The Region Moves Forward, The Prescription for a Sustainable Future
 
 

Attaining the Vision is a formidable challenge for the 23 municipalities of the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed. In the fall of 2001, four Technical Advisory Committees (TAC), panels of local experts and municipal officials, gathered with the consultant team to finalize a comprehensive handbook of strategies that would move the region forward to meet this challenge. The results yielded 28 strategies focused on managing growth; conserving, preserving, and protecting the environment; strengthening the economy; and designing sustainable communities.

The Vision 2020: Strategies Handbook outlines tactics that when employed individually meet one or more elements of the Vision, but when used collectively

can make the entire vision a reality. Filling the 28 prescriptions described in the Vision 2020 StrategiesHandbook requires efforts on several fronts: the local level (municipal and multi-municipal), the regional level (watershed, county, extended I-99 corridor – beyond the Vision 2020 region), and the state level.

The regional effort will require a variety of key players: municipal officials, county officials, county and regional planners, Pennsylvania State University, the chambers of commerce, businesses, and non-government organizations. The players represent many interests – transportation, economic, environmental, and social.
 
 

The Strategies

Organized around the themes of growth management; conservation, preservation, and protection; economic development; and design, the Vision 2020 Strategies Handbook provides local, county and regional officials, agencies, and organizations with a compendium of ideas to move the watershed towards its ultimate goal – a sustainable future.

Twelve Strategies for Managing Growth

Strategy 1: Growth Area and Resource Area Delineation

This strategy focuses on delineating Urban Growth Areas, Village Growth Areas, and Rural Resource Areas.

The strategy describes the process by which municipalities identify and adopt growth and rural resource areas to guide the majority of development into urban settings (boroughs and villages) and away from the countryside.

The strategy builds on previous planning concepts developed in the Centre Region Comprehensive Plan (Centre Regional Planning Agency – 2000) and changes to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (PAMPC - Act of 1968. P.L. 805, No. 247, as amended through 2000). The emphasis of this strategy is the consensus building process at the local / multi-municipal level. The strategy lists candidate settings best suited for these growth management techniques.

Strategy 2: Future Land Use Scenario

The strategy provides useful guidelines and tools to assist in the planning effort and determining the best location for various land use types. The future land use strategy does not provide a land use plan for the entire region. The development of specific land use plans should be done as a part of the overall planning effort at the municipal and multi-municipal level.

Strategy 3: Interchange Area Planning Process (due to the impending opening of I-99, this strategy should be in the immediate action plans of all impacted municipalities)

This strategy outlines the process needed to develop special master plans for each interchange area. The strategy targets a multi-municipal approach. It recognizes the model interchange overlay (I-99 Interchange Overlay Zone Model Ordinance - September 2000) as being only one component of public policy needed to manage and sustain the interchange areas.
 

"Effective interchange area management requires a combination of techniques involving land use/zoning, subdivision regulation, sign control, access management, and intergovernmental coordination."

The strategy provides the tools to develop this multi-dimensional approach. The strategy builds on the previous work of the I-99 Interchange Overlay Zone Model Ordinance (September 2000) and strives to outline the process needed for sound land use planning and the eventual development of underlying zoning and land development controls.

Strategy 4: Multi-Municipal Planning and Zoning

This strategy explores the process needed to build multi-municipal plans and the advantages and disadvantages of multi-municipal zoning.

As the Vision 2020 planning process proceeded, both public and municipal officials placed emphasis on the importance of municipalities and community members working together to resolve common issues and to reach the sustainable future.

This priority implies an interest in intergovernmental cooperation. The existing forms of intergovernmental cooperation vary in the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed.

Strategy 5: Agricultural Preservation Models

This strategy explores land use models such as sliding scale zoning and land area ratios -- how these models have worked in the Pennsylvania experience, when it is appropriate and when it is not appropriate to use the models. It also explores a model process to implement effective agriculture zoning and other programs that will complement the land use controls.

Strategy 6: Functional Roadway (Transportation) Classification System

The focus of this strategy is a process for assessing and revising a countywide functional classification system.

One aspect of this strategy is creating a better under-standing of how long-term land use decisions will impact the roadway system.

Such information will be useful in updating the current Long-Range Transportation Plan.

Strategy 7: Highway Corridor Access Management Program

The goals of this strategy are to manage access for locally generated traffic along key highway corridors; to enhance commercial vitality, traffic safety, and gateway aesthetics; and to minimize the impact of increasing through-traffic served by the I-99 corridor. The strategy develops a comprehensive program of access management along key corridors, which pass through several local municipalities.

Strategy 8: Context Sensitive Roadway Design

This strategy promotes a public involvement process for highway projects to design highways with a sensitivity to the surrounding environment, especially in historic, scenic, and small town settings. This process will establish the context and logic for modifying highway design standards. The strategy builds from the framework established through the functional classification system and is part of the long-range planning efforts.

Strategy 9: Traffic Calming Measures

This strategy provides an education process to interested municipal and county officials and private citizens regarding the benefits of traffic calming techniques and the type of streets for which such action is most effective. This could lead to the development of a region-wide traffic-calming program, which carefully documents techniques, an evaluation process, and a selected list of first priority projects.

There is a need to coordinate traffic calming projects which traverse more than one municipality.

Strategy 10: Public Transit Enhancement

The focus of the public transit enhancement strategy is to extend and enhance public transit service so it becomes a more viable alternative to the private vehicle for work and shopping trips throughout the region. Long-range solutions would include other modes of transportation.

Strategy 11: Transportation Development Authority

This strategy focuses on the creation of a regional transportation development authority, which develops and recommends action plans for funding transportation improvements in a designated area, if not the county.

Strategy 12: Legislative Initiatives

This strategy lists and develops ideas from recent planning literature and current PA legislative agendas that would aid in providing more tools to Pennsylvania communities for growth management that currently are not available or allowed in the Commonwealth. The strategy is built as a basis for local and/or regional level work with the region’s congressional delegation.

Four Strategies for Conserving, Preserving, and Protecting the Environment

Strategy 13: Open Lands Prioritization and Management Many organizations and municipalities involved in land conservation do not have ready access to the scientific data they need to objectively evaluate the conservation value of properties.

Use of an analytical protocol identifies the most important lands for conservation.

Areas in the region that have the highest co-occurrence of resources are critically important targets for protection. The

strategy identifies a variety of viable management options available in Pennsylvania to offset potential losses of important natural resources and community assets.

Strategy 14: Sustainable Water Supply Protection Program

Responsible stewardship of the region’s water resources is the focus of this strategy.

The strategy addresses a number of key factors including water quality, water consumption, and developing conservation education programs.
 

Strategy 15: Environmental Management Systems

Improving environmental stewardship is the focus of this strategy. An environmental management system (EMS) is a voluntary effort by businesses to identify, correct, and monitor environmental performance. Cumulative results of EMS implementation by many organizations will help to support sustainability goals for the entire Vision 2020 region.

Strategy 16: Air Quality Monitoring Program

The goal of this strategy is to better utilize existing data and monitoring activities to detect subtle changes in air quality and air quality trends and to raise public understanding and awareness of the health of the community’s air.
 
 

Ten Strategies for Economic Development

Strategy 17: Target Industry Analysis

Target industry analysis identifies industries (or types of industries) that have the strongest potential to expand or relocate in a specific economic region or offer the best prospects for "good jobs," meaning jobs that offer a higher quality of life (security, higher wages, training, flexibility, etc). The strategy matches regional economic characteristics, resources, and advantages with general location and work force requirements for major industry segments from high tech to hospitality and service.

Strategy 18: Business Assistance for Expansion and Job Creation

Targeting and attracting new businesses is secondary in importance to retaining and growing businesses that are already in the area. The strategy comprises various actions to focus communications with the regional business community in ways that help them expand and create new jobs.

Strategy 19: Workforce Development Programs

The strategy focuses on how to use existing labor resources more effectively and how to integrate private companies more thoroughly and effectively into the training system.

There is an awareness of the need to expand the interpretation of "workforce development / investment" to include "quality of life" issues beyond employment and training. This broader interpretation of workforce development relates to the region’s ability to attract and retain a quality labor force that can meet the needs of industry.

Strategy 20: Entrepreneurial Development

It is proven that regions can foster entrepreneurial spirit and activity and directly affect small business formation. This strategy focuses on a regional effort to expand entrepreneurial activities and opportunities in ways that will enhance the economy.

Strategy 21: Technology Plan

The importance of technology and the impacts on the region need to be understood, evaluated, and developed.

A regional Technology Steering Committee would have the responsibility to develop a comprehensive technology plan for the improvement of communications in the region.

Strategy 22: Tourism Promotion

Tourism can play a role in diversifying the economy of the region. As one of the fastest growing industries in the world, it cannot be ignored as a generator of economic activity.

The region has significant tourism resources, and a promotional effort is already in place.

However, there are opportunities for broader development of resources and attractions, particularly those related to culture, history and outdoor recreation.

Strategy 23: Infrastructure Investments to Designated Growth Areas

The strategy establishes a method to target areas for investments in infrastructure. The strategy focuses on the Centre County Planning Office’s and Centre Regional Planning Agency’s work with townships and boroughs to identify areas that can accommodate growth and, through investments in infrastructure, create incentives for growth to occur in those areas and away from resource areas.

Strategy 24: Reuse and Redevelopment Program:

Structures which once housed factories or commercial businesses now stand empty and present difficult challenges. The region should take the lead to create the awareness of the value of these buildings to the community and to return these properties to a new and more productive use.

Strategy 25: Main Street Program Assistance to Local Jurisdictions

This strategy focuses on program assistance to make traditional commercial locations more competitive and enhance their economic viability.

Strategy 26: Agricultural Diversification Promotion

Agriculture is an important niche for the regional economy and perhaps even more important to the region’s culture.

The region needs to consider the impacts on agriculture from other economic activity and identify ways to preserve and strengthen this sector as a viable economic activity and a cultural institution. The strategy focuses on agriculture’s integration into the economic mainstream.

Two Strategies on Sustainable Design

Strategy 27: Land Development Audit

This strategy recommends a process to audit existing development rules against region-wide site planning principles and to revise regulations and guidelines to increase the municipal ability to support environmentally sensitive development.
 

Strategy 28: Sustainable Design Toolkit

This strategy provides a toolkit of various methods for implementing or encouraging sustainable development at the municipal level. The goal is a user friendly, simple product that even municipalities with limited staff can use to facilitate changes to current rules and regulations. Using the results of the Land Development Audit, a municipality can use this toolkit to select a tool that fits their needs.