Aug 20, 2009 4 min read

FARMINGTON – Wharton Township’s part of a proposed comprehensive plan for seven mountain-area municipalities limits residential and commercial development to areas where they already exist and recommends water and sewage service expansion and transportation improvements. Representatives from Mackin Engineering of Pittsburgh, which drafted the Fayette County Mountain Area Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan, reviewed the township’s portion of the plan for about 20 residents Wednesday evening. The proposed comprehensive plan, future land use plan and priority projects plan are intended to be public policy guides for development and conservation, said Mackin senior planner Christy Burnside DeMuth.

Comprehensive plans also help municipalities obtain grant money, she said.

The plans designate areas around Route 381, Gibbon Glade Road, Braddock Road, Deer Lake and Chalk Hill, which are already residential, for future residential development.

The area around Route 40 in Chalk Hill where some businesses are located would be designated for large-scale tourism and commercial development.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort would be in the recreational resort development area and smaller “mom and pop” businesses would be in the scenic mountain corridor along Route 40 in Farmington.

Areas where Forbes State Forest, state game lands, Wharton Park and a Boy Scout camp are located would be designated as conservation areas and agricultural land would be designated for agriculture and open space.

A preferred growth scenario projects commercial development for the next 10 years and residential development for the next 10 to 20 years.

Part of the plan calls for no development in the state forest, game lands or around Fort Necessity.

A historic overlay would protect Fort Necessity by requiring buffer zones with landscaping and restrictions on lighting for any development near the site.

One resident said he is against water and sewage expansion because it would attract too much development.

Another resident responded, saying it’s wrong not to have water and sewage just to prevent development and public water is needed for fire protection.

A different resident said garbage collection should be mandatory because some people who live near creeks and streams dump their garbage into the waterways when rain raises the water level.

Paul Burgard of Deer Lake said planning is a good way to regulate development that expanded water service would attract.

He said water and sewage would enhance what residents like about living in the mountains and many people have no desire to live in the mountains because it requires more work especially in the winter than living in more development areas.

“A lot of times we lose sight of what we have,” Burgard said…”If you want to maintain your property, there’s a hell of a lot of work.”

DeMuth said she does not believe the mountain area is suitable for “big box” commercial development, but the plan identifies Route 40 as the commercial development area.

She said public water service tends to attract more development than public sewage does.

The plans also recommends transportation improvements such as realigning the intersection of Route 381 and Route 40 so Route 381 south and Route 381 north are directly across from each other.

Realigning the intersection of Route 40 and Wharton Furnace Road is needed to help prevent accidents there, DeMuth said.

The plans also recommend having one property maintenance code and hiring one code enforcement officer for all seven municipalities and conducting a feasibility study for a regional police department.

Wednesday’s meeting was one of the four final plan review meetings. One was held last week for Stewart Township and Ohiopyle Borough. The next meetings are scheduled for the Markleysburg-Henry Clay Township Fire hall at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 and the Indian Creek Valley Community Center on Indian Creek Valley Road at 6 p.m. Aug. 26.

Henry Clay, Saltlick, Springfield, Stewart and Wharton townships and Markelysburg and Ohiopyle boroughs have been working on the plans for three years.

The municipalities will be asked to adopt the plans this year.