HOWARD TOWNSHIP CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Prepared for the Howard Township Planning Commission by the Centre County Planning Commission 1973 The preparation of this report was financed in part through an Urban Planning Grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the provisions of Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954, as amended, and as administered by the Bureau of Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs. COURTHOUSE BELLEFONTE, PENNSYLVANIA 16823 81 4-355-2868 Chairman and Members Howard Township Planning Commission . Centre County, Pennsylvania Gentlemen: TheCen..e County Planning Commission is pleased .J submit this report entitled Howard Township Comprehensive Plan which has been ' prepared as part of the Inter-Valley Regional Comprehensive Develop- ment Program. This report represents the combined efforts of the Centre County Planning Commission, the Inter-Valley Regional Planning Commission, the governing body and planning commission of Howard Township, as we1 I as other interested individuals and agencies of the Inter-Val ley area. It is hoped that this report and the recommendations contained herein will furnish the Townshipwith a realistic guide for future devel- opmen t . F"&/Respectfully submitted, Robert B. Donaldson, Jr Executive Director RESOLUTION .*<i 1i k’ .,! A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF HOWARD ADOPTING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FORMULATED BY THE CENTRE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION, BELLEFONTE, PENNSYLVANIA, AS APPROVED BY THE HOWARD TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION WITH AMENDMENTS RECOMMENDED BY THE HOWARD TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO THE ACT OF ASSEMBLY MADE AND PROVIDED. BE IT RESOLVED by the authority of the Supervisors of the Township of Howard that the Comprehensive Plan prepared by the Centre County Planning Commission together with its amendments be and is hereby approved and adopted as amended in accordance with the recommendations of the Howard Township Planning Commission that said Compre- hensive Plan shall include all of the maps, charts and textual matter attached hereto and made a part of this Resolution by reference, said Plan containing the objectives of Howard Township concerning its future development together with an indication of the future land use within the Township and an expression of the relationship of the Township with the surrounding municipalities. BE IT RESOLVED that the proper officials of the Township of Howard endorse the action of the governing body upon the maps, charts, textual matter and other material forming a part of the Plan attached hereto and made a part hereof and that the proper officials of the Township be authorized to implement the Plan including all of its related sections as is provided by law. Y sc-’ Smehisors Dated ‘i P. CONTENTS Page Letter of Transmittal Resolution of Adoption Statement of Objectives 1 Location 2 History Popu lat ion Ec on omy Topography Soils a Regional Facilities 11 Transportation 12 Land Use 14 Future Plan 16 LIST OF MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS , Follows Page 1. Howard Township: Location 2 2. Howard Township: Topography 8, Drainage a 3. Howard Township: hi I Limitations I (On-site disposal) 9 4. Howard Township: Soil Limitations II (buildings, three stories 9 or less with basements). Howard Township: Development Limitations (Page 10) 5. Inter-Va I1 ey Region : Water & Sewer Systems 12 6. Howard Township: Existing Transportation System 13 7. Howard Township: Transportation Plan 13 8. Howard Township: Existing Land Use 14 9. inter-Valley Region: Future Land Use 17 10. Howard Township: Future Land Use 17 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES a HOWARD TOWNSHIP The realization of the Howard Township Comprehensive Ian will depend i! largely on the initiative, dedication, and farsightedness of its elected officials, rl appointed agencies and interested citizens. Toward this end it seems reasonable that a Statement of Objectives be adopted by those who will assume the major role d and responsibility in implementing the various proposals contained,or implied in this Comprehensive Plan. The Inter-Val ley Regional Planning Commission, at a Special Meeting of July 23, 1969, unanimously adopted four (4) regional objectives to assist the local com- .. munities in their evaluation of the local comprehensive plans. Thus, the first four items listed below reflect the Regional Commission's recommended Objectives, while the remaining items include locally oriented obiectives. 1. To further the welfare of the people by helping to create an increasingly better, more healthful, convenient, efficient and attractive community en- vironmen t . 2. To formulate general guide1 ines for the orderly development of the physical, social , and economic resources of the community. 3. To determine, on a continuing and flexible basis, the future guidelines for orderly community growth. 4. To provide for the orderly integration of state, county, regional, and local goals. 5. To recognize and overcome where possible the physical limitations of the Township in supporting major urban development. 6. To guide the area in becoming part of the Blanchard Reservoir regional rec- reation center. 7. To provide a logical overall framework for the orderly expansion of municipal functions and services. -1- LOCATION Howard Township completely surrounds the Borough of Howard in the central portion of the Inter-Valley Region. TheTownship is boundedon the north by Curtin Township, on the west by Boggs Township, on the east by Liberty Township, and on the south by Marion Township - all ofwhichare in Inter-Valley (See Map 1, Howard Township: Location). The Township originally developed prirnarilyas an agricultural area with some non-farm development taking place along existing transportation routes. HISTORY In 1784 WiIIiarnCrossrnanand Richard Gunsallus settled inwhat is now known as Mount Eagle. The surrounding area was referred to as Centre Township, until 1810 when the local court recommended dividing the municipality because of its size. Howard Township was named after the English philanthropist, John Howard (1726-1790), whodevoted his life to the betterment of the conditions ofall prisoners and captives. Why he was chosen for the honor is unknown. Then after fifty-four years of being part of the Township, the Borough of Howard was established in 1864. Howard Township has always been an agricultural area, with little or no corn- mercial or industrial development. The rural non-farm development that did exist sirnplysprang upalong the roads and rail lines of the Township. Twosmall residential nodes have developed over this period - one is Mount Eagle in the southwesternpart of the Township and the other is the area in and around Howard Borough. Much of the original development in the Township was eliminated when the broad floodplain of Bald Eagle Creek was acquired for the Blanchard Reservoir and Bald Eagle State Park. POPULAT 1 ON The 1970 population of Howard Township was 732. From 1920 to 1960 the Township exhibited a slow and rather sporadic increase in population. However, -2- with the recent construction of the Foster Joseph Sayers Dam, a very large portion of the municipality's developed land was acquired. Although the project is ex- pected toprovide a rnuchneeded impetusfor new development in the area, its con- struction resulted in a temporary drop inpopulation in Howard Township. The pop- ulation figures show an 8.7% decline between 1960 and 1970. HOWARD TOWNSHIP POPULATION 19 2 0 -1 9 60 PROJECTED to 1990 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1990 -3- The 1960 U. S. Census breakdown of population by age and sex for Howard Township indicated a higher percentage of young people (5-14 years of age) and a higher people-per-household figure (3.97) than the National averages. These fig- ures seem to reflect an area of large families andrnany children which is indicative of rural areas. However, the Township figures also reflect a significant drop in 1 .- COMPARISON OF POPULATION AGE-SEX COMPOSITION 1960 MA LE FEMALE 7 15% 10% 5% 0 5% 10% 15 % United States I nter-Va I Iey =Howad Township -4- young adults (15-24 years of age) which indicates that theyare leaving the area to seek employment elsewhere. Another interesting characteristic reflected in the age- sex comparison is the large number of older males (45 and over) in the Township. There appears to be no single cause for this situation. Thegraph, "Howard Township Population 1920-1970, 'I includes a population projection for 1990. The projection consists of a high (1,500), medium (l,lOO), and low (800) population figure. It is very difficult to accurately project the future population of Howard Township. The completion of the Sayers Dam and develop- ment of the Bald Eagle State Park provides a major impetus for growth; however, this growth potential may or may not be realized depending upon the Township's ability to solve the many other problems which will impede futuredevelopment. If no solutions to these problems are forthcoming the low population projection of 800 could be realistic; however, if solutions arefound and implemented the high figure of 1,500 could be reached. This figure is very significant since it would mean a doubling of the population over the next 20 years. The character of the population will also change as it increases. The new population will beprimarily recreation oriented. There will also be an increase in seasonal homes and residences. ECONOMY Any area must have a strong, vibrant economy to grow. In evaluating the economy of anyarea, a number of factors must be analyzed in order to identifyex- isting problems and toprojecta reasonable assessment of the economic future of the area. The major factors involved in evaluating the economy of a region are the value of the land, any improvements on it, the types of employment and wages available, and the potential for industrial growth. The assessed valuation of Howard Township increased 6.0% between 1961 and 1965. However, the land acquired for the recent construction of the Foster Joseph Sayers Dam project represented 52% of the Township's assessed valuation.