CONNEAUT TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CRAWFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS Robert Laird - Chairman Rankin Manning John Uzarski Sally A. Gillette - Secretary TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION George Sparber - Chairman Ed Shelatz - Vice Chairman Larry Schmidt - Secretary Russell Loucks Lois Denison Herb Giles Lina Stark THIS PLAN WAS PREPARED BY THE CONNEAUT TOWNSHIP PLANNING COM- MISSION WITH TECHNICAL HELP FROM THE. CRAWFORD COUNTY PLANNING COM- MISSION UNDER A GRANT FROM THE APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION. SEPTEMBER 1981 CRAWFORD COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO CONNEAUT TOWNSHIP Edward P. Edinger Planning Director Christopher C. Chaffee Branch Office Director * John T. Peck Project Planner Cindi Lou Burnley Secretary Terry Oaks Draftsman Lois J. May Secretary Robert Hopkins Draftsman Lynne Kardosh Cover Design i .. Page INTRODUCTION 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION EARLY HISTORY OF CONNEAUT TOWNSHIP 3 NATURAL CONDITIONS - PHYSIOGRAPHY 7 EXISTING LAND USE 9 Introduction 9 Land Use Patterns 10 NATURAL RESOURCES 21 Introduction 21 Soils Influence on Development 21 Ground Water Resources 25 Surface Water and Flooding 29 Gas and Oil Resources 30 Vegetation, Forest Resources, and Wildlife 32 COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES 33 Introduction 33 Municipal Governance 33 Utilities 35 Police Protection 39 Fire Protect ion 39 Health and Emergency Services 40 Parks and Recreation 41 Schools 41 Library 42 Solid Waste Disposal 42 Social Opportunities and Services 43 Transport at ion 43 POPULATION 49 Introduction 49 Current Population 49 Population Trends 50 Population Forecast 55 U. S. Steel Related Growth 56 MUNICIPAL FISCAL ANALYSIS 58 Introduct ion 58 Township Revenue Sources 58 Township Expenditures 62 Summary of Receipts and Expenditures 63 Debt Limitat ion 64 Overall Tax Burden 64 Conclusion 65 HOUS I NG 66 Introduction 66 Existing Conditions 66 Growth Indicators 68 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS 70 Introduction 70 Employment 70 Income 75 ii REGIONAL CONTEXT 78 Introduction 78 Relationships to --d.jacent lun icipal it -es 78 Social, Economic, and Institutional Ties 79 Relationships on a County-Wide/Regional Planning Basis 80 U. S. Steel Plant Site 81 -THE PLAN 83 Plan Introduction 83 Community Development Goals 83 FUTURE LAND USE PLAN 87 Introduction 87 Land Use Goal 87 Land Use Policies 88 TRANSPORTATION PLAN 97 Introduction 97 Transport at ion Goal 97 Transportation Policies, Programs, and Projects 97 Road System 97 Airport 106 Railroad 107 Other Transportat ion Modes 107 COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES PLAN 108 Introduction . 108 Community Facilities and Services Goal 108 ~ Community Facilities and Services, Policies, Programs and Projects 1 108 ~ HOUSING PLAN 114 Introduction 114 Housing Goal 114 Housing Policies 114 IMPLEMENTATION 117 Introduction 117 Programs and Projects 117 Implement ation Tools 118 The Plan as a Continuing Process 125 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 126 Supporting Material 126 APPENDIX 2 127 Total Municipal Revenues 1976-1980 127 Total Municipal Expenditures 1976-1980 128 APPENDIX 3 129 Revision Page 129 TABLES 1. Land Use Accounts for Existing Land Uses Conneaut Township - January 1981 20 2. Population by Age and Sex - Conneaut Township - 1970 49 iii 3. Population Comparisons 1810-1980 50 4. Population 1940-70 Percentages by Age Group and Sex 52 1 5. Comparison of Population Trends - Conneaut Valley Area 1940-1980 6. Comparison of Population Trends - Linesville 53 Area, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, 1 United States 1970-80 7. Summary of Receipts and Expenditures - Conneaut Township 1976-1980 5458 1 8. Trends in Assessed Valuation and Millage Rates Conneaut Township 1976-1980 9. Effect of Taxes on Average Family - Conneaut 59 I Township 1978 65 10. Supply and Condition of Housing - Conneaut Valley Area - 1970 11. Iiousing Units by Condition - Conneaut Township - 1970 66 12. Trend Indicators - Growth Since 1976 13. Labor Force Characteristics - Conneaut Township and Crawford County - 1969 14. Employment by Major Industry - Conneaut Township and Crawford County - 1969 7072 1 15. Employment by Major Occupation - Conneaut Town- ship and Crawford County - 1969 16. Location of Employment by County, State and 73 Municipality - Conneaut Township - 1980 74 1 17. Five Year Income Comparisons - Conneaut Valley and Crawford County - (1970-1975) 18. Incorrle Ranges for Persons 14 Years and Older 75 I by Sex Conneaut Township Residents 1969-1979 76 1 MAPS AND FIGURES Three County Regional Map 2 1 Map of Corxeaut Township (1876) 6 Existing Land Use Bedrock Geology - Conneaut Township 27l9 1 Figure 1. - Geologic Cross Section, Running West to East Approximately Along Line of Wheeler Road 28 Electric Utilities 3836 1 Other Utility Lines ’ Average Daily Traffic Figure 2. - Average Revenue and Expenditures Conneaut Township, 1976-1980 4660 I Future Land Use Plan 96 iv INTRODUCTION Spurred by the U.S. Steel Corporation's proposal to build a fully integrated steel making plant on the shores of Lake Erie only four- teen rnjles to the north, the Applachjan Regional Cornrnission (ARC) responded admirably to requests from state and county officials and agreed to fund a planning program for the municipalities in western Crawford County. This program was established to assist these local municipalities in preparing plans in anticipation of growth impacts from this industrial complex. Conneaut Township determined that it would be wise to get involved in such a program. U. S. Steel officials indicate that there could be 8,500 workers at their "greenfield" plant by 1988, if construction starts in the early ~O'S,and the number of construction workers at the peak of con- struction is estimated at 10,500. The total impact population for Pennsylvania and Ohio combined is estimated at about 40,000 people with each state gaining about 20,900 new people in the impact area. Crawford County could see a population increase from U. S. Steel re- lated growth of between 5,500 and 5,800 people by 1990. The planning grant provided by ARC was adrninistrered by the North- west Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Cornrnission. The grant was received locally by the CrswPord County Planning Corn- mission whose staff helped the Conneaut Township Supervisors estab- lish a planning cornrnission in December of 1980. Since then the Plan- ning Commission, which consists of seven cjtizen members, has worked long hard hours toward the completion of chis comprehensive plan. The Cornrnission is appointed by the Supervisors and members serve without compensation. The plan's goals, policies, and recornrnended programs and projects were formulated primarily by the Conneaut Town- ship Planning Cornrnission. They were developed in order to represent the expectations, preferences, and future needs of Township residents. The Planning.Cornmission emphasizes the fact that this document is purely an advisory document. Statements of policy are to be clearly considered recommendations and are -not to be misinterpreted in any other way. This comprehensive plan report is organized into four areas; Introduction Background Information , Regional Context The Plan For the reader who is not aware of Conneaut Township's location in relationship to the proposed U. S. Steel plant site, the balance of Crawford County, and the neighboring counties to the north and west, a Three County Regional Map follows this introduction. I EARLY HISTORY OF CONNEAUT TOWb!SHIP I Conneaut Township was organized on July 9, 1800 as one of the 11 original townships in Crawford County. The following areas were included within its original boundaries: the southern half of 1 present Conneaut Township (the northern half was part of the original Beaver Township), the southwest corner of Summerhill Township, the western part of Summit and Sadsbury Townships, all 1 of Pine Township, and most of North Shenango Township. Later, in 1829, Conneaut was reduced to its present limits by a re-f ormat ion of township lines. I Settlement of the Township began in 1797 or earlier. By this time Jabez Colt, an agent of the Pennsylvania Population Land Company which owned most of the land in the township, had built a grist 1 mill and saw mill at the settlement 'called Colt's Station. This was done to stimulate immigration to these lands; however, the place did not flourish and after remaining there several years 1 the settlement was abandoned. (Research indicates that the sitel of this settlement may have been near present day Center Road.) 1 During the first years of settlement, around 1800, a large number of the tracts of land obtained from the land company were either sold or abandoned by the first settlers. This was because the labor of clearing timber was extremely ardous and because the soil I often was found too low and wet to produce crops. Therefore, the Township settled slowly. As late as 1830 there I were still few settlers in Conneaut, but as the land was cleared it became drier and more tillable and settlers flocked in. (The population increased from 547 in 1830 to 1,526 in 1840.) Farms I were well stocked and highly improved by the late 1800's with a peak of development occuring in 1860 when the population was re- corded at 1,867. i The first grist and saw-mill was built by Issac Paden, prior to 1800, on Padens' Run (presumably present day Paden Creek) in the southwest part of Conneaut. The grist mill was a small affair, 1 and was operated only at intervals when sufficient head of water had accumulated to run the mill. i The first school was probably taught about 1810, by Thomas McGGire, in a cabin which stood near the deserted Colt's Station. In 1818 the first log schoolhouse was built with Messrs. Smith, Spaulding, and Marshall as its early teachers. Schools were also built at li Pennline in 1820 and at Summit Station in 1821. I 'See "Research Report for Historic Sites Survey, Crawford County, Pennsylvania" , 1980. (Preliminary report , Crawford County Planning I Commission). p. 17 (1838 Map); and Samuel P.