Pennsylvania townships planned for growth together in ‘07

By TOM KANE

PIKE AND WAYNE COUNTIES, PA - Seven municipalities in Pike and Wayne counties sat down with neighboring townships this past year and drew up new multi-municipal comprehensive plans that will guide growth in the years to come.

In Pike, Milford Township and Milford Borough, Lackawaxen and Shohola Townships and Westfall Township and Matamoras Borough worked together. In Wayne, Damascus, Oregon and Manchester townships cooperated in a joint planning process.

“The Commonwealth is encouraging communities to begin planning together in the face of rising growth,” said Mike Mrozinski of the Pike County planning department. “These municipalities are beginning to examine some of their outdated ordinances that were formed at an earlier period. They’re all looking at land use ordinances to see where they can cooperate. Some of the big issues during growth that need to be examined are storm water run-off, protection of watersheds and wetlands, which do not respect borders.”

The state is giving priority in its funding to municipalities that work together. In most instances, the state, through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), is granting funds on a 50-50 basis. In some instances, municipalities can provide in-kind services to represent their 50 percent share.

In Pike, the municipal share is coming from the County Scenic Rural Character Bond issue, a pot of about $2 million that was set aside to aid municipalities in this process.

Each municipality has established advisory councils made up of members from participating communities to help guide the process, Mrozinski said. Most of them, like the Damascus trio, have conducted surveys of local residents in establishing their priorities.

The Milford project was the earliest project and is very near completion.

As each community finishes its comprehensive plan, the plan must be submitted to the county planning commission for approval, must be shared with the local school district and neighboring townships and must then be presented to the citizens of the municipalities.