ATHENS TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Table of Contents Pase EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................. ix . CHAPTER 1 . INTRODUCTION A . What is a Comprehensive Plan .................. 1. B . Purpose of a Comprehensive Plan ............... 3 . C . Comprehensive Planning Process ................ 3 . D . Legal Status of Comprehensive Plans ........... 4 . CHAPTER 2 . MUNICIPAL HISTORY AND GENERAL BACKGROUND A . History of Athens Township .................... 6 . B . Location of Township in Regional Setting ...... 9 . C . Administrative Organization ................... 10 . CHAPTER 3 . DEMOGRAPHICS ANALYSIS A . Past Growth Trends ............................ 13 . B . Current Population Profile .................... 15 . 1. Age-Sex Distribution .................. 16 . 2 . Race .................................. 19 . 3 . Marital Status ........................ 20 . 4 . Household and Family Characteristics .. 21 . 5 . Family and Household Income ........... 22 . 6 . Education ............................. 24 . C . Population Projection (20 years) .............. 25 . D . Implications for Development Plan ............. 26 . i CHAPTER 4 . ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Paae A . Regional Economy .............................. 28 . B . Employers and Economic Base ................... 28 . C . Banking ....................................... 29 . D . Local Economy and Work Force .................. 32 . E . Employment Forecasts........................... 35 . F . Township Fiscal Analysis ...................... 40 . CHAPTER 5 . COMMUNITY FACILITIES & SERVICES ... A . Government Facilities and Services ............ 44 . 1. Township Government ................... 44 . 2 . County Government ..................... 46 . B . Police Protection ............................. 47 . C . Fire Protection ............................... 47 . D . Emergency Management Coordinator .............. 48 . E . Emergency Medical Services .................... 48 . 1 . Greater Valley EMS Ambulance Service .. 48 . 2 . Guthrie EMS Service ................... 49 . F . Educational Facilities ........................ 49 . 1 . Public and Private Schools (K-12) ..... 49 . 2 . Post-Secondary Opportunities .......... 51 . 3 . Vocational-Technical Training ......... 51 . .a. 4 . Employment Education .................. 51 . 5 . Other Adult Education & Career Training 52 . G . Social Services ............................... 52 . H . Health Care ................................... 53 . 1 . Guthrie Healthcare System ............. 53 . 2 . Memorial Hospital ..................... 55 . 3 . Other Long-Term Care Options .......... 55 . I . Parks. Recreational Activities & Cultural Facilities .................................. 55 . 1. Round Top Park ........................ 55 . 2 . Other Facilities 61 Activities ......... 56 . 3 . Cultural Facilities ................... 58 . ii CHAPTER 6 . PUBLIC UTILITIES Paae A . Water Supply Facilities ....................... 59 . 1 . Public Water Supply ................... 59 . 2 . Private. On-Site Water Supplies ....... 60 . B . Sewage Facilities ............................. 61. 1 . Public Sewer System ................... 61 . 2 . Private. On-Site Sewage Facilities .... 63 . C . Stormwater Facilities and Management .......... 64 . D . Solid Waste Management ........................ 65 . E . Electric & Natural-Gas Utilities .............. 66 . 1 . Electric Service ...................... 66 . 2 . Natural Gas Service ................... 67 . F . Cable Service ................................. 67 . CHAPTER 7 . LAND USE A . Physical Features ............................. 68 . 1 . Topography ............................ 68 . 2 . Soils ................................. 70 . 3 . Floodplains and Wetlands .............. 74 . 4 . Natural Resources ..................... 75 . B . Existing Land Uses ............................ 75 . 1 . Residential ........................... 75 . 2 . Commercial & Industrial ............... 77 . 3 . Public/Semi-Public .................... 77 . 4 . Agriculture ........................... 78 . 5 . Forest/Woodland ....................... 79 . 6 . Streets and Railroads ................. 80 . 7 . Other Undeveloped Lands SI Water ....... 80 . C . Future Land Use Needs ......................... 83 . iii . CHAPTER 8 . HOUSING Pase A . Housing Profile ............................... 84 . B . Housing Conditions ............................ 88 . C . Housing Needs Assessment ...................... 91. D . Housing and Building Codes .................... 94 . CHAPTER 9 . TRANSPORTATION A . Road and Highway Transportation Network ....... 95 . 1 . Functional Classification ............ 95 . 2 . Ownership/Responsibility ............. 99 . 3 . Physical Conditions .................. 99 . 4 . Township Bridges ..................... 102 . 5 . County Bridges ....................... 103 . B . Traffic Analysis ............................... 103 . 1 . Circulation Patterns ................. 103 . 2 . Problem Areas ........................ 104 . C . Future Highway Needs and Plans ............... 106 . 1 . Township Roads ....................... 106 . 2 . State Routes ......................... 107 . D . Public Transit Services ....................... 108 . 1 . Endless Mountains Transportation Authority ........................... 108 . 2 . Commercial Bus Service ............... 109 . E . Air Service ................................... 110 . F . Rail Service .................................. 110 . iv CHAPTER 10 DEVELOPMENT PLAN Paae A . Statement of Community Development Objectives . 112 . B . Development Suitabilities f Limitations ....... 113 . 1 . Growth Stimuli ....................... 113 . 2 . Growth Limitations ................... 115 . C . General Goals and Objectives .................. 116 . 1 . Natural Features f Resources ......... 116. 2 . Noise. Air 61 Electromagnetic Field Pollution .......................... 117. 3 . Public Utilities ..................... 117. 4 . Public Safetyj-Emergency Services ..... 117. 5 . Property Rights 61 Values ............. 118. 6 . Transportation ....................... 118. 7 . Economics ............................ 118. 8 . Housing .............................. 119. 9 . Recreation ........................... 119. 10 . Historic f Cultural Programs ......... 119. 11 . Government f Education ............... 119. 12 . Intergovernmental Cooperation ........ 119. D . Future Growth Policies 61 Plan Recommendations . 120 . E . Future Land Use Planning Concepts ............. 130 . 1 . General Concepts ..................... 130 . 2 . Land Use Recommendations ............. 131 . F . Effect on Adjacent Municipalities ............. 134 . G . Interrelationship of Plan Components .......... 136 . CHAPTER 11 . IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES A . Land Use Control Regulation Recommendations ... 137 . B . Priorities and Implementation Schedule ........ 138 . 1 . Short-Term Strategies .Limited Budget Impact ............................. 139 . 2 . Short-Term Strategies .Budget Impact 141 . 3 . Long-Term Strategies .Limited Budget Impact ............................. 143 . 4 . Long-Term Strategies .Budget Impact . 145 . Paae C . Capital Improvements Program Recommendations .. 147 . D . Project Funding Options ....................... 149 . RESOLUTION OF ADOPTION ............................. 152 . APPENDICES A . Major Regional Employers ...................... A-1 B . Athens Township Businesses .................... B-1 C . Athens Township Condensed Audit Reports 1982. 1984. 1986. 1988. 1990 and 1991 ....... C-1 D . Education (Public and Private - K through 12) and Libraries ............................... D-1 E . Colleges and Adult Education .................. E-1 F . Social Services ............................... F-1 G . Long-Term Health Care ......................... G-1 H . Land Use Survey Rating Form & Criteria ........ H-1 I . Roadway Condition Rating Form ................. 1-1 Graph 1 . Household Income By Zip Code (1989) ...... 36 . Graph 2 . Earned Income Tax Collected (1980-1990) .. 37 . LISTING OF MAPS Map 1 . Township Location ........................ 12 . Map 2 . Five-County Economic Region .............. 30 . Map 3 . Public Water Service Areas ............... 60-A Map 4 . Public & Package Sewage Treatment Service Areas .................................. 63-A Map 5 . Slope .................................... 69-A Map 6 . Soils .................................... 70-A Map 7 . Agricultural Soils ....................... 72-A Map 8 . Floodplains and Wetlands ................. 74-A Map 9 . Existing Land Use ........................ 80-A Map 10 . Future Land Use Recommendations .......... 133-A vi P'.. .' LISTING OF TABLES Paae Table 1. Athens Township & Bradford County Popula- tion (1950-1990) .......................... 13. Table 2. Valley Region Population Growth (1950-1990) . 14. Table 3A. Athens Township Age-Sex Distribution - 1980 . 16. Table 3B. Athens Township Age-Sex Distribution - 1990 . 16. Table 3C. Athens Township Age-Sex Distribution Compar- ison (1980 and 1990) ...................... 17. Table 3D. Athens Township Age-Sex Distribution Compar- ison (1970, 1980, 1990) ................... 17. Table 4. Bradford County Age Characteristic Project- ions (1980-2000) .......................... 19. Table 5. Athens Township Population by Race (1970, 1980-,-and 1990) ................... 20. Table 6. Athens Township Household and Family Charact- eristics (1980 and 1990) .................. 21. Table 7. Athens Township Family and Household Income (1970, 1980 and 1990) ..................... 22. Table 8. Athens Township Income Status