September 2007 - Posts

• August 28, 2007 - Kick-off Presentation to Committee Members

  Members of all four committees were invited to the following presentation made by the planning team to kick-off the master planning process. Photos represent areas of challenge or opportunity in the Tuna Valley.  There are also photos from Roberta Sarraf representing zoning challenges that have been faced in other communities.  MCF included a slide showing views of Potsdam, NY - a small town that has turned the creek that flows through town into a feature.       Posted Sep 17 2007, 01:46 PM by Amy Maceyko with no comments

• Meeting Minutes - August 29, 2007 - Downtown Strategy and Regional Business Committee

  Record of Meeting Place:    Bradford Area Public Library      Project:        City of Bradford Master Plan Date:    August 29, 2007                          Client:          City of Bradford Time:    7:30 am-9:00 am                         MCF No.:      44506002 Attendees: Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Dean Bauer,  Kiwanis Housing, Retired Banker Reverend Lee Beckes, First Presbyterian Church, Friendship Table Lisa Campogiani, OECD – Elm Street Manager Anna Chiodo, Miss Maggie's Diane DeWalt, Main Street Manager Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Howard Fesenmyer, Blaisedell Foundation Jim Guelfi, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp, BCPAC MJ Hand, Historic Architectural Review Board, Business Owner Chris Hauser, Bradford Area Alliance, DBRC Kathy Jones, Zippo Tina Kowlsen, Hooker Fulton Building Brian McNamara, Business and Property Owner Ron Orris, Walmart Tina Phillips, Business Owner (in city) Jerry Stover, Best Western Kathleen Vecchio, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Michelle Warner, Tops Glen Washington, Bradford Regional Medical Center Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects Purpose:    To get to know the subcommittee members, to talk about how the master plan process will work and to start talking about issues affecting the study area. Items Discussed: 1.  Mr. Filoni began by introducing the master plan process.  It will take about a year and this committee is a sub-committee of the Main Steering Committee in order to focus on the business strategies related to downtown and the region.  Even though the process will take a year, it is never really done.  The report that results will include a list of action items, but implementation will be more difficult with three municipalities and such a diverse population involved.  The idea of the committees is to build consensus and to get a lot of people involved in the process for significant community buy-in. 2.  The next item involved group introductions and then Mr. Filoni polled the group about where they live. According to the hands raised, 6 committee members present live in the city, 6 live in Bradford Township and 3 live in Foster Township. 3.  Reverend Beckes mentioned that he's involved with Friendship Table in addition to his church. Friendship Table serves about 100 people every night and they have been open for 10 years. 4.  After introductions were complete, Mr. Filoni asked Mr. Bauer to speak about the Kiwanis Housing from his perspective.  Mr. Bauer explained that the housing can provide space for 50 families and it is near 100% occupancy.  They would like to do some maintenance soon and the group is 4 years from completing the mortgage.  This topic spurned a discussiong and a number of comments: a.    Has this been good for the community for 36 years b.    It was estimated that about 50% of those who use the services of Friendship Table has mental disabilities c.    It would be nice to provide some service for the children of those on welfare to break the cycle of generation and generation on welfare d.    The Kiwanis housing is a 236 project of HUD e.    Some see the big issue being residents who don't work at all because their rent is almost totally subsidized f.    Maybe an improvement in code enforcement can indirectly affect the unemployed in a positive way by improving their situation g.    Some feel that the lower income population feel separated, estranged and despondent, so it is the responsibility of their fellow citizens to make them feel like a part of the community. h.    There is no way to go to the University without seeing the public housing nearby i.    Even if the public housing went away, it is likely that those with low income would become tenants of the slum landlords in the area.  Which means that the city code enforcement would become even more critical j.    It was noted that the “slum landlords” live both in and out of town.  Also, there are University students who live in these undesirable apartments as well. 5.  Bad properties exist in all three municipalities and all give a bad impression.  In all three areas, multiple calls of complaint are necessary to get results.  But it was also pointed out that some neighbors clean up when new neighbors move in and clean up previously troubled properties, so code enforcement isn't the only way that problems can be solved.  Established residents can be spurned to action when they see positive things happening around them. 6.  Mr. Hauser spoke to address some of the issues that have been brought up – he was previously a district judge.  From his perspective, it isn't just an issue of enforcement.  Fining an building owner doesn't mean that the problem will be fixed.  In some cases, resources are needed from the city to clean up the problems when the owners aren't willing to.  As a judge, he wanted to give offenders 30 days to fix the problem and get a reduced fine, but the city council was not supportive.  The fines can be up to $600. 7.  Just like many cities who have lost population over the years, there is a revenue problem in the city. There are fewer people, fewer jobs, a surplus of buildings and a smaller tax base. a.    Maybe it would help to empower community members to volunteer to make the city better and do some of the things that the city can't afford to do or things to help our downtown business owners – water flowers on the weekend, shovel sidewalks, etc. b.    Ms. Sarraf asked if Habitat for Humanity has a presence in Bradford, and the answer was yes. 8.  Ms. Knowlson spoke as a resident who returned to Bradford after being gone for a while.  (Her brother owns the Hooker Fulton Building and is renovating it) a.    She's sees more of a college town now than before and she thinks that is a good thing.      (Over 50% of local graduates go to UPB)  She sees a bigger university presence and more students looking for things to do. b.    The Hooker Fulton building offices are 50% rented, some renters include doctors, CPAs, a state agency (eventually leaving) and hospital offices. 9.  Bradford is a generous place where people give when there is a need.  A package or product that can be sold to the community is likely to get a lot of support.  But there is also a need for local leadership – someone with the overall plans for the valley in mind that can talk to PennDOT about entrances and changes to 219 or to the Army Corps about the aesthetics of the flood control projects.  (Just as examples of higher level projects that may or may not have had much input from local residents.) 10.  Dr. McNamara hopes that this process can engage people and let them know that things are changing, and give them a sense of hope and positivity.  It would be nice if the process would empower residents to talk about the what is happening here.  He also thinks that the historic buildings in town are an important part of the “attitude” of Bradford. 11.  Mr. Washington sees the master plan process as a way to give direction for positive change by creating a list of small things that can be accomplished instead of a vague plan that sits on the shelf.  Hopefully this process can help bring people together to similar and fact-based ideas about what to do, instead of lots of loud opinions. a.    Ms. Sarraf noted that tasks have to be based on political and fiscal reality as well as facts. 12.  Ms. Andrews stated that she thinks there is good governmental leadership in place – the city supported the Elm Street Program both politically and with $1 million in funds.  There will be progress to see on this front soon. a.    Also, it is important to work within the situation that exists.  The fact that welfare programs and social services are based in Bradford isn't going to change. b.    It's important to instill pride and educate the community about local opportunities – Elm Street is a good example because there are still people unaware of the program c.    Maybe there will need to be a Public Relations subcommittee at some point to outreach into the community and educate the public about the process and the plans 13.  Other comments of note: a.    Friendship Table users are also volunteers there b.    The aging population is a resource for the valley c.    The historic district does provide some obstacles, but it is a resource and an asset.  Even with that said, the HARB board hasn't done any outreach or education and in some cases the media has been an adversary to HARB.  Maybe the historic district could be promoted to tourists? d.    The new owner of the Hooker Fulton building has gotten a very positive reception in town.  People have thanked him for buying the building and he's gotten help from the city in the process.  It is an 80,000 sf building that has had limited maintenance for the past 15-20 years, so there are hidden treasures as well as obstacles. e.    Mr. Orris, the manager of Walmart, commented that his bosses are happy that the store is here and the company has a variety of programs to help downtowns.  When his boss came to visit, he loved the University and the coffee shop.  The group feels that Walmart is an asset to the area. f.    Mr. Washington commented that the area makes constant and steady progress.  Sometimes people forget the things that are gone before much time has passed. g.    $1/2 million was raised and offered for the movie theater revitalization – it could be 4 smaller theaters instead of two bigger ones. h.    The environmental issues at the Bradford Mall have been resolved, but the new owners are unresponsive.  There have been various owners and it seems that no one really knows what to do. 14.  In closing, Mr. Tripp asked the committee members to do a little “homework”.  He asked that the come up with a list of positive attributes to build upon, that they come up with 1-2 major initiatives for downtown and that they consider what are the most important gateways to downtown. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Sep 17 2007, 02:02 AM by Amy Maceyko with no comments Filed under: minutes, Sub-Committees, Master Plan Process

• Meeting Minutes - August 28, 2007 - Steering Committee

  Record of Meeting Place:   Abasso Restaurant        Project:       City of Bradford Master Plan Date:    August 28, 2007            Client:         City of Bradford Time:    7:30 pm-9:00 pm           MCF No.:    44506002 Attendees: Livingston Alexander, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Greg Booth, Zippo Linda Devlin, Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Harvey Golubock, ARG, Inc, (Economic Development Subcommittee) Chris Hauser, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp, Bradford Area Alliance Kathy Jones, Zippo Bill Leven, Futures *** McDowell, Bradford Area Alliance Carolyn Newhouse, SuperUser Technologies Shane Oschman, Northwest Savings Bank Brad Preston, Sawyer Evangelical Church Scott Rice, KOA Speers Electronics Sandra Romanowski, Bradford Area School District Tom Urban, Beacon Light Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects Purpose:    To get to know the steering committee members, to talk about how the master plan process will work and to start talking about issues affecting the study area. Items Discussed: 1.  After a brief greeting from Mr. Filoni, the meeting got underway by giving each committee member a chance to introduce themselves, including what local business and/or organizations they are involved with and what issue(s) they think are most critical for this plan to address.  Before the introductions, Mr. Filoni asked for a show of hands to determine residency.  Of the members of the committee present, 5 members live in the city, 3 live in Foster Township and 6 live in Bradford Township. 2.  Here are the comments that were made as each member took their turn to speak: a.    *** McDowell – Throughout all three municipalities, there are nice houses immediately next to houses in need of repair and maintenance.  It's not clear whether the issue is the existing codes, the code enforcement, the criminal justice system or something else.  The planning team commented that political support and media pressure can play a role in the situation as well. b.    Howard Golubock – His main concern is economic development and how it can affect other issues. c.    Linda Devlin – How can tourism be boosted to have an positive affect on the economy?  Also, she is interested in stopping the economic drain of having local salaries being spent elsewhere. d.    Brad Preston – He is interested in looking at the big picture – overall and long range planning for the benefit of all three municipalities. e.    Scott Rice – His interest is improving the quality of life for local professional employees and he has some involvement in the airport and the Penn Hills Club f.    Rick Esch – His main interest is implementation – the process is really just beginning when the planning process is completed and the report is printed g.    Chris Hauser – His main interest is in the vibrancy of the downtown hub h.    Livingston Alexander – He is interested in seeing the region respond to the needs and interests of the University students and to see a college town lifestyle develop.  He also sees the quality of life in Bradford as being critical for the University's ability to recruit and retain faculty and staff on campus. i.    Carolyn Newhouse – Her main concern is that the local middle class seems to be disappearing and she is also concerned that local resources are being taxed by local citizens who aren't contributing to the quality of life in the area j.    Jeff Andrews – He is very interested in the possibilities of all that the trail system can bring to the area k.    Sandra Romanowski – She hopes that this process and the resulting actions can bring pride back to the community (of all ages) and she wants to make sure that an effort is made to keep the building stock and other resources from getting further run down. l.    Tom Urban – He is sure that with revitalization downtown can be much better m.    Greg Booth – He wants to see the area build on its strengths and move forward.  He also thinks that new jobs are critical n.    Kathy Jones – She would like to see a better positive attitude in the community, a revitalization of downtown and a better “town and gown” relationship o.    Bill Leven – He thinks that economic development is a critical issue.  He works to help provide vocational services to adults with disabilities and this particular issue would help enhance the opportunities that he could find for his clients. p.    Shane Oschman – He is interested in how the housing market can be improved for those moving to the area for the first time, including the availability of good rental properties while house hunting.  He also thinks there are a lot of well-kept secrets in the area (things to do, education, etc) that residents should know more about. 3.  Each time that the planning team returns to Bradford (approximately every 4-6 weeks during the process) there will be meetings and interviews with local residents, business people and other parties with important input to provide on the planning process.  During this trip, the team has met with the Main Street Manager and the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce today and will meet with Lewis Run borough, the Bradford Housing Authority and officials concerned with commercial development in Foster Township tomorrow.  The planning team is look for input about who they should be meeting with during future visits.  These aren't necessarily “focus groups”, but more like interviews – finding out what people think the plan should be looking at and how improvements can be achieved. a.    Ministerium – group of local religious officials b.    University students – a cross section of classes and geographic backgrounds to discuss their impressions of the area and experiences in town and on campus c.    University faculty – old and new staff – why they came and why they have stayed, do they keep in touch with faculty who have left and what were their experiences d.    Retired members of the community, especially those who don't see the positives that the area has to offer and some who are still resentful of school consolidation e.    Broad cross-section of community – the “silent majority”, old and young, longtime and new residents, male and female f.    Talk with Zippo employees and talk with those who come though Zippo visitor's center g.    Intercept visits at Walmart and TOPS – who is shopping there, how often and what do they think of the commercial offerings in the area h.    Talk with people while walking around downtown and to those hanging out in Veteran's Square and in public parks i.    High School Students – what are their impressions of the area and what are their plans after graduation    j.    Realtors – no multi-list, no consistent neighborhoods, discuss rentals for new residents during home-buying process k.    Visit the senior center at lunchtime l.    Try to figure out how to engage the apathetic portion of the population m.    Government officials n.    Small business owners – obstacles, perspectives and benefits of operating a business here o.    Local entrepreneurs p.    The local media q.    The school board and school teachers who have taught somewhere else and have come back r.    The greeters at Walmart s.    Ask the Kane and Smethport Chambers of Commerce get a group of their shoppers together to talk to us and/or try to talk to shoppers in Olean. t.    Building owners downtown – use of upper floors as well as maintenance and security issues 4.  As a result of the discussion of the listing of groups to interview, a few topics were brought up that need to be addressed in the planning process.  No solutions were worked on, but these issues will be delved into in more detail at future meetings or in subcommittee meetings. a.    Many landlords have difficulty finding good renters b.    Given the housing stock, economy and land availability, it is easier for landlords to buy older homes than to build new properties for rental       1.  Mr. Filoni mentioned that maintenance issues are a national problem.  Look at how the clean-up and maintenance in New York City affected it's image – strict enforcement and political support are key c.    Mr. Rice spoke about a town in Ohio – they have accepted that they aren't growing and are focusing on specific zones to build up and trying to make the town more green as well d.    The committee will need to consider how quality of life is defined.  This varies for different segments of the community e.    The steering committee needs to help local residents take ownership of the future.  Members need to talk with their neighbors, coworkers and friends about what is happening, how they can get involved and the positive attributes that the area has to offer.  This must be a grass roots effort, not a process that the planning team can implement.        1.Ms. Romanowski mentioned the negative comments and opinions that she hears most often - “The best and brightest leave”, “Where do you live”, and lack of “The Pride” the area used to have f.    Some think that the overabundance of low cost housing is a bigger driver than the location of the welfare office in town.  The perception of both the lower income population, the population dependent on welfare and the population that “hangs out” downtown is a big issue.  The planning team would like to review the data that describes the actual make-up of the populations. g.    At both the University and the Hospital, the administration is very engaged in the community, but the faculty, staff and doctors aren't.  This contributes to the erosion (or perceived erosion?) of the middle class and lack of pride in the area h.    There is an opportunity to create a “university town” feel here.  Both the trail and the fine arts building have begun to foster new interaction, but there is more that could occur.  Maybe making the town more bike friendly would have an impact.  The trail goes around the center of town instead of through it (some of this was because of problem properties that were identified during the trail planning process) – this is an obstacle. i.    Ms. Devlin mentioned that a survey of recent tourists was just completed.  This is something that she can provide to the planning team for review. j.    Should the Bradford area be branded, and if so, how? k.    There are climate related issues, too – snow removal downtown (sidewalks are the responsibility of business owners, street plowing by city can leave piles along sidewalk) and how can town/gown relationship be encouraged in the winter (trails and biking aren't practical). l.    Importance of engaging the press in this process – provide them with press releases, invite them to public presentations in addition to interviewing them as a part of the process m.    Interesting fact – McKean County has the lowest crime rate along Route 6 5.  Mr. Filoni ended the meeting with a few comments to look toward our next set of meetings and visit in September. a.    The website will be set up soon so that we will be able to talk via email and the web between visits b.    We haven't yet discussed W. Washington Street or East Bradford and their separation from the primary downtown zone in the city.  Also, it will be important to discuss all three municipalities and not just the city. c.    Taken as one long road – East Main Street, Main Street, Boyleston and West Washington link all three communities.  How does the experience change along the road, how do the three municipalities work together and can we get all three groups to work together and talk about zoning together for this route d.    This area is defined by the geography – the Tuna Valley.  The city is bounded by the townships and all three municipalities are bounded by the hills.  The image of the city is affected by the townships for those who don't know the boundaries or even that the townships are separate.  But the geography is a positive attribute for preventing further sprawl issues. 6.  This time works for the majority of steering committee members, so it should be expected that the steering committee meeting will be at this time during each planning team visit.     With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Sep 16 2007, 07:47 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: minutes, Steering Committee, Master Plan Process

• Meeting Minutes - June 12, 2007 - Downtown Revitalization

  Record of Meeting Place:    Old City Hall 4th Floor Conf. Room    Project:        City of Bradford Master Plan Date:    June 12, 2007                                  Client:          City of Bradford Time:    7:30am-9:30am                                MCF No.:     44506002 Attendees: Diane Sheeley, Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Diane Dewalt, Main Street Manager – City of Bradford Glen Washington, Bradford Regional Medical Center Jim Guelfi, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp Chris Hauser, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp Bill Leven, Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp Mike Glesk, Bradford Area Alliance John Peterson, Bradford City Clerk Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects Purpose:    To inform the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp about how the master planning process will work over the next year and to get their input on what they think are the most critical issues to be reviewed and examined in the process. Items Discussed: 1.  Mr. Filoni and Ms. Andrews spoke about what the master plan is – it is more than a drawing or a book that will sit on the shelf.  We will spend time gathering information and we want to find out whom the councilmen think we should talk to. - What are the priorities? - How do the municipalities work together?  (It’s important that MCF work with everybody.) - Who should be on the committees? 2.  The Steering Committee will discuss options, establish priorities, make decisions, stand behind those decisions, and carry out the plans.  It will be a committee of about 20 people and there will be three sub-committees (Economic Development, Planning & Zoning, Downtown Strategy & Regional Business) to focus on more specific issues and report to the main steering committee.  There will also be a group of government officials and local CEOs that MCF and the consultants will personally brief twice during the master planning process.  Ms. Andrews reviewed the types of representatives desired for the committees and agreed to send the list to City Council so they can make recommendations on who should be invited to participate. 3.  There is a plan to set up a website as a part of the project to keep the people of the area informed about what is happening and being discussed, as well as giving everyone the opportunity to send in comments. 4.  Mr. Filoni stated that we want to ensure that the plan that will survive beyond current political careers.  A group will need to be established by all three municipalities upon the adoption of the plan to oversee implementation.  This group will work with the OECD and heed the priorities laid down in the master plan.  It still needs to be determined how members of this committee will be chosen (maybe a subset of the steering committee?). Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement could govern the implementation plan (similar to the zoning idea) 5.  There is a question about the name of this project.  Calling it the City of Bradford Master Plan is too narrow.  Maybe the Tuna Valley Master Plan? 6.  Mr. Filoni spoke about the importance of the regional view of plan because the whole area supports downtown.  There will be several town meetings to get public input.   City representatives were asked to discuss the issues that they think are most important for the master plan to examine. 7.  Mr. Guelfi began by discussing that many current residents remember Bradford in its heyday - lots of shopping and lots of people.  Today’s group recognizes that downtown won’t be the same as it was, but improvements can still be made.   a.The DBRC recognizes the importance of being able to maintain changes, not just make them.   b.There are plans for the UPB radio station and newspaper to promote a stronger town/gown relationship - just started a fund to support the effort.   c.There was a previous effort to get half price tickets to the movie theater for UPB students, but it still didn’t seem to draw students into town.  But more students come to the independent film festival. 8.  At the main Pitt campus, students can use their meal plan to buy meals at certain restaurants in Oakland.  Bradford has begun to look at that possibility here, too.  The downside is that really only the Mexican restaurant appeals to kids, but the new coffee shop seems to be drawing students already. 9.  Mr. Hauser commented that there has always been a disconnect between UPB and the city.  Downtown has never embraced the university.  The merchants don’t cater to students needs or wants.  Downtown businesses are basically single proprietor stores - don’t want to work extra long days or stay open late.  It’s likely that the new coffee shop and the use of the Seneca Building by UPB will start to draw students, but there still needs to be critical mass. 10.  Mr Hauser brought up a number of comments about the state of downtown Bradford – he has been the chairman of the DBRC since it’s inception.   a.The DBRC is an offshoot of the beautification effort and main street program - which worked well initially, but once the main street program wasn’t followed things deteriorated.   b.The second effort at the main street program wasn‘t as successful, but he doesn’t see downtown being as bad as people say.   c.There is no place for people to congregate and there are unattractive trash cans, but the hanging planter baskets are nice.   d.It would be nice to have more commitment from building owners and a more positive attitude in general about downtown.   e.There is a disconnect between the hospital and downtown as well.  The plan should focus on the triangle between downtown, UPB and the hospital.   f.He would like to see more people living downtown - in the vibrant past, there were apartments and offices on the upper floors of downtown buildings.   g.There is great philanthropy in the area - very generous community, but they give money best for very specific ventures not for vague ideas like “downtown”. 11.  Mr. Washington was impressed by the activity of the area when he came here 8 years ago.  There is no lack of ideas in the area but no cohesive plan either.  He thinks that people will rally around something tangible - movie theater, hospital expansion, UPB buildings.  He also commented that downtown needs to be reinvented with professional offices, boutique shops, tourism, and apartments.  The master plan needs to bring out something tangible to generate excitement.  There needs to be a concrete result from plan. 12.  Mr. Leven was glad to hear that the plan will be looking at the townships as well because the changes in the township (Bradford housing, Foster commercial development) have affected the city.  Mr. Filoni mentioned that during the meetings with the township supervisors yesterday, they recognized that town is center of the area and that neither township has it’s own center.  They recognize the importance of town’s viability.    13.  The previous discussion of regional recreational authority was dismissed by the townships a number of years ago.  Foster Township went on to build their own instead of paying Bradford.  In the past the idea was floated to build a football stadium for UPB and local schools. 14.  Part of the disconnect between town and UPB is because a large percentage of Bradford residents have never been on campus, there is an intimidation factor and a lack of communication about what is public at UPB.  There is also nothing outside to indicate that the theater is in Blaisdell - no signage or other indication. 15.  The high number of absentee landlords in town is definitely a concern. 16.  Ms. Dewalt spoke next about the issues she feels are most important.   a. There is concern about how local media presents downtown issues.   b. It would be nice to have more focus on the downtown arts and bringing in tourists   c. There has been a 25% turnover of businesses in the past few years, but there are also more businesses downtown than in the past 7 years - lots of energy in youthful owners and new boutiques.  There are even several businesses that are open later.   d. One concern is the lack of marketing for the business district and attempts to change the existing image.  There is a new tea room, furniture store, country store boutique, yarn shop, coffee shop, scrap booking store, and new auto performance store.  There is a physical therapy business coming, a new restaurant opened and a couple of stores have expanded.  Also, a majority of downtown buildings are owned locally (specifically, buildings in the historic district).  The newspaper can’t usually be convinced to do articles about new businesses, usually just a photo with a few lines.   e. She defines the downtown core as Main from Mechanic to Davis and Boyleston to Cordovan   f. Mr. Filoni commented that none of this was mentioned at any of the previous meetings.  This sounds like a different city. 17. Mr. Peterson commented that good things have happened in town recently because of negative media.  For example, the purchase of Hooker-Fulton building because the closing was a headline in the paper.  Also, 45 Main Street would have been a parking lot with newspaper support, but it was saved by DBRC to be a furniture store and coffee shop. 18. Mr. Lee mentioned that having places like the Driver’s license center and health services near the center of town can draw people that wouldn’t otherwise be in the city.  The movement of the state welfare office and other state offices to new building on Chestnut, which opens the Hooker-Fuller building up for other uses, like maybe condos. 19.The mercantile has rental space for 50 craftsmen and small vendors.  It’s a way of teaching retail and three of them have graduated to open their own stores.  A high percentage of shoppers there are from out of town – from the state park, coming in for reunions or coming to visit local residents.  Also, more of the development is happening down by the movie theater, but the trend is slowly moving up the street toward Mechanic. 20. Ms. Sheeley next spoke about the city from the Chamber of Commerce point of view.  There is a downtown merchants association within the chamber, and the group also wants to get “investment” from businesses outside of downtown.  It would be great to get a variety of businesses to understand their similarities and the ways that they can support each other.  That is an advantage of being a chamber for the whole area and not just the city.  She would like to see the chamber to play a role in getting the outside businesses to understand how they can be involved and help to strengthen downtown.  She thinks that the developing client base in town can support all businesses and they are trying to make the business owners feel like part of a community, and not like they’re all alone. 21. Ms. Sheeley also commented that the beautification of the Elm street program has more success with established residents than new construction like Onofrio Street.  It is important to educate local residents about what’s available and what’s happening. 22. A few ideas were thrown out about marketing options and new downtown attractions.   a.What about options for marketing other than the newspaper - The Pennysaver?  The thriving online community? Combined marketing effort at the holidays?  Marketing at the local festivals?   b.What about a downtown yard sale or flea market?   c.Encourage the new business owners who are more willing to consider different hours and new thinking. 23. Mr. Peterson commented that the change in the thinking of the townships and government officials is a nice change.  Ms. Maceyko also mentioned that there is an obvious change in attitude since we first came here 1 ½ years ago.  There is a more positive view of downtown progress and a perceived interest in cooperation among the municipalities. 24. Mr. Tripp spoke for a few minutes about his work on the project.  There will be economic analysis and focus groups, with a goal of building on existing strengths.  He is not interested in reinventing the wheel.  Also, his process will result in concrete implementation strategies. 25. Mr. Filoni commented that the Comfort Inn was full last night, but the manager didn’t know why.  It could be because of construction, the busy oil business, or family visitors to the prison.  The Comfort inn owners are looking for property for another hotel.  Both hotels are often booked, the area could probably use a couple more. 26. When it comes to visitors, there isn’t a visitor’s center in town and there is no clear way for 219 travelers to find their way into town.  PennDOT is willing to put gateway signage on their property in the future.  Having a master plan based on local consensus can help when working with PennDOT and the state in the future. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA Posted Sep 15 2007, 09:18 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: minutes, Master Plan Process

• Meeting Minutes - June 11, 2007 - Bradford Township Supervisors

  Record of Meeting Place:    Old City Hall 4th Floor Conf. Room    Project:      City of Bradford Master Plan Date:    June 11, 2007                                  Client:         City of Bradford Time:    4:00pm-5:30pm                                MCF No.:    44506002 Attendees: Don Cummins, Bradford City Councilman Steve Masko, Bradford City Councilman Denny Puko, PA Dept. of Community and Econ. Development Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects Purpose:    To inform Bradford Township Supervisors about how the master planning process will work over the next year and to get their input on what they think are the most critical issues to be reviewed and examined in the process. Items Discussed: 1.  Mr. Filoni and Ms. Andrews spoke about what the master plan is – it is more than a drawing or a book that will sit on the shelf.  We will spend time gathering information and we want to find out whom the councilmen think we should talk to. - What are the priorities? - How do the municipalities work together?  (It’s important that MCF work with everybody.) - Who should be on the committees? 2.  The Steering Committee will discuss options, establish priorities, make decisions, stand behind those decisions, and carry out the plans.  It will be a committee of about 20 people and there will be three sub-committees (Economic Development, Planning & Zoning, Downtown Strategy & Regional Business) to focus on more specific issues and report to the main steering committee.  There will also be a group of government officials and local CEOs that MCF and the consultants will personally brief twice during the master planning process.  Ms. Andrews reviewed the types of representatives desired for the committees and agreed to send the list to City Council so they can make recommendations on who should be invited to participate. 3.  There is a plan to set up a website as a part of the project to keep the people of the area informed about what is happening and being discussed, as well as giving everyone the opportunity to send in comments. 4.  Mr. Filoni stated that we want to ensure that the plan that will survive beyond current political careers.  A group will need to be established by all three municipalities upon the adoption of the plan to oversee implementation.  This group will work with the OECD and heed the priorities laid down in the master plan.  It still needs to be determined how members of this committee will be chosen (maybe a subset of the steering committee?). Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement could govern the implementation plan. 5.  There is a question about the name of this project.  Calling it the City of Bradford Master Plan is too narrow.  Maybe the Tuna Valley Master Plan? 6.  Mr. Cummins spoke about the issues that he thinks are most important.   a. He feels that neighborhoods need to be cleaned up, including fixing sidewalks, curbs, and drainage.  Visitors can see deterioration from every direction that they enter town.   b. There are issues with absentee landlords and owners who don’t cut their grass, repave as needed and attend to their properties.   c. Problems downtown affect whether people move to Bradford Township.   d. Bradford Township does not have a center, that kind of sense comes only from the city.   e. The city attracts lower-income residents who cause issues with crime and drugs, living on an attractive welfare system.  He doesn’t want to blame the less fortunate, but it seems that residents here take advantage of the system.  The problems are not a gang issue or a problem caused by the University.  But there is a problem, since 85% of crimes are related to drug money.   f. Better code enforcement is needed.   g. Housing development is needed in the $90,000-$150,000 range.  Right now, most of it is in the $300,000-$450,000 range, which is too expensive for the local middle class and middle management.   h. Mr. Cummins thinks that if the town was cleaned up, that lofts would be feasible.  But he doesn’t think they would work right now.   i. He thinks that there are a lot of good ideas being had in the area but change isn’t happening fast enough.  Also, local bodies like the school district can’t see the long term gains, just the short term difficulties or costs.  The town needs a change in its state of mind.   j. He is more concerned about fixing up side and cross streets than working on main street.  The plans need to go beyond Main Street.   k. He is only willing to go to meetings if things get done.  He doesn’t want it to just be talk and he doesn’t want to mess with the egos.   l. Lastly, he would like to have welcome signs at entrances to Bradford township. 7.  Both councilmen agreed that all three municipalities working together is a benefit to all three area and the whole community.  Mr. Puko explained that there are no guarantees, but sometimes multi-municipality efforts are seen more favorably by state government agencies. 8.  There is currently an effort to get the three police forces to work together on the drug problem. 9.  Recreation and tourism in the area is currently under-advertised and underrated. 10.  The current generation seems willing to expend the energy needed to save the buildings that are here. 11.  A concern for developers is that DEP laws have become very prescriptive and prohibitive because of wetland delineation. The DEP seems to be prohibitive of much development outside of major cities, which is discouraging for developers willing to invest in the area. 12.  The city provides a code enforcement officer, which is paid for by block entitlement money for Bradford Township.  OECD works in Bradford Township, too.  Foster Township isn’t on the entitlement program list, so they can’t get the same help from the city. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Sep 15 2007, 09:07 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: minutes, Master Plan Process

• Meeting Minutes - June 11, 2007 - Foster Township Supervisors

  Record of Meeting Place:    Old City Hall 4th Floor Conf. Room      Project:       City of Bradford Master Plan Date:    June 11, 2007                                     Client:        City of Bradford Time:    2:30pm-4:00pm                                   MCF No.:    44506002 Attendees: Cary Kaber, Foster Township Supervisor Bob Sikes, Foster Township Supervisor Jennifer Gorrell, Secretary/Treasurer, Foster Township Denny Puko, PA Dept of Community & Econ. Development Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects Purpose:    To inform Foster Township Supervisors about how the master planning process will work over the next year and to get their input on what they think are the most critical issues to be reviewed and examined in the process. Items Discussed: 1. Mr. Filoni spoke about what the master plan is – it is more than a drawing or a book that will sit on the shelf.  We will spend time gathering information and we want to find out whom the councilmen think we should talk to. - What are the priorities? - How do the municipalities work together?  (It’s important that MCF work with everybody.) - Who should be on the committees? 2. The Steering Committee will discuss options, establish priorities, make decisions, stand behind those decisions, and carry out the plans.  It will be a committee of about 20 people and there will be three sub-committees (Economic Development, Planning & Zoning, Downtown Strategy & Regional Business) to focus on more specific issues and report to the main steering committee.  There will also be a group of government officials and local CEOs that MCF and the consultants will personally brief twice during the master planning process.  Ms. Andrews reviewed the types of representatives desired for the committees and agreed to send the list to City Council so they can make recommendations on who should be invited to participate. 3. There is a plan to set up a website as a part of the project to keep the people of the area informed about what is happening and being discussed, as well as giving everyone the opportunity to send in comments. 4. Mr. Filoni stated that we want to ensure that the plan that will survive beyond current political careers.  A group will need to be established by all three municipalities upon the adoption of the plan to oversee implementation.  This group will work with the OECD and heed the priorities laid down in the master plan.  It still needs to be determined how members of this committee will be chosen (maybe a subset of the steering committee?). 5. There is a question about the name of this project.  Calling it the City of Bradford Master Plan is too narrow.  Maybe the Tuna Valley Master Plan? 6. Zoning – There is quite a bit of spot zoning and a number of businesses are grandfathered.  Township residents are more concerned about keeping out group homes than apartment or duplex zoning.  Also, there are no restrictions on trailer homes. 7. The area has had multi-municipal school district for 40-50 years.  No major complaints because it has been this way for a long time and recently elected school board is less antagonistic. 8. Mr. Filoni asked each Foster Township representative to describe what issues they think are most critical for review and discussion during this master plan process.  The group also talked about the relationship between the city and the township.   a. Mr. Sikes thinks that 219 is not big enough to spurn any development, the area needs a 4 lane highway to get the area on the move.  He thinks that the benefits of oil and timber can only last so long.   b. Mr. Kaber pointed out that transportation drives industry, but trucks don’t go south on 219.   c. Foster Township residents seem to go to Wal-Mart for groceries, and only occasionally go to Tops.  The residents that they know never go downtown on a regular basis.  They used to go downtown for quality shopping, but clothing and shoe stores either don’t exist anymore or don’t have quality.  They do see a lot of traffic from the city to Wal-Mart. The commercial developer left after he brought Wal-Mart.   d. Foster Township residents do come in to the city for recreation (swimming) and maybe movies.  Foster Township has two parks/soccer fields.  The township has trouble keeping people on their recreation board, but the supervisors hope to draw soccer players to Foster.  There is limited interest in the new baseball field - soccer is much bigger.   e. There is an issue with vandalism in the parks - both in the city and foster township.   f. The hospital in the city is important to the township.   g. The township is doing $7 million of work to extend the sewage lines for more residential development.   h. Mr. Kaber would like to see Fosterbrook full of retail.  He thinks the population can support retail there (big box stores) and downtown (small retailers, niche shops).  Mr. Tripp commented that a place needs an anchor to support the smaller stores.  We should consider what the anchor could be downtown - movie theater? (only one in McKean County), the Y?  Maybe think of the mall more like an entertainment center or try for a smaller version of Cabella’s.  Currently, the only outfitters are out of town.   i. Both the city and the township are interested in figuring out how to present the area to chain family restaurants - they think they would do well here.  Eat’n’Park didn’t like the demographics, but Olean, NY has an Applebees that regularly has an hour-long wait.  Albert mentioned that Uniontown has a lot of new restaurants and retail that seems to be doing very well.  That might be a place to look to for information.   j. Township supervisors do recognize the importance of the city of Bradford and the downtown to their survival. 9. Other downtown and regional issues were discussed.   a. There doesn’t seem to be a parking problem downtown.  But trying to do any pedestrian streets downtown probably isn’t wise unless more people are downtown to walk on them - possibility to create 2nd floor apartments and condos.   b. Mr. Tripp stated that primarily the area is just missing R&D, but there are still a variety of positives - energy, timber, manufacturing, etc.   c. It was suggested that the beauty of the area could be used as a means of recruitment.  Of course it is also important that residents share the positive view of the region to encourage newcomers.   d. The possibility of free wireless downtown to help businesses was discussed.   e. There is hope that there are builders who would respond to the recommendations of some of the marketing studies to try new things.   f. There are thoughts about raising the level of the water outside of flood season to make the waterway in town an attraction. 10. The township supervisors will receive the list of types needed for the committee and let us know if they think of anything else to tell us. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Sep 15 2007, 08:52 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: minutes, Master Plan Process

• Meeting Minutes - June 11, 2007 - Bradford City Council

  Record of Meeting Place:   Old City Hall 4th Floor Conf. Room        Project:      City of Bradford Master Plan Date:    June 11, 2007                                     Client:        City of Bradford Time:    1:00pm-2:30pm                                   MCF No.:    44506002 Attendees: Ross Neidich, Bradford City Council Bob Onuffer, Bradford City Council Tom Riel, Bradford City Council Mike Glesk, Bradford Area Alliance Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford John Peterson, Bradford City Clerk Denny Puko, PA Dept. of Community & Econ. Development Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects Purpose:    To inform Bradford City Council about how the master planning process will work over the next year and to get their input on what they think are the most critical issues to be reviewed and examined in the process. Items Discussed: 1. All three councilmen have been in office for at least two years and have 2 years to go.  They have all lived in Bradford for many years.  There are two other council members. 2. Mr. Filoni spoke about what the master plan is – it is more than a drawing or a book that will sit on the shelf.  We will spend time gathering information and we want to find out whom the councilmen think we should talk to. - What are the priorities? - How do the municipalities work together?  (It’s important that MCF work with everybody.) - Who should be on the committees? 3. The Steering Committee will discuss options, establish priorities, make decisions, stand behind those decisions, and carry out the plans.  It will be a committee of about 20 people and there will be three sub-committees (Economic Development, Planning & Zoning, Downtown Strategy & Regional Business) to focus on more specific issues and report to the main steering committee.  There will also be a group of government officials and local CEOs that MCF and the consultants will personally brief twice during the master planning process.  Ms. Andrews reviewed the types of representatives desired for the committees and agreed to send the list to City Council so they can make recommendations on who should be invited to participate. 4. There is a plan to set up a website as a part of the project to keep the people of the area informed about what is happening and being discussed, as well as giving everyone the opportunity to send in comments. 5. Mr. Filoni stated that we want to ensure that the plan that will survive beyond current political careers.  A group will need to be established by all three municipalities upon the adoption of the plan to oversee implementation.  This group will work with the OECD and heed the priorities laid down in the master plan.  It still needs to be determined how members of this committee will be chosen (maybe a subset of the steering committee?). 6. There is a question about the name of this project.  Calling it the City of Bradford Master Plan is too narrow.  Maybe the Tuna Valley Master Plan? 7. Mr. Onuffer and Mr. Peterson seem to like the idea of a zoning plan for the whole valley.  Mr. Puko agrees, since doing the zoning together prevents each municipality from having to create a zone for every use. 8. Mr Filoni asked each councilman to describe what issues they think are most critical for review during this master plan process.    a. Mr. Riel is concerned that the city enforces zoning more than townships.  He has also heard some citizens express concerns about regionalizing the valley (e.g. losing police to the townships).  There is also the issue of the city’s reputation and the fact that people leave the city for the township - part of the reason people move to the townships, along with taxes, is the age of the housing stock and smaller lots.  And lastly, the lack of decent jobs versus the availability of welfare.    b. Mr. Neidich has heard that township citizens are concerned that if the municipalities combine, then townships will be “bailing out” the city and their money will benefit the city and not the townships.  (But how much is it costing everyone to have duplicate services?)  Another issue is that people with means do their ‘extra’ shopping further away – they go to buffalo, grove city, etc for clothing and specialty items.  They just do their grocery and purchase necessities nearby.  It’s important to figure out how to get the middle class and people with means to spend money in town.  Maybe certain evenings merchants could be convinced to stay open later.  The new coffee shop is doing well.  The downtown needs different stores than before - shoe stores and dress shops can’t compete with Wal-Mart prices.  Also, downtown businesses should consider the disposable income of UPB students.  There should definitely be students on one or more committees.    c. Mr. Onuffer would like to see more living wage jobs - there aren’t enough jobs that compete with the benefits of welfare.  He would also like the municipalities to consider regionalization of services – they just need to combine garbage/recycling and have a central place for trash transfer station.    d. All agree, the valley needs a climate where everyone is more positive about what the area has to offer. 9. UPB Students frequent the Mexican and Beefeaters restaurant, the movie rental places, the pizza places, and even though it is summer, they have been seen at the new coffee shop. 10. The Kiwanis’ public housing is up for sale - maybe that’s an opportunity for change.  Part of the reason that the public square is no longer the city center is because it is a hangout for many people on public assistance.  It seems that the uneducated perpetuate an uneducated mentality in their families. 11. Other points concerning jobs and education:    a. There is still vocational education in the schools.    b. The hospital has an aggressive recruitment program, especially for doctors.    c. Nurses come from NY and UPB.    d. There are local programs for training medical technicians.    e. Oil companies are stealing employees from other companies with latest boom With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Sep 15 2007, 12:40 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: minutes, Master Plan Process

• Meeting Minutes - June 11, 2007 - Master Plan Kick-off

  Record of Meeting Place: Old City Hall 4th Floor Conf. Room             Project: City of Bradford Master Plan Date: June 11, 2007                                            Client:  City of Bradford Time: 10:00am-1:00pm                                        MCF No.: 44506002 Attendees: Mike Glesk, Bradford Area Alliance Sara Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Debbie Houston, City of Bradford OECD Jeff Andrews, City of Bradford OECD Rick Esch, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford *** McDowell*, Bradford Area Alliance John Peterson, Bradford City Clerk Denny Puko, PA Dept. of Community & Econ. Development Simon Tripp, Impact Economics Roberta Sarraf, Zoning Consultant Albert Filoni, MCF Architects Ken Lee, MCF Architects Amy Maceyko, MCF Architects   * indicates partial attendance Purpose: To kick-off the master planning process, discuss the criteria for the steering committee membership, and outline the strategy for developing and implementing the plan recommendations Items Discussed: 1. The OECD, the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp, the Main Street Manager and a new non-profit for Bradford Economic Development are all currently working on strategies to help the city.  Strategies are being developed to try to raise the amount of home ownership in the city, as well as working on retail strategies, elm street programs, street beautification programs (Boyleston Street) and working to save existing downtown buildings when they are threatened (Hooker-Fulton Building). 2. The City of Bradford and the two townships currently operate with a unified school district, flood control authority, water authority and sewer authority.  Each municipality has a separate fire department, police department, garbage collection and road crew.  The city provides emergency ambulance services to the townships for a minimal fee, and it provides police and fire back-up to the townships without compensation.  In addition to the public school district, there are 3 private K-6 and K-8 schools in the area. 3. Ms. Saraff spoke about her expectations for the zoning and planning efforts.  The group will speak to the two townships this afternoon to see if they are interested in revisiting their zoning codes, which would allow Ms. Saraff to look at the whole community comprehensively instead of just focusing on the city.  During the process, in addition to walking around town and reviewing the existing zoning code, she would like to speak with real estate agents, developers and downtown merchants to get their input.  There will be a zoning sub-committee to help direct Ms. Saraff’s efforts, especially concerning housing, recreation and the downtown commercial district. 4. Mr. Tripp spoke about his expectations for the economic development portion of the process.  Before meeting with the economic development sub-committee, he will want to complete the data collection and analysis to help determine what areas the group should focus on.  Based on his preliminary review, there seems to be potential in the local economy given the presence of diverse resources and various manufacturers.  There are challenges, for example, the oil industry produces a lot of capitol but employs a relatively small number of workers.  And the area also lacks a strong R&D engine.  But this process will consider the key assets of the county, determine the best possibilities for economic growth and suggest strategies of action.  Mr. Tripp will be doing his data collection and analysis at the county level. 5. Route 219 is and has long been an issue for the city.  Construction removed many homes and most of those residents left the city limits.  The 219 Bypass doesn’t allow travelers to see Bradford’s charm and the exits into town don’t drop visitors off at desirable locations.  Finding a way to make city gateways more pleasant and more recognizable is important. 6. Lewis Run is not a primary focus of this planning process, but it would probably be a good idea to talk with representatives of this small community during a planning team visit. 7. Discussion of some of the local assets (the regional hospital, the regional airport, nearby railroad lines, existing refineries, greenway plan & new trails, connections to parks & forests, and existing historic district), led to a discussion about downtown Bradford.  It is unclear right now if there is a “center” of town.  In some ways downtown acts as a gateway to other parts of the community and there is no single part of town that has been the primary focus of development efforts.  The public square might look on a map like it should be the center of town, but given that it is a popular hang-out for the unemployed population in town, it isn’t a place where other residents spend time. 8. Mr. Glesk suggested that all local government officials (mayor, councilmen, supervisors, planning commissioners, etc) and major businessmen (CEOs, Alliance members, etc) be invited to be on their own committee (name TBD).  It is important that these key players in town meet with the planning team at least 2-3 times during the process to be told directly what is happening.  They need to feel that they are being included in the process, and even though they will likely be informed of the process by steering committee members, it is critical that they be given the opportunity to meet with MCF, Mr. Tripp and Ms. Saraff in person. 9. As stated in the proposal, there will be at least two public meetings with open invitations to the community.  The first should probably be scheduled for the 3rd or 4th visit of the planning team.  This will allow the team to become intimately familiar with the area and begin to develop ideas, but it will allow community members to provide input before any decisions have been made. 10. There are some aspects of Mr. Tripp and Ms. Saraff’s work that will need to inform the work to be done by MCF, but we don’t want to string the process out by completing tasks in a purely linear order.  The whole planning team will work simultaneously, but some interviews and discussions will want to wait until some of the zoning and economic development work is completed. 11. The main steering committee for the project should have around 20 members and each sub-committee shall have at least one steering committee member in its ranks.  The steering committee shall also include members from the city and both townships.  Local residents who may be opposed to some or all of this process should also be considered.  The sub-committees were discussed in order to inform the make-up of the steering committee.  It is hoped that the committee structure can get 90-100 people from all three municipalities involved in the process throughout the year that the master planning process will encompass. a. The Economic Development Sub-committee should include members with the following professions/backgrounds/interests:  School superintendent or HS Principal  Higher Education  Several Major Employers (2-3 CEOs)  Wood Products/Lumber  Manufacturing  Energy (Oil/Gas)  Entrepreneur/Start-up  Healthcare  Retail  Hospitality/Tourism  Transportation  Real Estate/Property Development  Recreation b. The Planning and Zoning Sub-committee should include members with the following professions/backgrounds/interests:  Planning Commission Representatives  Developers  Chamber of Commerce  Downtown Business Authority  Municipal Authority  Watershed/Floor Authority  Code Enforcement  Landlords  Student Organizations  Younger residents  Historic Architecture Review Board  Arts associations  Boosters/Athletics  City Zoning Board Chair  Tuna Valley Trail Association c. The Downtown Strategy and Regional Business Sub-committee should include members with the following professions/backgrounds/interests:  Shop owners  Investors  Main Street Manager  Building owners  Bank  Churches  Legal and Accounting Community  Walmart manager  Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp.  Chamber of Commerce  Commercial Development Organization  Arts associations d. The pros and cons of including local media members on any master plan committees were discussed.  No decision on this issue was reached. e. Additional sub-committees may be added later in the process if they are needed. 12. Ms. Andrews, Mr. Esch and Mr. Glesk will use the lists above to determine who should be invited to make up the main steering committee and the three sub-committees.  They will send letters to these individuals once the date of the first steering committee meeting is established.  MCF will send Ms. Andrews a list of available dates for the first steering committee meeting once they return to Pittsburgh. With no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned.  If there are any additions or corrections to these minutes, please notify the Architect. Respectfully submitted, MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. Amy P. Maceyko, AIA, LEED AP Posted Sep 14 2007, 04:00 PM by Amy Maceyko with 1 comment(s) Filed under: minutes, Steering Committee, Sub-Committees, Master Plan Process

• What is the plan really about?

  this is a sample blog post.  The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), which establishes the framework for land use planning and regulation in Pennsylvania, defines a "County Comprehensive Plan" as "a land use and growth management plan prepared by the county planning commission and adopted by the county commissioners which establishes broad goals and criteria for municipalities to use in preparation of their comprehensive plan and land use regulation." All comprehensive plans are subject to the following four common criteria: 1) contain basic plan elements set forth in Section 301(a); 2) contain a plan for the reliable supply of water, considering current and future water resources availability; 3) be reviewed every 10 years, and 4) "…identify those areas where growth and development will occur so that a full range of public infrastructure, including sewer, water, highways, police and fire protection, public schools, parks open space and other services can be adequately planned and provided as needed to accommodate growth." County comprehensive plans have an additional set of requirements. MPC Section 301 (7) requires a county plan to: Identify land uses as they relate to important natural resources and appropriate utilization of existing minerals. Identify current and proposed land use which have a regional impact and significance, such as large shopping centers, major industrial parks, mines and related activities, office parks, storage facilities, large residential developments, regional entertainment and recreational complexes, hospitals, airports and port facilities. Identify a plan for the preservation and enhancement of prime agricultural land and encourage the compatibility of land use regulation with existing agricultural operations. Identify a plan for historic preservation. Source: The Comprehensive Plan in Pennsylvania, Planning Series #3 (click to download the PDF document), published by the Governor's Center for Local Government Services. back to the top Why prepare a comprehensive plan? The county's current comprehensive plan was developed and adopted in 1977. The MPC requires that county comprehensive plans be reviewed and updated at least every ten years. The current plan is nearly 30 years old. More importantly, social, industrial, and population issues in McKean County have changed quite a bit over those years and the county needs to be guided by policy that addresses these contemporary community needs. Read on for more details. Concerning Rural Issues While the county is rich in natural and cultural resources, McKean County is facing community development issues and challenges common to many rural counties. The county's population has been steadily declining since 1970 for several reasons. Residents have followed business and industry to more accessible areas of the state and region. Manufacturing, still the lead industry, has eliminated jobs and relocated operations to maintain profitability. Few new and modern businesses have moved into the county over the past 30 years. What can't be found in McKean County requires lengthy travel to Erie, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo, NY, if not farther. Residents seeking shopping areas must travel hours and miles to reach their destinations. As business and industry shrink, so too does the working population, leaving behind communities of older residents. These residents are well rooted in their communities, but their age brings additional demands for services, particularly social services, in a market of fixed incomes. This, in turn, increases the tax burden on the working population to fund such services and results in financial disincentives to live and work in the county. Assets for a Brighter Future These are indeed concerning issues for officials, residents and community and business leaders. Trends suggest that these conditions will likely worsen rather than improve and the current comprehensive plan provides little guidance in light of its age, dating to 1977. Therefore new policy is needed. For McKean County, this means attracting residential and business investment to stabilize and, where possible, reverse current trends. Fortunately, McKean County has many ready assets to guide, give input and help achieve a brighter future. McKean County is home to the Zippo lighter company. The popularity of this everyday device has made Zippo the leading employer in the county. Local, resource-based companies, such as Bradford Forest Products, have grown into sizeable operations and can serve as models for other entrepreneurial enterprises. The county is also home to over 800 acres KOZ or KOEZ across 17 sites. More importantly, these sites are available in range of sizes, providing flexibility with in the commercial/industrial real estate market. As a workplace and training ground, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is a tremendous and growing asset in the county. Tapping into the skills, talents, programs and facilities of the University may offer new direction for workforce development, youth retention strategies and community amenities. U.S. Highway 219, also known locally as part of the Continental 1 corridor, has received significant attention recently. The long-term vision for this roadway is a 4-lane limited access facility that stretches from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Miami, Florida. This improvement would of course take many years to design and construct, but the attention given to the corridor has brought new interest to McKean County. Rail and airport facilities supplement the highway network with additional travel/transportation options. Nearly 85 percent of the county is forested. This includes public lands as well as thousands of acres of privately held woodlands. The sheer abundance and quality of this resource is evident in the value of this standing timber at the end of the 1990s at almost $600 million. Annual economic returns from the forestry sector total $33 million with an additional $42 million from wood products and paper. These figures reflect a portion of the financial value of forests but do not begin to quantify the environmental and community benefits from this natural resource, such as recreation, wildlife, water protection, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and aesthetics. While not contributing as much financially to the local economy, agriculture should not be overlooked. While the number of farms and the amount of farmland has been decreasing, the total value of production is up 10 percent since 1997; the per farm value is up 19 percent. The majority of total production value lies in livestock production. Posted Sep 06 2007, 04:42 AM by Jeremy with no comments Filed under: economic plan, mckean, planning, intro