NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ACKNOWLEDGMENTS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Samuel S. Deitrick, Chairman Kurt A. Masser Frank J. Sawicki PLANNING COMMISSION BOARD Leon Karpinski, Chairman Steve Minker Montie Peters, Vice-Chairman John J. Boback Dwayne Pidcoe, Secretary Shannon Miller Ed Christiano Robert Pardoe Justin Dunkelberger PLANNING COMMISSION Ronald G. Marshall, Jr., Director Deborah Ritzman, Program Coordinator Kathryn Schramm, Fiscal Analyst Kimberly A. Weigand, Grants Manager Jim Eister, Project Compliance Inspector PLANNING COMMISSION SOLICITOR Attorney Frank Konopka NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 1 A. Purpose..................................................... 2 B. Statutory Authority ........................................... 4 C. Structure of the Northumberland County Comprehensive Plan ......... 9 D. Location and Setting ......................................... 10 E. History of Northumberland County .............................. 12 F. County and Municipal Governments ............................. 15 II. DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................... 17 III. HOUSING CONDITIONS ............................................. 27 A. Housing Characteristics....................................... 28 B. Housing Goal and Objective ................................... 36 IV. LAND USE ....................................................... 37 A. Environmental and Natural Features............................. 38 B. Existing Land Use........................................... 49 C. Goals and Objectives......................................... 54 D. Land Use Plan .............................................. 56 V. COMMUNITY FACILITIES ............................................ 147 A. Community Facilities Inventory ............................... 148 B. Community Facilities Goal and Objectives ....................... 156 C. Community Facilities Plan .................................... 157 VI. Transportation .................................................. 168 A. Transportation Basics ....................................... 169 B. Transportation Goal and Objectives ............................ 176 C. Transportation Plan ......................................... 177 VII. Economic Development .......................................... 189 A. Economic Development Perspective ............................ 190 B. Economic Development Goal and Objectives ..................... 206 C. Economic Development Plan .................................. 207 VIII. Intergovernmental Cooperation ................................... 210 A. Federal, State, County and Local Actions ........................ 211 B. Plan Interrelationship........................................ 214 C. Statement Regarding Plan Implementation Strategies............... 217 D. Statement Regarding Plan Relationship to the Development of Adjacent Municipalities .................................... 218 IX. ENERGY ........................................................ 219 X. HISTORIC PRESERVATION .......................................... 222 A. Historic Preservation Resources ............................... 223 B. Historic Preservation Goal and Objectives ....................... 225 C. Historic Preservation Plan.................................... 226 LIST OF TABLES TABLE TITLE PAGE 1LOCAL LAND USE PLANNING AND CONTROLS ................... 6 2OVERVIEW OF MAJOR PLANNING FUNCTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA BY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT ............................... 16 3POPULATION - 1900 TO 2000 .............................. 19 4POPULATION OF SURROUNDING COUNTIES - 1960 TO 2000 ........ 20 5POPULATION BY AGE - 2000 AND 1990 ....................... 22 6POPULATION BY RACE - 1990 AND 2000 ...................... 23 7POPULATION BY MUNICIPALITY - 1990 AND 2000 ................ 24 8POPULATION - 1970 TO 2000 .............................. 26 9HOUSING TENURE - 1970 TO 2000 .......................... 28 10 UNITS PER STRUCTURE - 2000 ............................ 30 11 AVERAGE HOUSING SALES PRICE - JANUARY 2004 .............. 31 12 YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT ................................. 32 13 HOUSING BY MUNICIPALITY - 2000 .......................... 33 14 SOIL GROUPS ......................................... 43 15 COAL PRODUCING LANDS - 1999 ........................... 52 16 PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES ............................... 150 17 MEANS OF TRAVEL TO WORK - 2000 ....................... 171 18 COMPARISON OF MEANS OF TRAVEL TO WORK ................ 172 19 PLACE OF WORK ...................................... 172 20 PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS ................ 173 21 HIGHWAY FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS AND RECOMMENDED DESIGN FEATURES .................................... 182 22 LABOR FORCE STATUS - 1990 AND 2000 .................... 190 23 NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE ............ 191 24 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ................................. 191 25 NONAGRICULTURAL WAGE AND SALARY EMPLOYMENT .......... 192 26 EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY .............................. 194 27 EMPLOYMENT BY CLASS OF WORKER ....................... 196 28 EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION ............................ 196 29 NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY - TOP 10 EMPLOYERS - 2004 ....... 197 30 PER CAPITA INCOME ................................... 203 31 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ............................. 204 32 HOUSEHOLD INCOME ................................... 204 33 NATIONAL REGISTER LISTED PROPERTIES IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY ............................................ 223 I. INTRODUCTION - 1 - A. PURPOSE A comprehensive plan is designed to accomplish certain objectives. Foremost, it is the official statement of a community’s philosophy concerning the future. It contains plans for future land use, transportation systems and community services. To function effectively the comprehensive plan must ensure that each element reflects the basic development goals and objectives. In Pennsylvania, the power behind land development decisions resides with the municipal governments through the formulation and administration of local controls. County comprehensive plans in Pennsylvania are advisory only, but they provide an indispensable reference for local municipalities that wish to assure that their own plans and development decisions are consistent with development forces and land use patterns beyond their own boundaries. Local municipalities are required by Section 304 of the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) to submit many proposed actions to their county planning commission for review. Municipalities with planning, zoning, and subdivision ordinances usually have procedures for referring such proposals and other development applications to their county planning commission for comment. A county comprehensive plan can be used to review and comment on proposals for amendments to local zoning and subdivision ordinances and proposals for subdivision and land development. Section 602 of the MPC allows counties to adopt zoning for the entire county if there is no local zoning, or for as much of the land within the county that is not zoned. County zoning, however, is preempted by the enactment of a local municipal zoning ordinance. In rural areas like Northumberland County, funds and expertise are inadequate for many communities to engage in both planning and zoning at the local level. County zoning is fiscally efficient and permits the identification and protection of large elements and patterns in the natural environment such as forests, aquifers, agricultural lands, and stream corridors. In rural areas, a comprehensive plan can provide a way to ensure that zoning is based on a comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan is being completed by the Northumberland County Planning Commission. The Planning Commission functions on behalf of the County Board of Commissioners. The overall mission of the Northumberland County Planning Commission is to provide policies guiding development activities in Northumberland County. The purpose of this Northumberland County Comprehensive Plan is to provide a set of recommendations rather than a regulatory document. The adopted Northumberland County Comprehensive Plan is the official statement prepared by the Planning Commission setting forth the County’s policies concerning desirable physical development in Northumberland County acting as a guide to growth and development. The Comprehensive Plan will assist the Northumberland County Planning Commission in evaluating development proposals and requests for financial assistance by local agencies to County, State, and Federal agencies. This Comprehensive Plan is a general guide and does not reflect in detail all the future development nor the precise boundary of such development. This Comprehensive Plan is not a fixed nor rigid document, but will be modified - 2 - by the Planning Commission when changes in development of Northumberland County indicate the need to alter the Comprehensive Plan. - 3 - B. STATUTORY AUTHORITY One of the most important powers of local government is the ability to plan for and to control land use. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), otherwise known as Act 247 of 1968, P.L. 805 provides the enabling legislation to accomplish planning. Since its inception, the legislation has been amended numerous times. In December of 1988, a comprehensive update of the MPC was completed. The amendments to the MPC, known as Act 170 of 1988, standardized procedures, changed time limits,