amity township comprehensive planelibrary.pacounties.org/documents/erie_county/304; amity...

AMITY TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

PREPARED BY AMITY TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS AND CITIZENS,

GRANEY, GROSSMAN, RAY & ASSOCIATES AND ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING

1999

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I - Background Analysis Introduction What the Planning Code Says What the Community of Amity Township Did Land Use Regulations

Amity Township Zoning Ordinance Agriculture Security Areas

Part I1 - Town Hall Meetings Format Results

Part III - The Plan

Community Development Goals and Objectives What the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Says What the Community of Amity Township Says

Land Use Plan What the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Says Union City Dam Primary Growth Areas Agricultural Areas

Housing, Transportation, and Community Facilities Plan

Interrelationships

Comprehensive Plan Recap

Appendix - Technical Zoning Review

Page 1 Page 1 Page 3



Page 19


Page 21 Page 21 Page 21 Page 26 Page 27

Page 30

Page 32

Page 33

A- 1

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MaDs

Regional Location Road and Water Features Sensitive Environmental Areas Prime and Unique Agricultural Soils Existing Land Use Noteworthy Parcels (and List) Existing Transportation System Composite Citizen Vision Map Growth and Conservation Plan

Follows This Page Follows Page 1 Follows Follows Page 4 Follows Page 5 Follows Page 6 Follows Page 8

Follows Page 18 Follows Page 29

List of Illustrations

Original Schematic of Union City Lake (1960’s Vintage) Sketch of Potential Series of Partial Impoundments

List of charts

Population Comparisons Population Housing

Follows Page 10 Follows Page 26

Follows Page 7

Follows Page 7 I

Follows Page 7 ~

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AMITY TOWNSHIP

BACKGROUND ANALYSIS PART 1

INTRODUCTION

Along with the New England town meeting, local government in Pennsylvania is one of the most democratic systems of governance in the world. Any interested citizen, regardless of finances, can run for office, make his voice heard at a meeting, or make a difference in countless other ways. Arnity Township has 400 voters in a typical election. Each supervisor is thus representing 133 of his neighbors. By contrast, a U.S. Congressman is representing 200,000 of those who voted. Simply put, local government is more accessible, responsive, and participatory.

This form of government thus affects local planning. Planning is not done for communities (or to them!) by some outside force. It is something communities do for themselves. This Comprehensive Plan attempts to formalize this process. It was based first and foremost on the desires of local leaders and citizens who met together for two informal town hall meetings.

As an official municipality of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Amity Township’s ability to plan is regulated by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) (Act 247 of 1968, as amended).

The comprehensive plan is optional for municipalities (required for counties), under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Between 50 percent and 70 percent of the State’s municipalities have a plan. At a minimum, it is meant to be a collection of maps, text, and charts which lead toward:

F Development goals and objectives relative to the location, timing, and nature of future growth

F A plan for land use (land reserved for needed uses, conservation, revitalization, policies, etc.)

Amity Township - Part I - Background Analysis Page 1


F A plan for housing (type, needs, special needs)

F A plan for community facilities and utilities (water, sewer, parks, municipal facilities)

F A plan for transportation (roads, rail, airports, etc.)

Various statements of relationships between plan elements, municipalities, and neighboring places

It should be noted that if a community does prepare and adopt a plan, it does not compel any private party or even the local government to obey its recommendations. The most important statutory requirement is that if a plan is adopted, the school district and board of supervisors must submit any action dealing with the disposition of public real property (such as the building of a school, demolition of a public building, constructing a sewer plant, extending a water line, or buying land) to the township planning commission for review. The review is limited to consistency with the comprehensive plan and the recommendation of the commission is not binding on the school district or supervisors. However, it does help keep major decisions more participatory and can prevent controversial actions from being conducted outside public view.

Because this Plan was measured against the standards of the Code, relevant portions are quoted for convenient reference. However, though the format of the Plan follows the Code outline, the content is wholly a local product; the vision of the citizens of Amity Township.

Finally, it should be noted that this Plan, though it follows the MPC outline, was not a traditional “big-budget” multi-year effort. The effort was directed at meeting the Code without expending significant local resources. As issues arise, the Township should add surveys and amendments to this Plan, as necessary. For a quick point of references on such issues, the Erie County Plan should be consulted, especially the Demographic Analysis and Population projects and the Community Facilities Analysis.

What the Planning Code Says . . . .



In preparing the comprehensive plan, the planning agency shall make careful surveys, studies and analyses of housing, demographic, and economic characteristics and trends; amount, type and general location and interrelationshlIps of direrent categories of land use; general location and extent of transportation and community facilities; natural features affecting development; natural, historic and cultural resources; and the prospects of future growth in the municipality.

What the Community of Amity Township Did . . . . One of the simplest questions which must be established at the onset of the planning process is how many people and what forms of development the land might support. There are certain natural hazards or limitations which can preclude development, or simply make it difficult and expensive. It can also be environmental features which the community believes are worthy of preservation or conservation. The attached series of maps relate some of the conditions would could limit or preclude development in Amity Township.

The first map depicts sensitive environmental areas. The first areas of note on the map are various water or hydrological features. Streams are practically developable, for obvious reasons. However, streams also have other important characteristics. For example, streams carry hundreds of thousands gallons of stormwater from the Township each year. An ideal situation, stream side, vegetation and soil hold stormwater and releases it slowly into the stream bed. This controls and sometimes prevents down-stream flooding. Areas which are frequently inundated, such as wetlands, hold similar amounts of precipitation. The best way to understand this is to think of it as a large natural sewer system, with holding areas and a conveyance system.

However, like human stormwater systems, the natural infrastructure can overflow. When stormwater exceeds the ability of soil and wetland areas to absorb, the natural result is flooding. Flooding in Amity Township is both measurable and cyclical. Flood plains which are subject to inundation are depicted upon the map. Improper development of these areas is nothing less than a threat to human and property.

As depicted on the map, large wetland areas are connected to the stream system. These are not undevelopable from a technical standpoint. Wetlands can be filled


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or drained. However, it should be remembered that if this occurs, the displaced stormwater must go somewhere, and there exists the potential that flood ways and Flood plains could change significantly.

It is also important to remember that water is an essential element of human life. If water is contaminated, at best, its purification is expensive; at worst, it can cause a threat to human life. For this reason, watershed areas are depicted on the map. Watershed areas are simply where water flows from one direction to another. When stream water is carried away from Amity Township, it goes to places where it is sometimes consumed by humans. For example, Union City Borough draws significant amounts of water from Bentley Run Reservoir, a surface water source. In dry years, the City of Franklin, in Venango County, utilizes surface water from the French Creek. Thus, an innately contaminating development in Amity Township could be a threat to these systems.

As a final note about water quality, the bulk of Amity Township drains into the French Creek. The French Creek, in terms of water quality and species, biodiversity, is one of the most outstanding watersheds in the United States. The following material taken from the French Creek Project 1997 Vision Plan, discusses the unique aspects of this waterway:

Few streams in Pennsylvania are more attractive or biologically diverse than French Creek. It is a precious resource enhancing the quality of life for all who live and work in its 1,2 70 square mile Watershed, as well as for those who travel to the Creek to canoe, jish, or enjoy quiet time along its bucolic shores.

Beginning in Chautauqua County, New York, French Creek meanders southward for 11 7 miles through the northwestern Pennsylvania counties of Erie, Crawford, Mercer, and Venango to its confluence with the Allegheny River at Franklin. The French Creek Watershed is vast, constituting 11 percent of the drainage basin for the Allegheny River.

French Creek flows past undisturbed natural lands, farms, small cities and towns, industrial and commercial areas, and residences. With outstanding water quality in many section, French Creek supports a high diversity of life forms, a number of which are rare or endangered.


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Biologists have now conjirmed that much of the flora and fauna native to French Creek has thrived in portions of the Stream since the glacier of the last ice age disappeared 10,000 years ago. Today the Stream drainage provides habitat for more species of fish (over 80) and freshwater mussels (26) than any other stream in Pennsylvania. HoMing a treasure of natural heritage and diversity, French Creek is in fact something of ajinal refuge.

French Creek’s remarkable biodiversity and good water quality in many sections are somewhat accidents of nature. Because of its glacial beginnings, wetlands, cold springs, gravel beds, and geologic history that precluded formation of economically extractable coal, along with its location in a largely rural area, French Creek has naturally evolved into its present state. However, human impacts within the Watershed have degraded some segments of the Stream.

Recognizing the importance of this stream, landowners, educators, and conservationists have formed the French Creek Project. The Project serves as an education and support organization, with the following goals:

To foster “Conservation Through Cooperation” by bringing together landowners, farmers, the business community, local government oficials, scientists, conservationists, sportsmen, and educators in a collaborative efsort to preserve French Creek.

To work with other organizations to initiate French Creek programs and projects related to education, stream conservation, science and research, water quality and species protection, and recreation.

To raise public awareness through education so that by the year 2000, a majority of people living and working within the Watershed will understand that French Creek is unique.

In addition to areas of hydrological sensitivity, the map also illustrates areas of very steep slope, referenced to as escarpments. Slope is measured by the change in elevation over lineal distance. By way of illustration, a vertical wall has a slope of 100 percent. Even relatively small changes in slope can effect development. Railroads prefer slopes of not greater than 3 percent. Maximum slope for a major industrial commercial road is generally considered 6 percent. Even the limit for



rural roads is considered to be 9 percent. Slope naturally limits where building can occur as well. The only way to overcome this is through very expensive regrading. However, by any standard, slopes of 25 percent are considered unusable, and it is economically infeasible to regrade them in a rural area.

Finally, it is worthwhile to examine how the community currently uses land. Toward that end, a professional planner from the County Department of Planning drove every road in Amity Township and Wattsburg Borough. The results are depicted on the Existing Land Use Map.

The entire history of the community can be seen on the Land Use Map. Neighboring Wattsburg developed as the local service center (stores, businesses, post office) for the surrounding farms. Former secondary service centers can be seen in crossroad hamlets, such as the Village of Arbuckle. Most of the surrounding areas were once used for agriculture, but due to changes in farm economics over the past 50 years, a pattern of farm abandonment can be seen. In most cases, former farmland has reverted to brush or wood, and, in some situations, it now hosts low-density housing developments. This pattern across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has caused some concern, particularly where farmland of high quality is lost for development. Statewide, the loss of farmland to development is seen as a harm to Pennsylvania’s largest industry. It also threatens certain aspects of Pennsylvania’s environment and rural character. Of particular concern is the loss of prime farmland soils, which have the greatest productive capacity. The extent of these soils in Amity Township can be seen on the Prime and Unique Farmlands Map.

As communities develop or change, it is natural for some clusters to develop. For example, if a successful business locates at a strategic location in a rural area, it is common for other businesses to be drawn there. Similar patterns can happen with housing developments. As can be seen on the Existing Land Use Map, no real clusters of business have developed, as commercial uses are scattered randomly on major roads. There are some minor concentrations of residential development, but it its significant to note that much of it is of the 10-acre lot, very low-density variety. It appears no developer has found it worthwhile to build a new road system to allow access to greater portions of a property.

Because there is only limited development in Amity Township, it can be helpful in understanding land use to examine the specific ownership and use of land. This


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is done on the Noteworthy Parcels Map. This map depicts one ownership pattern which is the fastest growing land use in the Township; Pennsylvania State Game Lands. Two major tracts have been acquired as an addition to State Game Land No. 162 during the course of this planning project. The location of these tracts and their size can be seen by comparing the Sensitive Environmental Areas Map to the Noteworthy Parcels Map.

This map also depicts Agricultural Security Areas. This will be discussed at length under the section on land use regulations.

It is also important to note demographic trends - even if the land resources favor growth, local economics, and the structure of the population are just as crucial. The population comparison chart shows a community with moderate likelihood for future growth. If economic trends continue to swing upwards, the Township could have 1,800 people by 2010. Trends for Wattsburg Borough are more modest. The charts also compare demographic and housing data for Amity and the neighboring townships. The purpose of this is to examine any major disparities. While some disparities exist, there is basic uniformity across the region.

The housing chart illustrates aspects of the current housing stock. Amity has a profile typical for the area: high rates of home ownership, many older homes, and moderate housing values. Lack of affordable housing does not appear to be an impediment to current residents or future development.

This data indicates that Amity Township will not be the next boom town in Erie County, but enough development could come to warrant consideration.

Human civilization often uses infrastructure to overcome natural limitations (for example, a bridge makes a river passable). Therefore, it is essential in the planning process to examine the types of infrastructure available in the community to determine the level of growth and development anticipated. In Pennsylvania, the most critical forms of infrastructure are roads, public water, and public sewer. The presence of the latter normally promotes growth. With roads, the greater the design capacity and quality, the greater likelihood of development.

Quite simply, there is no public water or sewer currently available in Amity Township or the adjacent areas. However, work is beginning on a public water system for Wattsburg and public sewer is projected for Wattsburg by 2020.


I Amity Township

POPULATIClN by e Cohor-t.5 Neigfiboring Townships I POPULATION PROJECTIONS

1950 i-hrmgh 2010

A , (hhl

3600

2800

2400

2000

~600

1200

800

. .

. .

....

Venango - - - -

Union -

... ..,.. .. ...... Amity

1999 Graney, Grossman, Ray, and Associates

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I

Total Number of Homes 766

Total Occupied Homes 7 11 93 To

Built prior to 1950 227 32%

Owner Occupied 599 84 70

Median Value $60,000


Total Occupied Homes 326 92%


Owner Occupied 294 90%



Total Occupied Homes 585 93 70


Owner Occupied 522 89%


I Amity Township and

Total Number of Homes

Total Occupied Homes 587 95 70

61 1

519

I Built prior to 1950

Owner Occupied


The road system is characterized by its functions. The following definitions are taken from the Erie County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance:

Minor Arterial: This class of highways brings traffic to and from the expressway and serves major movements of traffic within or through the areas not served by expressways. They serve primarily to move traffic, but also perform a secondary function of land service.

UrbadMa-ior Collector: This class of highways serves a middling function within the highway network. These roads serve both traffic movement and land service. Major collectors receive traffic and lesser streets asa well as provide interconnection and support to minor arterials.

Minor Collector: This class or roads serves the internal traffic movement within municipalities and connects developed areas with the arterial system. They do not accommodate long, through trips and are not continuous for any appreciable length. The collector system is intended to simultaneously supply abutting property with the same degree of land service as a minor street and accommodate local internal traffic movements.

Local: The sole function of the local street is to provide access to immediately adjacent land.

Applying these definitions to all the roads in Amity Township results as follows:

Roads:

2 Minor Arterials Route 8

Route 89 Connects Wattsburg and Union City

Connects Wattsburg and Corry/Route 6

1 Major Collector Wattsburg-Waterford Road

2 Minor Collectors Arbuckle Road


Lyons Road

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Local Paved Roads Hatch Hollow Road Kimball Hill Road Phillips Road Haskell Hill Road (western portion) Hopson Hill Road (southern portion) Hayes Road (western portion) State Line Road (western portion)

Local Oiled Roads Hayes Road (eastern portion) State Line Road (eastern portion)

Local Gravel Roads Two Dozen

Generally speaking, more development will be attracted to the ten paved roads. Commercial or industrial development will likely choose sites adjacent to the minor arterials.

Amity Township does have one very unique form of regional infrastructure: the Union City Dam. Operated by the Pittsburgh District of the Army Corps of Engineers, the dam is uniquely the only dry-bed reservoir in the district. According to data from the Corps, “The project consists of a rolled earth jill dam with an impervious core. The embankment rises 88 feet above the stream bed and has a top length of 1,420 feet. An uncontrolled ogee weir side channel spillway is adjacent to the dam. The dam is located on French Creek, 73.8 miles above its confluence with the Allegheny River. The dam lies entirely within Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Union City Dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936 and has been in full operation since October, 1970. This project is part of the flood control system operated by the Corps of Engineers for French Creek, Allegheny, and Upper Ohio Rivers.



As a dry-bed reservoir, the dam is designed to pass normal flows from French Creek. A temporary lake is formed when the amount of water entering the project (inflow) exceeds the project’s capacity to discharge it through the outlet works. This storage of excess runofl (and highest pool elevation) is greatest during the months of January-April. However, as with all flood control reservoirs, periods of heavy rainfall and/or snowmelt will cause rapid and often signijkant rises to the project’s pool elevation. 1,

Project Purposes

Union City ’s Congressionally Authorized project purpose is flood control.

Hydrology

The project controls 221.8 square miles of the upper French Creek basin. This basin is located within the upper Allegheny River basin. The basin is broken into approximately equal portions of woodlands, pasture lands, and farmlands. The basin is located in the glaciated section of the Allegheny Plateaus province. The topography of most of the basin is open-valleyed, with rounded slopes.

Hydrologic Data

drainage area = 221.8 sq mi probable maximum flood = 87,500 cfs total capacity f i l l pool) = 47,650 ac ft maximum inflow (Feb. 1985) = 16,600 cfs

Structural Data

0

overall length = 1,420ft

maximum height = 88ft above stream maximum width = 560ft at base

The Corps list available facilities as drinking water, parking, picnicking, area, and restrooms. It should be noted that this is considerably less than originally proposed. The attached illustration is a plan of development as it was first proposed decades ago.

Amity T o m h i p - Part I - Background Analysis Page 10

= = = = = = D = = = D = D = D = = '

TOUR OF PROPOSED UNION CITY LAKE

I" = ki Mile -

F I S H I N S

260 CAYPINE UNITS BEACH/

BO CAR PARKING BOAT LAUNCH1

85 CAR-TRAILER PARKINS

CRlE COWTY CORPS OF CNOINCLRS U.S. ARMY

P

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The preceding information illustrates that Amity Township has some social and demographic potential for future growth and that certain areas of the Township could potentially support such growth. How will the community respond?

The intensity, type, timing, and amount of future growth should be a product of the citizens and property owners of the community developing a sensible planning policy. Such policies are typically implemented through the development of infrastructure and land use regulations. Unless both policies act in concert, the results can be negative for a host community. For example, if a land use ordinance encourages intensive development where infrastructure is not readily available, environmental problems, loss of quality of life, or higher taxes will inevitably follow. Conversely, if a community wishes to retain an existing situation, which is functionally sustainable, both land use regulation and the development of roads or water and sewer should reflect that.

This section of the Amity Township Comprehensive Plan will examine Amity Township’s ability to accommodate anticipated levels of future growth and development with the given public investment of infrastructure and in the context of local land use regulations.

Land Use Reglations

The purpose of land use regulations in Pennsylvania is to protect a community and its property owners from circumstances which would jeopardize their health, safety, and general welfare.

Communities in Pennsylvania can adopt several land use regulations. Among the most common is a community zoning ordinance.

Prior to zoning, land use regulations were enacted through single-purpose ordinance, such as preventing a nuisance like a tannery from locating in a certain part of a community, and a public-private partnership which made ethnical agreements about town planning.

Beginning about a hundred years ago, the Industrial Revolution caused the size of development to expand greatly and set off a series of conflicts due to property utilization conflicts. The response to that was zoning, which seeks to regulate the density and placement of various land uses throughout the community. The classic


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example of zoning was the effort of many communities to prevent large-scale industries, such as steel mills, from locating adjacent to dense residential neighborhoods.

Currently in Pennsylvania, about fifty percent of 2,500 units of local governments have some form of zoning ordinance. For many rural townships in Western Pennsylvania, the first zoning ordinance was adopted in the late 1960s or early 1970s. In some cases, these were prepared by county planning agencies or consultants for municipal use. In other cases, communities simply borrowed from another community and applied those standards to their own situation. Many of these first generation rural planning ordinances are actually rather suburban or urban in their outlook. Many communities are currently amending these to reflect a more rural standard. It is, thus, crucial to the community in making decisions about its future to gain an understanding of its own zoning ordinance and what that ordinance wished to accomplished.

Amity Township Zoning Ordinance: The Ordinance was adopted in 1981. In some respects, it is typical of zoning popularity adopted in Pennsylvania during the 1970s, but it does have some unique features. A typical aspect of the document is the use of very generic community development objectives in Section 107 (identical verbiage can be found in many other ordinances and some of the generalized objectives are close to platitudes). Conversely, the order of the ordinance is quite unusual. The lot and district standards, normally considered the heart of the ordinance, are placed at the end of the text as exhibits. This review is divided into two sections, a technical review which discusses the text of the ordinance, and a planning review which outlines how the ordinance could affect the community’s future. The technical review is presented in the Appendix.

The most unique aspect of this Ordinance is the common sense means in which it integrates flood plain regulations into zoning. This is especially crucial given the unique circumstances of controlled flooding in the community. The Ordinance’s use schedule is quite liberal and by itself should not create many unnecessary impediments to normal rural activities. However, by its uniformity, the Ordinance does not create any situation where intensive growth and development is favored or discouraged in appropriate places. For example, if an industrial development which caused an increased traffic flow of 500 trucks a day were to locate in the Township, it would be preferable for it to be on a paved State road - not a gravel Township one. Dense residential development could occur in the place where


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water and sewer service would be the most difficult to provide. In essence, the Ordinance has set forth no form of planning for future growth or development. The entirety of the Township is an open playing field.

This type of approach to zoning is a response to the consistent interpretation of Pennsylvania courts that all communities which adopt a zoning ordinance must make provisions for all reasonable uses. “Reasonable” is interpreted fairly strictly, and a township with potential for future growth and development has greater responsibility to accommodate than a built-out city or similar community not in the path of growth. For example, the City of Erie would not be reasonably expected to provide for a cattle feedlot, but it would need to reasonably provide in its policies for a shopping center. Conversely, a township with significant vacant land resources must make regulatory provisions for both a cattle feedlot and a shopping center somewhere within its bounds. In some communities, intense development is legally reasonable, but it is not practically reasonable. Rather than make difficult, and sometimes ridiculous choices, the Ordinance appears to have “wait-and-see” attitude.

Agriculture Security Areas: The second planning regulation which Amity Township has adopted is an Agricultural Security Area (ASA). In fact, the Township has the largest ASA in Erie County. ASAs are simply a covenant between the Township and forest or farm landowners. From the landowner, the ASA is a statement of his desire to keep the property in farm/forest use.

The Township agrees not to pass ordinances which would restrict normal farming practices and not to use eminent domain to force public service rights-of-way. Most important, the ASA is also a pre-requisite to the purchase of agriculture development rights in Pennsylvania. Under this program, a farm landowner can receive a cash payment of the difference in land value for farming versus development by covenanting not to sell for development.


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PART 11 Tom HALL MEETINGS

As mentioned in the Introduction, Amity Township is a self-governing entity. Past trends are not as important as the consensus of the community. Therefore, before any decisions were made about the future, an open forum Town Hall Meeting was convened.

The idea of town hall meetings has been undergoing a wonderful revival in the United States recently. Even presidential elections have representative citizens to ask questions of candidates. (The term “town hall meeting” originated in New England, where it forms the centerpiece of local government, with every resident voting on every issue. New England town meeting referenda are also binding as a vote by supervisors in Pennsylvania.) At the local level, the concept of the town hall meeting has been easily adapted to decisions about the community’s future.

Format: The first Town Hall Meeting was an open forum where every participant was asked to answer four questions:

What is the greatest strength of Amity Township? (What do you hope never changes about Amity Township?)

What is the greatest weakness of Amity Township? (What one aspect of the community would you change?)

Imagine Amity Township in 10 to 15 years. What is the best future you can imagine?

Imagine Amity Township in 10 to 15 years. What is the worst future you can imagine?

The citizen participants gave over 50 answers to each of these questions, covering every aspect of the Township. The answers are collapsed into four broad categories on the attached table.

Communi@ - Aspects of the people of Amity Township, who they are, and how they interrelate.

Amity Township - Part II - Town Hall Meeting Page 14

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Results Of First Meeting Brainstorming: I

Rural - Aspects of the setting of. Amity Township, such as the natural environment, landscapes, and local activities.

Development - Aspects of community facilities, public property, and land use.

Miscellaneous - Concern which did not fit other categories.

I I community:

I I

I I I

I

I Rural:

I Development:

I . Miscellaneous:

Strengths Weaknesses Best Future Worst Future

Community living No recycling Low taxes Losing rights Good road No social hum Dregs of society maintenance moving in Good schools City people moving Pride in in community Long time residents

Hunting and Dirt ro ds Peace and fishing Lots of public land tranquility Privacy No parks Rural landscape Recreation No permanent Recreation area Farmland reservoir Scenery /Views Bicycling Wood cutting No landfill

No tax base Industry Landfills No airport Tourist industry City sprawl No waterhewer Paved roads Large industry - in No cable Dam made loss of farming

permanent Atomic energy plant

Wind Nuclear disaster Nuclear refuse Politicians

Amity Township - Part II - Town Hall Meeting I Page 15

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The table does not give the ideas any priority, but, that night, citizens were asked to “vote” by giving each participant an equal number of stickers. The stickers were placed next to the ideas written on the board. They are listed here by priority.

Strendhs Votes

6 5 4 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7 5 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0

Community living Farm land Hunting and fishing Privacy Long-time residents Recreation - snowmobiling and qual. Scenery Good road maintenance Views - good Good Schools Pride in community Bicycling Wood Cutting Wind No landfill

Weaknesses

Dirt roads No recycling No tax base Lot of public land (game lands) No social hub - facilities No parks No waterhewer No airport No cable No permanent reservoir



Vote

14 4 3 2 1 1 0 0 0

6 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The

Best Future

Dam made permanent Paved roads Peace and tranquility Industry (low impact) Rural landscape Recreational area No industries Low taxes Tourist industry

Worst Future

Losing rights (land) Landfills Dregs of society moving in

Loss of Farming Act Nuclear disaster Politicians City people moving in City sprawl Large industry - in No international airport Nuclear refuse Atomic energy plant

second Town Hall Meeting began with a presentation of some of the population and housing data gathered, and the results of the first meeting. Participants were then broken into four groups. Each group was given a blank map of the Township and some crayons. Using the crayons, participants were asked to mark areas on the Township map as one of four categories:

Preservation - Areas to remain as they currently are, whether developed or undeveloped.

Revitalization - Areas that need refurbished, rehabilitated, or possibly to have deteriorated structures demolished.


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Development - Vacant areas which could support new housing, industry, commercial buildings, or other uses.

Conservation - Areas which could have limited careful development but retain their basic character.

Each individual was then given the opportunity to support or oppose any depiction on the four maps by placing green stickers for agreement or red stickers for opposition. Yellow sticker were given as a sign of cautious support.

The resulting four maps have been combined into a single composite citizen map. Where the vision of a group met with support, it is included as shown. Where the vision disagreed, it is illustrated as a conflict area. Because of the contention, the specific nature of the conflict areas warrants consideration. Some felt the State Game Land areas should be preserved as they are. Others disagreed. One group listed the Union City Dam as a conservation area. This received several opposition stickers. This may be more a product of differing terminologies than real disagreement.

Amity T o w h i p - Part II - Town Hall Meeting Page 18

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PART III THE PLAN

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

What the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Says . . . . (1) A statement of objectives of the municipality concerning its future development, including, but not limited to, the location, character and timing of future development, that may also serve as a statement of community development objectives as provided in Section 606.

(Section 606 of the code refers to the Community Development Objectives of the Zoning Ordinance.)

What the Community of Amity Township Says . . . . Significant future development is not anticipated. Therefore, most future development should be of one of two characters. The first type is low density, low intensity, rural development, which requires little infrastructure and does not impact rural character or the environment. It is anticipated this type of development will occur throughout the Township. The second is higher density, higher intensity, development, which will require more public infrastructure, and has more potential to alter the community. It is anticipated this form of development will occur in and around Wattsburg Borough, where infrastructure is currently, or will eventually be, available. In spite of higher density and intensity, it is our vision that this form of development still be compatible with a high-quality small-town atmosphere.

To reach this goal, the Township has established specific objectives:

Maximize cooperation and sharing of resources with Wattsburg Borough toward becoming a community with a full range of small town public services.

Amity Township - Part I l l - The Plan Page 19

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Work with the Army Corps of Engineers, other affected municipalities and organizations. In lieu of this, promote greater utilization of the Union City Dam and impoundment area.

Develop regulations and monitor local policies to protect local property owners without unduly restricting property rights. Provide maximum protection for traditional land uses in the Township, such as agriculture, and foster the preservation of open space as a part of the Township’s tax policy, traditional rural activities such as hunting or fishing, and the continuance of rural atmosphere.

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LAND USE PLAN

What the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Says . . . . A Plan for land use, which may include provisions for the amount, intensity, character and timing of land use proposed for residence, industry, business, agriculture, major trafic and transit facilities, public grounds, parks and recreation, preservation of prime agricultural lands, flood plains and other areas of special hazards and other similar uses.

The centerpiece of the Land Use Plan is the Future Land Use Map. This is based upon the citizen vision, as compared to the Existing Land Use and Environmental Maps. This map represents how Amity Township might develop over the next 10 to 20 years. It divides the Township into eight major categories of future land use. Each of these is discussed in the following text.

Union City Dam (open water/resort/seasonal residential/conservation areas)

Primary Growth Area (Borough of Wattsburg and immediate environs)

Long Term Growth Areas

Agricultural And Rural Areas

Union City Dam: One of the community development goals of the cornunity is to promote the maximum utilization of the Union City Dam site. For many in Amity Township, the preferred option is an open water, permanent impoundment, or series of small interconnected impoundments. This is a large goal and its implementation must be pursued carefully, answering a number of questions about market impact, environmental impact, financial feasibility, and property rights.

One of the first questions which must be asked about such a facility is whether the public investment would see a return through use. Much of this is contingent on potentially competing facilities and their capacity.

Because the lake would represent a public, nonprofit entity, its competing would be limited to State, Federal, or municipal or nonprofit recreational lakes. Because most users of such lakes are day or weekend visitors, virtually all come from

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within a 100-to-150-mile radius. For the purpose of this study, 100 miles is considered as the radius for primary competing facilities.

The most c o r n o n competing facilities would consist of Pennsylvania State Parks. By design and the vision of conservationist Maurice Goddard, State Parks are placed within a 25-to-30-mile radius of virtually all Pennsylvanians.

There are currently 13 State Parks within a 100-mile radius of the dam. Of these, the following seven have significant open water, lake-related resources.


arren Co

Elk, Elk County

Parker Dam, Clearfield County

I Pymatunhg, Crawford County

NOTE: Family Camping - Y = Open Year Round - L = Open April to December - S = Open April to October

NOTE: Boating - UN - All qualified boats, including unlimited horsepower motors. Water skiing is permitted. 10 - All qualified boats with up to 10 horsepower motors. E - All qualified non-powered boats and registered boats with electric motors. NP - Only qualified non-powered boats. W - White-water boating available.

2 mi .- 2 5 a

u --$. h

L

L

Aniity Township - Part 111 - me Plan Page 23


There are also a number of Federal facilities in the area, most notably the Allegheny Reservoir at Kinzua and the Woodcock Dam in Crawford County. Both of these have facilities which mirror those of the State Parks. Thus, the biggest difference in the market today, from when the dam was first proposed, is a number of competing facilities. If the implementation followed the 1960’s era scheme (day-use areas, boat launch, camp sites), the result could very well be underutilized facilities.

However, permanent impoundment could follow other avenues of development. A number of market analysts believe northwest Pennsylvania could support a full- service resort development. In the past, the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a full-service resort complex for Kinzua, but did not pursue it, due to public opposition about developing the wooded shorelines. It may be worthwhile to investigate the feasibility of this. Some questions such an analysis should approach are:

Could larger pleasure craft navigate the lake at the desired capacity?

Would changes in the Township Code be required to permit a liquor license for the resort (regarded as a necessary pre-requisite by private developer)?

Would weather limit utilization to the extent that significant development would not be financially feasible?

There are also environmental impacts to be addressed. The reservoir is an integral part of the French Creek watershed and should not jeopardize the integrity of that resource. Because it is only seasonally impounded, the submerged plant communities can adjust. Would permanent impoundment set off a flora decay which would severely damage water quality? Conversely, once established, the dam could potentially have a cooling effect on the water, enhancing the fishery and habitat. The answers to these questions must be answered by scientists as part of a formal environmental impact statement (this will be a requirement of the development due to the involvement of Federal property and presumed Federal funding). As a final word on this, the environmental impact process should be conducted in accordance with the model established by the French Creek project - participatory and inclusionary , as well as objective scientific analysis.


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The previous paragraph has mentioned a presumption of some Federal funding. However, it is not realistic to expect complete Federal support. One option for local funding may be to determine if the impoundment could become a surface- water supply for the entire region (Union City, Wattsburg, Waterford, Corry). This could open up some alternative financing. State funds might also be a possibility. The Alliance for Wetlands and Wildlife recently requested $3,000,000 from the Commonwealth toward a $1O,OOO,OOO project to impound 85 acres in Clarion County.

Finally, there is the very real issue of conservation easements to be addressed. Because of the temporal nature of the dam, land was not purchased in fee simple. Instead, easements were purchased which prevent all non-agricultural uses of the land or the construction of any new buildings. The easements severely devalue the land, so the additional fee-simple purchase which must precede impoundment would not be terribly expensive. However, the shoreline lands would also become extremely valuable lakefront property.

This raises the old and interesting question of private gain from public investment. If public money is used to fill the impoundment, how should shoreline property be used? Ideally, the answer to this question should be the result of a consensus- building process which involves the community and property owners. There are three options:

Option One is to simply allow residential and compatible commercial development along the entirety of the lake shore. This would result in a situation like the west side of Lake Edinboro or Canandohta Lake. The downside of this is that the resultant development may create a larger tax base, but a requirement for significant public services which will use every penny of the new tax dollars (see Community Facilities Plan). It may also create a less desirable lakeside landscape. Perhaps the greatest concern is that access to the lake would not be available to non-landowners.

Option Two is to buy significant amounts of shoreline, through additional easements or fee-simple purchases. This would create a landscape similar to the typical State Park lake. However, through this process, it is likely that even more local land will be removed from the tax rolls. Local control will also be forfeited.

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Option Three is a true public-private partnership where everyone can win; and this is the recommended option. If the impoundment is feasible, a Master Plan should be prepared to facilitate development of some areas and preservation of others. The natural place for intense seasonal residential or resort development to occur is on the north end of the lake near Wattsburg or the areas around the intersection of Arbuckle Road and the Wattsburg- Waterford Roads. There could be nodes of less-intensive development along other parts of the shoreline. The balance of the lakeshore would be protected by a wooded buffer with conservation easements in place. The Master Plan should calculate the worth of the entire affected area, then set up a mechanism to pay for the easements through a form of profitsharing on the areas to be developed. The means to implement this could be through Tax Incremental Financing, combined with transfer of development rights. The Township could provide a basic format for this to occur in by creating some special purpose zoning overlays or districts. This has been done with valuable highway frontage land in Adams Township, Butler County.

In examining this project, it must be remembered that the dam must still serve as a flood control measure. Because of this, full impoundment to design capacity is not likely. What is more likely is a series of smaller permanent impoundments connected by the stream bed. One impediment is the purchase of State Game Lands within pat of the basin. This will necessitate the inclusion of the Pennsylvania Game Commission as a partner.

However, if no options to create a permanent impoundment are feasible, other options should be examined. The unique environment could have some eco- tourism potential. Greater and more profitable agricultural utilization could also be promoted through Management Intensive Grazing (MIG), a grass-based form of livestock feeding. The unique circumstances of this area may qualify for startup grants, cost shares on seeding, and fencing and significant extension and Federal technical assistance.

Primary Development Areas: The impoundment of the reservoir area will affect the realization of several of the recommended future land uses in the Township; open water, conservation buffer, and resort/seasonal residential. However, whether this happens or not, the community must prepare for future growth and development of a more standard nature. The question which has been continually raised when community development is discussed in the Township is where

Amity Township - Part I l l - The Plan Page 26

intensive development should occur. .Without infrastructure, such decisions in policy seem arbitrary and frivolous. At the present, this is true, however. As discussed in the Erie County Community and Facilities Analysis and Plan, sewer and water are a Countywide priority for the Wattsburg area by 2020.

As public infrastructure changes the desirability of the Wattsburg area for development, the community must begin to respond with regulations that are twofold; first, to encourage intensive development to locate where water and sewer are available, and second, to preserve and protect the mixed uses and extensive developments that lie in the remaining portions of the Township.

The first priority is to encourage infill in the area of Wattsburg where the most complete infrastructure is available. However, this must also be done with an eye toward preserving a high-quality , small-town environment. Wattsburg is a pleasant community and can grow while continuing to be a pleasant community. The Borough is fortunate in having many of the facets of a traditional small town: it is pedestrian-friendly , tree-lined streets, and a base of local businesses. New development must enhance but not detract from this. Of particular quality is the stream-side area in Wattsburg. It is recommended that some form of stream-side buffering be employed to make this a true centerpiece of this small community. This could be done through yard regulations, or purchase of easement.

As infill comes, the official map process, or a similar approach, should be employed to insure that a new street system develops in conformance to that which is already laid out - simply continuing the grid. During the next 15 to 20 years, development may continue to grow into the long-term development area, outlined on the map. The key statement to this long-term development area is that it continues to build upon the foundation of looking at the Amity Township, Venango Township, and Wattsburg area as a single rural community, though it is three municipal governments. This is indicative of the way these three municipalities must begin to think if they are to plan for a successful common future.

Agricultural Areas: Finally, the planning process must not ignore the areas which will not see intensive development. The agricultural base of Amity Township is of great importance to the community, and was expressed numerous times during the vision-building process. Amity Township has already reacted with one of the most common tools to protect agricultural; the Agricultural Security Area (ASA). Agricultural Security Areas are covenants between local government and


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participating landowners. The local government agrees to pass ordinances which will restrict normal farming practices, and also agrees not to use eminent domain to force public infrastructure into these areas. From the landowners’ perceptive, they are simply stating it is their desire to attempt to keep the land, farm, and forestry uses.

A second aspect of the ASA is that it is a prerequisite for participation in the purchase of development rights. Erie County currently has a program in which farmers can sell only the right to develop their land in exchange for cash payment. This preserves agriculture and also gives a needed infusion of capital for farm operators. One difficulty in administrating this program in areas such as Amity Township is that, at present, the difference between the value of the land for development and agriculture may not be significant. Thus, it may not be worthwhile at this point for farmers to sell development rights. The County has also focused much of its efforts on preserving the unique grape lands of the coastal area. However, it is likely that many of the farmers in Amity Township are part- time operations, with sources of off-farm income.

For such farmers, it may be possible to implement this program through donated easements in which the farmers could take an income tax, charitable deduction, as if they had donated cash. Conservation easements have a real fixed value (the difference between the land as development versus agriculture). Whatever the value of these easements donated is the same as if the donator had written a cash contribution to a charity. For part-time farmers, this maybe as attractive as a cash payment. The Supervisors should investigate the feasibility of this with the Erie County Agricultural Preservation Board. The first priority should be the areas where prime farmland soils and Agricultural Security Areas overlap.

The Township should also re-examine certain of its zoning policies to ensure that they are as farm-friendly as possible (see Analysis of Land Use Regulations). Much of the use structure is appropriate, but certain of the supplementary regulations may not be. As the Township progresses in planning for future growth and development, they may wish to employ additional tools to ensure development in rural areas does not adversely impact the pre-existing development. Part of this is simply by permitting higher densities in the primary development area than in the low-density agricultural areas. However, development may reach a certain point where pressure is enough that this is not sufficient. In such a case, the Township may need to examine some form of conservation subdivision. This


could be integrated with significant topographic diversity. Finally, ordinances should include some language to identify the ASAs on abutting property deeds so new formerly urban residents do not attempt legal action.


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HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN

As mentioned in the introduction, the Amity Township Comprehensive Plan is meant to follow a “mini-plan” format. An in-depth discussion of housing, transportation, and community facilities issues were not anticipated. However, due to their relationship to overall issues in the development of the community, some of the following activities are recommended.

Amity Township has enough pre-1940 housing to warrant monitoring its housing stock for deterioration. It is therefore recommended that the Township undertake a survey of housing conditions each house in the Township should be viewed from a car (“windshield survey”) and rated on the following criteria:

Sound: The unit is free from structural defects. While there may be paint peeling or signs of wear, there is nothing to indicate deferred maintenance.

Deteriorating: The structure shows signs that, normally, maintenance has been deferred and damage is occurring. This may include: paint peeling to the extent that the wood is degrading, cracked windows, worn shingles, broken steps, porches, or fascia and cracked foundations.

Dilapidated: Indicates the structure is unfit for inhabitation. Such major defects include broken windows, holes, cracks or open exposure, missing roofing materials, major structural sag, and major cracking of foundations.

The code officer could perform this service, but it is a labor-intensive task. It might be as effective for the code officer to train the Planning Commission and Supervisors. Several two-person teams could thus complete the survey in a single day.

If the amount of substandard housing exceeds 8 to 10 percent, it may be worthwhile to examine a housing rehabilitation initiative. There are currently grant funds available from the HOME Program for this. An application involving both Wattsburg and the Township might be well received.

Amity Township does have a good nuisance ordinance for abandoned dilapidated buildings. It should also ensure that a process is developed to pursue remediation

Page 30 Amity Township - Part III - The Plan

in a legally defensible manner. The best way to do this is mirror the process used by those communities where demolition is an everyday process.

The most important community facilities for the future of Amity Township are public water and public sewer for Wattsburg Borough. This is an important project for both communities and should be a good first project for joint pursuit. It is recommended that Borough and Township officials hold a joint get-acquainted meeting, preferably over a meal and begin talking about implementing this issue. Sewer will likely be the most crucial part of the mix, so an Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan update will be in order. The two communities should attempt a joint 537 or pilot project in inter-municipal cooperation.

In terms of transportation infrastructure, two initial issues should be planned for. The first is a common-sense street system for the Borough of Wattsburg and adjacent portions of the Township. At present, Wattsburg has an excellent grid system which should be replicated and continued as the community grows. This can be accomplished through a very aggressive subdivision and land development ordinance which requires rectilinear streets or reserving future right-of-ways. (This is permitted by the Planning Code through official maps.) It is recommended that both communities embark on an official map process to see that new development follows these proposed streets.

The second issue is the effect that a permanent impoundment might have on the current road system. It is recommended that the Township begin a participatory planning process to solve such issues as the feasibility of the entire project grows.


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INTERRELATIONSHIPS

The Pennsylvania municipalities planning code requires that comprehensive plans include a statement about the relationship between various plan elements. This is to ensure that recommendations in one section do not conflict with those in another. In answer to this requirement it may be stated that the underlying theme of all Plan elements is the continuation of the existing rural community as a rural community. This can be accomplished by keeping investment in abutting small town of Wattsburg Borough. Thus, it can be fairly stated that the relationship between plan elements is also crucial to the relationship of Amity Township to neighboring communities.

Across Erie County, many of the changes in land use and demographics relate to the migration from older urban small town environments into the surrounding countryside. At its worst, this has entailed subsidy through the replication of significant infrastructure to support new growth and development. The areas from which the migration occurred, still had extensive public investments with a smaller

Tax base in which to pay for maintenance.

Amity Township is in a position where it can learn from mistakes made in other parts of Erie County and especially in other parts of Pennsylvania. The key lesson to be learned isn’t there cannot be a strong countryside without strong small towns. If Wattsburg were to fail, the responsibility to provide for intensive growth and development would shift clearly to Amity Township. If this happened, Amity could not remain a rural community. If Wattsburg succeeds, Amity Township can meet it goals; a quality small town, surrounded by a quality countryside.

As an alternative to growth and development in each other’s expense, Amity Township proposes the continuation of the natural community that was started by our ancestors. It might be hoped that here, where there is not yet significant growth pressure, solutions can be found that will assist other places.


I I COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECAP

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The following are a list of things that local leaders can do to begin implementing the vision expressed in the Comprehensive Plan:

1. Promote Greater Utilization of the Reservoir. Meeting with Army Corps of Engineers, French Creek project, and affected landowners. Begin to assemble some hard costs for the project and who would pay.

2. Promote the Growth of a “Greater Wattsburg” as the Township’s Primary Development Area. Begin meeting over food with Borough officials. Support development of a joint sewer authority.

3. Retain Small Town Atmosphere within the Primary Development Areas. Examine feasibility of integrating some land development standards into the zoning ordinance for the primary development districts (sidewalks, lot sizes, street streets, stream-side buffers based upon slope). Begin learning about “neo-traditional town planning. ”

4. Protect Agriculture in the Rural Areas. Examine feasibility of tax- deductible donations of development rights to the Erie County Agriculture Preservation Board. Require new development abutting Ag Security Areas to tag development plats and new deeds with the location of nearby ASAs and statement that dust, noise, and odor may be an inherent part of living near there. Work with landowners with the ASAs to develop a minimum lot standard which will work and can be implemented to prevent overly dense development in these areas.

5. Promote the Conservation of the Existing Housing Stock. Conduct a Township-wide housing conditions survey. Consider application for grant funds to rehabilitate owner-occupied low or moderate-income housing. Use code officer to administer the program on a local level.

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APPENDIX

TECHNICAL ZONING REVIEW

The following analysis of the Amity Township Zoning Ordinance was conducted for further consideration by the Amity Township Planning Commission.

107 should refer to the Township Comprehensive Plan and delete reference to the 1962 Plan if the new plan is adopted. Should revise Community Development Goals and Objectives to reflect what the community truly wishes the ordinance to accomplish. These goals are hard to argue with but not necessarily individually reflective of Amity Township.

301.7 This clause states that any unsafe structure should be repaired or removed. It probably is more a code matter than a zoning issue.

303 Application of Yard Regulations. By this Ordinance, safety fence of 7 or 8 foot height is forbidden. There is also no standard to allow small garden shed or storage buildings to project into yard areas.

304 Clear Site Triangle is probably adequately covered by the Erie County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. This section could possibly be deleted in consultation with the County.

307.4 The U.S. Bureau of Mines no longer issues standard Ringleman charts. The courts do not accept Ringleman charts in zoning matters. Smoke is now measured by density by trained observers.

308.2(f) This technically requires paved parking areas for all rural type uses. Is this being enforced? Modern rural standards permit gravel as a way to minimize stormwater runoff.

Specific uses listed in 309 and 312. These are mostly conditional use/special exception standards referred to in Exhibit A-1 which references Section 407 (and 504) from that point there is no clear reference.

309-312 should be moved to a subordinate provision under 407 or 504 as applicable. Simply put, this is a very awkward arrangement.

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311 This section may not be consistent with the current treatment of Planned Residential Development in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

314.1 This is probably overly restrictive for a farming community. This 300-foot standard would include machine sheds and other low impact structures.

314.3 (a) Fifty feet is probably excessive; (b) By 308.2(f) The parking spaces would need to be paved for a farm stand to operate. Is this enforced?

316 Oil and Gas Extraction standards should be checked against current DEP standards for consistency.

3 19 Drive-In Theaters - Probably archaic and safe to delete.

405 Violations needs to be updated per the Planning Code. Sixty days’ improvement is no longer an option.

Conditional Uses (407) - Language is a little more aggressive than typical Pennsylvania planning practice, but really not a problem.

Definitions - The lines between “camp,” “cottage,” and “dwelling” are very blurred in this Ordinance. Given the structure of the use tables, there are probably some superfluous definitions.

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