Comprehensive Plan ABSTRACT

The preparation of this report was financed in part through an urban planning grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the prov i s- ions of Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1 54, as amended and admi n i stered by the Pennsy I van ia Depart- men+ of Community Affairs, Bureau of P ann ing. William A. Hendrickson, Regional Sup rvi sor , Bureau of Planning, Dept. of Community Affairs Beckman, Swenson & Associates, Plannws comprehensive plan ABSTRACT (1) TITLE: Borough of Saegertown Comprehensive Plan (2) AUTHOR: Beckman, Swenson & Associates Wexford, Pennsylvania 15090 (3) SUBJECT: A survey and analysis of existing conditions and a future development plan. (4) DATE: October, 1970 (5) PLANNING AGENCY: Borough of Saegertown Planning Commlssion Saegertown Area Planning Commission Department of Community Affairs Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (6) SOURCE OF COPIES: Borough of Saegertown Planning Commission Saegertown Area Planning Commission Department of Community Affairs Regional Office Erie, Pennsy 1 van ia Department of Housing 8 Urban Development Region II, Federal Bldg., Pgh., Pa. HUD - Division of Planning Assistance Washington, D. C. (7) HUD PROJECT NO: P-27701 (8) NUMBER OF PAGES: 39 (9) THE ABSTRACT: The Borough of Saegertown is one of six communities which have joined together to plan for the impact of Interstate 79 upon their communities. This report contains pertinent elements of the Regional Plan as we1 I as background material and a statement of planning objectives for the Borough. In addition, it includes a Plan for future land use, a Plan for the orderly development of community facilities and utilities, and a Plan for the Movement of People and Goods. 1 i I TABLE OF CONTENTS I I I I I I COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND UTILITIES PLAN ------------------ 30 I LIST OF PLATES I 2 3 5 I 9 11 17 21 I 27 29 31 I 35 39 I 8 I 8 I THE ENVIRONMENT Saegertown occupies a thousand acres of ground on the east bank of French Creek in northern Crawford County. It is five and one- half miles north of Meadville, the County Seat, and twenty-eight miles south of Erie. Its west boundary is formd by French Creek and its south boundary is a straight line 6600 feet long and its east boundary is 7400 feet in length. The BoroughPs height above sea level varies from its lowest point of just under 1100 feet at the southwest corner of the Borough to a high point of 1333 feet where Erie Street crosses the eastern boundary. Pilost of the community is flat and lios at an elevation about 1120 feet above sea level. This level plain is a river terrace that has been formd by alluvlal deposits from both French Cresk and Woodcock Creek. The northwest third of the Borough consists of a hill which rises fairly uniformly from about 1130 feet to over 1300 feet. On the very southern boundary to the south of Woodcock Creek, another hill rises from approximately 1100 feet to 1220 feet. Sow staep slopes occur in the Borough, but they extend only short distances. The staepest slopes occur on the south bank of Woodcock Crzek, and along a draw which extends into the northeast corner of the Borough where its deep sides form local steep slopes. Moderate slopes occur along the lower edges of this hill which occupias the northeast corner of the Borough. Tha slopes constitute little limitation with respect to future development. The transportation faci I ities in the Borough are fairly straightforward and are dictated in sow measure by the land forms. The earliest transportation system in the region followed French Creek and this is the alignment for the major facilities through Saegertown. French Creek is the oldest transportat ion route through northwestern Pennsylvania and its name commemorates its importance to the French territorlal ambitions on the continent. The French attempted to cut off English expansion by establishing a line of 1 1 forts west of the Appalachians and these were tied together by French Creek as the principal transportation route. In using French Creok, $hey followed the Venango Trail of the Indians which extended from Erie to Pittsburgh. French Creek subsequently became the alignment for the Erie- Lackawanna Railroad as it was 5xtended through the region, and for U. S. 19 whlch, until recently, was the most Important traffic artery in northwestern Pennsylvania. The increase of traff ic has necessitated the construction of I ntorstate 79 paralleling Route 19 and located three miles to the west. The primary east-west route through Saegertown is Pennsylvania Route 198. It follows the northern edge of the terrace along Woodcock Creek southeast out of the Borough. Through the Borough, the highway runs with Route 19 until it reaches the northwestern corner where it fol lows Brookhouser Road west to the Interstate Highway. The railroad runs due north and south along the western edge of the French Creek Terrace. It isolates a portion of the terrace which averages about a quarter of a mile In width between the Creak and the railroad. This is the more intensively developed area in the Borough and it is served by local streets which are a fairly straightforward grid pattern. To the east of tha railroad, only Route 198 and Erie Street have been extended. Erie Street climbs the hill which occuples the northaastern corner of the Borough and, with a system of grid streets extending south from Erie Street, has been the site of new residential development, There are no through north-south routes east of the ral I- road. 4 THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY The Borough of Saegertown began as a service and trade center for the surrounding agricultural areas. It has continued as a residen ial community with residential uses occupying the majority of the developed land in the Borough. Its importance as a residen- tia area will continue to predominate during the coming decade. The Borough dates back to the Civil War period and to the exten- sion of the ratlroad along French Creek. The railroad provided mechanical transportation and the best means of exchanging agrf- cui tura I products for industrial needs, but transportafion problems between farm and rail siding were still substantlal. These problems still depended upon horse and wagon and limited the dts- tance that a farmer could travel to only a few miles. Thus, even with Meadville only five or six miles to the south, the need for close access to the railroad by the farmers spawned the expansion of trade at Saegertown. With a fairly limited market area, the growth of Saegertown was slow. The rate of growth in each decennial census for the last hundred years and the change between each census 1s shown on the following tab le: -Year Popu I ation Chanqe 1870 44 1 -- 1880 67 8 +237 1890 7 45 + 67 1900 607 -138 1910 712 +lo5 1920 659 - 53 1930 6 45 - 14 1940 753 +lo8 1950 836 + 83 1960 1131 +295 1970 131 1 +180 The rate of fluctuation changed with the economic role of Saeger- town. The agr i cu 1 tura I rev0 Iut i on reduced the popu Iat i on that could be supported by farms and moved many displaced farmers or their children into cities. The growth of Saegertown has been 6 -. , I erratic and reflects the seeklng out of a permanent economic base for the Borough. In part, the base was provided not only by the merchants but also by the school teachers and other service workers who centered upon the Borough as a place of residence. I Condition of Structures The growth of the Borough prior to 1900 is reflected in the general age of housing. tbst of the homes In Saegertown are old. Out of I 299 units recorded by the 1960 Census, more than 80 per cent were built prior to World War II. Twenty-one had been built during the 1940's and twenty during the 1950's. While a number of homes I have been added to the Borough since 1960, the majority of the homes are sti 1 I more than fifty years old, The 1960 population also reporfed upon the condition of residential I structures. It reported that 280 of the units were sound; 11 were deteriorating; and 5 were dilapidated. I Physical condition of residential structures was further evaluated in the summer of 1969 by a f igld survey conducted by Beckman, ociates. Out'of 332 structures in the Borough, 213 ed as being in %oodl' and llSoundll condition. One s if led as llFairl' where some 'minor maintenance p parept' but where no serious problem affecting the life expectancy of the house was observed. Ten units were classified as llpoor'l. This category i's approxlmately equivalent to both "Deter?orating" and "Oi iapidated" as used by the 1960 Census, This would indicate that the number of homes In poor condition had decreased from 16 to 10. The survey in 1969 was based only on an exterior eva1uation.of housing and no detailed measurement or interior inspection was conducted. The tally Is too close to show any absolute trend since the conditions of the survey of 1969 canyot easi ly be recon- ciled with the conditions of the 1960 judgment. Nevertheless, substantial rehabilitation and home Improvements appear to have been carried out in recent years, and the stability of the older housing is a favorable sign with respect to the stability of Saegertown as a residential community. The number df units judged -to be in "Fair" condition is substantial.

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