Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 6. Issues and ConcernsMost participants recognized the economic benefits of a growing community, but were also alarmedby the associated effects on the environment and quality of life. They acknowledged that well-planneddevelopments with precise controls could be positive additions to the community, but that properplanning is the key to positive development. Redeveloping abandoned industrial sites and brownfields, asopposed to developing farmland and open spaces, was preferred by many participants.Improve infrastructureInfrastructure discussions frequently come entwined with development debates. The selection of abusiness location often correlates to the infrastructure and resources available. Areas lacking sufficientinfrastructure will often be overlooked, even if prior industrial sites utilized the location. As developmentincreases, infrastructure also must increase in order to be sufficiently capable of supporting communityand business growth. Where infrastructure does not grow simultaneously with development, demandexceeds capacity, resulting in (for example) sewage overflows and/or a lack of services.In northern Butler County, development is considered dependent upon installation of water andsewer infrastructure. Some respondents prefer minimal infrastructure, believing the deficit will discouragefurther development. Many had mixed feelings, desiring both better infrastructure and limits to residentialdevelopment. The cost of infrastructure maintenance and upgrades is an additional concern for some.Infrastructure critiques focused mostly on sewage overflows, which were blamed primarily onincreased water runoff due to changing land uses and the connection of stormwater drains to sewage lines.Both contribute to water flows higher than sewage plants can handle, resulting in “overflows” ofuntreated water entering streams. Groundwater infiltration and illegal hook-ups to sewage lines also areconsidered to be contributing factors of overflows.Malfunctioning private septic systems also attracted much criticism. Butler area summer homes, inparticular, were critiqued for septic failures. In some areas, public sewage systems are replacing privateseptic systems, while in rural areas, rapid residential growth is fueling installation of new independentsewage systems. Several participants feel that inspections are too infrequent and regulations arefrequently limited to new systems. Old systems are commonly “grandfathered,” and thus exempt fromnew ordinances.Maintaining and improving older infrastructure, as well as providing infrastructure in targetedgrowth areas, is important in controlling development.In addition to the major routes thattraverse the area, there are numeroussecondary roadwaysTransportationAccording to participants, area roadways, for the mostpart, are in good condition. However, it was noted that manyof the roadways are highly congested. Safety improvements,such as additional traffic signals, better exit and entranceramps, frequent maintenance, bridge and culvert replacements,and wider shoulder margins, could be implemented.Commercial trucks in downtown Zelienople concern someparticipants, who suggested a bypass around Zelienople.Improvements to Routes 8, 68, and 228; connector roads tosmall towns from major highways; along with storm drains andgrass swales to minimize water damage and runoff wereadditional suggestions.Public transportation is lacking and insufficient accordingto the majority of interview participants. The lack of public transportation contributes to excess noise,6-3