Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 6. Issues and Concernsalready outdated. Other requests included a commercial bypassaround downtown Zelienople; improvements to Routes 8, 228,68, and the Route 8 bypass in Butler City; and better linkagesfrom small towns to the region’s major highways. Storm drainsand grass swales to minimize runoff and water damage were alsodesired.Almost half of respondents stated that public transportationoptions were insufficient. As the population increases andresidences are more widely spaced, a lack of public transportationfuels independent vehicle usage, which contributes to noise,pollution, and traffic congestion problems. Commuters to Downtown Butler is one of the majorPittsburgh and other area cities could benefit from strong public transportation arteries in the regiontransportation, as could elderly people who cannot drivethemselves. Butler Area Regional Transit and New Castle’s Area Transit Authority offer some services,but these were mostly described as “minimal” and primarily for medical transportation. Currently, theRoute 488/I-79 park-and-ride lot is expanding, and a system is under way to connect Butler City,Cranberry, and Pittsburgh. Development of walking and biking paths in and between communities wassuggested. A few felt that current public transportation was sufficient. They either saw little need for it orfound the current system effective.InfrastructureFeelings were mixed concerning the adequacy of water and sewage infrastructure. Some believedtheir communities were well provided, while others saw infrastructure as significantly lacking. Somesupported infrastructure expansion, and others opposed it.Infrastructure improvement was requested specifically in Middlesex Township, Saxonburg, BeaverFalls, Prospect, and Cranberry, due to increased development. North Sewickley (Beaver County) andEllwood City (Lawrence County) sewage systems have expanded significantly, marked by doubledsewage prices in North Sewickley. Butler Area Sewer Authority (BASA) expanded their system in 2007Some felt infrastructure was thus keeping up with development, albeit with significant effort, while othersbelieved the sewage overflow threat remains high. Saxonburg Area Sewage Authority expanded toreplace failing private septic systems, but overflow threats to Thorn Creek worry residents.Employment OpportunitiesAlthough a few reported employment opportunities as “abounding,” especially in CranberryTownship, most said options were adequate to poor elsewhere. Although the residential population hasincreased, job growth was not following proportionately. Many noted that numerous jobs were availablewithin reasonable commuting distance outside the watershed. Many residents commute to Pittsburgh, andsome new residents have relocated to the Connoquenessing watershed to take advantage of lower propertyprices, while maintaining higher-wage jobs elsewhere. Within the watershed, employment declines werereported, particularly in manufacturing. Of the jobs available, most were low to middle income jobsconcentrated in retail, construction (especially in rapidly growing areas), small industry, and the servicesector. Ongoing efforts to attract new businesses with low taxes and advertisement of connectivity toother regions were supported. Unfortunately, several participants felt many such job encouragementefforts have failed. One respondent used the example of the Forsystems campus of multi-story officebuildings to encourage economic development. Without companies to fill them, however, the buildingssat vacant.6-24
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 6. Issues and ConcernsSeveral participants noted that few professional positions were available, forcing many persons withhigher degrees to move from the area, frequently to eastern Pennsylvania or out-of-state. Many graduatesfrom the area’s colleges and universities also left to seek professional job opportunities.Improvement suggestions included attracting “high-tech industries that are environmentally safe,”revitalizing downtown Butler City and other cities to draw businesses and enhance the appeal of cityneighborhoods, boosting recreational opportunities, and developing attractive natural and manmadeenvironments. It was suggested that, where feasible, revitalization and recreation efforts focus on theConnoquenessing Creek. Problems contributing to the employment decline included sewer problems, saidto have “stifled housing and commercial development” in Butler City, and downtown “blight,” blamedpartially on the withdrawal of downtown businesses to peripheral shopping malls. One respondentopposed efforts to improve jobs, as he feared greater employment opportunities would encourage furtherdevelopment.Educational OpportunitiesIn general, respondents felt positively about the educational opportunities of the Connoquenessingwatershed and nearby region, both in quality and accessibility. Most were pleased with the public schoolsystem, as well as the higher education options, including Butler County Community College, satellitecampuses of various four-year universities in Cranberry Township (Robert Morris, Chatham, etc),Regional Learning Alliance facility in Cranberry Woods, and numerous technical schools. Also in closeproximity are Slippery Rock University, Geneva College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, andPittsburgh schools. Furthermore, a summer educational program for inner-city children was quite active,and Butler County public schools partnered with local businesses to offer students internships and jobexperience.Land-Use OrdinancesOpinions of land-use ordinances varied considerably due to the number of municipalities present inthe watershed and the variety of their ordinances. Critiqued most were weak and/or uncoordinatedordinances, blanket ordinances that fail to account for geographical differences, and poor enforcement ofordinances.In Butler County, ordinances were found generally adequate, although development of a multimunicipalplan for Butler City, Butler Township, and Penn Township was ongoing. Also named aspositive in Butler County was a “land development buyout program,” in which the government can paylandowners not to develop land. This respondent said the strategy was helping to concentratedevelopment and keep rural areas open. Muddy Creek Township was considered in need of more or betterordinances. Here, contention arose between property-rights and the goals of zoning and land ordinances.Those who felt ordinances were inadequate cited insufficient consideration of residentialdevelopment needs, water runoff/retention, and preservation of green spaces, agricultural land, andwildlife habitat. One participant described “helter-skelter development” in Marshall (Allegheny County)and Cranberry (Butler County) townships without sound or visual barriers between Route 19 anddevelopments or between commercial and residential areas. The townships “just build, build, build,without a master plan to follow.” Marshall Township was criticized for backing down on itsapproximately 35-year-old land-use plan. Overall, participants revealed concern about protection ofnatural areas and unique habitats. For example, one participant mentioned an old DEP-protectedlimestone mine near Ellwood City, where the Indiana bat dwells in winter months. CEMEX, Inc. hadexpressed desire to reopen the mine, and the resident feared permission may be given without obliging theanimal’s habitat needs.6-25
Page 4 and 5:
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Con
Page 6 and 7:
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116: Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Con
Page 165: Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Con
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
Page 277:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284 and 285:
Page 286 and 287:
Page 288 and 289:
Page 290 and 291:
Page 293 and 294:
Page 295 and 296:
Page 297 and 298:
Page 299:
Page 302 and 303:
Page 304 and 305:
Page 306 and 307:
Page 308 and 309:
Page 310 and 311:
Page 312 and 313:
Page 314 and 315:
Page 316 and 317:
Page 318 and 319:
Page 320 and 321:
Page 323 and 324:
Page 325 and 326:
Page 327 and 328:
Page 329 and 330:
Page 331 and 332:
Page 333 and 334:
Page 335 and 336:
Page 337:
Page 340 and 341:
Page 342 and 343:
Page 344 and 345:
Page 346 and 347:
Page 348 and 349:
Page 350 and 351:
Page 352 and 353:
Page 354 and 355:
Page 356 and 357:
Page 358 and 359:
Page 360:
show all

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?