ACTIVITY REPORT
MAY, 2008

 

REGIONAL PLANNING ACTIVITIES

 

State College Area School District (SCASD) Presentation – CRPA staff provided the SCASD Board a presentation on May 12 on growth trends within the Centre Region and Centre County.

 

State College Area Plan – The State College Land Area Plan Steering Committee met on March 19, 2008 and provided comments on the eighth and final chapter of the Plan, with the focus being on transitional areas throughout the study area.  Several transitional areas were identified, including Downtown State College and the Highlands Neighborhood; West College Avenue at the border between Ferguson Township and the Borough of State College; and East College Avenue between College Township and the Borough of State College.  Staff is incorporating edits provided by the Steering Committee for all eight chapters as well as the final formatting.  When completed, staff will present the entire document to the Steering Committee in May for review and comment.  Once the Steering Committee has approved the final document, staff will begin presenting the information to elected and appointed officials from each municipality.  Staff anticipates the project will be finalized this Summer.

 

Halfmoon/Patton Township Area Plan – The Halfmoon/Patton Township Area Plan Steering Committee met on May 13, 2008.  Because the Steering Committee was unable to meet for a few months and new members have been appointed to the Committee, staff provided an update and overview of the activities completed to date, including discussions about: transportation issues; environmental issues; specific land uses; and scenario development.  Staff also introduced potential topics (or elements) to be used as chapters in the final plan, including: transportation issues; environmental protection; specific land use needs; rural preservation verses urban needs; and water and sewer service.  The Steering Committee will meet on June 10, 2008 to continue discussing the plan elements and locations where these ideas may be applicable.

 

Beneficial Reuse Marketing – Staff continues to monitor the distribution of the marketing materials for the beneficial reuse water.  To date, there have been no inquires regarding the materials, however it is early in the process.  The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) continues to meet and discuss future options for marketing the beneficial reuse water.  Also, work continues on the development of the website that provides additional information for companies or individuals interested in the water.

 

Local Update to Census Addresses (LUCA) – Staff completed the update to the U.S. Census Bureau’s addressing information within the allotted four month timeframe.  The information was returned to the U.S. Census Bureau at the beginning of April.  The Bureau is reviewing the data and has provided comments regarding the quality of the information.  Since the municipalities in the Centre Region participated in this process, they will have an opportunity to challenge any adverse findings that the Census Bureau has regarding the addresses.  This process is being done in preparation for the 2010 decennial census update. 

 

Sewage Management Program – Approximately 75 people attended the public meetings held in the Centre Region to present information about the new sewage management program.  Comments about the sessions have been very positive, and residents were particularly appreciative of the educational information and handouts.  C-Net broadcast one of the sessions and made DVD copies of the meeting available to each of the municipalities and to COG.  Code Administration and CRPA staff met with a representative from HRG, Inc. to discuss the software being developed for the tank inspection program.  Hand-held units will be used by inspector(s) in the field to record information about the location and condition of on-lot septic systems.  Data from these units will then be down-loaded to a desktop computer in the Code Agency and maintained in a regional database.  The information collected will be helpful in preparing regular reports to DEP for reimbursement purposes.  In addition, the data can be used with the Geographic Information System (GIS) in the CRPA to create maps of inspection areas, malfunction clusters, steel tank locations, etc. The first round of pumping and inspection notices to property owners will go out in the next several weeks.  Residents will have until the end of November to submit documentation verifying that pumping has occurred.

 

Regional Stream Buffer Model Ordinance – The Ad Hoc Stream Buffer Committee met on April 2, 2008 to review the Ad Hoc Committee’s municipal response document, and the next iteration of the Model Stream Buffer Ordinance.  Minor technical corrections were noted regarding the Model Ordinance, both documents received unanimous approval to forward to the COG General Forum for its May 27, 2008 meeting.  The Model Ordinance will then be provided to the municipalities for review and possible adoption.

 

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ACTIVITIES

 

Centre County Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) – The LRTP serves as the Centre County MPO’s official transportation plan.  The LRTP must address at least a twenty-year horizon, and must be fiscally constrained.  The MPO adopted the new LRTP 2030 in September 2006, and updated the Plan in June 2007.  The LRTP is being updated again in 2008, concurrent with the adoption of the new 2009-2012 Centre County Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

 

The 2008 Update will add funding for highway and bridge improvement projects from Pennsylvania Act 44, and will also address federal “Year of Expenditure (YOE)” regulations, which require LRTPs to incorporate revenue growth and escalate project costs.  A first draft of the updated fiscal constraint analysis and revised project lists was presented to the MPO in March.  The changes in revenue projections and project cost estimates will require the removal of some highway projects from the LRTP in order to maintain fiscal constraint. The MPO approved a Final Draft 2008 Update on April 22, 2008.  Following the completion of an Air Quality Conformity Analysis and a 30-day public comment period, the MPO will consider adopting the 2008 Update in July 2008.

 

2009-2012 Centre County Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – The TIP is used by the MPO to approve the use of federal and some state funds for surface transportation projects.  The TIP is updated every two years concurrent with the update of the Commonwealth’s Twelve Year Transportation Program. In late January 2008, the MPO Coordinating Committee approved the submission of a Preliminary Draft 2009-2012 TIP to PennDOT for comments.  In early February 2008, Governor Ed Rendell announced a special effort to accelerate improvements to structurally-deficient state bridges.  A revised Preliminary Draft TIP was then prepared in March to incorporate additional bridge projects. A Final Draft TIP was approved by the MPO on April 22, 2008.  Following the completion of an Air Quality Conformity Analysis and a 30-day public comment period, the MPO will consider adopting the new TIP in July.

 

Transportation Enhancements (TE) Program – Staff continued to work with sponsors of active TE projects, including: State College Borough’s West Beaver Avenue/South Fraser Street Streetscape project; the Village of Boalsburg Streetscape project in Harris Township; and Centre Hall Borough’s Sidewalk Rehabilitation project.

 

CCMPO Performance Review Committee – In 2006, the MPO Coordinating Committee created a special committee to complete a performance review of the effectiveness of the countywide MPO.  The Performance Review Committee has held 16 meetings to date.  Since September 2007, the Review Committee has focused on completing draft bylaws for the existing organization.  In February 2008, the Review Committee received approval from the MPO to send draft bylaws to the Technical Committee for review.  The Technical Committee provided comments, which were discussed by the Review Committee in April.  The Review Committee subsequently forwarded draft bylaws for an initial review by the Coordinating Committee in late April.

 

FY 2008-09 CCMPO Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) – The MPO adopted the FY 2008-09 UPWP in late February.  In March 2008, PennDOT approved one of two supplemental planning funds projects proposed by the MPO:  Task VII.A. – Update Travel Demand Model and Socioeconomic (land use) Forecast Data.  PennDOT also indicated that the second project, Task VII.B. – Municipal Bridge Database, will be considered for approval in the future, after a scope of work is developed that can be used by all MPOs and Rural Planning Organizations which have proposed similar projects.  Staff will participate on a statewide work group to develop a standard scope of work for the task.  At its April 2008 meeting, the Centre Regional Planning Commission approved the FY 2008-09 Annual Supplement Agreement (contract) with PennDOT that provides the funding for completion of the work tasks specified in the adopted UPWP.

 

Advanced Public Transportation System (APTS) Initiative –  Staff worked with Avail Technologies to resolve individual system problems with attention given to the vehicle headsign interface.  Staff worked with CATA’s operations team to build use of the APTS system among the driver pool.

 

Assessment of Public Transportation Services in Centre County – Staff received and reviewed three consultant proposals to examine alternative models of transit service delivery using the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) and the Centre County Office of Transportation Services (CCOT) as providers. Two consulting firms were selected and scheduled for follow-up interviews to assist the evaluation committee in awarding a contract for the study.

 

LOCAL PLANNING ACTIVITIES

College Township

 

Sign Ordinance – Staff developed an ordinance to amend the current regulations for signs to clarify numerous sections of the ordinance. Most notably, the ordinance will clarify how to deal with muti tenant properties that don’t meet the definition of a shopping center or industrial park. In addition, the regulations have been proposed to address issues with the nonconforming signs and how the total permissible sign area for a site is calculated. The ordinance will go to Council at a date yet to be determined.

 

Height Amendment - Owners of properties along Cliffside Drive have asked College Township to amend the R-3 zone to allow for buildings as tall as 65 feet.  A report has been prepared and presented to the Planning Commission recommending height of buildings to be permitted as high as 65 feet in the R-3 zone, as well as some of the commercial zones, through a conditional use process.  The conditions for taller buildings will include increased setbacks as well as any reasonable conditions placed on an application for increased building height by Council. The Planning Commission has reviewed and commented on this ordinance which will be brought back for final comment on June 3, 2008.

 

Shiloh Road – Staff is reviewing ordinance language drafted by Benner Township for a proposed new zoning ordinance which will change the zoning along Shiloh Road. The proposed zone entitled Regional Commercial will allow mainly retail, restaurants, hotels, and offices. Township staff has been commenting on the ordinance proposals to urge consistency between the Benner Township proposal and College Township’s proposed mixed use districts proposed for the Shiloh Road Corridor.

 

Workforce Housing Ordinance - Staff has started work on an ordinance to provide incentives for developers to build workforce housing.  The ordinance is an outgrowth of several meetings between staff,  local builders, and developers to discuss barriers to the provision of workforce housing. As a result the proposed ordinance will allow an increase in density to help drive down the costs of land purchase and infrastructure upon the developer providing housing which meets the definition of workforce housing.

 

Subdivision/Land Development

 

 

 

Halfmoon Township

 

Rural Village District Zoning (RVD) – Staff forwarded a revised RVD ordinance for the Board of Supervisor’s consideration to update the Board on this multiyear project.  Staff will now work with the Board on further refinements to the ordinance, and then to begin the required Development of Regional Impact (DRI) application process in May.  The RVD area encompasses over 1,000 acres in the eastern end of Halfmoon Township at the joint municipal border with Patton Township.

 

Township Codification of Ordinances – The Planning Commission and staff continued to review and discuss the draft manuscript of codification changes provided earlier in the year by General Code Publishers, Harrisburg.  Following the review, the document will be returned to the Board for final consideration, but work on the draft document continues.

 

2008 Planning Commission Work Priorities – Staff has provided the Planning Commission with examples of a draft Subdivision/Land Development Plan submission checklist from College Township, two versions of  a possible Township Lighting Ordinance, and two local examples of regulations for Wind Generation Facilities from  College and Ferguson Townships. The Planning Commission has not reviewed and discussed all these documents. The best parts of these ordinances/processes as applicable to Halfmoon Township will be utilized. A draft will be proposed to the Board of Supervisors for review.

 

 

Harris Township

 

Ridge Overlay District – The Board of Supervisors held a public meeting on March 26, 2008 on the proposed Ridge Overlay Protection Ordinance.  No comments were received, and the Board took action to adopt the ordinance as proposed.  The ordinance applies additional regulations to properties within the Forest zoning district to protect sensitive environmental areas, including steep slopes, swales, springs, seeps, floodplains, and colluvial soils. CRPA was invited to present information on the Harris and Ferguson Township Ridge Overlay Protection ordinances at the April 16, 2008 meeting of the Spring Creek Watershed Commission.  Members of the group expressed interest in the efforts to protect these important ridge areas and asked a number of questions about the ordinances.

Rockey Farm - The Board considered a sketch plan for the Rockey Farm along Route 45 on March 26, 2008.  The Rockey Farm is the largest remaining undeveloped parcel within the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area in Harris Township.  It is currently zoned Agricultural.  Given its proximity to public utilities, the developer is requesting that the township consider amending the Rural Clustering zoning regulations to increase the density from one to two units per acre and to reduce the required open space from 50% to 30%.  A majority of the Board expressed some interest in exploring such changes.  One item of interest is a proposal to incorporate a percentage of workforce housing units into the development.  A small neighborhood commercial component may also be explored. This change, if accepted by the Board, would allow for a transition in density between the large lots in Aspen Heights and the smaller lot sizes found in the Kaywood and Willowbrook neighborhoods.  The proposed changes would likely require that a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) application be prepared.

 

Subdivision/Land Development

 

 

The developer requested a waiver from the parkland dedication requirement.  As an alternative to the parkland dedication, the developer is proposing the installation of a stepping stone walkway from Roundhill Road, along the eastern perimeter of the property, to a parklet area that would include amenities such as a putting green, water feature, and tables/benches.  Since the facilities would not be dedicated to the Township, maintenance activities would be the responsibility of the Homeowners’ Association.  In general terms, CRPA has no objection to the waiver or to the alternative offered by the developer.

Patton Township

 

Tavern Parking et al – At its January 14, 2008, meeting, the Patton Township Planning Commission began to develop a set of amendments to the Patton Township Code proposed by staff that would provide different off-street parking requirements for taverns than for other eating/drinking establishments; require electronic plan submissions; and create a new list of conditional uses for the Medium Density (R-3) Zoning District.  In February and March, staff met with local restaurateurs to solicit input on the proposed tavern parking requirement and the Commission further refined the amendments.  At its April 7, 2008 meeting, the Commission received public comments on the proposed amendments and voted to forward them to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration.  The Board discussed these proposed changes on April 16, 2008, and decided to advertise them for a public hearing on May 28, 2008.

 

Landscaping, Screening, and Buffering – During the Planning Commission’s February and April meetings, the Commission and staff continued developing potential amendments to the Patton Township Code to extend the Township’s landscaping requirements to additional zoning districts; require tree protection zones; regulate what construction activities may occur in these zones; preserve existing vegetation in buffer yards; and specify how and when required trees and shrubs may be replaced.  On May 12, 2008, the Commission finished working on these potential amendments and voted to place them on the agenda for the June 2, regular meeting to gather public comments.

 

Well Construction – On June 9, the Planning Commission and staff will begin developing a set of well construction standards by hosting Mark Ralston of Converse Consulting.

 

Zoning Ordinance Amendment Proposed by the Second Mile – At the May 14, 2008, meeting of the Patton Township Board of Supervisors, the Second Mile asked the Board to consider an amendment to the regulations of the Planned Airport District so that the organization could build a campus at the site on Fox Hill and Bernel Roads. The Board directed the Township Planner and Planning Commission to begin studying the proposal.

 

Subdivision/Land Development Plans:

·         Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan for Phase 6 of the Village at Penn State (Toftrees Planned Community) – Staff is currently reviewing this plan, which proposes two apartment buildings (with twelve units in each) at the corner of Toftrees Avenue and Presidents/Beaumanor Road in Toftrees.  The plan could be reviewed by the Planning Commission as early as May 5, 2008.

 

·         Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan for Phase 7 of the Village at Penn State (Toftrees Planned Community) – Staff is currently reviewing this plan, which proposes 24 detached and semi-detached dwelling units along Woodledge Drive in Toftrees.  The plan could be reviewed by the Planning Commission as early as June 5, 2008.

 

·         Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan for Phase 8 of the Village at Penn State (Toftrees Planned Community) – Staff is currently reviewing this plan, which proposes 26 semi-detached homes along Beaumanor Road in Toftrees.  The plan could be reviewed by the Planning Commission as early as June 5, 2008.

 

·         Preliminary Twelve-Lot Subdivision Plan for Weiser – On May 5, the Commission recommended approval of this plan which proposes a 12 lot rural preservation design residential subdivision along Julian Pike on Bald Eagle Ridge in the Agricultural Zoning District. The Board then concurred on May 14.

·         Preliminary/Final Land Development Plan for Woodycrest Center – This plan proposes to place a roughly 90,000 square foot retail building (divided into three spaces) and a 4,000 square foot bank on an 11 acre parcel in the Commercial-Transitional Zoning District along North Atherton Street – formerly the Mellott’s Mobile Home Park.  The placement of these structures on this site was made possible by the grant of a conditional use, which was in turn made possible by the donation of 1.764 acres at the rear of the site to the Centre County Housing and Land Trust for the provision of affordable housing (Thompson Place).  This land development plan is currently being reviewed by staff, and could be presented to the Planning Commission as early as its June 2, 2008 meeting.

 

·         Gray’s Woods Master Plan – On January 14, 2008, the Planning Commission began to review this new proposed master plan for the Gray’s Woods Planned Community. This plan proposes a new design for the roughly 600 acre portion of Gray’s Woods in Patton Township that has not yet been approved or completed (i.e., not Deerbrook, Graysdale, Marywood, or Brynwood). The design would place 1,545 residential units (small single family detached lots, medium single family detached lots, village homes, town homes, garden apartments, town home apartments, and town center apartments) across the undeveloped land left.  183.89 acres of new open space and 72.20 acres of new parkland are also proposed within this area.  The Planning Commission could review this plan in June.

 

·         Shaw, Murray, and Farahani Lot Addition - Patton Township is currently reviewing this simple plan, which proposes to add 0.31 acres of Shaw’s land to Murray’s land, and to add one acre of Shaw’s land to Farahani’s land. The Planning Commission could review this plan as early as June 2.

 

·         Master Plan Amendment for Toftrees West – Staff is currently reviewing this master plan amendment, which proposes a large mixed use retail/residential area to be known as the State College Town Centre at Toftrees as well as several nearby residential neighborhoods. The Planning Commission could begin reviewing this plan this summer.

 

State College Borough

 

Subdivision/Land Development