0 COUNTY OF LYCOMING RESOLUTIONNO. 2018-18 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF LYCOMING IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA ADOPTING THE 2018 LYCOMING COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE WHEREAS, the Lycoming County Planning Commission serves as the official planning agency for Lycoming County; and WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act of 1968, P.L. 805, No. 247, as reenacted and amended) empowers counties, boroughs and townships of the first and second class, individually or jointly, to plan for their development and govern the same by zoning, subdivision and land development ordinances; and WHEREAS, the Lycoming County Board of Commissioners has provided staff support, from the Department of Planning and Community Development, to the Lycoming County Comprehensive Planning effort; and WHEREAS, three Rural Area Planning Advisory Teams (PATs) were organized to encourage participation and community input from the areas of the County not included in the multi-municipal plans process; and WHEREAS, the Rural Area PAT's conducted nine (9) meetings to help the County develop an understanding of the most pressing issues relevant to the rural areas of Lycoming County; and WHEREAS, the Lycoming County Planning Commission served as advisors and helped oversee the preparation of the 2018 County Comprehensive Plan Update, as required by the MPC; and WHEREAS, the Lycoming County Planning Commission undertook a public involvement process by conducting Focus Group Meetings to gain insights on existing conditions and issues concerning the functional planning areas of Community Development; Community Facilities & Infrastructure; Transportation and Mobility; Economic Development; Natural Resources; Public Safety; Agriculture & Forestry; Heritage, Culture, & the Arts; and Youth Engagement; and Countywide Comprehensive Plan Acknowledgements 2018 COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Acknowledgements Lycoming County Planning Commission (LCPC) Christopher Keiser, Chairman Jim Dunn, Member Carl R. Nolan, Vice Chairman George Logue Jr., Member James Crawford, Secretary Michael Sherman, Member Howard Fry, III, Member Brett Taylor, Member Larry Allison Jr., Member J. Michael Wiley, Solicitor Lycoming County Department of Planning and Community Development Kurt Hausammann Jr., AICP, Director Scott Williams, Tranportation Planner Kim Wheeler, AICP, Deputy Director Joshua Billings, Environmental Planner Frances McJunkin, CFM, Deputy Director Austin Daily, Subdivision & Land Development Administrator Mark Murawski, Transportation Supervisor Edward Feigles, GIS Analyst Jenny Picciano, AICP, Community Development/Lead Planner Richard Heimbach II, AICP, Zoning Officer John Lavelle, AICP, CFM, Municipal Services Supervisor Jane Magyar, Clerk IV Amy Fry, GIS Supervisor Stacy Lewis, Assistant Land Records Cartographer Deborah Bennett, Administrative Support Supervisor Dana Strunk, Land Records Database Coordinator Thomas Krajewski, Community & Economic David Hubbard, Zoning Administrator Development Planner William Kelly, Assistant Community & Economic Josh Schnitzlein, CFM, Hazard Reduction Planner Development Planner, Part-Time Former Staff Interns Megan Lehman, AICP Julianne Kiess Kurt Schmitt Tung (Tom) Nguyen Shelley Hill Haley Deibert Jessica DiBartolomeo Jacob Afton Kaelyn Koser Donald C.M. Keys Salvatore Vitko Dillon Laidacker Lauren Robinson Nicholas Correll Consultant Tetra Tech, Inc., Harrisburg, PA Lycoming 2030: Plan the Possible iii Countywide Comprehensive Plan Acknowledgements 2018 COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Page intentionally left blank Lycoming 2030: Plan the Possible iv Countywide Comprehensive Plan Foreward 2018 COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Foreward This plan, Lycoming 2030: Plan the Possible, sets a bold vision, yet realistic plan to guide Lycoming County over the next decade. The planning process ran simultaneous with the update of six multi-municipal comprehensive plans that were also facilitated by our staff. Those six plans were all adopted and published by December 2017. This plan takes into account knowledge gained from those 26 urbanized municipalities as well as the remaining rural areas of the County. This plan is an update to the 2006 County Comprehensive Plan which remains in force. The 2018 Lycoming County Comprehensive Plan Update; Lycoming 2030: Plan the Possible, focuses on validating the issues and concerns from the previous plan, identifying the root of the problems identified and finding solutions. The process did not spend a lot of time on visioning or developing goals and objectives since that was a significant effort undertaken during the 2006 process. However, the utilization of the 2006 and 2018 plans in concert with each other will provide a tremendous benefit and advantage to the County and its communities. Extraordinary community outreach was a principle mission of creating this plan. A full range of community outreach types and techniques were embodied during this plan process from public meetings and events around the County to meetings with stakeholder groups and visits to all the school districts and colleges in the County, to interviews, surveys, focus groups and municipal summits. We took as many steps as possible to engage the public in order to learn what is happening in our County rather than primarily relying on updating data. We used this input to help set priorities and validate the greatest concerns and opportunities facing Lycoming County at this time. The plan emphasizes what implications may occur if the issues are not addressed and it identifies a manageable number of strategic implementable projects, programs, and initiatives that can address those issues in the next ten years and beyond. To that end, the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update was developed under the following principles, defined by PA DCED’s “Creating an Implementable Comprehensive Plan” guidance: 1. Focus the plan on real and relevant issues 2. Organize the plan the way local officials and citizens think 3. Devise practical and workable recommendations 4. Recruit partners and create capacity to implement the plan 5. Get local ownership of the plan and commitment to implement This plan is intended to be used as a roadmap for future County investments and a tool to attract outside investment throughout the County. The ideas and recommendations identified herein cannot be carried out single-handedly; the County will undoubtedly need the partnership, support, buy-in, and expertise of many far and wide to accomplish these great things and make long-lasting impacts on our economy and quality of life. This is exciting stuff – Let’s get to it! Kim Wheeler, AICP Deputy Director Lycoming 2030: Plan the Possible v Countywide Comprehensive Plan Chapter 1: Introduction 2018 COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Table of Contents Plan Adoption .............................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................... iii Lycoming County Planning Commission (LCPC) ........................................................................................ iii Lycoming County Department of Planning and Community Development .............................................. iii Former Staff ............................................................................................................................................... iii Interns ....................................................................................................................................................... iii Consultant ................................................................................................................................................. iii Foreward .................................................................................................................................................... v Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1-1 Plan Organization ................................................................................................................................... 1-1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 1-2 Current Priority Issues .......................................................................................................................... 1-16 Figure and Table List ............................................................................................................................. 1-17 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... 1-17 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ 1-18 Acronyms .............................................................................................................................................. 1-19 Chapter 2: Topical Area Updates .............................................................................................................. 2-1 Community and Economic Development .................................................................................. 2-3 Community Facilities and Infrastructure