KELLY TOWNSHIP. Kelly Township Board of Supervisors. Kelly Township Planning Commission 1992 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE REPORT

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1 KELLY TOWNSHP 992 COMPREHENSVE PLAN UPDATE REPORT Kelly Township Board of Supervisors Joseph H. Hoffman Chairman William W. Haas Vice-chairman Dallas A. Walter Secretary Kelly Township Planning Commission Nancy Hazlinsky Chairperson Chia-Ching Chang Vi ce-c hairm an David Hackenberg Edward Meslener Steven Ranck Pat Hughes Secretary David Hassenplug John Pawling Don a d Wen ner

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface... Page Background: Past Views on Kelly Township... Page 2 Foreground: Present Views on Kelly Township... Page 4 ntroduction... Page 6 Existing Conditions... Page 7 Existing Land Use... Page 8 Existing Land Use Summary... Page 4 The Zoning Ordinance... Page 5 Zoning Ordinance Summary... Page 7 Transportation... Page 8 Water and Sewer.... Page 2 Floodplain... Page 23 Prime Farmland... Page 25 Population and Housing... Page 25 TheEconomy... Pa ge Findings and Conclusions Page 33 Community Development Objectives... Page 38 Community Development Goals... Page 4 B The Future Land Use and Transportation Plan... Page 45 Compatibility Statement... Page 5... Action Plan Page 5 Epilogue... Page 52 Appendix One... Page 53 Appendix Two.... Page 64 Appendix Three... Page 6i Appendix Four... Page 76 Appendix Five...

3 CHARTS AND MAPS 993 Existing Land Use Map Page 9 Chart One (Land Use Data Comparisons: ) Page Chart Two (Land Use Data Comparisons: ) Page Chart Three (Land Use Data Comparisons: ) Page 2 Chart Four (Existing Zoning Ordinance: Classification of Land) Page Existing Water and Sewer Service Areas Map Page Generalized Soils and Floodplain Map Page 24 Chart Five (Kelly Township Population) Page 26 Chart Six (Total Number of Housing Units) Page 28 Chart Seven (Total Number of Occupied Housing Units) Page 29 Chart Eight (Housing Units By Type: Occupied and Vacant) Page 3 Chart Nine (Number and Percentage of Housing Units By Type: Occupied and Vacant)..... Page Future Land Use and Transportation Plan Map Page 46 Chart Ten (Future Land Use Plan: Acreage and Percent of Township Land Area) Page 47

4 PREFACE i Kelly Township... originally a part of White Deer Township... was established in 823, and is 7. square miles in size. Having a population of 2,69 persons in 99 (excluding the inmate population of the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary), Kelly Township is governed by a three member Board of Supervisors. A nine member Planning Commission is also in place to assist the Kelly Township Board of Supervisors in their decision-making responsibilities concerning land use, transportation, and other factors influencing the future of Kelly Township, such as the need for... and... the location of recreational facilities. The Planning Commission, during the course of deliberating its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors with regard to matters of this nature, relies heavily on the Township's "comprehensive plan". The current plan for Kelly Township was issued in 975. n 99, the Board of Supervisors, in conjunction with the Planning Commission, decided that the Township's 975 Comprehensive Plan should be updated. This decision was based on two factors. First, a period of 6 years had elapsed since the 975 Plan was prepared, and both the Supervisors and the Commission saw a need to re-review the Objectives set forth in the Plan to guide Kelly Township's future growth, while providing for the continued well-being of the Township. Second, the law in Pennsylvania dealing with comprehensive planning was modified several times since the 975 Plan was adopted. Significant revisions to this law... known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code... became effective on February 2, 989. Thus, in November of 99, the Kelly Township Board of Supervisors retained the planning consulting firm of McCamant & Canan to prepare this document - the "2992 Comprehensive PZan Update Report" for Kelly Township. McCamant & Canan were advised by the Board of Supervisors to work closely with the Planning Commission while developing this Report... and... were requested to "involve the public" in order to assure that this document reflects the 992 views of the residents of Kelly Township. "Citizen participation" has been a crucial factor in McCamant & Canan's development of this Update Report. Kelly Township's residents, elected officials, and appointed officials have contributed the "key" elements contained in the conclusions and recommendations of this Report... the key elements being their "views" on what type of community Kelly Township should be in the future. McCamant & Canan's role was to find the means to have the community comprising Kelly Township articulate their views, so that these views could be translated into sound conclusions... and... in turn, recommendations for future action. This, then, is "your" Plan. t is with pleasure that we submit this 992 Comprehensive PZan Update Report to the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and the residents of Kelly Township on this 2st day of June, 993. Respectful y Submitted, A

5 BACKGROUND: PAST VEWS ON KELLY TOWNSHP Comprehensive Planning is not new to Kelly Township... in fact, today's Township residents enjoy many benefits which are the result of prior planning efforts. Examples of these benefits include the preservation of large areas of farmland, a zoning ordinance regulating the use of land, and the retention of Kelly Township's overall "quality of life". Kelly Township, along with Gregg and White Deer Townships, published a joint comprehensive plan in 967, which set forth six Community Development Objectives for the area covered by these three municipalities. The trust of these Objectives, as they apply to Kelly Township, follows: Preserve the Township's rural character by locating development, which is "urban" in nature, along the eastern and southeastern portions of Kelly Township... and... preserve the agricultural lands in the balance of the Township. Establish attractive, well-designed, low-density residential areas... i.e., neighborhoods... rather than "strung-out" or ribbon-type residential developments. Encourage industrial development along the Route 5 corridor where the topography is suitable... and... where adequate transportation facilities are available. Concentrate commercial development in "centers"... instead of allowing the strip-type commercialism occurring along Route 5. Develop a full range of year-round, public and commercial recreational facilities, which serve the Township's population... and... which are equipped to service all segments of that population. Provide adequate water and sewer facilities to serve the more intensely developed areas of the Township. These 967 Community Development Objectives for the Township... while 25 years old in remain appropriate in light of what today's Township residents are saying about their community. Seventeen years ago, Kelly Township's list of Community Development Objectives - as stated in its 975 Comprehensive Plan - were as follows: Preserve the rural character of the Township by limiting urbanization to those areas where the land is most compatible for these uses... and... Discourage non-farm development on lands best suited for agricultural uses - said agricultural lands being located in the central and western portions of the Township. Encourage the development of attractive, well-designed residential areas that can function as neighborhoods, while discouraging scattered ("spot") and "strip" residential developments. -2-

6 Limit industrial development to the eastern part of the Township where the topography is suitable... and... adequate utilities and transportation facilities are available, or are economically feasible to provide. Concentrate commercial development near existing and future residential areas which such commercial development is intended to serve... and... Discourage strip commercial development. Develop year-round recreational facilities that are well located with relation to the population they serve... and... which are equipped to service all segments of the population. Provide for adequate water and sewer facilities to serve the urbanized and developed areas of the Township. Assure that all development is in harmony with the natural characteristics of the land... and... Cause development to be in harmony with the environment. Provide a safe and efficient transportation system for the movement of people and goods within and through the Township, including mass transit. Maintain adequate fire and police protection... and... ambulance services to assure the safety of Township residents... and... their property. Prioritize Township-funded facilities and programs via the use of a Capital Budget. As is the case regarding the Township s 967 set of Community Development Objectives, a review of the 975 list of Objectives finds them remaining valid in 992. The validity of both sets of Community Development Objectives was established during the public input process associated with the preparation of this Update Report... the results of this process are described in the following chapter. -3- E 8 f 8 i

7 FOREGROUND: PRESENT VEWS ON KELLY TOWNSHP ' t The views obtained from the citizens, and the elected and appointed officials of Kelly Township with regard to " potential" Objectives for inclusion in this Update Report were numerous. These views were gathered through several means... informal discussions (e.g., a December 4, 99 Work Session with the members of the Kelly Township Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and Sewer Board)... public meetings (e.g., a February 8, 992 Community Forum, which was open to the general public)... and personal, informal interviews with representatives of agencies having a bearing on the development of this Update Report (e.g., the staff of the Union County Planning Commission). Comparing these 992 views with the Objectives outlined in the Township's 967 and 975 Comprehensive Plans reveals a strikingly familiar picture. A sampling of these 992 views follows: Retain the Township's attractive rural environment... and... Maintain agriculture as the dominant land use, which enhances the style of rural living. Preserve agriculture - future growth should be managed in order to prevent residential lots from being "carved out" of farmland. Look at the concept of "Growth Zones" to preserve farmland... and.. Consider Growth Zones as a method to control future development. Determine future housing needs... then, identlfy the areas within the Township where this new housing should be located. dentlfy the types of businesses and industries which are considered "desirable" land uses for Kelly Township. Prevent "spot" development from occurring - on a "shotgun" basis - throughout the Township. Avoid "strip" development along Route 5. Enforce existing... and... create improved development and design standards. Adopt... and... enforce a Building (Housing) Code. Amend the present Township Zoning Map, which does not reflect the best use of land"... and... Place more emphasis on the enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance's regulations. nvestigate ' localized" recreational areas in or near population concentrations... and... Develop a "plan" for recreational facilitiedparks. Study the feasibility of a community center, such as a joint YMCA-YWCA facility, which serves "all" age groups. -4-

8 Continue keeping additional capacity at the Township s Sewage Treatment Plant to allow for future development... and... Maintain an adequate water supply to permit growth in the future. Keep fire protection and ambulance services at their present levels... while instituting fire and ambulance training programs to maintain the adequacy of these services. Deal with the question of whether or not police protection for Kelly Township - which is currently provided by the Pennsylvania State Police - is acceptable to the residents of the Township... Versus... the possibility of creating a regional police force. Consider Route 5 a major factor in terms of updating the 975 Comprehensive Plan... and... Look into the possibility of developing feeder roads to serve the businesses and industries along the Route 5 corridor. Protect the water quality of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River... and... other water courses within the Township - including the implementation of floodplain management techniques. Practice soil conservation... and... Control storm water runoff. One can see from reviewing the above sampling of views on Kelly Township that they reinforce the 967 and 975 Objectives. However, the views outlined above also show that Kelly Township s citizens and electedlappointed officials have come to recognize new areas of concern having an effect on the future well-being of their community. No longer content with generalized statements about the current status of Kelly Township... and... the future needs of their community, today s citizens and elected/ appointed officials are advancing comments on a much broader and more detailed spectrum of issues. This new and expanded set of issues range from a need to allow (through zoning) agricultural-related businesses... to a need to preserve wetlands... and... from a need for streetlights, fire hydrants, and curbs and sidewalks in new residential developments... to a need to eliminate the odor problem associated with the Township s Sewage Treatment facility. These views form the foundation of this 992 Comprehensive Plan Update Report for Kelly Township. Each and every view was given serious consideration as this Update Report was being formulated. (Appendix One includes all of the views expressed by The Community comprising Kelly Township during the preparation of this document... The Community being not only the Township s elected and appointed officials, but the residents of Kelly Township, the commercial and industrial sectors, and other interest groups, such as the Lewisburg Area School District.) -5-

9 NTRODUCTON A comprehensive plan serves as a "general guide" to enhance a municipality's future well-being... and... the plan sets forth both immediate and long-range Objectives for the community to pursue in an effort to promote its future well-being. A particular Objective can complement and/or reinforce other Community Development Objectives. "Preserve Prime Agricui tural Lands" is an example of a Community Development Objective. Each Objective has one or more Goals associated with it, which - in order for any particular Objective to be met - must be "actively pursued" by The Community. Again, a specific Goal can reinforce and/or complement other Goals. An example of a Goal is to "Amend the existing Zoning Ordinance to allow for Agricultural Businesses in the Agricultural Zoning District". Prior to identlfying the Objectives for Kelly Township... and... in turn, the Goals to meet these Objectives, it is necessary to examine Kelly Township's characteristics, such as its existing land use pattern, transportation system, and community facilities. The following chapter - Existing Conditions - describes the results of this examination. -6-

10 EXSTNG CONDTONS Kelly Township s natural environment... e.g., watercourses, soils, and topography... has not changed significantly since the 975 Comprehensive Plan was published. (For information pertaining to the natural environment, the reader is referred to the 967 Comprehensive Plan for Kelly Township and the 975 Kelly Township Comprehensive Plan... including the associated Background reports and accompanying maps for each of these documents.) The physical environment, however, has seen continued alteration during the 7 year period between 975 and new housing developments, including their attendant streets, have appeared throughout the Township... and... additional structures for businesses and industries were built adjacent to Route 5 and JPM Road, as well as along Hospital Drive and Hafer Road. These changes in the physical environment - caused by growth - are eroding Kelly Township s rural community image; this erosion of the Township s rural character was recognized in both the 967 and the 975 Comprehensive Plans. Growth in Kelly Township... and... its resulting impact on the physical environment is expected to continue. This future growth, however, can be prevented from further eroding the Township s rural qualities - if controlled... and... if guided properly. -7-

11 8 i Existing Land Use As a means of understanding Kelly Township's growth, a parcel-by-parcel Existing Land Use Field Survey was conducted for the entire Township at the outset of this Update Report, i.e., December of 99. The Existing Land Use data was subsequently mapped - see the " 993 Existing Land Use Map" following this page - and, in turn, analyzed to determine the Township's growth pattern. This analysis included a comparison of the 99 Existing Land Use Data with the existing land use information contained in both the Background Studies document for the 975 Comprehensive Plan, and the Background Report for the 967 Comprehensive Plan. The land use data in the 967 Background Report was collected in 966, while the land use information contained in the 975 Background Studies document was gathered in 974. Thus, the 99 Existing Land Use Field Survey provides a "picture" of Kelly Township's development pattern over the last 25 years, i.e., Two difficulties were encountered, however, when comparing the 99 Existing Land Use Data with both the 966 and 974 land use information. First, the total land area of the Township was listed as 8.4 square miles (,776 acres) in and square miles (,72 acres) in whereas the U.S. Census Bureau listed the Township's size at 7. square miles (,944 acres) in 99. The Census Bureau's statistics - as far as planning documents are concerned, such as this Update Report - are considered "official". Because there is no evidence indicating that the land area of the Township has decreased between 966 and 99, the figure used for the size of Kelly Township is 7. square miles (,944 acres). The second difficulty faced was that the land use categories used in each of the three years in question differed from one another; therefore, it was necessary to adjust the three sets of land use categories in order to compensate for these differences. Resulting from this adjustment were the six land use categories of () Residential, (2) Commercial, (3) ndustrial, (4) Community Facilities, (5) Agriculture and (6) Vacant Land. Chart One on the following page contains the land use information for each of these six categories for the years 966, 974 and 99; the two pages following Chart One contain Charts Two and Three, which show the percentages of the total area of the Township occupied by these six land use categories, respectively, for the years 966 and and and 99. n reviewing the statistics shown for the 966 and 974 land use categories... and... comparing them with the data for 99, one finds that the acreage shown for the 974 land use categories appear to be suspect, e.g., the 974 amount of land used for Residential purposes is "less" than the amount of land used for Residential purposes in 966. Therefore, the balance of land use comparisons will focus on 966 versus

12 Land Use Category Residential Commercial ndustrial Community Facilities Agriculture Vacant Land Totals CHART ONE LAND USE DATA COMPARSONS (Acres) ,69.2(*) 9, (Acres) ,4. 8, ,776., (Acres) ,74.9 8,62.7,944.O (*) This acreage includes 594 acres of land classified in 966 as Streets (339 acres) and Water (255 acres); thus, in 966, the land dedicated to Community Facilities, per se, was,97.2 acres. The area occupied by Streets and Water was not calculated as a part of the 99 Existing Land Use Survey. Source: 967 Background Report, 975 Background Studies document, and 99 McCamant & Canan Land Use Field Survey. - -

13 CHART TWO LAND USE DATA COMPARSONS Land Use Categories 966 Percent Of 99 (Acres) Township (Acres) Land Area Residential % 77.4 Commercial % 2.7 ndustrial % 64.2 Community Facilities,69.2(*) 4.4 %(* ),74.9 Agriculture 9, % 8,62.7 Vacant Land %. Totals,776..%,944.O Percent Of Township Land Area 7.%.8%.6%.7% 78.8%.O%.% (*) This acreage includes 594 acres of land classified in 966 as Streets (339 acres) and Water (255 acres), which represented approximately 5. percent of the Township s 966 total land area of,776 acres - thus, in 966, the land area dedicated to Community Facilities, per se, was,97.2 acres or 9.4 percent of the Township s total land area. The area occupied by these two land use categories was not calculated as a part of the 99 Existing Land Use Survey. Source: 967 Background Report, and 99 McCamant & Canan Land Use Field Survey. --

14 Land Use Categories Residential Commercial ndustrial Community Facilities Agriculture Vacant Land CHART THREE LAND USE DATA COMPARSONS Percent Of (Acres) Towns h i p (* Land Area(*) 98..8% 6..% 36..2% 2,4. 2.8% 8, % 99 (Acres) ,74.9 8,62.7. Percent Of Township Land Area 7.%.8%.6%.7% 78.8% Totals,72..%,944..% (*) The differences in the figures for the 974 Land Use data... versus the 99 Land Use information, such as the amount of land used for ndustrial purposes... cannot be explained via the information provided to McCamant & Canan during the course of this Update Report. For this reason, this Update Report concentrates on the 966 versus the 99 Land Use patterns. Source: 975 Background Studies document, and 99 McCamant & Canan Land Use Field Survey. -2-

15 Land dedicated to Agricultural usage, which includes woodland and land used for pasture, dominates the land use pattern of Kelly Township today... as was the case in 966. Approximately 79 percent of the Township is currently in Agricultural use... in 966, the figure for the amount of land in Agricultural use stood at approximately 8 percent. (Approximately 9 acres... or.4 square miles... of Agricultural land was lost over this 25 year period.) The second most dominant land use category in 99 was Community Facilities, which include the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary. Community Facilities occupy approximately.7 percent of the Township s total land area today, which compares to a figure of approximately 9.4 percent in 966. Most of this growth in Community Facilities - approximately 78 acres - occurred on land which was previously in Agricultural use. Streets... and... Water, which can be classified as Community Facilities, occupied approximately 339 acres of land and 255 acres of land, respectively, in 966. The area occupied by these two land use categories was not calculated as part of the 99 Existing Land Use Survey. Residential use of land stood at approximately 7. percent of the Township s total land area in 99, whereas the use of land for Residential purposes... in was approximately 2.8 percent. This 4.3 percent increase represents approximately 442 acres of land, which, over this 25 year period, have been dedicated to Residential usage... of significance is that the bulk of this Residential growth has been at the expense of Agricultural lands. The amount of land used for Commercial purposes saw a dramatic increase between 966 and December of approximately 29 acres in 966 versus a 99 figure of approximately 2 acres. Commercial land uses were few in number in 966, and were focused on Route 5... whereas 99 found Commercial land uses not only increasing in number and size along Route 5, but expanding their orientation to include JPM Road. As in the case of the land use categories of Residential and Community Facilities, most of these 72 acres of new Commercial lands were previously in Agricultural use. ndustrial land uses were also few in number in 966 and comprised a total of approximately 59 acres found the number of ndustrial land users remaining small. The amount of land dedicated to ndustrial uses rose to approximately 64 acres in 99. Again, Route 5 is the focus of these ndustrial land uses. Land classified as Vacant decreased from approximately 36 acres in 966 to approximately acres in a 25 acre reduction. However, the amount of acreage shown in the Vacant land use category is misleading in that the vast majority of the Township s growth over the past 25 years has occurred on Agricultural lands... not Vacant Land. - 3-

16 Existing Land Use Summary Lands used for Agricultural purposes have been the "target" for growth during the last 25 years... over 9 acres of Agricultural land have been "lost" to development over this 25 year period. Growth has been concentrated in the area generally bound by Route 5 on the east and Newman Road on the west... and... by William Penn Drive on the south and by Zeigler Road/JPM Road and Yarger Road/Hospital Drive on the north. This area - Growth Zone One - has seen new Residential, Commercial and ndustrial development, which is expected to continue in this Zone in the future. New Community Facilities have also been attracted to this Growth Zone, such as the Kelly Elementary School. Growth Zone One is the most "active" area in the Township in terms of development. Growth Zone One also includes the areas east of Route 5, from Buffalo Creek to the point where Zeigler Road intersects with Route 5. Here, a new Commercial land use now occupies land formerly owned and used by Conrail. Further, this area contains a new - and very important - Community Facility, i.e., the Townships' Sewage Treatment Plant, and a second Community Facility, which has expanded in size since this latter Community Facility is also a major land use. West Milton, too, has seen new Residential and Commercial development, primarily west of Route 5 and south of Cross Roads Drive. Additional development can be expected along and south of Cross Roads Drive between JFM Road and West Milton (Growth Area Two). To the west of the intersection of Cross Roads Drive and JFM Road is a large, new ndustrial land use along the south side of Cross Roads Drive... followed by a new Residential subdivision further west of this ndustrial land use. Further growth is anticipated along the Cross Roads Drive corridor between West Milton and Treibly Road. A second new Residential subdivision has occurred in the far northwestern corner of the Township along Gessner Road and Smith Drive, west of Millers Bottom Road. This Residential development cnsist.s primarily of mobile homes. This Residential subdivision is the "exception to the rule"... for most of the new Residential development, which has occurred since 966, has been outside of Growth Zones One and Two. The vast majority of this new, non-zone Residential development which has been built since 966, has occurred as "single" Residential lots; these new Residential lots have been built throughout the Township along its road system on land previously used for Agricultural purposes. Approximately 8 new, non-growth Zone Residential lots have been developed since and... more of these single Residential lots are anticipated in the future. By far the most dominate land use in Kelly Township today - as was the case in is the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary. The land occupied by the Penitentiary serves as a "barrier" for the western expansion of the development occurring in Growth Zone One. (Again, Growth Zone One is the Township's most "active" development area.) - 4-

17 D The Zoning Ordinance Together, the Zoning Ordinance and its attendant Zoning Map represent "The" most significant tool for guiding future growth in the Township. Therefore, it is necessary to review the existing Zoning Ordinance and Map. The Zoning Ordinance contains six Zoning Districts: ( Residential, (2) Commercial, (3) Manufacturing, (4) nstitutional, (5) Open Space and (6) Agricultural. Each of these six Zoning Districts possesses two sets of land uses... the first set being Permitted Land Uses, while the second set contains Conditional Land Uses. Permitted Land Uses are those which are felt to be appropriate throughout a given Zoning District, such as a Single-Family Detached Dwelling in a Residential District. On the other hand, Conditional Land Uses, while considered appropriate in their particular Zoning Districts, are felt to warrant special attention before they are permitted, such as a Multifamily Dwelling in a Residential District... thus, Conditional Land Uses are reviewed by the Planning Commission and, in turn, the Board of Supervisors prior to being allowed in their particular Zoning Districts. (Appendix Two contains a listing of the Permitted Land Use categories and the Conditional Land Use categories for each of the Zoning Ordinance's six Zoning Districts.) Agriculture dominates the Zoning Map... approximately 77 percent of the Township's total land area is included in the Agricultural District, which encompasses approximately 8,457 acres. The second largest Zoning District is the nstitutional District, which contains approximately,5 acres - almost percent of the total land area of the Township. (The bulk of the land area within the nstitutional District consists of the site of 'the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary... approximately 9 acres, or somewhat more than 8 percent of the Township's total land area.) The remainder of the Township - approximately 3 percent of land area or approximately,435 acres - is divided between the Residential, Commercial, Manufacturing, and Open Space Districts... see Chart Four on the following page. Although noted on Chart Four, it is important to reiterate here that, as of December, 99, approximately 52 acres of land were being used for Residential purposes "outside" of the areas included in the Residential Districts shown on the Zoning Map. The vast majority of these 52 acres are located within the Agricultural District, where - as previously mentioned - approximately 8 single Residential lots have been developed since

18 Zoning District Residential Commercial Manufacturing nstitutional Open Space Agriculture Totals CHART FOUR EXSTNG ZONNG ORDNANCE CLASSFCATON OF LAND Amount Of Acreage Zoned 76.2 Acres Acres 78.6 Acres,5.3 Acres Acres 8,457.2 Acres,944. Acres Percent Of Township s Total Acreage Y 6.9% 2.4%.6% 9.6% 2.2% NOTE: The December, 99 Existing Land Use Field Survey revealed that there are approximately 52 acres of land being used for Residential purposes outside of the areas included in the Residential Districts contained on the Zoning Map. Most of these 52 acres of land were formerly in agricultural useage... and... are included in the Agricultural District. Source: 966 Zoning Map, as amended through and including December,

19 Zoning Ordinance Summary One of the "key" elements in the comprehensive planning process, such as this Update Report, is the Zoning Ordinance and its accompanying map. Kelly Township's Zoning Ordinance and Map were adopted in 966, and both have been subject to revision from time-to-time over the past 26 years, i.e., An important component of the existing Zoning Ordinance is its Community Development Objectives, as stated in Section 3 of Article thereof. Five Community Development Objectives are cited in the Township's Zoning Ordinance; these Objectives are as follows: Retain the rural character of Kelly Township by guiding growth and managing change at a rate that enables responsible fiscal planning and the provision for future needs; and Conserve those soils and topography most suitable for open space and agricultural uses; and Encourage growth in "development zones" where community services can be provided most economically; and Harmonize traffic flow and land uses by establishing standards for function, safety, and convenience; and Ensure that any development in the floodplain is in compliance with the National Flood nsurance Program's regulations. These five Objectives... in conjunction with the Community Development Objectives contained in both the 967 and 975 Comprehensive Plans, and the views expressed by The Community during the planning process for this Update Report... were used to analyze the land use pattern which exists in Kelly Township today. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether or not the 99 land use pattern reflects the Community development Objectives stated in the Township's planning documents, i.e., the 967 and 975 Comprehensive Plans... the 966 Zoning Ordinance and Map... and... the current "views" of the Township's residents about the future of their community. -7-

20 Transportation A second major influence on a municipality s land use pattern is its transportation network, i.e., the streethighway system, which is shown on the 993 Existing Land Use Map following page 8. Development is attracted to the road pattern of a municipality, and this is evidenced by the ndustrial and Commercial development which has occurred... and... is expected to continue to occur along Route 5. The Commercial and ndustrial development found adjacent to Route 5 today is basically along the west side of this highway facility. However, as growth continues in Union County, as well as the western sections of Northumberland County, new ndustrial and Commercial development proposals can be anticipated for the east side of Route 5. Commercial growth has also spread from Route 5 to several of the Township s secondary roads, such as JPM Road and Hafer Road... and... an ndustrial use has spread from Route 5 along the south side of Zeigler Road. Again, it is expected that new ndustrial and Commercial development - as well as new Residential development - will be proposed along the Township s Collector Road system, particularly in the area generally bound by Colonel John Kelly Road on the north... Buffalo Creek on the south... the West Branch of the Susquehanna River on the east... and... the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary on the west. Further, additional Commercial growth is anticipated along Cross Roads Drive, just west of West Milton. Kelly Township s transportation network consists of several types of roads... Local, Collector, and Arterial. (Residential Streets, which serve the Township s residential neighborhoods, are not considered a part of the transporation network, per se.) The only Arterial Road in the Township is Route 5, which runs in a north-south direction between Lewisburg Borough and West Milton. Already mentioned is that Route 5 has been... and... will continue to be a major factor in the Township s growth pattern. -8-

21 t :! 8 There are several Collector Roads in the Township. Seven roads serve as Collector Roads today... and... are identified as follows: Name of Collector Road JPM Road Fort Titzell Road William Penn Drive Loan Road Hospital Drive Colonel John Kelly Road Cross Roads Drive Portion of Road Designated as a Collector Road William Penn Drive to Colonel John Kelly Road Colonel John Kelly Road to Cross Roads Drive Route 5 to Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary Route 5 to JPM Road Route 5 to Colonel John Kelly Road Route 5 to Fort Titzell Road West Mi ton to Fort Titzell Road -9-

22 Many of the remaining roads in the Township serve (to some degree) as Collector Roads... yet are, in fact, Local Roads. Examples of Local Roads which are being used, to some extent, as Collector Roads are identified as follows: Name of Local Road JPM Road Newman Road Red Ridge Road Zeigler Road Yarger Road Portion of Local Road Used, in Part, as a Collector Road Colonel John Kelly Road to Cross Roads Drive William Penn Drive to Hospital Drive Colonel John Kelly Road to Cross Roads Drive Route 5 to JFM Road JPM Road to Hospital Drive The above roads... as well as the balance of the Township s road network... are, however, Local Roads. (Again, Residential Streets, such as Franklin Drive... Lamplight Lane... and... Saint Mary Street, are not considered a part of the road network of the Township, per se.) -2-

23 Water and Sewer The availability of water i the land use pattern of a mur a public water system... or... a puull, services is a third important factor influencing *-nsportation :t,. network, the presence of -* -+t.ract development Kelly Township is served by the Pennsylvall. -which supplies water to the Township via its Susquehanna dater Plant ai, it Creek Water Plant. With a combined capacity of 2. million gallons pel U~Y,,.-. facilities have a total reserve capacity of between 3.5 and 4. million gallons of water per day. Growth Areas One and Two, as seen on the 993 Existing Water and Sewer Service Areas Map following this page, are well served by the Pennsylvania American Water Company. However, water service is lacking in several sections of Growth Area One, which have experienced growth, such as Zeigler Road... Newman Road... and... William Penn Drive. Water service also enters the far northwest portion of the Township, via Gessner Road, and runs south on Millers Bottom Road to a point north of Cross Roads Drive... here, the water service turns east and runs in an easterly direction until it meets Cross Roads Drive at a point approximately midway between Hollow Road and Sunrise Road. At this point, the water service splits into two service lines, which run basically parallel with - and on both sides of - Cross Roads Drive in an easterly direction to Creek Road. The service line north of Cross Roads Drive runs north along Creek Road into White Deer Township... while the second service line continues on to Treibly Road, where it continues along the north side of Cross Roads Drive in a northeasterly direction into White Deer Township. The presence of this water service area, which extends from Treibly Road - via Cross Roads Drive - to Gessner Road, represents an open invitation for development. Gessner Road is already being subdivided for Residential purposes. Sewer service is restricted to Growth Areas One and Two - again, see the 993 Existing Water and Sewer Service Areas Map. West Milton (Growth Area Two) has adequate sewer service... whereas, there are several sections of Growth Area One, which have already experienced development, needing sewer service, such as Zeigler Road. Further development, which will require sewer service, is anticipated in Growth Area One, e.g., adjacent to Newman Road. Through the use of $9, in Federal Community Development Block Grant funds, the Economic Development Council of Union County is currently looking at providing sewer service to Kelly Cross Roads. (t should be noted here that - save for low-and moderate-income housing, which can be provided throughout the Township - the use of these Federal funds for other purposes is restricted to Kelly Cross Roads.) A new treatment plant is being planned... and... once again, the presence of sewer service in this area will tend to generate further development in the vicinity of Fort Titzell Road and Cross Roads Drive. -2-

24 Floodplain Being surrounded on three sides by bodies of water, the Township contains an extensive floodplain area - see the "993 Generalized Soils and Floodplain Map" following this page for the limits of the Township's floodplain. This Map shows the limits of the 5 Year Flood, as defined by the Federal nsurance Administration. The floodplain is an important factor in considering future growth... and... the limits of both the Year Flood and the 5 Year Flood should be taken into account. n reviewing the limits of the Year Flood, one finds that the bulk of the land area between Route 5 and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River is subject to flooding... save for the area on both sides of Hospital Drive at its intersection with Route 5; a part of the eastern section of West Milton is also subject to flooding during a Year Flood. Also subject to the Year Flood is William Penn Drive, and the area along the stream flowing into Buffalo Creek... said stream being located between JPM Road and Newman Road. The intersections of Hafer Road and Route 5... and... Colonel John Kelly Road and Route 5 are within the limits of the Year Flood. Although large portions of land along Buffalo Creek from the Federal Penitentiary to its confluence with Spruce Run, as well as along Spruce Run itself, are subject to the Year Flood, the most significant Year Flood prone lands outside of Growth Areas One and Two are those adjacent to Little Buffalo Creek. The flood prone area associated with Little Buffalo Creek appears to "hamper" the western portion of Kelly Township, which includes Kelly Cross Roads, from receiving emergency services, i.e., fire, police, and ambulance, during periods of flooding... a review of the limits of the Year Flood indicates that all of the east-west roads in the Township are inundated during a Year Flood. As far as the limits of the 5 Year Flood are concerned, the lands most impacted are found in Growth Areas One and Two. (Again, see the "993 Generalized Soils and Floodplain Map".) More extensive areas along William Penn Drive and along the stream feeding Buffalo Creek - which stream is between JPM Road and Newman Road - would be subject to flooding during a 5 Year Flood, versus the areas which would be inundated in a Year Flood. Flooding would also be more extensive at the two intersections of Route 5 and Hafer Road... and... Colonel John Kelly Road and Route 5. The lands on both sides of Hospital Drive at its intersection with Route 5, however, would remain free from flooding, including the majority of the Sewer Treatment P ant site. Route 5 would be flooded from Buffalo Creek to approximately midway between the Creek and Loan Road... and... most of Route 5 between Hafer Road and Cross Roads Drive in West Milton would be inundated by the 5 Year Flood. Within West Milton, a much larger portion of its eastern section would be flooded. -23-

25 i a Prime Farmland A review of Prime Farmland soils reveals that Prime Farmland is found throughout Kelly Township. The Federal Penitentiary... and... large portions of Growth Areas One and Two are located on soils which are considered Prime Farmland. Because of the pattern of Prime Farmland soils, these developments would have consumed a like amount of Prime Farmland had they been placed elsewhere in the Township. Thus, if Prime Farmland soils were the "only" factor for determining whether or not development should occur, there would have been little, if any, past growth in the Township. However, the " 993 Floodplain and Soils Map" shows that the area bound by Treibly Road on the east... the northern Township boundary on the north... Spruce Run on the west... and Moore School Road - Goodman Road - Warren Road on the south is not considered an area of Prime Farmland. While this area - the northwest corner of the Township - does contain sections where Prime Farmland soils are found, the northwest section of the Township appears to be the area where future development should occur... based "solely" on protecting Prime Farmland. Population and Housing n 99, the population of Kelly Township stood at 4,56 persons... however, this figure is misleading because it includes,942 individuals imprisoned in the Northeast Regional Federal penitentiary. Thus, the "actual" 99 population of the Township was 2,69 persons. The Township's 98 population, excluding the Penitentiary's population, was 2,4 persons. Thus, the Township experienced an increase of approximately 5 persons between 98 and 99. However, the 97 US. Census reported 2,262 persons residing in the Township - again, excluding the population of the Penitentiary - which represents a loss of approximately 5 persons between 97 and 98. This loss of population between 97 and 98 cannot be explained, particularly in view of the growth occurring in the Township at that time... as evidenced in the 967 and 975 Comprehensive Plans... and... because the Township had experienced a population gain (excluding the Penitentiary's population) of approximately 35 persons between 96 and 97. Overall, the population of Kelly Township increased by 7 persons between 96 and 99 - again, excluding the population of the Penitentiary - an increase of approximately 37 percent. The Township's population growth over the last 3 years has averaged approximately 24 persons per decade. (Chart Five on the following page provides the population data for the Township.) At the same time, i.e., 96-99, Union County added,53 persons to its population... a growth rate of approximately 4 percent. The County's population growth during the past 3 years has averaged approximately 3,5 persons per decade. -25-

26 CHART FVE KELLY TOWNSHP POPULATON - Year Non-Penitentiary Penitentiary Population Population,99,4 2,262,94 2,4,653 2,69,942 Total Pop ul at i o n 3,32 4,66 3,767 4,56 D Source: 96, 97, 98 and 99 US. Census Data -26-

27 Further discussion of Kelly Township s population would be moot because detailed information on the characteristics of the Penitentiary s population, e.g., race, was not readily available at the time this Update Report was prepared. To analyze specific population characteristics, such as age, would result in misleading conclusions since the Penitentiary s inmate population of,942 persons represents 42.6 percent of the Township s total 99 population of 4,56 persons. (Appendix Three contains the 99 population data for Kelly Township, as well as adjacent municipalities, and Union County as a whole.) Specific information on the Township s housing stock, however, was available for 99. According to the U.S. Census, there were,3 Housing Units in the Township in 99...,72 Occupied Housing Units (94.9 percent) and 58 Vacant Housing Units (5. percent). Of the,72 Occupied Housing Units, 675 were Owner-Occupied (63 percent) and 397 were Renter-Occupied (37 percent). The U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 273 Multifamily Housing Units in of note is that 2 of these 273 Multifamily Housing Units percent - were contained in three apartment complexes. These three multifamily complexes are Kelly Apartments (8 Housing Units)... Datesman Village (3 Housing Units)... and... Kelly Court Apartments ( Housing Units). Another multifamily housing complex... DeVitt House containing 36 Housing Units... was built in 99. Continued construction of Multifamily Housing complexes will reduce the Township s percentage of Owner-Occupied Housing Units... most municipalities (particularly in recent years) have been attempting to maintain or increase their percentage of Owner-Occupied Housing Units. Also, Multifamily Housing complexes - while necessary and appropriate - will contribute to the erosion of the Township s rural image. Also reported by the US. Census Bureau was that there were 6 Mobile Homes in the Township, which represented approximately 9.4 percent of the Township s total housing stock in 99. Additional Mobile Homes were observed being placed in the new subdivision along Gessner Road during the 99 Existing Land Use Field Survey. Mobile Homes, while a necessary and appropriate housing type, must be properly controlled... otherwise, Mobile Home development within the Township will tend to have a negative influence on the Township s positive character. (Charts Six through Nine on the following pages outline the occupancy characteristics of the Township s housing stock, while Appendix Four contains other housing-related data.) A review of the housing stock in Kelly Township reveals that - from an exterior point of view - most of the Township s Housing Units appear to be in standard condition... and... nothing in the 99 U.S. Census data would lead one to conclude that housing problems are present in the Township. However, past experience provides evidence that the absence of a Housing Code... and... the enforcement of its provisions will lead to deteriorated housing. -27-

28 Type Of Housing Unit Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied Vacant Totals CHART SX TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSNG UNTS Number Of Housing Units ,3 Percent Of Housing Units 59.74% 35.3% 5.3%.% Source: 99 U.S. Census Data. -28-

29 Type Of Housing Unit Ow ner-occupied Renter-Occupied Totals CHART SEVEN TOTAL NUMBER OF OCCUPED HOUSNG UNTS Number Of Housing Units 675 Percent Of Housing Units 62.97% %,72.% Source: 99 US. Census Data

30 Housing Type Single-Family Multifamily Mobile Home Other Totals Source: 99 U.S. Census Data. CHART EGHT HOUSNG UNTS BY TYPE OCCUPED AND VACANT Occupied Units Vacant Units , Totals lo6 6,3

31 8 c CHART NNE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF HOUSNG UNTS BY TYPE OCCUPED AND VACANT Housing Type Si ng e- Fa m i y Multifamily Mobile Home Other Totals Source: 99 U.S. Census Data. OccuDied Units Number Percent % Number Vacant Units Percent % % 2 4.4% % 9.43% % %, % %

32 The Economy Recent information on Kelly Township s economy was not uncovered during the course of preparing this Update Report... and... the economic data from the 99 U.S. Census was not available at the time this Update Report was prepared. Thus, it was not possible to look at the Township s economic indicators in any detail herein. On the other hand, information on the economy of Union County was available from a number of sources, such as the Union County Planning Commission, the Union County Economic Development Council, and the Pennsylvania Job Service Center. The most significant finding - after reviewing all of the available economic data for Union County - is that over 56 jobs were lost in the County between 99 and and... between 989 and 99, over 83 jobs were lost. According to the Pennsylvania Job Service Center, this job loss raised Union County s unemployment rate from 4. percent in to percent in 99. The Pennsylvania Job Service Center reported that this loss of over 83 jobs was caused (in large part) by a reduction in the workforces of four major employers... one in Kelly Township... one in Lewisburg Borough... and... two in Northumberland County - as well as the closing of several industries in Northumberland County, which provided employment opportunities to Union County residents. Partially countering this loss of jobs was the opening of a major commercial facility in Kelly Township, which created 85 new jobs. n terms of additional employment opportunities, the Pennsylvania Job Service Center foresees no significant development occurring in Union County in the immediate future. (t should be noted that - in the opinion of the Pennsylvania Job Service Center - the expanded Federal prison complex planned for Gregg Township will create few new employment opportunities for Union County residents and, in turn, Kelly Township residents.) -32- a 8

33 FNDNGS AND CONCLUSONS This chapter presents the Finding And Conclusions drawn from the review of the information gathered relative to Kelly Township during the course of preparing this Update Report. Among the data sources were the "views" of the Township's elected and appointed officials... past planning documents... the 99 Existing Land Use Field Survey... comments expressed by appointed officials of Union County agencies, which influence Kelly Township... the 99 US. Census information... and... the input received from the residents of the Township. The following Findings And Conclusions are divided into four categories... Land Use... Community Facilities... Transportation... and... Planning Considerations. These Findings And Conclusions will be used in the following chapters to advance recommendations intended to "guide" the Township's future growth... and... maintain the Township's "quality of life", including its "rural" character. Land Use The amount of land in Agricultural use... both Prime Farmland and non-prime Farmland... has decreased by approximately 9 acres since 966. Residential development has been the major cause for this loss of land in Agricultural use... over 44 acres of land have been developed since 966 for Residential purposes. Part of this Residential development included approximately 8 single-lot Residences, which were built since 966 throughout the Township adjacent to its road system... the majority of these 8 single-lot Residences were built "outside" of Growth Zones One and Two. The provisions of the existing Zoning Ordinance allow single-lot Residential development as a "right" (i.e., a "permitted" land use) within the Agricultural Zoning District... single-lot Residential development is a contributing factor to the "erosion" of the Township's rural character, which has already been "lost" along Route 5. The amount of land dedicated to the Community Facilities increased by approximately 78 acres since 966 (,97.2 acres in 966 versus,74.9 in 99 - see Chart Two)... as in the case of Residential, much of the growth in Community Facilities came at the "expense" of land previously in Agricultural use. The most dominate Community Facility in the Township - and, in fact, the Township's largest single land use - is the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary... the Penitentiary's eastern property line serves as a "barrier" for the development which is occurring in Growth Zone ne. Commercial and ndustrial growth between 966 and 99 accounted for approximately 72 and 5 acres of land, respectively... again, most of the Commercial and ndustrial growth occurred on lands which were previously in Agricultural use. -33-

34 Commercial and ndustrial land uses are focused on Route 5, as was the case in however, Collector Roads, particularly in Growth Zone One, are beginning to attract Commercial land uses. The amount of land classified as Vacant has not changed sienificantlv since 966 (approximately 36 acres in 966 versus ahroxigately lli acres in 99). Community Facilities The bulk of this Vacant land is located in Growth Zones One and Two... and... the majority of this Vacant Land appears committed to Residential and Commercial land uses. The existing Zoning Ordinance s provisions and the Zoning Map encourage future Residential, Commercial, ndustrial, and Community Facilities development to concentrate in Growth Zone One... future Residential development is also encouraged in Growth Zone Two. The Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary is one of the most significant Community Facilities in the Township... while it contributes to the Township s employment base, the Penitentiary also adds traffic to the Township s road system and increases the demand for housing for its employees, who - in turn - utilize the public services provided in the Township, such as the Kelly Elementary School. At the present time, there is little, if any, dialogue between the officials of the Township and Penitentiary officials... a condition which is not in the best interest of either entity. Among the Township s more important Community Facilities - in terms of development - is its Sewage Treatment Plant... There also appears to be a lack of meaningful communication between the Sewer Board and the Township s officials, i.e., the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission. According to comments made by Township residents and officials during this Update Report s public input process, there is an odor problem associated with the Sewage Treatment Plant... which not only has a negative impact on the quality of life in the area of the Township where this odor problem is present, but tends to further aggravate the void in communications between the Township s officials and the Sewer Board. Another Community Facilities problem revealed during the public participation process associated with this Update Report is the perceived lack of adequate police protection, which is now provided by the Pennsylvania State Police. Fire protection was also mentioned during this Update Report s public input process, but not in terms of the adequacy of fire protection... the -34-

35 ' t 8 P E 3 Transportation public's comments dealt with the need for improved training opportunities for the volunteer firefighters serving Kelly Township. (This same comment was advanced for ambulance services.) The Township's 975 Comprehensive Plan recommended that a site be obtained within the Township for the construction of a firestation... no such suggestion was put forth during this Update Report's public participation process. According to the Township's residents, health care services are excellent... and... are expected to remain so in the future. The Kelly Elementary School is also an important Community Facility, which not only serves the educational needs of the Township, but provides a pre-and post-school day care facility... certain recreational activities... and... a community facility for meetings, such as the Community Forum held in conjunction with this Update Report. Another important Community Facility serving as the primary location for public meetings is the Township Municipal Building, which appears to be adequate to meet the Township's immediate and future needs. Although almost 24 acres of land are within the Zoning Ordinance's Open Space District, the amount of public land dedicated to parks and open space within Kelly Township is minimal... the extensive amount of farmland found throughout the Township, however, and the floodplain areas 'along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River give the "impression" of a large amount of open space. Public and private recreational opportunities for all age groups are also minimal... this was a view expressed in the 967 and 975 Comprehensive Plans, as well as by the public and Township officials during this Update Report's citizen participation process. Route 5 - the Township's only Arterial Road - has been the "catalyst" for the Commercial, ndustrial, and Community Facilities development which has occurred in Growth Zone One... and... this Arterial Road will continue to spur development proposals in this Zone in the future. The Township is now facing "pressure" from developers to allow new Commercial and ndustrial land uses along Route 5 between Growth Zone One and West Milton... this pressure for development will also include other types of land uses, such as Residential. Development pressure can also be anticipated along several of the Township's Collector Roads, such as JPM Road between Hafer Road and Colonel John Kelly Road... Newman Road between William Penn Drive and Hospital Drive... Hospital Drive between Yarger Road and Colonel John Kelly Road... Hafer and Zeigler Roads between Route 5-35-

36 and JPM Road... and... Cross roads Drive between West Milton and Treibly Road. Also, it is quite possible that development pressure will be felt along Colonel John Kelly Road between Route 5 and Hospital Drive. Commercial, ndustrial, and Community Facilities development along Route 5 and, more recently, JPM Road have increased the traflic on JFM Road... particularly between William Penn Road and Hafer Road. The intersection of JPM Road and Hospital Drive is poorly designed... and... because of the increased traffic generated by the development within Growth Zone One, this intersection is hazardous, i.e., unsafe. JPM Road has become a heavily traveled Collector Road...between William Penn Drive and Colonel John Kelly Road... because of the growth which has occurred along Route 5 and JPM Road over the last 25 years. Kelly Township s road network is well maintained and, in general, the Township s roads adequately service the adjoining land uses. Certain parts of the road system could be improved upon in order to facilitate traffk flow, such as eliminating or softening certain curves on a number of the Township s roads, as well as eliminating offset and non-right angle intersections... However, care should be taken so that such road improvements do not attract through traffic and/or additional development. Township officials have neither the means of keeping a pulse on the plans of PA DOT for traffic or road improvements in Kelly Township... e.g., the State s Twelve-Year Transportation mprovement Program... nor the time to keep abreast of what State funding programs are available to assist in improving the Township s road system. n reviewing development proposals, Township officials currently have no access to the services of a Traffic Engineer or Transportation Planner to assist them in reviewing development plans... which, in part, has contributed to the Township s traffic problems, particularly in Growth Area One. Mass transit, i.e., bus service, is not presently available to the residents of Kelly Township... and... the prospects for the provision of bus service in the Township in the near future appear very unlikely. Planning Considerations The preservation of (prime) farmland is a very important goal in the minds of the Township s residents, which goal is shared by the elected and appointed officials of the Township. -36-

37 E a b 8 f R li Preserving the "rural" character of the Township is also a very important goal, which was expressed time-after-time by representatives and residents of The Community during the process of preparing this Update Report. The preceeding two goals were contained in both the 967 Comprehensive Plan and the 975 Comprehensive Plan... and... were stated on numerous occasions while this Update Report was being prepared. Growth - particularly Residential development - is steadily reducing the amount of land dedicated to Agricultural use. Development, in general, is "eroding" the Township's rural character... and... Commercial and ndustrial growth, which has been generated by the presence of Route 5, is now appearing along JFM Road and other roads in Growth Zone One. One contributing factor to the loss of prime Agricultural land and the erosion of the rural character of the Township is the existing Zoning Ordinance, which "encourages" Residential development in the Agricultural Zoning District. Code enforcement was cited as needing improvement during the citizen input phase of this Update Report's preparation, e.g., the Junk Ordinance... and.., passage of new or improved codes and ordinances was also called for by The Community, e.g., a Building (Housing) Code. Currently, the Township does not have an individual designated to handle "planning" issues, such as the increased traffic volumes on JPhl Road, and the safety problems caused by this traffic increase... further, the Township has no one to deal with day-to-day planning responsibilities, such as securing and maintaining planning data for the Township, e.g., information on changes in land use, base maps, and employment statistics. Such an individual could also address the "environmental" issues facing Kelly Township, including the lack of existing environmental data... and... could work with those entities concerned with protecting the environment, such as the Union County Planning Commission, citizen organizations, and environmental agencies. Planning data relative to Kelly Township is very limited, e.g., traffic counts for JPM Road are not available to the Township's elected and appointed officials when reviewing a Commercial subdivision plan proposed along this Collector Road. Just as important as planning data in the Township's decision-making process is "dialogue" between and among the public and private sectors, which - as noted earlier herein -- could be improved. Another planning "tool" which is not available to the Township's decision-makers are specific planning studies, such as a Park and Recreation Plan, which could be used to set funding priorities. -37-

38 COMMUNTY DEVELOPMENT OBJECTVES Community Development Objectives set the basic "framework" for guiding the future of a municipality... in this case, Kelly Township. Although the Objectives found in this chapter are applicable to most - if not all - rural communities, these Community Development Objectives... nevertheless... have been formulated "specifically" for Kelly Township. The Objectives listed below are based upon the research undertaken during the preparation of this Update Report... the preceding Findings And Conclusions... and... input received from The Community during this Report's planning process. Protect the Township's "prime" farmland. Maintain the "rural" character of Kelly Township. Ensure the "integrity" of the Township's environment, including its historic, cultural, and natural resources. Retain the Township's "quality of life" Provide for all types of housing in the Township... and... Establish guidelines which are intended to assure that such housing is safe, affordable, adequate in size, and well -maintained. Encourage programs and projects which are compatible with the environment... enhance the Township's economy... and... offer employment opportunities for Township residents. Promote and support services and programs directed at protecting and improving the lives of the Township's residents, such as adequate fire and police protection... social programs designed to meet the "basic needs" of the Township's population... a clean air supply... quality education and library services... sufficient parkslopen space and recreational programs... good health care facilities... sanitary sewer facilities... and... a safe supply of drinking water. Support the concept of "equal opportunity" for all Township residents in the areas of housing, education, employment, and services. Offer an efficient and well-maintained transportation system for the movement of people and goods... and... Support mass transportation services. Develop improved communication between the elected and appointed officials of Kelly Township and other "public" entities serving the Township, e.g., the Sewer Board... the Union County Planning Commission... the Lewisburg Area School District... the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary... and... the Union County Economic Development Council. -38-

39 mprove communications between the appropriate elected and appointed officials of the Kelly Township... and... the Township's public and private sectors, particularly representatives of the Commercial and ndustrial sectors. Establish a better dialogue between Township officials and the residents of the Township. Participate in efforts aimed at intermunicipal cooperation directed towards enhancing the general public's health, safety, and welfare... such as solid waste management. Guide future growth in the Township through the use of adequate land use controls... citizen participation mechanisms... professional administrators... and... a sound data base containing information needed for proper planning. Manage Kelly Township in a fashion which supports accepted planning principles... but... which is "flexible" enough to allow for the use of new and/or innovative techniques designed to further any of the above Community Development Objectives. -39-

40 COMMUNTY DEVELOPMENT GOALS Many comprehensive plans contain a "wish list" of Community Development Goals, which - in most cases - cannot possibly be achieved during the comprehensive plan's life span. Municipal officials, who attempt to address "all" of the Goals in their plan, too often find themselves "frustrated" by what seems to be an overwhelming task.,. said task appearing to be - and, in fact, usually is - a slow and agonizing process. Further, in many cases, municipal officials also find out ("after-the-fact" ) that their municipality's resources were spent on a "shotgun" basis... with limited effectiveness, and little "visibe"impact. With this in mind, then, the Goals identified herein represent an attempt to present a "realistic" set of Community Development Goals, i.e., Goals that can be "achieved"... F... supported by The Community, particularly the elected officials of Kelly Township. Certain of the following Goals, if implemented, will most likely result in additional Community Development Objectives, which can be pursued by the Township during this Update Report's lifetime... i.e., the year 25. The Goals listed below are grouped under general categories... and... are designated as either a Short-term Goal, i.e., 992 to or a Long-term Goal, i.e., to 25. Certain Short-range Goals, such as "Avoid Creating a 'Planner's Utopia' in Kelly Township" are also Long-range Goals. Expand and e e e e e Enforce the Township's Land Use Controls Continue to pursue the Township's current plans for hiring a "code enforcement" officer, who will be jointly financed by Kelly and East Buffalo Townships. (Short-range Goal.) Amend the Township's Zoning Ordinance to modify its provisions related to permitting Single-Family Residential usage of land in the Agricultural District. (Short-range Goal.) The Zoning Ordinance should also be modified to include a "new" Zoning District specifically for the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary. (Short-range Goal.) Update the Zoning Ordinance to bring it into conformity with the 988 amendments to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. (Short-range Goal.) Review the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance... and... the boundaries of the Zoning Districts shown on the Zoning Map to assure that they support the " 993 Future Land Use and Transportation Plan", which is found in the following chapter. (Short-range Goal.) Based upon the above review, modify the Zoning Ordinance's provisions and the Zoning Map's Zoning District boundaries, where appropriate, to bring the Ordinancemap into conformity with the "993 Future Land Use and Transportation Plan". (Short-range Goal.) -4-

41 E 8 8 Land Use Keep the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance current, e.g., maintain up-to-date stormwater management and control regulations... restrict steep slope development... and... avoid growth in wetland areas. (Short-range Goal.) Consider reports and studies issued by public and private entities, which have a bearing on the future of Kelly Township, and which could be used as planning "tools" and/or growth management techniques, e.g., the Union County Planning Commission's pending Buffalo Creek Watershed Study... and... the State Legislature's 992 Land Use report. (Short-range Goal.) Limit the number of "exceptions to the rule" granted by the Township from the standards contained in its codes and ordinances... i.e., Township officials need to say "No" to developers requesting major variances from the codes and ordinances of the Township, particularly if such variances are in "direct conflict" with the Township's Community Development Objectives. (Short-range Goal.) nclude "specific" criteria within the Township's Zoning Ordinance for "each" Conditional (Land) Use allowed by the Ordinance - said criteria to be in compliance with State and local laws - thus, providing a "tool" for Township officials to say "No" to zoning proposals/appeals, when appropriate. (Short-range Goal.) nvestigate the "need" for the preparation... and... adoption of a Housing Code for Kelly Township. (Long-range Goal.) Look into the "possible" need for the Township's adoption of a nationally-recognized Building Code. (Long-range Goal.) Also, discuss - with the volunteer fire companies serving Kelly Township - the "desirability" of adopting a nationally-recognized Fire Code by the Township... which national code, if pursued, should be compatible with the Township's Building Code, if adopted. (Long-range Goal.) Retain a " fulltime" Code Enforcement Officer for Kelly Township. (Long-range Goal.) Create "finite" boundaries for Growth Zone One and Growth Zone Two by amending the Township's Zoning Map... see the "993 Future Land Use and Transportation Map" contained in the following chapter. (Short-range Goal.) e Also by amending the Township's Zoning Map, create three Residential Growth Areas in that portion of the Township where "prime" -4 -

42 Agricultural soils are not concentrated... again, see the following chapter's '' 993 Future Land Use and Transportation Map". (Short-range Goal.) Consider (where feasible) the use of natural features... versus man-made features... to delineate Growth Zones/Areas. (Short-range Goal.) Restrict future growth to "only" Growth Zones... and... Residential Growth Areas. (Short-range Goal.) Assure that such new growth in these ZonesAreas does not have a detrimental impact on the environment, e.g., groundwater supplies. (Short-range Goal.) Participate in "environmental" studies having a bearing on Kelly Township undertaken by public and private agencies, which can be added to the Township's data base... and... in turn, be utilized by the Township in its decision-making process. (Short-range Goal.) Study the "immediate"... and... "long-term" recreational needs of the Township by undertaking a Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan. (Short-range Goal.) Conduct a study of the need for a facility to enhance firefighting capabilities in the Township, specifically in Growth Zone One. (Long-range Goal.) Transportation Retain a "qualified" traffic engineering consultant to study the improvements needed to JPM Road to increase safety... and... traffic capacity - said study to include the traffic characteristics of adjacent and/or intersecting streets, such as Loan Road, Route 5, and Hospital Drive. (Short-range Goal.) n conjunction with the above recommendation, investigate the use of the traffic engineering services provided by the Southeast Economic Development Association-Council of Governments to determine whether or not said services are sufficient to undertake a study of this nature. (Short-range Goal.) Maintain an "as-needed" relationship with the JFM Road traffic engineering consultant to assist the Township in its review of "major" development plans, particularly Commercial... and... ndustrial projects. (Short-range Goal.) Participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's " Twelve-Year Transportation mprovement Program"... which is updated every two years... in order to seek funds from the State to improve Township roads, such as JPM Road. (Short-range Goal.) -42-

43 Community Dialogue Encourage the Union County Board of Commissioners to designate an agency of the County to be responsible for "traffic planning"... and... Request that the County Commissioners provide the funds to hire a "qualified" Transportation Planner or Traffic Engineer.(Short-range Goal.) nitiate a higher level of communication between the Kelly Township Planning Commission and the Union County Planning Commission... which should include " informal" meetings. (Short-range Goal.) Create Citizen Advisory Councils for "community" planning purposes, such as providing "comment" on developments proposed for their neighborhoods... organizing "Crime Watch Programs"... or... raising funds to maintain parks. (Short-range Goal.) Schedule an "annual" Community Forum, wherein the Township's residents can express their " views" on the Township's present problems.,. and... articulate their comments concerning the future of their community. (Short-range Goal.) Establish a Key Community Leader Committee comprised of " management" representative of the Commercial and ndustrial sectors of Kelly Township... and... convene meeting between this Committee and the Township's Board of Supervisors andlor the Planning Commission on a regular basis to discuss areas of "mutual" concern, such as employment, traffic problems, or the need for additional sewage treat men t capacity. (Short -range Goal. ) Consider the formation of "temporary" Agency Task Forces, which would be created on an "as-needed" basis, to function in "problem solving" capacities... such as a Task Force consisting of representatives of the Township Planning Commission, the Lewisburg Area School District, and the Township Sewer Board to review for a "major" new housing development. (Short-range Goal.) Because the Kelly Township Sewer Board has a "significant" influence on the growth pattern of Kelly Township, develop a"continuing" dialogue between the Board and the Township Supervisors... as well as the Township Planning Commission. (Short-range Goal.) Convene a "Forum" to be attended by delegates from the planning commissions of surrounding municipalities to discuss "common" planning issues. (Short-range Goal.) Look into the possibility of sponsoring the creation of a multi-municipal Council Of Governments, which would investigate areas of concern impacting the Council's membership... such as "regional" police protection... volunteer fire and ambulance "training" programs and/or facilities... a "region-wide" recreation plan... protection of the floodplain of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River... or... the need for an "area-wide" solid waste management plan and program. (Long-range Goal.) -43-

44 Planning and Administration Retain a fulltime, professional Planner - circa 995 or to perform "planning" functions for the Township, such as administering the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance... and... undertaking efforts aimed at the following Goals. (Short-range Goal.) Make every effort to build a "solid" data base for the Township, such as collecting and analyzing 99 U.S. Census information... citizen surveys... trafic data... and... employment surveys. (Short-range Goal.) nvestigate the availability of... and... "seek" Federal and/or State "grants-in-aid" to assist the Township in financing needed improvements, e.g., upgrading the safety and traffc flow at the intersection of JPM Road and Hospital Drive. (Short-range Goal.) Conduct studies of issues of "immediate" concern to the Township in order to address these issues, such as maintaining adequate police protection... and... providing additional recreational opportunities. (Short-range Goal.) Undertake other studies of importance to the Township, such as the provision of ambulance services to the western portion of the Township in the event major flooding occurs within the central portion of the Township in the vicinity of Little Buffalo Creek. (Short-range Goal.) Prepare a Capital mprovements Program every three years... and Adopt a Capital Budget to finance this Program. (Short-range Goal.) Avoid attempting to create a "planner's Utopia" in Kelly Township - a "total" committment to planning involves substantial amounts of money... and... therefore, the Township's funds should be directed towards " high priority" areadissues, as defined by the Township's residents, in conjunction with the elected officials of the Township. (Short-range Goal.) Assure that Kelly Township does not engage in projects or programs which are more appropriately a Union County "responsibility"... such as solid waste management, including recycling... area-wide recreational facilities... air pollution control... and... mass transportation. (Short-range Goal.) Consider the adoption of an "Official Map" for Kelly Township. (Long-range Goal.) One further Goal for Kelly Township to pursue during the lifespan of this Update Report is... to set a "target" date for the initiation of work on the Township's next Comprehensive Plan. This Update Report recommends that the planning process for the next Plan begin in 23, which is both the year wherein the 2 Census data should be available... and... a year whereby the Township should have "built" a solid base of planning-related information (Long-range Goal.) -44 -

45 THE FUTURE LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATON PLAN On the following page is the "993 Future Land Use and Transportation Plan" for Kelly Township. This Plan sets forth the Township's proposed land use pattern... and... the proposed transportation network for the year 25. The Future Land Use Plan outlines several areas for future growth... which, when combined, "far exceed" the land expected to be needed by 25 to accommodate the anticipated development. Future Land Use Plan 8 The Plan shows two Primary Growth Zones, which are extensions of the Township's two historical areas of residential, commercial, industrial, and public/semi-public development... referred to as Growth Zone One and Growth Zone Two earlier in this Update Report. Both Zones are now "defined"... and... again, provide more than enough land to accommodate the growth anticipated in the Township between now and 25. Covering the entire southeast corner of the Township, Primary Growth Zone One contains a " mix" of residential, commercial, industrial, and publicjsemi-public land uses... as is the case today. However, the Future Land Use Plan depicts a "re-orientation" of commercial and industrial land uses back towards Route 5... save for the existing commercial land uses along the west side of JPM Road between Hospital Drive and William Penn Road. Public and semi-public land uses... i.e., community facilities... are shown as a more dominant part of the land use pattern in Zone One in 25 than at the present time. This increase in the amount of land dedicated to community facilities allows for the future growth of Zone One's health care facilities... and... the creation of new recreational facilities. Growth Zone Two consists of West Milton and its immediate envirous. Already primarily residential in nature, Growth Zone Two is shown on the Future Land Use Plan as a continuation of this residential land use pattern. Connecting Growth Zones One and Two, between Route 5 and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, is an area designated as Open Space. Currently, this Open Space area is held in "private" ownership. There are also three Residential Growth Areas shown on the Plan. These Areas are intended to supply a sufficient amount of land to meet the future demand for "rural" housing, yet "concentrate" this future rural residential growth to areas where development is already occurring... where water and/or sewer service is available... and... where "prime" farmland is not the dominant type of soil. According to the Plan, agriculture would continue as the most dominant land use in the Township in 25; agriculture, according to the Plan, would occupy approximately 7,34 acres of land... or percent of the Township's total land area. Remaining the largest "single" land use in 25 is the Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary; however, the Plan shows "no growth" in the size of the Penitentiary. (Chart Ten on the following page contains the 25 figures for the amount of land included in the areas occupied by the Penitentiary... Primary Growth Zones One and Two... the Open Space area... the Residential Growth Areas... and... Agricultural lands.) -45-

46 CHART TEN FUTURE PLAN USE PLAN ACREAGE AND PERCENT OF TOWNSHP LAND AREA Approximate Acreage Primary Growth Zone One,59.86 Primary Growth Zone Two Open Space Area Residential Growth Areas Northeast Regional Federal Penitentiary 9.33 Agriculture 7,34.64 Percent of Township Total Land Area 4.5% 2.5%.2% 6.4% 8.3% 67.% Totals,944..% Source: McCamant & Canan... in conjunction with the Kelly Township Planning Commission

47 Future Transportation Plan 8 Of significance is that the Future Transportation Plan shows "no additions" to the Township's transportation system... nor does the Plan indicate any "major" improvements to the transportation network. New transportation facilities... and/or... major improvements to the existing transportation system would "attract" additional traffic, which is not in the best interests of the Township. Rather, the Future Transportation Plan sets forth a transportation network comprised of four components. (See Appendix Five for a listing of the roads included within the four components of the Future Transportation Plan.) Component one consists of Arterial Highways. Route 5 (State Route 5), which serves "through" traffic, i.e., traffic not destined for Kelly Township, is the only Arterial Highway in Kelly Township - this Arterial Highway also serves the traffic destined for commercial and industrial land uses fronting on or adjacent to Route 5... as well as the community facilities situated along this Arterial Highway. Collector Roads are the Plan's second component. Again, Collector Roads primarily serve "through" traffic and traffic destined for land uses along Route 5... but... Collector Roads also serve as connections for traffic originating in one part of Kelly Township and destined for another part of the Township. Seven Collector Roads have been identified...and... are shown- on the following chart: Name of Collector Road JPM Road Hospital Drive Fort Titzell Road William Penn Drive Loan Road Colonel John Kelly Road Cross Roads Drive Portion of Road Designated as a " Collector Road" William Penn Drive to Colonel John Kelly Road Route 5. to Colonel John Kelly Road Colonel John Kelly Road to North ern Towns h i p Boundary Route 5 to Northeast Region a Federal Penitentiary Route 5 to JPM Road Route 5 to Western Township Boundary West Milton to Western Township Boundary State Route (SR) or Township Road (TR) Number SR7 SR 5 SR3 SR8 TR4 SR 2 SRlOO

48 Although serving " through" traffic to some extent, the Plan's third transportation system component - Local Roads - primarily serves traffic originating in... and... destined for other parts of the Township. Examples of Local Roads are Newman and Zeigler Roads... Hill School and Red Ridge Roads... and... Beagle and Moore School Roads. Again, several Local Roads currently serve "through traffic. (Examples of Local Roads serving "through" traffic are JPM Road between Colonel John Kelly Road and Cross Roads Drive... Hoffa Mill Road between Colonel John Kelly Road and the Township's southern boundary... and... Red Ridge Road between Colonel John Kelly Road and Cross Roads Drive.) The Township should monitor its Local Roads, e.g., conduct traffic counts, and take any appropriate actions to assure that its Local Roads do not become Collector Roads, e.g., retain "low" speed limits. Residential Streets are the fourth component of the Plan's transportation network... and... serve traffic originating from and/or destined for housing along these Residential Streets. Lamplight Lane... Franklin Drive... and... Cherry Avenue are examples of Residential Streets. (Again, see Appendix Five for a list containing the names of the Township's Residential Streets.) -49-

49 COMPATBLTY STATEMENT As the Community Development Objectives and Goals... and... the Future Land Use and Transportation Plan for Kelly Township were being developed, they were reviewed in terms of their "compatibility" with the comprehensive plans of both Union County, and the municipalities abutting Kelly Township, Le., Buffalo Township, Lewisburg Borough, and White Deer Township. The various components of Kelly Township's future Objectives, Goals, and Land Use and Transportation Plan were compared to their counterparts in these four comprehensive plans to assure that they "complement" one another. This review resulted in a finding that Kelly Township's Community Development Objectives... Community Development Goals... and... Future Land Use and Transportation Plan are compatible with the latest comprehensive plans for Buffalo Township, Lewisburg Borough, White Deer Township, and Union County (as well as the region as a whole). n order to reinforce this compatibility finding, "draft" copies of this Comprehensive Plan Update Report were also forwarded to the Union County Board of Commissioners and the Union County Planning Commission... the Buffalo Township Board of Supervisors and the Buffalo Township Planning Commission... the Lewisburg Borough Council and the Lewisburg Planning Commission... the White Deer Township Board of Supervisors and the White Deer Township Planning Commission... and... the Lewisburg Area School District for their review and comment. All of the comments received from these public bodies were considered by the Kelly Township Planning Commission and, in turn, the Kelly Township Board of Supervisors... and... modifications to the original "draft" Report were made, where appropriate, for inclusion in this final " 992 Comprehensive Plan Update Report" for Kelly Township. -5-

50 ACTON PLAN First - and foremost - among the components of this Action Plan is to assure that this Update Report is not put on a shelf... and... forgotten. This document must have life, and must be used on a constant basis by the Township s officials. Further, copies of this Update Report should be made available to the general public... and... The Community as a whole, e.g., the chief executive officers of the Township s business and industrial communities. Again, copies of this Report should be distributed to as large an audience as possible... and... following the release of this Update Report, the Township Planning Commission should consider holding several public and/or neighborhood meetings to explain and discuss its contents. Also, the Township Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission should convene work sessions on the Update Report immediately following its release with public and private agencies having an influence on the Township s future... such as the Township Sewer Board, the Eastern Union County Recreation Association, and the Union County Economic Development Council. Other groups to be invited to work sessions by the Township should include the Union County Planning Commission, the Lewisburg Area School District, and the Union County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. From these publidneighborhood meetings and work sessions, the Board of Supervisors, in conjunction with the Planning Commission, should establish an Agenda for the pursuit of the Goals outlined in this Update Report... i.e., priorities should be set for the implementation of the Goals for Kelly Township. Next, the Board of Supervisors should assign agents to undertake the highest priority Goals... and... these agents should be required to report on the progress they are making on their assignments to the Supervisors on a regular basis. (t is essential that the Supervisors continuously monitor the accomplishments being made towards achieving the Goals of the Township.) Also essential to the realization of the Township s Goals is money... and... therefore, the Board of Supervisors must make the appropriate amounts of funds available to their agents, so that these agents can properly carry out their responsibilities. However, care must be taken by the Supervisors to balance the Township s financial resources between those amounts needed to implement the Goals... and... those monies needed for other Township purposes, such as street maintenance. (The Supervisors should keep in mind the Goal of avoiding the creation of a planner s utopia.) Each Goals agent should be required to include in his or her regular monitoring report to the Supervisors the amount of monies spent, to date... and... the impact of the expenditure of these funds on the achievement of his or her particular Goal. Continued involvement of the public during the implementation of the Township s Goals is another step which should be taken by the Township s officials... including scheduling additional neighborhood and/or public meetings at regular intervals, as determined by the Board of Supervisors. nformation gained from the agents monitoring reports should be shared with the Township s residents... and... feedback from the public on the progress being made on the implementation of the Goals should be considered by the Supervisors, and the Planning Commission. Finally, the Supervisors and the Commission members should not be hesitant to toot their own horn when any particular Goal is achieved. The Township should use the news media to announce to the Township s residents - and The Community as a whole - that specific milestones have been reached... such milestones representing a commitment by Kelly Township s Board of Supervisors and their Planning Commission to make Kelly Township an even better place to live. -5 -