The Community’s Comprehensive Plan The Spirit of Collier A community of distinction and action Collier Township 2013-2023 February Public Review Draft ` The Spirit of Collier Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................... 1 PREFACE .................................................................. 3 PART 1: A COMMUNITY OF DISTINCTION ...................... 5 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT INFLUENCES............. 5 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ........................................ 9 VISION STATEMENT ................................................ 9 PART 2: A COMMUNITY OF ACTION ........................... 10 ENHANCING TOWNSHIP AMENITIES ........................ 10 PROTECTING COMMUNITY CHARACTER ................. 10 CREATING CONNECTIVITY ..................................... 25 CELEBRATING COLLIER......................................... 29 ENRICHING SYSTEMS ........................................... 31 ENGAGING COLLIER ............................................. 31 PART 3:ACTIONS ..................................................... 33 PART 4: EXCELLENCE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ... 41 TOWNSHIP DEMOGRAPHICS .................................. 41 BENCHMARKING ................................................... 45 ECONOMICS ......................................................... 59 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ...................................... 67 CALCULATING BUILD-OUT ..................................... 76 The Community’s Comprehensive Plan Acknowledgements 3/1/12 Planning Commission Meeting 3/12/12 Conference Call Planning Commission 3/29/12 Smay Coordination Meeting Mike Ahwesh Tom Chidlow 4/19/12 Planning Commission Meeting Doug Price Kevin Smay 5/3/12 Community Design Workshop #1 Kevin Vaugh 7/19/12 Planning Commission Review Meeting Board of Commissioners 8/2/12 Planning Commission Meeting Kay Downey-Clarke Wilson Durisko 9/6/12 Planning Commission Meeting George Macino 10/18/12 Planning Commission Meeting Bob Shuler Timothy Young 12/6/12 Public Meeting (Open House) As part of its public outreach, the Township Township Staff Sal Sirabella, Township Manager also developed a Collier Township Planning Bob Caun, Planning Director Facebook page and created a postcard mailer delivered to every address within the In addition, this Plan could not have been Township to advertise, a key public possible without the participation of meeting/open house. At this Open House, residents, focus group members, business dozens upon dozens of residents reinforced owners, representatives of organizations the Plan’s vision, goals, objectives and within the community and the Chartiers recommendations illustrated their desires Valley School District. Throughout the for continued success for development and project’s 18-month process, the following conservation throughout the Township and, opportunities for input occurred. most importantly, accurately reflected the true Spirit of the community of Collier. 9/1/11 Planning Commission Meeting 11/3/11 Planning Commission Meeting Photography: AJ Schwartz and Kevin Smay 12/1/11 Planning Commission Workshop 1/4/12 Focus Group #1 1/5/12 Focus Group #2 1/5/12 Focus Group #3 1/5/12 Focus Group #4 1/5/12 Planning Commission Meeting 1/19/12 Planning Commission Public Meeting #1 1 ` The Spirit of Collier 2 The Community’s Comprehensive Plan Preface community within which to live for its quality schools and residential Great things are not done by impulse but neighborhoods. by a series of small things brought As the Township looks towards its future, together. ~ Vincent Van Gogh the Comprehensive Plan will guide development decisions and help ensure a This document represents the desirable quality of life. The community Comprehensive Plan for Collier Township, seeks to accomplish this by directing the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It presents use of land; the movement of people and a 10-year guide for the maintenance and goods; the conservation of natural enhancement of existing community assets resources; the redevelopment of key areas; and for improvement, development and and the provision of adequate redevelopment within the Township. This infrastructure and public facilities. It Comprehensive Plan (“The Plan”) is the addresses residential neighborhoods, result of a planning program that lasted commercial and business development, over a year. public and institutional lands, and the Collier Township, a community of more public rights-of-way. The Comprehensive than 7,000 residents, is located Plan promotes the Township’s assets and is approximately 8 miles southwest of aimed to be a tool in attracting new Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle. Collier residents and businesses. The residents enjoy convenient proximity to a Comprehensive Plan provides numerous major metropolitan city while experiencing recommendations designed to help the a semi-rural environment. The community’s Township achieve its overall vision. These population density is among the lowest of recommendations seek to balance the the communities south and west of demands of time and resources needed for Pittsburgh. Established in the 1700s, Collier their implementation. has a rich past. Today, the Township The Comprehensive Plan is the official, provides its residents with excellent access adopted guide for future development and to local and regional recreational, conservation within Collier Township. The employment and shopping opportunities. Plan sets forth goals, objectives and actions The Township is regarded as a desirable based on community desires and a thorough analysis of existing conditions, trends and regional setting. The Comprehensive Plan helps preserve and protect important existing features and resources, coordinate new growth and development, and establish a strong, positive community identity. 3 ` The Spirit of Collier There are several ways to express Collier’s commitment to foster and to guide desirable growth and conservation in the community. A painter may use one set of tools; the Township may use another. Yet, the painter’s and the Township’s approaches are parallel. If a painter were asked to illustrate Collier Township’s commitment to its residents and businesses, he or she would first gather a piece of canvas, a sturdy frame and sketch a scene. The Township would start with its land, networks and natural, civic and cultural resources. A canvas is much like the land; a frame much like networks of infrastructure or connectivity; and a scene much like a system of environmental and cultural resources. A painter strives to capture the right light, the right angle and the right motion; the Township aims to define realistic and forward-reaching goals, objectives and actions. In pulling all of these important elements together, a painter creates a masterpiece; the Collier community offers its residents and business owners a desirable place to call home. Art is not static; neither are development and conservation. Maintenance and improvement of physical systems occur daily and stakeholders gather at the table to continually balance investments of time and action. Crafting a strategy that embraces a community’s complexion and beauty is an art. This is the Township’s aim for distinction and action. 4 The Community’s Comprehensive Plan Part 1: A Community of productive rural/farmland and Distinction retail/employment centers (e.g. Settlers Ridge, Robinson Towne Center and The The Comprehensive Plan contains four Pointe at North Fayette, Penn Center West) Parts. Part 1 outlines the community’s are fundamental to the community’s overall ambitions for the coming decade. viability. Residents and other planning The Township’s efforts will stem from a stakeholders reiterated the importance of series of distinguishing planning and Collier's location in attracting new residents development influences that evolved in the future, particularly as the Township’s through the Comprehensive Plan’s process. visibility in the region increases. While Responses to these influences are rooted in location is at the forefront of many the Comprehensive Plan’s goals and discussions, the diversity of amenities, objectives. It is from these ideals that the places and landscapes in the Township is Township’s vision statement emerges. important as well. Park land and the Planning and Development Pandhandle Trail are valued assets and ones of focus for expansion/enhancement in the Influences coming years. The comprehensive planning process Visibility in the Region identifies and addresses contemporary The time is ripe for Collier Township to issues and opportunities of concern for enhance the manner, the method and the residents, workers, property owners, and effectiveness of the message it business owners in a community, as well as communicates to the Pittsburgh region (and emerging issues and opportunities that beyond). Two key community assets – its could be important in the future. Collier diverse landscape character and its Township's issues and opportunities reflect accessibility – remain understated. There is discussions with the Planning Commission, desire to solidify an image for the with residents at public meetings and with community, improve the visibility of the stakeholder focus groups. These issues and Township in the region and create a clear opportunities also shape the Comprehensive vision. Digital, print and spoken media can Plan’s recommendations. be used to convey up-to-date and relevant Location, Location, Location information associated with the community. As the real estate saying holds true: location is