COALITION FOR SMART GROWTH
POLICY PAPER
AUGUST 26, 2003

 
AGRICULTURE

Farmland is a working landscape contributing to the economic vitality and quality of life in Lancaster County.  The primary purpose of agriculture preservation is protecting the viability of farming as a business.  The best way to protect farmland is to assure, as a community, that agribusiness is profitable.  For farming to be profitable large blocks of land must be dedicated to farming with zoning and other regulations adopted to give farmers the flexibility necessary to adapt to emerging technologies and the ever-changing demands of the marketplace.

Lancaster County’s agricultural heritage can be promoted and protected while simultaneously developing land for residential, commercial and industrial uses to house and provide services and employment for our growing population.  Higher density development and adaptive reuse of existing buildings should be encouraged to decrease development pressure on virgin farmland.  Farming is the best use of some land and is not always a holding pattern until developed.  Regional comprehensive land planning and zoning should be used to provide direction for growth.  Farmland preservation should not be used to provide open space or to stop growth, but rather to protect the business of farming.

• Farmland Preservation

   «  The objective of farmland preservation is protecting and preserving large contiguous blocks of agricultural land.  This enables farmers to operate their businesses at a profit and protects one of the cultural heritages of Lancaster County.

  «   Farm profitability is a keystone of farmland preservation.  Farms are modern, technology-driven businesses under constant pressure to change and adapt to the marketplace.  Lancaster County possesses tremendous support systems for farming, ranging from equipment dealerships to feed mills to specialized processing businesses.  Maintaining this business structure is critical to the success of farmland preservation.  Protection of these agricultural resources is important because of the positive impact they have on our food supply, economic growth and stability, tourism and quality of life.  Farming improves our local work ethic and provides a training ground for workers in many other industries. 

«      Prime agricultural soils and working farmland can be permanently protected through voluntary purchase or donation of conservation easements by interested landowners. 

«      Federal, state, county, local and private funding of farmland preservation should be supported.

«      Preservation should be done in perpetuity.

«      New techniques should be evaluated for funding farmland preservation.

«      Preserved farms should have an implemented soil conservation plan to protect soil resources and improve the quality of water run-off.

• Regulations Impacting Farmland

«      Building codes should be enforced in a manner that promotes the upgrading and maintenance of existing buildings rather than construction of new structures on undeveloped land.

«      Setbacks in new and existing communities should allow for maximum use of a building lot to encourage property owners to upgrade existing homes rather then construct new homes on undeveloped land.

«      Creative storm water management techniques that do not consume large amounts of land should be employed.

«      Sewer infrastructure must be addressed with a variety of options allowing for increased densities in existing scattered developments and servicing failing on-site systems without creating development pressures along new sewer lines in rural areas.

«      Coordination should be encouraged between all groundwater users to plan for groundwater withdrawals and promote aquifer recharge; ensuring agribusiness has a secure source of water.

·        Municipal Government

«      Due to the nature of government in Pennsylvania, land-use is managed at the local level.  It is incumbent upon citizens to assist elected officials in planning and executing smart growth strategies.  The pattern of small, vocal groups forming to oppose single projects can be destructive to the intelligent use of land and the fabric of our communities.  Open dialogue and willingness to compromise are necessary to promote our common well-being.

«      Consolidation of municipal governments should be explored by local elected officials. 

·        Zoning

«      Development must occur on smaller lots, resulting in less farmland being developed to meet our housing needs.

«     Large blocks of farmland must remain in agricultural zones.

«      Zoning must allow farms to be small business incubators with size parameters established by local communities.  Commercial and industrial zoned lands must be established to allow these businesses to grow.

«     Scattered development patterns in agricultural areas should be discouraged, including single-lot residential subdivisions.  Where residential subdivisions are permitted, they should be on the smallest lot size possible utilizing creative waste water techniques.

«      Subdividing farms into lots too small to support agribusiness should be discouraged.

«     Farms must be protected from nuisance ordinances relating to normal farming activities.

«     Reasonable setbacks must be provided separating farmland from residential areas.

• Designated Growth Areas

«      Municipalities must provide incentives for higher densities within growth areas.

«      Growth areas must be allowed to expand to accommodate population growth.

«      Preservation of agricultural lands outside of growth areas must occur in a strategic fashion, reinforcing growth areas but not preventing long-term expansion.

«      Regional cooperation between municipalities on multi-municipal comprehensive plans, sewer and water authorities, transferable development rights, zoning and other land-use issues that transcend municipal boundaries must occur.

• Education

«      Promote education of municipal officials (supervisors, council members, zoning boards and planning commissions) to provide a macro understanding of smart growth principles.

«      Municipal officials must be supported by community groups both during the planning process and when they are making decisions critical to implementing smart growth principles.

«      Encourage agricultural best management practices such as nutrient management, conservation planning, integrated pest management, etc to minimize agricultural impacts on residential neighbors.

«     Agricultural neighbors should have a basic acceptance of modern agricultural practices.

«      Promote practices that increase the quality of water runoff from all land, including farmland.

• Legislation

«     Municipalities should maintain and/or adopt Agricultural Security Areas.

«      Preferential assessment programs, such as Act 319 Clean and Green, should support productive agricultural land and be evaluated periodically for impacts on the agricultural community and other entities, such as school districts.

«      Dedicated funding sources must be established for farmland preservation programs.

«      Revise funding evaluation structure of state agricultural preservation efforts to create consistency with strategies set forth in this document.

«      Municipalities should evaluate the merits of adopting Transferable Development Rights programs and implementing them on a regional basis.

COMMUNITY PLANNING

Community planning accepts as a given that the population of Lancaster County will continue to grow.  Smart community planning prioritizes several critical components that provide the foundation for smart growth:

Regional planning

Strategic comprehensive planning

Growth areas

Infrastructure planning

Transportation planning

Capital improvement planning

Land use regulations

These components are interrelated and must be wholly consistent.  The essence of community planning is found in the complexity with which these components relate to each other.  For example, regional planning is linked to strategic comprehensive planning which is linked to land use regulations and so on.  In the same way, infrastructure planning cannot be separated from designated growth areas and capital improvement planning.  To find our way through these complexities, we continually return to the preeminent focus that the key to community planning is regional planning.  If, in the future, we fail to plan on a regional basis, consistent with the common good and quality of life, smart growth will fail. 

Therefore, our commitment to community planning must be earmarked by the following characteristics:

«      Planning that is current and continually updated.

«      Planning that is stakeholder-involved and stakeholder-driven.

«      Planning that is consensus-driven.

«      Planning that, while regionally conceived, is respectful of the uniqueness of each of our municipalities and geographic regions.

«      Planning that is linked to and facilitated by a commitment to strong communication and education. 

      Planning that balances “bottom-up” and “top-down” development and implementation. 

«     Planning that depends on collaborative leadership.

«      Planning that recognizes each of us has a commitment to “make it work;” that, in many respects, we will not see the fruits of our labor; rather it is our children and their children who will.

• Regional Planning

Regional planning is essential to smart growth.  Regional planning provides for efficient and coordinated decision making and delivery of services as well as the prudent use of capital while the demand for services increases.

«      While decisions about land-use remain at the local level, many of these decisions have direct impact upon local school districts, typically representative of several municipalities.  Therefore, school district-wide regional planning is recommended, involving representatives of each municipality within the school district and school district representatives.

«      Many issues related to smart growth transcend political boundaries.  Many of these issues become complicated by political boundaries.

«      Many themes related to regional planning involve different combinations of municipalities, governmental units and agencies, and other entities working together to address complex issues.  These themes range from natural resource management (woodlands, wetlands, floodplains and steep slopes) to essential services and infrastructure systems (transportation, potable water, wastewater, storm water, community and social services, education, emergency services, parks and open space).  These themes also include issues important to Lancaster County as a whole [contested land-uses (landfill and quarry operations and regional impact commercial and industrial projects), housing, sustainable economic systems, historic preservation, air and water quality, agriculture and tourism.  These regional planning themes require a flexible framework within which to identify the complexities of the issue and then to assign responsibilities for problem solving to the potential array of stakeholders.

«      Regional planning recognizes issues transcending the boundaries of Lancaster County. 

«      Regional planning must be bolstered by regional zoning (now permitted under Pennsylvania’s Municipalities Planning Code) and a sincere desire on the part of municipalities to work together and provide services more efficiently.

«      The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners should link funding support to initiatives that have been regionally initiated and conducted.

«      The Lancaster County Planning Commission should continue to advocate regional planning.

• Strategic Comprehensive Planning

Comprehensive plans are essential to developing a vision of the “preferred future” for the County and its communities, creating a framework for adoption of consistent land-use policies and regulations and fostering the regular, systematic updating of a community’s vision. 

To the extent possible, strategic planning should become the basis by which communities develop their comprehensive plans.  Strategic comprehensive planning contains several components. 

«      Strategic comprehensive plans are stakeholder-informed and, sometimes, stakeholder-driven.

«     Through an integrated planning process, the vision of a community’s preferred future is derived through the input of its many stakeholders, defined by prioritized goals and carried out through measurable objectives that are defined in terms of actions to be taken, funding to be utilized and the parties to whom responsibilities are delegated.

«      Strategic comprehensive planning creates capacity within a community to effectively establish and implement its vision and to continually update that vision in the face of changing conditions.

In considering the importance of strategic comprehensive plans, the following points must be highlighted as crucial to the success of creating a community’s vision and keeping that vision current. 

«      Initial strategic comprehensive plans should be enacted by all municipalities in Lancaster County and updated on a continual basis.  Currently, the Municipalities Planning Code only requires counties to enact comprehensive plans and provides guidance for plan updates.

«      Strategic comprehensive plans should be undertaken on a regional basis.  Municipalities not currently part of regional planning efforts should be encouraged to do so on the occasion of their next comprehensive plan update.

«      Strategic comprehensive plans must function as “living documents,” fostering support and advocacy for the community’s preferred future.  This is accomplished via the capacity-building characteristics of the strategic planning process.

«     As living documents, strategic comprehensive plans provide the springboard for consistent policies and regulations regarding land-use, infrastructure planning and all other aspects of the community’s vision.

«     Consistency is essential between strategic comprehensive plans and future actions taken by municipalities.  Land-use ordinances and infrastructure plans must be consistent to carry forward the future growth that the community has envisioned.  Policies should be established to provide efficient, cost-effective services to stakeholders within the community.  Funding sources must be identified and utilized to forge the vision.  Barriers to consistency must be identified and resolved in order for the vision to succeed.

• Designated Growth Areas

Growth areas represent one tool by which communities within a region can plan for growth in a manner consistent with their vision of the future.  Intrinsic to establishment of growth areas is a clear understanding of several issues.

«      Reliable statistical data (including, but not limited to population projections, demographic characteristics, building permit activity and residents-per-household) are planning tools essential to identifying where communities “are” and “where they want and need to be” relative to population and available land, services and infrastructure.

«      Growth areas must be established based on rational means of calculating the density of development that a land area can realistically yield.

Once established, growth areas must bear several characteristics. 

«      Growth areas must be large enough to adapt to changing market and demographic conditions, community vision and availability of land.

«      Growth areas should be monitored on an on-going basis and formally reviewed at least every five years.  At any point in time, parties to the local agreement should be able to agree to amend the areas to accommodate the community’s vision for future growth.

«     Room for expansion of growth areas should be available through establishment of holding areas adjacent to growth areas.  Options for the logical expansion of growth areas should remain open.

«      Infrastructure should be planned within growth areas based on reasonable projections of potential development density.

«      Growth areas should be recognized as areas within which incentives encourage compact residential development by right (at an average rate of 5 dwelling units per acre), redevelopment of land, particularly brownfields, re-use of structures and mixed-use development.  Mixed-use development provides a wide range of uses and housing types, includes support retail and personal services and generates less traffic.

• Infrastructure Planning

Infrastructure is categorized as either essential physical systems or quality of life/community services.

*Transportation is a separate issue.

 Infrastructure should be regionally planned and coordinated, implemented, maintained, budgeted and funded.  This holistic approach provides several community benefits.

«      Efficiency is a byproduct of consolidation, simply by eliminating duplication of systems, services and staffing to support same.  Authorities can then focus on infrastructure planning into the future, as a means of positioning Lancaster County for a strong economic future.  This is as true of public and private systems as it is of public and private services. 

«      Coordination of planning and implementation should be effected across municipal borders.  This is particularly true for resources, systems and services which do not “know” municipal boundaries. 

«      Development of intermunicipal agreements to encourage regional planning.

The above, simplified benefits belie the reality that an ambitious effort such as this will take time to develop.  Steps in effecting the change imparted by the above include several initiatives.

«      Inventory and analysis of systems and services (Act 537 plans, etc) that currently exist.

«      Educating the public to the range of infrastructure systems and services available to them as well as the benefits of regional planning.

«      Coordination of infrastructure systems and services to support future land-use policies of our communities and, in the case of transportation, development of effective “Official Maps.”

«      Fostering of public/private partnerships.

«      Encouragement through rewards and recognition.

• Transportation Planning

«      Safety is essential for all modes of transportation.

«     Improvements must focus on mobility within growth areas, support economic development and provide for the interconnectedness of neighborhoods. 

«      Heavy, thru-traffic patterns should be diverted around existing communities while access management plans should be implemented to improve conditions on existing roadways.

«      Intersections and their signalization should be based on future horizon or threshold years to assure sufficient future capacity. 

«      Existing transportation assets must be continually maintained and upgraded/improved to assure efficient operation.

«      Education about, and improved access to alternative modes of transportation (mass transit, commuter rail, bicycle, horse-and-buggy) should be implemented along with widened shoulders, bike lanes and park/ride lots.

«      Communication between local, state and federal jurisdictions should be streamlined and coordinated with current and future land-use planning.

«      Implementation of capacity-increasing improvements should parallel current and future land-use planning, while providing for context-sensitive design.

«      Regional planning must be enhanced to address transportation issues that transcend political boundaries.

«      Transportation planning must be flexible enough to address localized conditions and supported by the “Official Map” procedure of the Municipalities Planning Code.

«      Budgeting and funding are essential to successful transportation planning and should be leveraged to take full advantage of federal, state and local revenue streams.

«      A County road system may represent a “bridge” between State and local roads to facilitate planning, maintenance, operations, implementation and funding.

«     PENNDOT must actively partner with local government throughout the planning process.

«      Eliminating the practice of requiring narrow-scope, individual traffic impact studies on a project-by-project basis will prevent uncoordinated planning.  As an alternative, community-wide traffic impact studies based on the community’s strategic comprehensive plan and with assigned financial responsibility would be a more effective approach.

«      Utilize the Lancaster County Transportation Authority, with its powers of eminent domain and bond financing, to work with municipalities to facilitate the decision making process.

«      Provide for context-sensitive design and implementation of improvements within our communities.

«      Recognize that new development does not always follow transportation improvements; rural character can exist alongside roadways and highways if adjacent land-use is managed correctly by municipal officials.

«      Recognize that mixed-use residential development generates less traffic (due to demographic conditions) and, when designed in conjunction with employment centers and associated services, can result in “captured trips.”

• Capital Improvement Planning

Implementing adequate regional infrastructure improvements requires a commitment to absorbing “first costs,” just as the maintenance of existing infrastructure requires a commitment to budgeting funds for maintenance.  Capitol improvement planning recognizes that all stakeholders must “pay their own way.”  Capitol improvement planning concentrates on: 

«      A financial commitment to physical infrastructure improvements that is essential to Lancaster County’s smart growth and economic development.

«      Identifying and creating revenue sources, planning, budgeting and funding of improvements and utilization of these sources of funding.

Fiscal conservatism can be an impediment to accomplishing these goals.  Lancaster County must assess the means by which our elected officials serve their constituents by not raising taxes, even for vital infrastructure.  By not appropriating adequate funding for capital and long-term expenses, we mortgage the present against the future.  

Balancing the competing views of fiscal conservatism and the obligation to “pay our own way,” Lancaster County must identify and develop creative and equitable sources of funding. 

«     Widespread use of transferable development rights as a local means of effecting land-use management.

«     Revenue sharing as a means of providing financial assistance to boroughs and cities.  This recognizes the importance of our urban areas to Lancaster County as  business, professional, historical, cultural and activity centers.

«      More equitable use of impact fees as a tool for improving transportation networks.  Currently, impact fees levy the cost of fixing past, current and future inadequacies of transportation systems on the backs of new residents.  This funding mechanism ignores our obligation to keep our transportation systems current.

«      Conducting community-wide traffic impact studies enables a community to identify the cost of upgrading current transportation networks along with the cost of improvements necessary to support future growth, based on the community’s strategic comprehensive plan.  Equitability, in this instance, means the existing community and its future residents share in the cost of keeping transportation systems current.

«      Impact fees must be linked directly with smart growth.  Compact, mixed-use developments should pay lesser impact fees then low-density developments, linking impact to the affordability of housing and the wise use of land.  This recognizes that mixed-use development provides a wide range of housing, generates less traffic and conserves open space.

«      Impact fees should replace the use of “exactions.”  Reasonable and legitimate fees that offset the impacts of development are more conducive to economic development and affordable housing when they are openly identified and calculated as an upfront requirement, not as part of a secretive, negotiated process.

«      Regional authorities should be utilized (for example, to create a County road system) to assist municipalities in making difficult decisions.  In this way, authorities can levy taxes and utilize eminent domain to accomplish the common good as envisioned in regional strategic comprehensive plans. 

«      Agreements, patterned after “extenders agreements,” should be utilized not only to recoup the cost of privately installed water and wastewater infrastructure.  These types of agreements should be employed to recoup the cost of other privately constructed infrastructure, including, but not limited to, traffic/transportation and park/recreation improvements.

«     Essential community services such as volunteer fire and ambulance services must be supported with adequate funding streams.

• Land Use Regulations

Based on a community’s vision of its preferred future, land-use regulations must support that vision while promoting smart growth.  Disparity between a community’s comprehensive plan and its land-use ordinances is unfortunately all too common in Lancaster County.  Land-use regulations and policies must be characterized by several features. 

«      Regional consistency is vital to smart growth.  Land-use regulations must respect and support the regional context within which the community’s strategic comprehensive plan was created. 

«      The goals of smart growth must be advanced by making “bad growth” difficult to accomplish.  Compact, traditional neighborhood development must be permitted by right, not special exception or conditional use.  Sprawling, low-density development should be required to go through the special exception or conditional use process. 

«      Ordinances and review of development plans should focus on performance-based, outcome-driven results.  Developers often seek the “path of least resistance” and develop standard, “cookie-cutter” projects because alternative project design is typically regulated by highly prescriptive ordinances with considerable associated plan review and hearing processes.  Such ordinances and policies are contrary to smart growth.

«      Ordinances should cultivate and promote flexibility and creativity, thereby fostering superior design.

«      Recycling of land and reuse of structures must be an integral part of future regulations and policies.  Innovative infill and revitalization projects must be promoted.  This should occur not only through the creativity of design and implementation, but also through enhancement of the economic viability of such projects (such techniques should be especially encouraged in cities, boroughs and villages).

«      Remodeling ordinances and codes should be adopted that encourage adaptive reuse of structures.  Many of our codes are counter-intuitive to the reuse of existing buildings, sometimes compromising the historic character of renovated structures.  Meanwhile, alternative codes that abolish these inequities have been developed and adopted in more progressive areas without compromising health, safety and welfare.

«      Land-use regulations and associated policies should not be impacted by economic bigotry.  Increased land-use regulation has not, by and large, improved the quality of development; it has, however, increased the cost of housing.

«     The policy and practice of exactions must be eliminated.  Exactions are used as a means of defacto “impact fees,” typically as part of a plan review of conditional use process.  This is bad policy and practice and is contrary to the goals of economic development and housing affordability.

«      With proper legislative structure, contract zoning should be enacted as a functional land-use tool within the Municipalities Planning Code.  The MPC does not provide for rezoning of land based on the specific concept for how the rezoned property will be developed.  This impediment causes deliberative bodies to often deny rezoning requests because they fear that they have no control over future land-use; that once rezoned, the property will be sold for another type of use or project.  Good faith must be restored to this process; contract zoning will accomplish this.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Public policy in Lancaster County must support conditions for innovative economic development in the information and technology-driven economy of the 21^st century.  Lancaster County must position itself to maximize the skills of its workforce and create opportunities for economic development. 

«      Industry and municipal officials must work together to achieve consistency in permitting and taxation for business’s working across municipal boundaries.

«      Industry must partner with county officials and agencies in aggressively marketing Lancaster County to out-of-state businesses as a destination for relocation and expansion.

«     Industry must partner with elected officials to provide educational programs that ensure Lancaster County’s workforce receives up-to-date training in emerging technologies.

«      Lancaster County must focus economic development efforts on core industry clusters to anticipate demand for workers in areas of economic growth.

«     Lancaster County must identify and integrate the land-use needs of priority industry clusters in economic development projects.  Regional planning efforts must include identification of areas meeting the land-use needs of priority clusters.

HOUSING

Housing affordability is a countywide responsibility impacting all income and ethnic groups.  Homeownership and rental housing stock must be affordable for all segments of Lancaster County’s workforce and uniformly available throughout the county.  Housing for core support employees of local government such as police, fire, emergency responders and teachers must exist to allow them to live in the communities they serve.  Municipal, state and federal officials and agencies must partner with the housing community to craft public policies that support housing opportunity for all residents. 

«      Housing affordability must be addressed regionally by municipalities in partnership with the housing community.

«      Subdivision designs containing 15 percent or more affordable housing stock should receive a density bonus and fee waivers from local government.

«      Private and public housing community organizations should undertake a follow-up study of Lancaster County’s housing market to serve as a benchmark to the Enterprise Foundation study conducted during the 1990’s.

«     Elected officials and agencies must publicly emphasize the benefits of housing for all workers.

«      Employers should partner with industry and government to provide employer-assisted housing programs that help employees obtain housing by offering discounted points and closing cost assistance.

«      Municipal zoning categories and classifications should be consistent and uniform.  The Lancaster County Lexicon Project is an example of a program attempting to bring consistency to zoning definitions.

«     Municipal fee structures for building permits, parkland dedications, recreational fees, open-space fees and water and sewer should be consistent and appropriate to the service provided, and structured so as not to discourage higher intensity multi-family uses.

«      Municipal fees are ultimately passed onto the consumer, increasing the cost of housing and local officials and agencies have a responsibility to ensure housing is as affordable as possible.

«      Traditional neighborhood design and mixed-use housing developments should be allowed by right instead of the current lengthy conditional use process that adds time and cost to the design process and discourages smart growth.

«      Zoning ordinances should require smaller lot size; such policies make the land and infrastructure, that are major cost-drivers for housing, affordable.

«      Zoning ordinances should promote mixed-use such as second floor apartments above commercial property.

«      Tax credits for historic home rehabilitation provide incentives for improvement of historic housing stock.

«     Financing municipal improvements through special assessments against property instead of against mortgages should be jointly explored by municipal officials and the housing community.  This type of financing, accomplished through tax-free bonds, will reduce the cost of housing.

«      Private industry should include examples of affordable housing programs in public information and trade shows.

«      County resources and funding to municipalities should be linked to municipal enactment of smart growth policies. 

«      Housing policy must address property tax reform, particularly within urban areas.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Workforce development is the keystone of Lancaster County’s diversified economy and competitiveness in the global marketplace.  Educators and industry leaders must work in unison to ensure students of all ages are presented with a variety of career opportunities and fully funded educational programs guaranteeing the up-to-date training necessary for a workforce to remain skilled in emerging technologies. 

«      Career planning information must be fully integrated into middle and senior high school curriculums.

«     Guidance and workforce counselors must be educated on how to work with employers to increase student awareness of high-paying career opportunities in high-priority industry clusters.

«      Lancaster County must develop community-wide consensus between parents, students, private and public school officials and employers to educate our workforce to support all sectors of the economy.

«      Educators and industry must develop outreach programs to increase minority participation in workforce training, particularly in Lancaster City.

«      Educators and industry should inform an alliance between elected officials and agencies to identify best practices and coordinate efforts.

«      Schools should change the criteria for measuring success to include a variety of post-secondary options such as apprenticeships, baccalaureate and community college programs, internships and technical and trade school programs.

«      Lifelong learning opportunities must be promoted to ensure Lancaster County retains its strong workforce and ability to acquire technologically advanced skills.

«      Educators and employers must coordinate and increase internship and apprentice programs for high school students.

«      Educators and industry must coordinate their efforts to support certain points of the legislative agenda of the Pennsylvania Association of Vocational Administrators, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Association of Workforce Investment Boards.  These points include:

    Supporting an increase in vocational education funding.

     Aligning training resources to accept the validity and authority of local Workforce Investment Boards.

      Providing increased funding for adult vocational education programs to meet the needs of Pennsylvania’s employers.

      Basing eligibility of intensive services on documentation of skill preparation deficits, not family income.

      Basing performance standards for youth programs on whether the youth are in or out of school.  This relates to proximity to the labor market rather then age.

     Supporting continuation of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program that allows Pennsylvania businesses to support vocational education through donations of money, equipment and services.

NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

All growth has an impact on the environment.  Smart growth protects and enhances valuable natural and cultural resources while minimizing the impact of growth.  Smart growth also recognizes the importance of our water resources that support a variety of uses such as potable water, energy development, recreation and agriculture.  The need to protect and enhance these resources is paramount.  Water resources can be most effectively addressed on a watershed basis.  A healthy and sufficiently available water supply is necessary for growth. 

Lancaster County is distinguished by its rich historic and cultural resources that provide the fabric of our communities.  The county’s city, small towns and agricultural communities attract many who are drawn to live, work, retire or visit, desiring to experience the attributes of this distinctive area.  Smart growth recognizes the historic and cultural features that give Lancaster County its distinctive appeal.

State initiative is critical to achieving smart growth.

• Environmental Regulations and Policies

«      Smart growth complies with environmental regulations and encourages policies and standards that are based on accepted scientific evidence.  Smart growth also dictates development of scientific evidence.

«      Smart growth protects important natural resources.

«      Smart growth protects private property rights.

«     Regulations must consider the impact on the economy and the landowners they protect.

«     Regional consistency in the interpretation and enforcement of environmental regulations is vital.

«      Redevelopment of brownfields and infill development must be actively supported and encouraged.

«     Smart growth supports creative approaches to supporting responsible environmental stewardship.

«      Smart growth encourages regional environmental planning to guide site specific land-use.  Such planning provides base environmental information to protect valuable natural resources, allows for streamlined site specific approvals and eliminates duplication of environmental regulations for similar issues and jurisdictional overlap.

• Water Resources

«      Adequate rechargeable water supplies are essential for smart growth. 

«      Adequate water resources and their infrastructure must be provided within all growth areas.

«     Storm water management practices must be utilized to prevent pollution and erosion of streams and flooding.

«      Ground water infiltration and water conservation practices must be encouraged.

«     Vegetative buffers along streams should be encouraged to protect stream ecosystems and water quality.

«     Municipalities must partner with each other and community organizations to develop and implement watershed plans on an ongoing basis. 

«     Access to clean water for active and passive recreation is a vital part of smart growth.

«      Public water supplies must be protected.  Municipalities should adopt and implement the Lancaster County Water Resource Plan’s well-head protection recommendations.

• Historic Preservation

«      Historic preservation efforts should be encouraged and supported.  Economic development will follow preservation efforts and maintenance of historic structures is part of viable preservation plans for buildings or sites.

«     Historic preservation efforts will assist in the creation of economic opportunities and the revitalization of economic and social conditions. 

«      A coordinated package of incentives for historic preservation such as financial, tax, regulatory and technical assistance should be developed and made available to municipalities, property owners, developers and community organizations. 

«      Federal and State programs offering tax and other incentives for historic preservations projects should be reported, reviewed and reported on regularly.  The building community and preservation groups must work together to enact legislation providing financial incentives for historic preservation.

«      Architectural approaches to historic preservation for adaptive reuse should be encouraged to be practical as well as sensitive to preservation issues.   

«      Historic preservation efforts should be guided by local preservation organizations.

«     The historic preservation plan being developed by Lancaster County should reflect the needs of all stakeholders involved and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners and municipal officials should adopt the county wide plan.

GLOSSARY OF LAND-USE TERMINOLOGY

The following is a list of definitions and acronyms that are used in Community Planning Section of the Smart Growth policy statement of the Coalition for Smart Growth for Lancaster County

Act 537 – Act 537 is the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act and was adopted in 1966.  The purpose of the act is to facilitate the planning and regulation of municipal sewage facilities. The act includes the appointing of a Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) who must be certified by the State to issue permits for the installation of on-lot systems and the inspection of sewage facilities.

Agricultural Land – A land use designation as established in a zoning ordinance or official map that limits the use of the land to the production and preparation of crops, livestock, and livestock products and uses that directly support the agricultural community.

Authority – An authority or “Municipal Authority” is a political body as established by the Municipalities Authority Act of 1945.  The Authority is a separate body from a municipality and is established to perform certain functions such as the regulation of water, sewer and other such facilities. The members of the authority are appointed by a municipality or multiple municipalities.  They are governing bodies, yet are a distinctly separate body.

Comprehensive Plan – The Comprehensive Plan is an official document, adopted either by the County, a municipality or several municipalities (multi-municipal) for the establishment of community development, land use and growth management goals for the area.  The plan looks at the present and future plans for land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, community facilities (including water, sewer, education, heath care, safety, government, storm water management), and other community components.

Conditional Use – A conditional use is a special category within a zoning district that states that the use is permitted within the district, however, only when specific conditions are met and must be approved by the appropriate governing body.  Generally, only uses that may be found to have impacts on the wider municipal community are classified as conditional uses.

Contract Zoning – In some communities there is a practice that allows a property owner to enter into a written agreement with the local government to rezone certain areas of land, on the condition that the limitations or restrictions set by the local government for those parcels are accepted by the owner. The conditions would not necessarily be applied to other similarly zoned parcels. Based on current case law, this is not legal in Pennsylvania.

Designated Growth Area – A designated growth area is an area of land within a municipality or several municipalities that is designated for growth at a greater intensity and where a complete range of services are provided. The purpose of a designated growth area is to facilitate growth while protecting the sense of community as well as the resources, both natural and man-made, of the area 

Exaction – An exaction is a fee or contribution paid to a municipality prior to receiving a development permit. Exactions are sometimes arbitrary in nature and are passed onto the consumer, increasing the cost of housing