas--a vital part of the Community's development process. The contribution of the Planning Commission to the achievement of community objectives in the development of the municpality may be summarized as follows: *Represents the citizens' interest in developments having long-range physical and social effects.

-Contributes the judgement, experience and special knowledge of members to such matters.

-Secures information and analyses upon which to assemble, prepare, and periodically revise a Com- prehensive Plan which will include proposals for the accomplishment of its objectives.

-Safeguards the community's interest in matters of land use and physical development as may be provided in zoning, subdivision regulations, or other controls.

A vast new area of municpal responsibility has developed in the past ten to fifteen years. No longer can communities only be concerned with balancing the budget and-keeping the roads open. Governing bodies and planning commissions must be prepared and willing to make rational decisions regarding the future of their communities. Decisions will frequently be difficult and unpopular; however, the principal of government-- is best capable of rendering many of these decisions. Ad- mittedly, certain communities have hesitated to exercise their controls prompting State and Federal governments to push for their enforcement at the local level. Nevertheless, if the local governing body and planning commission take the initiative and administer farily, thoroughly, and with far sightedness for all its residents, there would be little room or reason for State or Federal infringement on the government closest to the people.

SUMMARY

The Comprehensive Plan for Turbot Township, once adopted, represents just one of the initial steps in the on-going planning process. The Plan with its goals, objectives, and policy statements represents a rational, long-term development plan for the Township. However, to enforce the Plan, the Township must amend its zoning and subdivision ordinances. The zoning ordinance, supplemented by a subdivision ordinance, is the law of the land. To be more effective, these tools must be periodically reviewed and updated to incorporate the changing needs of Turbot Township.

Effective administration of the ordinances begins with good record keeping on the part of the Board of Supervisors, Plan- ning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, and the Zoning Officer. After the present Township Zoning Ordinance is amended, a complete and accurate list of non-conforming uses should be established an an effective administrative system establised for the Township. Also, the reason for zoning and subdivision, and the value to the community and individual should be promoted through an effective public relations program which may include periodic public meetings.

The following tables, "Variance and Special Use Procedure"' "Development or Subdivision of Land Procedure"; and "Govern- mental Agencies" serve to illustrate the administrative system of Turbot Township. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS (LEGISLATIVE BODY)

I I Zoning Hearing \Planning Commission] Zoning/Building Board Municipal Authority I I Permit Officer I (Judicial Body) I I

-Advisory Body to -Administrators -Conducts hearing Responsible for Com- Board of Supervi- Zoning Ordinance for variances munity Utilities, sors on land use and special uses. e.g. water and sewer planning matters. -Issues permits systems.

- Re vi ewed comen t s on subdivision plans -Considers planning tool amendments DEVELOPMENT OR SUBDIVISION OF LAND - PROCEDURE

PennDOT h Planning Cortu&ssion Reviews and -*-County Planning Commission

L L A Authority 7 - Comments - Township Engineer :onservation Service J (Procedure same for Preliminary I) Pennsylvania D. E. R. and Final Plan Process) I

Board of Supervisors

Approval or disapproval must be communicated to developer not later than 90 days from the date of the regular meeting of the governing body or Planning Commission (which ever is first) following the date of application, or from the thirtieth day following date application has been filed, which ever is earlier.

Zoning/Building Permit Officer

- issues applicable permits for construction - inspects site periodically (may include Engineer) - issue certificate of occupancy VARIANCE AND SPECIAL USE PROCEDURE

Property Owner I Applies for Grants , Permit, Approves Permit or Denies Permit or denies +* request If permit denied petitions for tI I variance of Zoning Officer special use Appeali of I decision

Zoning Hearing Board]t V Public Hearing t ENDNOTES FOR CHAPTERS 2 THROUGH 5

CHAPTER 2

'Cost of Sprawl, Real Estate Research Corporation, 1974.

2The Growth Shapers, Council on Environmental Quality-Urban Systems Research and Engineering, Inc. 1976, pg. 32.

CHAPTER 3

'Pennsylvania Recreation Survey, the Local Point of View, Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs Bureau of Rec- reation and Conservation, March 1976, pg. 13.

2A detailed discussion of P.R.D.'s will be found in the Future Land Use Plan of this Report.

CHAPTER 4

'Guidelines for Design of Local Roads and Streets, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, P.D.T. Pub. 190, 1974, pg. 1-2.

'Master Plan Report No. 6, Northumberland County, 1974, pg. 4-6.

Guidelines For Design of Local Roads and Streets, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, PennDOT Publication 190, 1974.

libid.

5ibid.

6The Community Builders Handbook, Urban Land Institute, Washington, D.C. 1968, pg. 156

CHAPTER 5

'Regional Science Research Institute, Environmental Study of Wissahickon Watershed Within the City of Philadelphia, Part 1: Anaiysis and Findings, Philadelphia, 1973.

2Refer to the Phase I Background Report for a further discussion of the flood plain and the H.U.D. Flood Hazard Area.

Extracted from a map of Turbot Township, Community-Panel Number 420744 0005 B, dated July 28, 1978. This Official Map is on file at the Turbot Township Municipal Building.