SOUTH CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTY REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PREPARED FOR: Gilpin, Parks and Bethel Townships and Leechburg Borough Armstrong County, PA PREPARED BY: Richard C. Sutter and Associates, Inc. SOUTH CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTY REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR GILPIN, PARKS AND BETHEL TOWNSHIPS AND LEECHBURG BOROUGH ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA This project was financed through the following sources: A State Planning Assistance Grant (SPAG), FFY 1999 (Gilpin, Parks and Bethel Townships), a Land Use Planning and Technical Assistance Program, FFY 2001 (Leechburg Borough), from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development, and Local Sources. PREPARED BY: GILPIN, PARKS AND BETHEL TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS, LEECHBURG BOROUGH COUNCIL, AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE RICHARD C. SUTTER & ASSOCIATES, INC. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNERS/LAND PLANNERS/HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNERS THE MANOR HOUSE – P.O. BOX 564 HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA 16648 i June 15, 2003 The Communities of South Central Armstrong County including Gilpin Township Parks Township 589 State Route 66 26 Jackson Street Leechburg, PA 15656 Vandergrift, PA 15690 (724) 845-6981 (724) 567-7764 Bethel Township Leechburg Borough 218 Ridge Road 260 Market Street Ford City, PA 16226 Leechburg, PA 15656 (724) 763-1882 (724) 842-8511 RE: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTY REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Ladies and Gentlemen: Kindly find attached the Final document of the South Central Armstrong County Comprehensive Plan. Speaking upon behalf of our firm, we have most enjoyed this challenging Multi-Municipal planning project. If you should need our assistance in the future as you proceed through the adoption process and begin to implement the recommendations and proposals contained within the Plan, kindly feel free to call upon us. With best personal regards. Very truly yours, RICHARD C. SUTTER AND ASSOCIATES, INC. Comprehensive Planners/Land Planners/Historic Preservation Planners Richard C. Sutter, AICP Senior Community Planner President ii Map 1 - Regional Base map 11x17 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page # Title Page ................................................... .......................i Letter of Transmittal ................................................... ............. ii Regional Base Map ................................................... ..............iii Table of Contents ................................................... ............... .iv List of Maps ................................................... .................... v List of Tables ................................................... ...................vi List of Figures ................................................... .................viii Acknowledgments ................................................... ............... ix Gilpin Township Base Map ................................................... x Parks Township Base Map ................................................... ........ xi Bethel Township Base Map ................................................... ....... xii Leechburg Borough Base Map ................................................... xiii PART I: THE BACKGROUND STUDIES 1. The History of the South Central Armstrong County Region ........................ 1 2. The Physiography and Environment of the South Central Armstrong County Region . 16 3. The Existing Land Use of the South Central Armstrong County Region .............. 40 4. The People of the South Central Armstrong County Region ........................ 57 5. South Central Armstrong County Region’s Housing .............................. 70 6. The Economy of South Central Armstrong County Region ......................... 83 7. South Central Armstrong County Region’s Transportation ....................... 100 8. The Community Facilities and Public Utilities of the South Central Armstrong County Region ................................................... ................ 112 PART II: THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ELEMENTS 9. Introduction ................................................... ............ 131 10. Public Participation Process and Results ....................................... 134 11. Goals and Objectives ................................................... .... 152 12. The Future Land Use of South Central Armstrong County Region ................. 167 13. The Future Housing of South Central Armstrong County Region .................. 191 14. The Future Economy of South Central Armstrong County Region ................. 204 15. The Future Transportation of South Central Armstrong County Region ............ 208 16. The Future Community Facilities and Public Utilities of the South Central Armstrong County Region ................................................... 216 17. The Plan Component Interrelationship Statement ............................... 229 18. The Contiguous Municipalities Statement ...................................... 231 19. The Implementation Tools and Strategies ...................................... 233 PART III: APPENDICES Appendix A - 2000 Census Data Tables .............................................. 235 Appendix B - Parks Township Business Listing ....................................... 256 iv LIST OF MAPS Map # Title Page # PART I: THE BACKGROUND STUDIES Map 1 The Gilpin, Parks and Bethel Township and Leechburg Borough Region, Armstrong County, and Pennsylvania . ......................iii Map 2 Gilpin Township Base Map ...................... ......................... x Map 3 Parks Township Base Map ....................... ........................xi Map 4 Bethel Township Base Map...................... ........................ xii Map 5 Leechburg Borough Base Map .................... .......................xiii Map 6 Historical Armstrong County.................. ............................ 3 Map 7 Historical South Central Armstrong County Region........................... 14 Map 8 Regional Topography .......................... ........................ 21 Map 9 Regional Slope............................... ......................... 22 Map 10 Regional Geology ............................. ........................ 25 Map 11 Regional Soils ............................... ......................... 32 Map 12 Regional Flood Plains and Wetlands ........... ............................ 36 Map 13 Regional Mine Subsidence Map ................. ......................... 37 Map 14 Gilpin Township Existing Land Use ............ ........................... 44 Map 15 Parks Township Existing Land Use ............. ........................... 47 Map 16 Bethel Township Existing Land Use ............ ........................... 50 Map 17 Leechburg Borough Existing Land Use .......... ........................... 53 Map 18 Regional Existing Land Use – Summary Map . .......................... 55 Map 19 Regional Roadway Classifications ............. .......................... 102 Map 20 Regional Traffic Volumes ..................... ......................... 104 Map 21 Regional School Districts .................... .......................... 115 Map 22 Regional Community Facilities ................ .......................... 123 Map 23 Regional Water Service Areas ................. .......................... 125 Map 24 Regional Sewer Service Areas................. .......................... 127 PART II: THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ELEMENTS Map 25 Regional Development Opportunities and Constraints ........................ 169 Map 26 Regional Future Growth Areas ................. ......................... 183 Map 27 Gilpin Township Future Land Use .............. ......................... 184 Map 28 Parks Township Future Land Use ............... ......................... 185 Map 29 Bethel Township Future Land Use .............. ......................... 186 Map 30 Leechburg Borough Future Land Use ............ ......................... 187 Map 31 Future Regional Water Service Areas .......... ........................... 228 Map 32 Future Regional Sewer Service Areas .......... ........................... 229 Map 33 Contiguous Municipalities.................... .......................... 233 v LIST OF TABLES Table # Title Page# PART I: THE BACKGROUND STUDIES Table 1 Gilpin Township Existing Land Use ........... ............................ 42 Table 2 Parks Township Existing Land Use ............ ............................ 45 Table 3 Bethel Township Existing Land Use ........... ............................ 48 Table 4 Leechburg Borough Existing Land Use ......... ............................ 51 Table 5 Population Change, 1970-2000 ................ ........................... 58 Table 6 Gilpin Township’s Population Trends and Projections, 1930-2020 ............... 59 Table 7 Parks Township’s Population Trends and Projections, 1930-2020 ................ 59 Table 8 Bethel Township’s Population Trends and Projections, 1930-2020 ............... 60 Table 9 Leechburg Borough’s Population Trends and Projections, 1930-2020 . 61 Table 10 Families as a Percent of Households, 1990-2000 ............................. 62 Table 11 Educational Attainment, 1990-2000 .......... ............................. 64 Table 12 Age Distribution, 1990-2000 ................ ............................. 66 Table 13 Place of Birth, 1990-2000 .................. ............................. 67 Table 14 Dependent Populations, 1990-2000 ........... ............................. 68 Table 15 Total Housing Units, 1980-2000 ............. ............................. 71 Table