Chapter 1 - Introduction and Purpose of Planning... 1-1 to 1-3 Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247)...1-1 Previous County Planning Activities...1-1 Objectives of the Plan...1-2 Elements of the Plan...1-2 The Need for County Community Planning...1-3 Planning as a Concept...1-3 Potter County Planning Commission...1-3 Chapter 2 Goals and Objectives...2-1 to 2-28 Introduction...2-1 Community Survey...2-1 Public Meeting Forums...2-8 Open Planning Commission Meetings...2-9 County-wide Road Tour...2-9 Project Specific Website... 2-10 Six Public Meetings... 2-10 Mission Statement... 2-10 Philosophy... 2-11 Vision Statement... 2-11 Goals to Achieve the County s Vision... 2-11 Objectives for Action... 2-12 Community Facilities... 2-12 Economic Development and Tourism... 2-15 Historic and Natural Features... 2-17 Housing... 2-19 Land Use... 2-21 Parks, Recreation, Greenway, and Open Space... 2-22 Transportation...2-22 Utilities...2-24 Hazard Mitigation Plan...2-25 Chapter 3 Population and Socioeconomic Trends...3-1 to 3-8 Introduction... 3-1 Population Trends... 3-1 Population Distribution... 3-1 Population by Age... 3-4 Male and Female Gender... 3-4 Race Characteristics... 3-5 Educational Attainment... 3-6 Residency... 3-6 Population Projections... 3-7 The Pennsylvania State Data Center Projection... 3-7 Chapter 4 Natural Environment... 4-1 to 4-17 Climate... 4-1 Slope and Topography... 4-1 Soil Characteristics... 4-1 Soil Suitability for Standard On-Lot Septic Systems... 4-3 Agricultural Lands... 4-3 Soil Classes... 4-3 Prime Farmland... 4-3 Agricultural Security Areas... 4-4 Agricultural Conservation Easement... 4-4 Geology... 4-4 Hydrology... 4-6 Potter County Natural Areas Inventory...4-10 i
Stormwater Management... 4-12 Forests... 4-13 Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy... 4-13 Minerals, Gas, and Petroleum... 4-14 Act 167 Stormwater Management Plans... 4-15 Environmental Limitations... 4-16 Appendix Potter County Soil Survey... 4-17 Application Processing...5-14 Senior / Assisted Housing...5-17 County Housing Programs...5-17 Chapter 6 Economic Profiles... 6-1 to 6-10 Introduction... 6-1 Labor Force... 6-1 Major Employers... 6-2 Class of Worker... 6-2 Chapter 5 - Housing...5-1 to 5-18 Introduction...5-1 Housing Inventory...5-1 Dwelling Types...5-1 Household Size...5-2 Occupancy and Vacancy Rates...5-2 Age of Structure...5-2 Housing Value and Rental Costs...5-3 Housing Conditions...5-4 Elderly Housing and Care Facilities...5-5 Potter County Housing Authority...5-5 Housing Plan...5-5 New Housing Units...5-6 Future Land Use and Housing...5-7 Vacancy Rates...5-8 Housing Unit Distribution...5-8 Conservation, Rehabilitation, and Redevelopment... 5-10 Potter County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance... 5-10 Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing... 5-10 Per Capita Income, Median Household Income, Family Income... 6-3 Employment by Industry... 6-4 Employment by Occupation... 6-5 Communication to Work and Patterns... 6-5 Potter County Adelphia Communication Impact Assessment... 6-6 Update on Pennsylvania Road to 2005... 6-6 County Economic Status in Appalachia Fiscal Year 2005... 6-7 Downtown Revitalization... 6-7 Town Centers... 6-7 Keystone Opportunity Zones... 6-8 North Central Economic Development... 6-9 Coudersport Business Identification Project...6-10 Chapter 7 Existing Land Use...7-1 to 7-2 Introduction... 7-1 Land Use Classifications... 7-1 Development of Regional Significance... 7-2 Chapter 8 Transportation Study... 8-1 to 8-23 Introduction... 8-1 Potter County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance... 8-1 ii
Existing Design Standards...8-2 Regional Transportation Planning...8-4 Major Roadways...8-5 Transportation Concerns...8-6 Intersections...8-8 2003 Conference of Transportation and Land Use For Economic Development...8-8 North Central PA Bicycle / Pedestrian Transportation Plan...8-8 BicyclePA s Corridors Route Y...8-9 Air Transportation...8-9 Rail Transportation...8-9 Public Transit Services...8-9 NCPRPDC 2025 Transportation Plan... 8-10 Functional Classification System... 8-10 Linking of Land Use and Transportation... 8-12 Regional Transportation Network... 8-13 Goods Movement... 8-13 New Vehicle Trips... 8-15 Access Management... 8-17 Home Town Streets and Safe Routes to School... 8-18 Roadway Specifications... 8-18 Traffic Calming... 8-19 Tourist Oriented Directional Signage Program... 8-19 The Transportation Improvement Program... 8-21 Dirt and Gravel Roads... 8-22 Pennsylvania Route 6 Heritage Corridor Management Action Plan... 8-23 Appendix PA Byway Program Information and Sample Ordinance...8-24 Chapter 9 Historic Preservation, Tourism, and Greenways... 9-1 to 9-15 Introduction... 9-1 Identification of Historic Resources... 9-1 What is a Historic Resource?... 9-3 Legal Foundation for Historic Preservation... 9-4 Route 6... 9-4 Integrated Historic Resource / Open Space / Non-Motorized Transportation Planning... 9-5 Tourism... 9-5 Key Objectives of the Market Plan... 9-5 Employment by Occupation... 9-6 Employment by Industry... 9-6 BicyclePA s Corridors Route Y... 9-6 Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Activities in Pennsylvania... 9-7 County Tourism Resources... 9-7 Activities near the Susquehannock State Forest... 9-7 Five Year Improvement Plans... 9-8 Trails...9-10 The Pennsylvania Heritage Lumber Museum...9-11 Potter County Farmers Markets...9-12 Scenic Resources...9-13 Greenways...9-14 Pennsylvania Wilds...9-15 Chapter 10 Community Facilities...10-1 to 10-27 Introduction...10-1 Public Schools...10-1 iii
Countywide Enrollment... 10-1 Local School Districts... 10-1 Cameron / McKean / Potter Unit for Penn State Cooperative Extension Strategic Plan... 10-3 Private Schools... 10-10 Colleges, Universities, and Trade Schools... 10-10 Libraries... 10-10 Health Care Facilities and Hospitals... 10-12 Municipal Parks and Recreation... 10-14 North Fork County Park... 10-14 Emergency Services... 10-15 Public Water and Sewage Services... 10-20 Solid Waste and Recycling... 10-24 Electric Facilities... 10-24 Potter County Educational Council... 10-25 GIS Related Future Activities... 10-25 Pennsylvania Broadband Consortium Pilot Project... 10-26 Council of Government... 10-26 Food Bundle (Agri-Tourism) Project... 10-27 Chapter 11 Water Supply... 11-1 to 11-14 Introduction... 11-1 Geologic Connection... 11-1 Groundwater Quality... 11-2 Public Water Systems... 11-2 Watersheds... 11-2 Groundwater Management Plan for the Susquehanna River Basin... 11-3 Groundwater Monitoring... 11-3 Groundwater and Aquifer Protection Plan...11-3 Pennsylvania s Aquifers...11-4 Groundwater Contamination Sources and Hydrologic Cycle...11-4 DEP Guidelines for Installing Private Water Wells in Bedrock...11-5 Water Conservation...11-8 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance...11-9 Potter County Water Supply Study...11-11 Source Water Protection Projects in Potter County...11-11 Groundwater Supply Ordinance...11-12 Chapter 12 Future Land Use Plan...12-1 to 12-13 Introduction...12-1 Historical Land Use Planning...12-1 Community Policies and Recommendations...12-1 Land Use Classifications...12-2 High Growth Area...12-2 Rural Growth Area...12-3 Village Area...12-4 Rural Hamlet...12-4 Rural Resource...12-4 Town Centers...12-5 Utility and Utility Corridor Protection Overlay...12-5 Transportation Enhancement Overlay...12-5 Historic Overlay...12-5 Watershed Protection Overlay...12-6 Conservation / Recreation Overlay...12-6 Open Space / Conservation Development...12-6 Implementation Tools...12-7 iv
Statement of Plan Interrelationships... 12-9 Statement of Municipal Interrelationships and Consistency... 12-9 Chapter 13 Capital Improvement Program... 13-1 to 13-5 Introduction... 13-1 Developing Financial Policies... 13-1 Inventory of Existing Facilities... 13-1 Determine Status of Previously Approved Projects... 13-2 Financial Analyses... 13-2 Methods of Financing Capital Improvements... 13-2 Current Revenues... 13-2 Municipal Bonds... 13-2 Short Term Notes... 13-2 Evaluate and Program Projects... 13-3 Capital Improvements Program Adoption... 13-3 Monitoring the Capital Budget... 13-3 Relationship of a Capital Improvement Program to the Comprehensive Plan... 13-3 Capital Improvement Projects... 13-3 Chapter 14 Implementation... 14-1 Introduction... 14-1 The Comprehensive Planning Process... 14-1 Review and Update... 14-1 Land Use Management... 14-1 Land Use Controls... 14-1 Implementation Tasks and Activities... 14-1 Immediate... 14-1 Short Term... 14-1 Long Term... 14-1 v