Community Planning Panel Discussion

Community planning is a cooperative effort between citizens, planners, municipal officials and many more and during these efforts it is sometimes good to look at examples from other communities on methods and approaches to planning that do and do not work.  In order to get these other viewpoints, the Union County Planning Department has invited a trio of experts from around the state to give us their input on Cultivating Community as well as answer some questions. The following is an excerpt from the press release on this event:

On Thursday, September 25^th, 2008 at 7:00 PM three Pennsylvanians will share their community planning and development experiences as part of Cultivating Community: A Plan for Union County’s Future. The program will be at the Carriage Corner Restaurant in Mifflinburg and is open to the public. The session will be moderated and those in attendance will have an opportunity to ask questions. Featured will be James Cowhey, AICP, Executive Director of the Lancaster County Planning Commission; Bill Fontana, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and John Trant, Jr., AICP Esq., Chief Strategic Planning Officer for Cranberry Township.

Mr. Cowhey joined the Lancaster County Planning Commission in 1988 and served as the Director for Community Planning. His experience includes working as a planning consultant with municipal, county, and private-sector clients. He is also the Executive Director of the Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee.  Lancaster County is known for its strong agricultural heritage, a large presence of Plain Sect families, and for rich and productive farmland. It has more farmland acres and more preserved farmland than any other county in the state. However, it has been facing significant growth and development pressure which has created numerous challenges for communities. Out of necessity Lancaster County and its municipalities have continually developed new ways to address planning and development issues.

Mr. Fontana took the helm at the PA Downtown Center (PDC) in May 2000. Prior to that he served for two plus years as the Director of the Rahway Center Partnership, a New Jersey Special Improvement District and was Chairman of the Rahway Historic Preservation Commission. From 1979 to 1997 Mr. Fontana worked on redevelopment efforts in western Pennsylvania, including time with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County and the County Department of Planning and Economic Development. The PDC is a nonprofit organization based in Harrisburg that is dedicated to the revitalization of the Commonwealth’s traditional communities. The PDC provides outreach, technical assistance, and educational services to communities interested in improving central business districts and surrounding residential neighborhoods. The PDC has considerable experience assisting communities of all sizes in urban and rural settings and is probably most known for facilitating Main Street and Elm Street programs.

Mr. Trant is a graduate of Penn State University with degrees in Landscape Architecture and Geography. He also holds a law degree from Duquesne University.   After working for several years as a consultant to many Pennsylvania municipalities, he became a Community Planner for Cranberry Township. Now as Chief Strategic Planner Mr. Trant utilizes his diverse training and background to help the Township implement realistic and achievable planning and policy solutions. Cranberry Township is a 2nd Class Township in the southwestern corner of Butler County north of Pittsburgh that is experiencing considerable change. Between 1990 and 2000 township population increased by 89%. Some of this rapid growth is attributed to being located near the Pennsylvania Turnpike and is a result of other new highways that have opened and decreased travel times throughout the region. Two years ago the township initiated “The Cranberry Plan”, a comprehensive plan update to establish a vision for the growing community.

For more information on Cultivating Community: A Plan for Union County’s Future visit www.cultivatingcommunity.net or call the Union County Planning Commission at 570-524-3840.