North Pocono communities might adopt regional comprehensive plan
Jun. 20—Officials in eight North Pocono municipalities are considering banding together to plan for the future.
If they agree, seven townships and a borough would authorize the drafting of a single, regional comprehensive plan instead of each planning separately, Lackawanna County Planning Department Manager Mary Liz Donato said.
A single, joint plan would cost each less and allow for regional zoning, Donato said. Regional zoning, which would require updating each community's zoning ordinance, could limit where certain uses of land are allowed.
Under the law, a city, borough or township must provide for every type of land use in a zoning ordinance. Theoretically, that means allowing a landfill, quarry or other potentially troublesome uses in each. In regional zoning, such uses could be limited to one municipality, Donato said.
Moscow borough and Covington, Elmhurst, Jefferson, Madison, Roaring Brook, Spring Brook and Thornhurst townships are considering joining the North Pocono regional planning group, Donato said. Clifton Twp., which recently updated its comprehensive plan, opted out, she said.
"This, right now, is just exploratory," Donato said. "No one's committed to anything other than getting a cost estimate."
The state Department of Community and Economic Development would pay half the cost of a comprehensive plan. The county would likely contribute an unspecified portion, Donato said. The communities would share the rest based on a formula that accounts for population, square miles of land and assessed real estate values. The state does not require municipalities to adopt comprehensive plans, but the plans are considered important tools among municipal planners.
Donato declined to specify the potential cost, but said she plans to present more details at a North Pocono Council of Governments meeting July 12 at 7 p.m. at the Moscow Borough Building.
A comprehensive plan would address future development, land uses, housing, transportation, community facilities, implementation strategies and other factors. Donato said the effort to jointly plan started about a year ago when Moscow officials wanted to develop a comprehensive plan on their own. Donato suggested regional planning, which the state encourages because of Pennsylvania's fragmented local government systems.
If the council of governments approves, each township board of supervisors and the borough would still have to approve participating.
Jefferson Twp. Supervisor Jason Hollister said regional planning makes sense.
"Rather than have to reinvent the wheel in every municipality to (account) for every required use," Hollister said.
Roaring Brook Twp. Supervisor Tony Jordan said his township lacks a plan. A single plan will keep the cost for each municipality down, he said. The state favors municipalities with plans when awarding grants for various projects, he said.
"Most things you can do on a regional basis, especially when it comes to planning," Jordan said.
The planning group would resemble a similar group organized by Scranton, Dunmore and Abingtons communities and known as the Scranton-Abingtons Planning Association and another involving Carbondale and surrounding communities and known as the Northern Lackawanna Planning Association.
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