COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for GREGG TOWNSHIP UNION COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Transcription

1 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for GREGG TOWNSHIP UNION COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA prpard by a committ comprisd of Grgg Township Planning Commission Grgg Tbwnship Suprvisors Grgg Township Zoning Haring Board Union County Planning Dpartmnt Jams E. Prsing, Township Solicitor March 1989 Th prparation of this documnt was financd in part through a SPAG grant from th Dpartmnt of Community Affairs undr th provisions of Act 5A approvd July 1, 1986, as administrd by th Burau of Community Planning, Pnnsylvania Dpartmnt of Community Affairs.

2 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR GREGG TOWNSHIP TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SUMMARY OF DEVELOPMENT FACTORS Existing Conditions Dvlopmnt Trnds Potntial Limitations to Dvlopmnt PLANNING GOALS Gnral Environmnt Housins Agricuitur Industrial/Commrcial Highways Fdral Land Initiativs LAND USE PlAN Villag Rural Rsidntial Commrcial Commrcial Manufacturing Instutional Agricultur TRANSPORTATION PLAN Introduction Road Classification Systm Transportation Improvmnts COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN Introduction Public School Facilitis Public Rcration Facilitis Public Buildings and Srvics Public Utilitis Paq

3 APPENDIX Population Statistics Map 1 - Rgional Stting Map 2 - Futur Land Us Plan Map 3 - Transportation Plan 15

4 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for GREGG TOWNSHIP UNION COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA INTRODUCTION 6 Th Township of Grgg is largly rural with vast opn aras including substantial stat and fdral land holdings. Urban dvlopmnt has bgun to occur in th Allnwood vicinity. This dvlopmnt has bn ncouragd by th dirct highway connctions affordd by Rout.15 to rgional mploymnt cntrs. It is timly, thrfor, to updat th township comprhnsiv plan to guid futur dvlopmnt in an ordrly and ffctiv mannr. This Comprhnsiv Plan consists of a sris of plans dsignd to aid in th dvlopmnt of sound rsidntial nighborhoods, industrial and commrcial cntrs, adquat strts and highways, and availabl rcrational and othr public facilitis. Of utmost importanc to th Township ar th land us proposals for futur industrial and commrcial dvlopmnt. Th Township s Rout 15 connction has th potntial to spur ths typs of dvlopmnt in aras with suitabl trrain that ar out of th Susquhanna Rivr floodplain. Th various plan lmnts prsntd in this rport ar as follows : 1. Township goals - This is a statmnt of objctivs and policis dtrmind to b in th bst intrsts of th township which should guid local planning and dvlopmnt activitis. 2. Futur Land Us Plan - Th Futur Land Us Plan outlins th most dsirabl pattrn of futur land uss within th township. 3. Thoroughfar Plan - This is a plan which prsnts proposals for nw road construction, road widnings, alignmnt improvmnts and othr actions. 4. Community Facilitis Plan - This plan contains spcific rcommndations for th improvmnt of public building, facilitis and srvic oprations within th township

5 SUMMAR Y OF DEVELOPME14T FACTORS EXISTING CONDITIONS a Pattrn of Existina DvloDmnt - Th location and xtnt of xisting rsidntial, commrcial, industrial and othr land uss contributd to th stablishmnt of a basic framwork around which th Land Us Plan is dvlopd. Ths uss and thir impact on th Township ar fully dscribd in th Background Rport in th 1967 Comprhnsiv Plan. Orintation of th TownshiD to th Raion and Othr DvloDd firas - Dvlopd aras outsid of th Township which will dirctly or indirctly affct futur dvlopmnt includ: - Th adjacnt Boroughs of Lwisburg, Milton and Watsontown. - Th intrmdiat urban cntrs of Williamsport and Sunbury. - Th distant major markt aras of Harrisburg, Elmira, Rochstr, Baltimor-Washington, Nwark- Nw York City, and Clvland-Chicago. Poad Ntwork - A major highway travrss th Township: - U.S. Rout 15 is a primary north-south rout in th Stat parallling th Wst Branch of th Susquhanna Rivr on th astrn dg of th Township. In Grgg Township this highway xists in a two, thr, & four lan nonlimitd accss configuration. Natural Faturs - Natural faturs within th Township which hav a baring on th plans includ watr bodis and mountains: (1) Watrcourss - Th Wst Branch of th Susquhanna Rivr bordrs th Township along its astrly sid with most of th flat trrain along th rivr. Svral strams flow through th Township in a gnral ast-wst dirction to th Susquhanna Rivr. (2) Mountainous Trrain - South Whit Dr Ridg xtnds into th ara from th wst and covrs much of th Township, limiting and/or prcluding intnsiv rsidntial, commrcial or industrial dvlopmnt

6 c Q '(I DEVELOPMENT TRENDS A numbr of dvlopmnt trnds hav bn idntifid and ar summarizd blow. Rsidntial Dvlopmnt - Rsidntial land us trnds ar as follows : - Concntratd dvlopmnt in th villags of Allnwood and Spring Gardn. - Rural dvlopmnt along th roads and highways, spcially along Rout Th trnd has bn and continus to b towards singl-family and individual mobil homs. Commrcial Dvlomnt - Th major concntration of commrcial dvlopmnt has bn adjacnt to Rout 15 immdiatly south of th xisting rsidntial Villag of Allnwood. Industrial DvloDmnt - - Thr is prsntly no industry locatd in Grgg Township. Approximatly 5 acrs of land north of Allnwood and ast of Rout 15 has bn rsrvd for this us. Public Uss (1) Schools - Grgg Township is srvd by th Warrior Run School District. All school buildings ar locatd outsid of th Township. (2) Rcration - No nw rcrational dvlopmnt is occurring in Grgg Township. Significant land holdings for outdoor rcration us ar found in th Bald Eagl Stat Forst and in Stat Gam Lands #252. A 1275 acr portion of Grgg Township is within Stat Gam Lands #252 and a 175 acr portion is within th Bald Eagl Stat Forst. A limitd amount of cabin dvlopmnt is found upon privat woodland acrag at th bas of South Whit Dr Ridg. Institutional Uss Whit Dr Run Tratmnt Cntr - This 15 acr facility locatd off of Dvitt Road on a woodd tract is a privat Drug and Alcohol Rhabilitation Cntr. Its 35 acr dvlopd campus currntly srvs 145 inpatints. In addition, it.maintains counsling, outpatint clinic, and aftrcar programs. Whit Dr Run is on of th Koala Cntrs, a subsidiary of th Amrican Tratmnt Cntr of Nashvill, Tnnss

7 (2) U.S. Pnitntiarv - A 19 acr portion of Grgg Township is found within th US Pnitntiary known as th Allnwood Prison Camp. A minimum scurity facility, its administrativ and housing facilitis ar locatd nar th Brady Township, Lycoming County ntranc to th Pnitntiary. POTENTIAL 8 9 c 9 Th Township has considrabl potntial for dvlopmnt. A numbr of major factors ar citd blow which indicat this potntial and which will bcom th basis for major dcisionmaking. Land Ara - Th Planning Ara has an abundanc of land suitabl for futur dvlopmnt. Powlation - Th Township has incrasd in population a total of 25% btwn 196 and Th 1986 population of 15 is th latst PA Data Cntr stimat. Howvr rcnt population fluctuations ar a possibl caus for mor modst projctions. Th Exponntial Rgrssion mthodology forcasts narly 1 rsidnts for th yar 22. S Appndix 1 for historical population information and dtails of population projctions. Location - Th Township occupis a cntralizd location in rlation to major markt aras. This, in addition to th xcllnt highway accss, can srv as th basis for th dvlopmnt of a rgional distribution or srvic cntr. A rgional map is nclosd for futur information. (S Map 1 in Appndix). Industrial and Commrcial Dvlomnt - Larg tracts of land suitabl for ths uss ar locatd along U.S. Rout 15 in th northastrn sctor of th Township. Th clos proximity of this land to Intrstat 8, U.S. Rout 15, and th Susquhanna Rivr maks it wll suitd for futur dvlopmnt. Rcration - South Whit Dr Ridg of th Appalachian Mountains xtnds into th rgion from th wst. Grgg Township is part of th pictursqu ridg and vally land formation. Th gratst potntial xists along th northrn slops of th mountain for wintr sports cntrs and summr camps and cabin sits. Th Susquhanna Rivr bordrs th astrn boundary of th Township. In addition, svral strams flow through th township in a gnral ast-wst dirction to th Susquhanna Rivr. Fishing abounds along ths smallr strams and th rivr has always had a potntial as a boating ara

8 LIMITATIONS To DEVELOPMENT Th major aras of concrn within th township ar idntifid blow: (1) Th stp topography in th southrn ara of Grgg Township will limit intnsiv dvlopmnt of this ara. ci i (2) Th prsnt watr tratmnt and distribution systm is inadquat to mt th dmands of any xtnsiv futur rsidntial, industrial or commrcial dvlopmnt. Watr srvic is providd to a portion of Allnwood by th Grgg Township Municipal Authority. A singl wll is maintaind by th Authority. (3) Public swr facilitis ar not availabl in Grgg Township. (4) Svral of th low-lying aras along th wst bank of th Susquhanna Rivr and Whit Dr Hol Crk ar subjct to frqunt flooding. (5) Thr ar approximatly 425 acrs of Stat and Fdral lands situatd within Grgg Township. Public ownrship prcluds th dvlopmnt of ths lands. Th acrag compriss approximatly 45% of th total township land ara. As a rsult Grgg Township has a limitd tax bas for th dvlopmnt of municipal srvics

9 PLANNING GOALS 3 4 c Prospcts for futur growth in th Grgg Township ara ar most favorabl. Th ara occupis a stratgic location in rlation to major highway routs and has an abundanc of land suitabl and availabl for futur dvlopmnt. As an initial stp in planning for this dvlopmnt, a st of planning goals hav bn dvlopd. Th primary purpos of ths goals is to provid ovrall planning idas prior to th dvlopmnt of a futur land us plan. It indicats in broad gnral trms th typ and pattrn of dvlopmnt which should b considrd. Th goals ar dscribd blow. GENERAL 1. To promot ordrly growth and dvlopmnt in Grgg Township. 2. To simplify th zoning program in ordr to crat gratr undrstanding and accptanc by th gnral public. 3. To improv th flxibility and nforcmnt of th Township land us rgulations. ENVIRONMENT 1. To prsrv, as far as possibl, th rural charactr of Grgg Township by concntrating commrcial, industrial and rsidntial dvlopmnt in th astrn sction of Grgg Township. Agricultural and forst uss shall b ncouragd in southrn and wstrn sctions. 2. To provid for compatibl uss in floodplain aras (.g. agricultur, opn spac). I I 3. To obtain watr and swr facilitis to srv th I astrn dvlopmnt corridor of th township. 4. To insur that nw dvlopmnt is not a dtrimnt to th nvironmnt. 5. To improv stormwatr managmnt planning and control

10 HOUSING 1. To provid for a varity of housing choics in trms of typs of housing. (.g. singl family, townhouss, gardn apartmnts, mobil homs, and mobil hom parks). 2. To provid aras for highr dnsity dvlopmnt if utilitis can b obtaind to srvic th dvlopmnt. 3. To provid low dnsity rural housing opportunitis that minimiz th impact of th strip dvlopmnt upon highways. AGRICULTURE 1. To prsrv thos aras most uniquly suitd for agricultur (.g. crk bottom, floodplain, and limston soils) To minimiz th intrusion of noncompatiabl agricultur uss in dvlopmnt aras. 3. To minimiz th intrusion of noncompatiabl dvlopmnt uss in prim agricultural aras. INDUSTRIAL~O~RCXAL 1. Encourag th dvlopmnt of an industrial/commrcial park north of Allnwood and ast of Rt. 15 whr (1) topography is rasonably wll suitd and (2) adquat transportation facilitis ar radily availabl..2. To scur Entrpriz Zon dsignation for th Grgg Township industrial/commrcial park. 3. To scur watr and swr facilitis for th park that will also srv th Villag of Allnwood. 4. To ncourag th us of paralll accss roads for commrcial/industrial dvlopmnt adjacnt to Rout 15. I 5. To provid for nighborhood/commrcial uss in I rsidntial aras. TRANSPORTATION Scur safty improvmnts to Rout 15. Protct highways from dvlopmnt ncroachmnt

11 * 3. Scur rail srvic to th Grgg Township industrial park. 4. Rstablish T-427 (Bck Rd.) as a conncting road btwn Rt. 44 and Rt. 15. FEDERAL LAND INITIATIVES 1. To scur productiv rus of th fdral lands situatd within Grgg Township. 2. To obtain th us of th small ara of US Pnitntiary land south of T-427 (Bck Rd.) for a township cntr and rcration facility. lo lo - 8 -

12 a Futur Land Us Catgoris LAND USE PLAN A total of six futur land us catgoris ar proposd for Grgg Township. Each catgory will b dscribd both in trms of th typs of land us projctd and in trms of its locations(s) within th Township. Villaq - This catgory allows for th xpansion of th xisting villag of Allnwood. A varity of housing typs and dnsity is contmplatd. Crtain typs howvr will rquir th procurmnt of public swag and watr facilitis. Limitd nw commrcial activity may b allowd in th villag ara providd that it mts stringnt critria to insur its compatibility with th rsidntial charactr of th nighborhood. Churchs, schools, community cntrs, and othr similar uss would b ncouragd in th Villag in support of th rsidntial community. Rural Rsidntial - This catgory allows for singl family rsidntial dvlopmnt srvd by on lot swag and watr facilitis. In th vnt that major dvlopmnt projcts ar proposd for th rural rsidntial ara a considration should b givn for rzoning to th Villag catgory. An attractiv quality of th rural rsidntial ara is th abundant opn spac primarily in th form of woodland and cropland. Land ownrs ar ncouraqd to maintain xisting woodland and croplands aras in a productiv stat. Nw agricultural oprations involving livstock or othr intnsiv agricultural pursuits will b closly scrutinizd for compatibility with th volving rsidntial charactr of th nighborhood. Th ara dsignatd as rural rsidntial is boundd by Dvitt Road, Whit Dr Hol Crk, th Allnwood Prison Camp, and th Villag of Allnwood. Commrcial - This catgory allows for commrcial activitis including rstaurants, rtail and wholsal stors, offics, motls, customr srvic stablishmnts, indoor rcration and ntrtainmnt stablishmnts, and automotiv sals, srvic, and rpair. Truck and havy quipmnt orintd sals, srvic, and rpair facilitis ar inappropriat for this catgory. Th lands allocatd for this catgory in Grgg Township ar north of Russll Road and ast of Rout 15. Commrcial dvlopmnt will gnrally b srvd by public swag and watr facilitis unlss othr suitabl arrangmnts ar mad with th Dpartmnt of Environmntal Rsourcs. Commrcial Manufacturinq - This catgory provids for all uss within th Commrcial catgory in addition to industrial, manufacturing, and havy commrcial uss. Du to th proximity of th Susquhanna Rivr floodplain agricultur is also a viabl us: Most uss othr than agricultur will ncssitat th provision of public swag and watr facilitis. Commrcial- Manufacturing is dsignatd for th ara north of Allnwood, - 9 -

13 south of Russll Road, and ast of Rout 15. Institutional - This catgory provids for govrnmntal and institutional uss including prisons, govrnmnt offics and buildings, hospitals, or drug and alcohol tratmnt cntrs. Du to th abundanc of land in this catgory agricultur and forstry uss ar appropriat. Agricultur - This catgory dsignats forstry and all phass of aaricultur as Drfrrd uss. In addition aaricultural bisinss, outdoor- rcration, and low dnsity si<gl family rsidntial dvlopmnt is appropriat. Th proposal for rsidntial dvlopmnt at a dnsity of gratr than on unit pr 1 acrs brings about th considration of changing to th Rural Rsidntial or Villag catgory. Public swag and watr facilitis will gnrally not b providd for dvlopmnt in this catgory. Agricultur is dsignatd for aras south and wst of Dvitt Road, for th Stat Gam Lands, for th Bck farms, and for floodplain and stp slop aras adjacnt to th Susquhanna Rivr. Map 2, Futur Land Us Plan, indicats th locations of th six catgoris within Grgg Township. a - 1 -

14 a Introduction TRANSPORTATION PLAN Th Transportation Plan sts forth a sris of proposals aimd at solvinq xisting and anticipatd traffic problms within th township. Rcommndations ar mad with rgard to th improvmnt of xisting facilitis and th provisions of nw facilitis. Th plan is basd on an analysis of xisting traffic, stimats of futur traffic growth and proposd pattrns of land us. Road Classification Systm Th strt and highway systm in th Township has bn classifid into four major catgoris basd on rsults of prvious analysis and on accptd principls of highway dsign and function. Th various classifications of roads in this systm compris primary artrials, collctor strts, rural srvic roads, and local strts. A dscription of ths classifications is prsntd in Appndix C of th Background Rport for th 1967 plan. In Grgg Township th plannd major road systm includs th following: Primary Artrials - U.S. Rout 15 in Grgg Township. Collctor Strts - S.R S.R Dvitt Road Rural Srvic Roads - This catgory includs all Township Roads and all othr roads in th rural aras of th townships which do not fall into any of th abov classifications. Local Strts - Includd in this catgory ar all local strts in th urbanizd aras of th township which do not fall into any of th abov classifications. Th location of nw local strts should b carfully plottd as nw subdivisions ar dvlopd. All nw subdivisions should b controlld by Subdivision Rgulations which rquir a rviw and approval by th Planning Commission and Township Suprvisors as to whr th dvlopmnt is to occur

15 Transportation Improvmnts Rcommndations for th improvmnt of major roads within th thr townships ar prsntd blow and graphically illustratd on th Transportation Plan - map #3. Th plan consists of th following typs of action. 1. Widning and Safty Improvmnts 2. Bck Road Connctor 3. Accss to Commrcial/Manufacturing Park 1. Alignmnt and Widning Improvmnts 2. A numbr of major roads in th Township suffr from poor horizontal alignmnt or inadquat road width. Th proposd alignmnt and widning improvmnts ar as follows: Bck Road Connctor S.R (Rt. 15) Villag of Allnwood north to Union County lin. Add 4th lan, mdian barrir and turning lans. Traffic circulation would b gratly facilitatd in th Township if th two nds of Bck Road wr connctd via an abandond right-of-way across th US Pnitntiary proprty. Th purpos of this projct would b to connct Routs 44 and 15 and to provid accss to th proposd township cntr (s Community Facilitis Plan). 3. Accss to Commrcial/Manufacturing Park Th Futur Land Us Plan calls for th dsignation of approximatly 5 acrs of land ast of Rt. 15 for commrcial or industrial us. Of utmost concrn is th provision of saf highway accss to this ara. Larg traffic gnrators proposing to locat in this vicinity should b valuatd to dtrmin th nd for turning lans onto and off of Rt. 15. Thr ar four locations that should b considrd for accss to this ara dpnding upon th location and magnitud of any dvlopmnt contmplatd. 1. Russll Road (xisting intrsction with Rt. 15). 2. Dvlop intrsction at old railroad grad with Rt Dvlop 4 way intrsction at Bck Road. 4. Dvlop nw intrsction approximatly 12 ft. north of Columbia Avnu intrsction with Rt

16 COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN INTRODUCTION Community facilitis such as schools, rcrational aras and othr public uss ar of vital importanc to a community. Thir adquacy and condition rflct th quality, convninc and gnral charactr of th community as a plac in which to liv. Th Community Facilitis Plan, thrfor is an important lmnt of th Comprhnsiv Plan sinc it stablishs a long-rang program for th improvmnt of publicly-ownd facilitis. In Grgg Township th plan includs a summary of public schools, rcration aras, and govrnmntal buildings, and govrnmnt srvics. PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES Grgg Township in addition to Watsontown, Turbotvill, and McEwnsvill Boroughs and Lwis and Dlawar Township of Northumbrland County and Anthony and Limston Townships in Montour County mak up th Warrior Run School District. Th District has a total nrollmnt of 218 studnts and a typical graduating class of 17. Th.District oprats lmntary schools in Watsontown and Turbotvill. Th middl and snior schools ar locatd at th Warrior Run School Complx at R.D.#2 Turbotvill. Grgg Township is within 3 mils of 5 highr ducation institutions including Pnnsylvania School of Tchnology and Lycoming Collg in Williamsport, Bloomsburg Univrsity in Bloomsburg, Susquhanna Univrsity at Slinsgrov, and Bucknll Univrsity at Lwisburg. Grgg Township is approximatly 7 mils from th Pnn Stat Capital Campus, th Main Pnn Stat Campus at Univrsity Park, and th Pnn Stat Hazlton Campus. PUBLIC RECREATION FACILITIES A combination rcration and township cntr is proposd for a sit south of th proposd Bck Road connctor btwn Rt. 15 and Rt. 44. This sit of approximatly 18 acrs will hav to b obtaind from th fdral govrnmnt. It would provid an idal cntral location for a township mting room and quipmnt cntr in addition to a multi purpos rcration sit. An intrmittnt stram drains th ara providing an opportunity for shallow pond dvlopmnt. Othr public rcration lands in th Township includ 175 acrs of th Bald Eagl Stat Forst and 1275 acrs of PA Stat Gam Lands. Fishing and hunting opportunitis ar abundant within th Stat lands and upon thousands of acrs of privat lands. -- a

17 OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND SERVICES a Fir and Ambulanc - Th township rcivs fir protction from th Allnwood Voluntr Fir Company which is housd in Allnwood. Th company is run by voluntrs and is supportd largly by th community through individual donations and fund raisrs. Ambulanc srvic is providd by Allnwood Voluntr Fir Company Ambulanc Srvic.. Polic Protction - Grgg Township bnfits from th clos proximity of th Milton Barracks of th PA Stat Polic. A quick rspons tim is gnrally possibl du to th xcllnt transportation facilitis in th vicinity. PosDital Car Facilitis - Grgg Township has xcllnt highway connctions to 1) th Evanglical Community Hospital in Lwisburg, 2) Divin Providnc and Williamsport Gnral Hospital in Williamsport, and 3) Gisingr Mdical Cntr in Danvill. Th Gisingr is a trtiary car mdical facility. PUBLIC UTILITIES lo c, Solid Wast - Grgg Township is srvd by privat haulrs who dispos of wast at th Lycoming County Landfill north of Allnwood off of Rt. 15. Th Township has a contract with th Lycoming County Solid Wast Authority which rquirs all township wast to b disposd at th Lycoming County facility and guarants th haulrs srving th township of disposal capacity at last until Swaa DisDosal - Thr ar no public swag facilitis in Grgg Township. Watr SuDDlv - A portion of th Villag of Allnwood is srvd by a municipal systm. Th villag wll is locatd adjacnt to Old Mill Road and just ast of Whit Dr Hol Crk. - Gas - Grgg Township is currntly in th procss of ngotiating for natural Gas Srvics with Pnn Ful Gas of Oxford. TlDhon - Grgg Township is part of th Alltl Pnnsylvania Inc. Tlphon Company Srvic Ara which uss th 538 xchang. Elctric - Elctricity is providd to Grgg Township by Pnnsylvania Powr and Light Company (PP&L), whos Susquhanna Division Srvic Cntr is locatd at Old Rt. 22 Montoursvill ( )

18 a APPENDIX HISTORIC POPULATION STATISTICS MUNICIPALITY Grg9 TWP Klly Twp Whit Dr Twp Union County I POPULATION PROJECTIONS MUNICIPALITY Sourc - Cnsus Burau Publications 2 - Sourc - Union County Population Projction prpard by Wayn Waltrs, Intrn, Union County Planning Dpt., Th mthodology mployd for this projction is basd upon Exponntial Rgrssion Projction of th Union County and Grgg Township populations. a

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