Introduction
 
 

The Vision 2020: Living with I-99 – Land Use and Sustainability Plan is the result of extensive community dialogue to prepare for the opening of I-99. The Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed study area includes a contiguous area, encompassing the communities of the Bald Eagle Valley from Port Matilda to Howard boroughs, the Spring Creek Watershed communities surrounding Bellefonte and Centre Hall boroughs and the Centre Region.

Why plan now?

At issue was the state of readiness of the area to meet the challenges accompanying the new highway system and the development of an action plan to embrace opportunities, preserve assets, and sustain the future. The 23 municipalities of the study area will need to organize and work together on securing a balanced future.
 

Why is this important?

The region has the opportunity to put in place a plan that will secure its quality of life for future generations. The planning process placed the responsibility of envisioning the future on the public and its elected officials. Through extensive dialogue, the vision became clear. Plans of action were developed that are realistic, achievable, and acceptable.

Who should be involved?

A sustained effort is needed to make the vision a reality. This effort places responsibility on individuals, municipalities, Centre County, businesses, the Pennsylvania State University, and non-government organizations.
 
 

Chapter 1

The Project Began with a Community-Based Planning Process
 
 

The success of "community-based" planning began with a well-organized and coordinated planning process. The planning process was the fundamental building block that provided all project players with a clear understanding of how to reach the ultimate goal ---the implementation of the Land Use and Sustainability Plan by the 23 municipalities of the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed.

The four phases of the planning process included opportunities for participation by the public and municipal officials, teaming with local experts, and sharing of ideas. Each phase included documentation and reports that functioned as the consensus point to begin the next phase of the study.

The people of the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed were given numerous opportunities for participation:

• Community focus groups at six locations (175 participants)
• Brown bag lunches (65 attendees)
• A Centre Daily Times insert (37,000paper circulation) and the Lock Haven Express insert (1750 paper circulation)
• Approximately 200 flyers posted around the area
• Visioning forums at six locations (110 participants)
• Probable and Sustainable Future displays including boards, brochures, and handouts for two months at six locations
• Mailers to previous attendees and other people on the mailing list (350 mailers)
• Municipal officials workshop (36 participants)
• Four technical advisory committees (86 participants)
• Web-site updates
• Media releases
• C-NET and media appearances
• Consensus survey (1,200 surveys distributed)

Municipal officials, college professors, business owners, residents of small and large communities, farmers, developers, and people of all ages chose to have their voices heard.

A Public Dialogue Led to Area-wide Objectives

"We value our region’s character, its natural resources and scenic quality, and the wealth and variety of activities. We fear rapid growth; the loss of open spaces, forested areas, and farmland; environmental pollution; and the lack of regional cooperation."

The public dialogue began in Phase 1 during the fall of 2000 with a series of six focus groups and a consensus survey to confirm the ideas that were heard.

Participants responded to four questions:

• Municipalities and community members will work together to resolve common issues.
• The character of rural areas will not change.
• Forested areas will be preserved.
• Water will be clean and plentiful.
• Noise pollution will improve.
• Air pollution will improve.
• Fish and wildlife populations will not decline.
• Important natural resource areas will be maintained.
• Residents will have enhanced access without exploiting scenic and rural areas.
• Roadway safety will be improved.
• Efficient public transit systems will exist.
• Traffic congestion will be minimized.
• Commuting times will be reduced.
• Traffic will be reduced and safety will improve on SR 3040 (formerly PA 220).
• Traffic will be reduced and safety will improve on PA 150.
• Jurisdictions will be able to provide and maintain necessary services.
• Tourism will grow.
• Boroughs and villages will thrive economically.
• Economic opportunities will expand.
• Farming will remain viable.
• Personal safety will be maintained.

The final product of Phase 1 activities was the development of the Probable Future Report and displays in February 2001. These products answered the questions:

"Where are we headed?

What will our region look like in the year 2020 with the presence of I-99 and the continuation of current public policy and existing trends?"

The Probable Future Report and displays responded to the area-wide objectives by describing the present and future conditions of important elements identified by the public. The report highlighted:

• The character of the communities, demonstrating the diversity of the study area.
• The challenges facing the communities of the Centre Region, the Bald Eagle Valley, the Nittany portion of the Inter Valley, and the Penns Valley.
• The diversity and probable future of the study area’s economy, environment, and community and public services.
• A comparison of the existing and future highway network.
• The impact of I-99 on travel time, the function of roadways, interchange areas, and other components of the transportation system.
• The expected growth and development of residential and non-residential uses with the continued trend in the conversion of farmland, forested lands, and open lands.
• Specific profiles on growth and development in the primary areas of influence at the interchanges (areas under the most pressure to develop over the next 20 years) and the expected impacts of this development.

During the forums the public was asked:

"What would be the ideal future, regardless of cost or resources?"Resounding concepts emanated from these discussions and presented themselves in four themes of the ideal future.

Rural – Urban Settings: reflects the continued desire for distinctively rural and urban settings, which maintain the existing character evident in small towns, villages, larger boroughs, and farmsteads.

Transportation:represents a transportation system that promotes citizen mobility by managing access, calming traffic, and offering new roadways and transportation options other than the automobile.

Open Space / Natural Resources: seizes the ideals of preservation and conservation of valued resources: water, fish and wildlife habitats, scenic views and vistas, forested areas, natural heritage areas, farmlands, and recreation areas.

Economic:requires the diversification of the regional job base, which offers jobs with higher quality of life throughout the study area. Wages, training, incentives, etc., are also included in this theme.

The Dialogue Led to an "Ideal" Scenario

New ideas emerged from the visioning forums and were the basis for the building of the consensus vision in Phase 3. The consultant team developed principles of the ultimate future, or an "ideal view" of the future. The purpose of the Ultimate Future Report was to develop talking points and ideas that would launch discussions with the governing bodies in the next phase of the process. It was assumed that some of the team’s ideas would appear to be extreme, possibly unacceptable, and others would be on target. The goal of the discussions with the municipal officials was to develop the vision of a sustainable future that would be realistic, achievable, and acceptable.

The Ultimate Future Report used the resulting themes from the visioning forum and created nine principles relating to the ideas reflected in each theme:

Rural and Urban Settings: Growth Management System, New Development Concepts, and Interchange Area Development

Transportation:New Transportation Corridors, Access Management, and Traffic Calming

Open Space / Natural Resources: Comprehensive Conservation / Open Space System

Economic:Job Attraction / Retention and Village / Small Borough Retailing

The report provided a goal for each principle and ideas about its application within the study area. Municipal officials commented on how the principles would work and what adjustments would be needed for specific sites or the region as a whole. The participants added ideas that were missing from the list of principles. They listed principles that reflected policies that were not oriented to geography. Finally, they highlighted ideas that would not be accepted region-wide but would need local level adjustments for acceptance. The work of the municipal officials plus the public dialogue led to the Sustainable Future Report.
 

The 2020 Vision Came Into Focus

The Sustainable Future Report clearly expressed the definition of "sustainable" and the "sustainable vision" reflective of the thoughts and values of the people of the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed.

What Is Sustainable?

"The maintenance of balance between four basic elements: economy, environment, community, and transportation so that future generations experience an enhanced quality of life that includes a diverse economy, a healthy environment, distinct communities, and an efficient transportation system."

What Are the Characteristics of the Vision 2020 Sustainable Future?

In the sustainable future:

"We recognize there will be growth and development. We do not accept that growth and development will degrade our community and our quality of life. We will insist, instead, that it be guided in a way that will maintain and improve the quality of life for future generations. We understand where growth and development should and should not go and what it should and should not impact.

Growth and development shall:

• Occur in our existing villages, small boroughs, and crossroad communities but only if it is consistent with local desires and complements the character of these communities.

• Locate in new areas but only in those locations that we can serve with sufficient water and sewer and efficient transportation and only if the style of development respects nature and its resources.

• Locate at interchange areas but only if access is managed, the maximum development area is defined, the style of desired development is identified and characterized, and adequate infrastructure is provided.

• Enhance our access to and enjoyment of the outdoors and outdoor activities.

• Contribute essential economic, environmental, and social values to the community.

• Be commensurate with governmental budget constraints.

• Locate in our natural areas, such as the Scotia Barrens, Millbrook Marsh, State Gamelands, and our mountain and ridge tops.

• Adversely impact our water quality and quantity, our views and vistas, and our wildlife habitats.

• Locate on our valued farmlands or displace our agricultural industry.

• Constrain our mobility and our access throughout the area.

• Degrade our economic, environmental, and social fabric.

• Maintain fiscal balance by ensuring that governmental revenues are sufficient to sustain infrastructure.

• Track changing demographics and address new trends and shifts in a timely and responsible manner.

• Keep pace with technological change.

• Keep pace with trends toward international trade, and create a global presence.

• Raise household incomes to keep pace with the national growth trend and to reverse the current local trend of declining income levels below the national average.

Excerpt from Vision 2020: Living with I-99 Sustainable Future Report