Mercer County Comprehensive Plan October 1995
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Mercer County Comprehensive Plan October 1995 I I Pw&A&&- .. Mercer County Comprehensive Plan I I I I I t 1 t I I I I 1 I I The preparation of this report was financed in part by a SPAG grant from the Department of Community Affairs under the provisions of Act 6A approved June 16, 1994, as administered by 4 the Bureau of Community Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs. /I .I Table of Contents I Acknowledgments Historic resources ....................... 49 Cultural resources ....................... 50 I 9- Prospects for Growth .................. 52 Future growth potential .................. 52 Introduction ............................ 1 Population projections ................... 53 I Why a comprehensive plan? ................ 1 Legal status of a comprehensive plan ........ 1 Two phases ............................. 2 P& %e4z4+s I Livable communities theme ................ 2 Policy Plan process ....................... 3 Regional Public Meetings ............... 55 Planning regions ......................... 4 Major issues ........................... 55 1 Livable communities .................... 55 Lakeview regional public meeting .......... 56 74& 3U44u Shenango Valley regional public meeting .... 58 I Existing Land Use .... Public Opinion Survey ................. 60 Land use analysis .... Major issues ........................... 60 Subdivision activity . Livable communities .................... 62 I Agricultural activity . Regional perspectives .................... 63 Representativeness of the survey ........... 63 Demographics ......................... 13 I Population characteristics ................ 13 Households ........... ... ... 19 I 23 Purpose of the Policy Plan ............. 65 23 How developed ......................... 65 1 Mercer County Housing Commission findings 24 Purpose and use ........................ 65 Economic Characteristics ............. 31 Vision Statement ....................... 67 Employment trends ...................... 3 1 Ingredients for livable communities ..67 Unemployment ......................... 33 Industrial growth ....................... 35 Policy Objectives . ..68 Availability Of industrial sites ............. 35 General policy objective on gro Retail trade ............................ 36 1 Income & poverty ....................... 37 Findings of the Mercer County C.E.R.P study 40 1 Community Faciliti Water facilities ... Sanitary sewer systems Agriculture ............................ 71 I Miscellaneous .......................... 71 Natural, Historic 8 Cultural Resources . 46 Planning & land use controls ..... 72 Physical Features ....................... 46 Natural resources ................. Appendix 1 1 List of Maps 1 Map Following Page I Planning Regions , . , . , , , , . , . , . , . 4 L Mercer County Generalized Land Use , , . , . , . , . , . 6 Shenango Valley Generalized Land Use , . 6 I Land Use Transition Areas. , , . 6 I Water Systems Service Areas. , . , . , . 44 Sanitary Sewer Systems Service Areas, , . , , . , . 44 I TopographicFeatures ......................................... 46 I Soils ...................................................... 46 I Agricultural Security Areas . , . , , . , . , , . 50 1 I I I I I I I I Acknowledgments I Mercer County set out early to make the Mercer County Comprehensive Plan a publicly-owned and publicly-driven project. The Policy Plan involved literally hundreds of public officials, agency 1 representatives, private business people and interested citizens. This progressive group, leaders all, gave much of their precious time and effort towards a goal of planning for livable communities c and for a better Mercer County future. Mercer County Board of Commissioners who stand committed to planning and I achieving a high quality of life for Mercer County citizens: Ohia M. Lazor, Chairperson William M. Reznor 1 Joseph F. Fragle John G.Johnson 8 Mercer County Regional Planning Commission which embodies regional planning I and cooperation and provided valuable input at various stages of the Policy Plan: Albert W. Law - New Vernon, Mary A. Ziegler - New Lebanon Chairman Edward Bowman - Sandy Lake I James L. Hogan - Jefferson, Robert W. Kaltenbaugh - Sandy Lake Vice Chairman John P. Alfred0 - Sharpsville I Burroughs Price, Jr. - Greenville, Rocco DelFratte - Sharpsville Secretary Brian Reiser - Stoneboro Richard A. Mackell - Grove City, Samuel A. Scott - Stoneboro 1 Treasurer Linda Bollinger - West Middlesex William Morocco - Farrell David G.George, Jr. - West Middlesex Jerry Miller - Farrell Mary Jane Cusick - Wheatland 1 Gary Nitch - Hermitage Ray Foster - Wheatland James A. Rollinson - Hermitage John B. Courtney - Findley James "Pat" White - Hermitage Earl E. Sealand - Findley I Leo A. Hanky - Sharon Russell L. Dawes - Hempfield Fred Hoffman - Sharon Mary Gealy - Jackson Patricia Miller - Sharon W. Jerry Vernam - Jackson I Emma Jane Cubbison - Clark Joanne Brown - Jefferson Harold R. Zook - Clark Frank Cochran - New Vernon Dorothy Hillman - Fredonia Richard Straub - Otter Creek e Dennis C. Cascio - Greenville Paulette Young - Otter Creek Clifford McCandless - Grove City Richard Marshall - Perry I Walter Klingensmith - Jamestown Fred Brenner - Pine Darryl Pinney - Jamestown Thomas B. Miller - Pine Brian Hope - Mercer George J. Fiedler, Jr. - Pymatuning I Howard T. Lippold - Mercer George W. Lescisin - Pymatuning Janice Good - New Lebanon Scott Campbell - Shenango I Mike Sabo - Shenango Dean Alexander - Mercer County 1 James Fitzpatrick - South Pymatuning Ronald Banjak - Mercer County Michael Nashtock - South Pymatuning Freida Eakman - Mercer County Richard Dillaman - Springfield Ethel Friede - Mercer County 1 Harold M. IfR - Springfield Herbert E. King - Mercer County Jeff Hoy - Wilmington Gail G. Moon - Mercer County Carol Kaufman - Wilmington Marta Nagel - Mercer County I Jim Dickson - Wolf Creek Olivia M. Lazor - Mercer County Jim Doersch - Wolf Creek I 0 Mercer County Regional Planning Commission Staff which worked hard developing this plan, mixing its expertise with the visions and opinions of many stakeholders: I Dennis G. Puko, Executive Director Carmen L. Reichard, Grants Admin. Richard R. Darko, Assistant Director Margaret B. Heldorfer, Draftsperson I Julie M. Slater, Senior Planner Marilyn Ciprich, Admin. Secretary Daniel M. Gracenin, Planner Evelyn Wike, Secretary Steven L. Tingley, Planner 1 Visioning Committee, largely responsible for drafting the vision and policy objectives and for instilling "common sense" in this work. (A list of names and affiliations of the 52-member 1 committee is included in the Appendix.) I 0 Municipal Mapping Services, Inc., the consultant who performed computer-based land use mapping, land use trend analysis and other mapping included in this report - John G. Dulski, project manager. I 0 Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs which provided funding, direction, advice and continued support: 1 Dallas A. Dollase, Director Anthony J. Mottle, Planning Analyst Bureau of Community Planning Erie Regional Ofice 1 0 And last but no least, the regional public meeting participants, citizens who responded to the public opinion survey and the many agency/govemment/private-sector representatives, all of 1 whom provided input critical to the future vision contained in this plan. 1 I I I 1 I I I I 1 I I I I Mercer County Comprehensive Plan 1 1 1 I t 1 I I I 1 11 II Introduction I I Introduction I Mercer County Regional Planning Commission undertook the development of the Mercer County Comprehensive Plan in order to help shape the kind of future that Mercer County residents desire. The plan serves as a guide for public and private decision-making that will shape hture growth, 1 development, land use and community character. This plan recognizes that most decisions regarding the use of land are private concerns of 1 individuals, This plan also recognizes that decisions affecting public facilities, public costs and the overall quality of life involve more than one individual. They must take into account the concerns of the community at-large and the interests of future citizens who will inherit the lands, resources t and problems we leave behind. 1 Why a comprehensive plan? The impetus to develop a new countywide comprehensive plan originated with the 1991 Mercer 1 County Strategic Plan. Two objectives in the Strategic Plan called for preparation of a county land use plan and coordinated, regional land use policies and controls. The overriding goal, said the 1SO+ community leaders who wrote the Strategic Plan, is "to improve the standardof riving 1 and quality of Ive for Mercer County citizens", The Mercer County Regional Planning Commission, in its MCRZ'C 2000 self-evaluation and 1 organization plan, stated that the Commission should be doing more and better planning to enhance the county's future. It noted that it is a tragedy to maintain the status quo and fail to set 1 and pursue new goals for the betterment of communities. Lastly, the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968 as amended by Act 170 of 1988 and hrther amendments) requires that all counties "shall ... prepare andadopta I conipreherrsiveplan". While Mercer County does have a comprehensive plan (prepared in seven volumes and a summary from 1973 to 1975), it is outdated and was never adopted by the Mercer t County Board of Commissioners. I Legal status of a comprehensive plan Under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, a comprehensive plan is only an advisory document. It is not itself a development ordinance or zoning