Meeting Minutes
Mercer County Regional Planning
Commission
TUESDAY, October 25, 2005
7:30pm, MCRPC Office, Hermitage
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MUNICIPALITY
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PRESENT
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ABSENT
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FARRELL CITY
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William Morocco
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Jerry Miller
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HERMITAGE CITY
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Rita
Ferringer
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James Pat White |
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James A. Rollinson
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SHARON CITY
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Vic Heutsche
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Stephen Theiss
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Darin Flower
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CLARK BOROUGH
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James Carucci, Sr.
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Richard Dunlap
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FREDONIA BOROUGH
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Patricia McAdams
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Ron Boyd
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GREENVILLE BOROUGH
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Lisa Holm-Schrader
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Robin Douglas
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GROVE CITY BOROUGH
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Clifford McCandless
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JACKSON CENTER BOROUGH
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Debbi
Stevenson
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Marvin
R. McAfoose
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JAMESTOWN BOROUGH
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Darryl Pinney
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Doug
McElhaney
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MERCER BOROUGH
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Jerry Johnson
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Jim
Carnes
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NEW LEBANON BOROUGH
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Janice Good
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SANDY LAKE BOROUGH
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Robert W. Kaltenbaugh
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Brad
Martin
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SHARPSVILLE BOROUGH
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Bob Piccirilli
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Alex Kovach
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STONEBORO BOROUGH
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Samuel A. Scott
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WEST MIDDLESEX BOROUGH
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Tracy Thompson
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Mark David
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Tracy Thompson |
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WHEATLAND BOROUGH
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Thomas R. Stanton
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Bob
Davis |
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COOLSPRING TOWNSHIP
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Robert L. McGhee |
Robert M. Addison
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DELAWARE TOWNSHIP
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Donald Kremm
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EAST LACKAWANNOCK TOWNSHIP
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Nancy Givens
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FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP
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Jane Clark
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Mont Clark
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FINDLEY TOWNSHIP
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John B. Courtney
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Elliott Lengel
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HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP
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Pamela Brown
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Russell L. Dawes
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JACKSON TOWNSHIP
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Linda L. Baun
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Mary Gealy
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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP
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Richard H. McCullough
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Bert Weston
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LIBERTY TOWNSHIP
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Dave Beatty
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Ron Faull
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NEW VERNON TOWNSHIP
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John Martin
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OTTER CREEK TOWNSHIP
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Paulette Young
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Richard Straub
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PERRY TOWNSHIP
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Richard Marshall
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PINE TOWNSHIP
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H. Thomas Paxton
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Fred
Brenner
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PYMATUNING TOWNSHIP
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Richard Witten
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Walter L. Weir, Jr.
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SHENANGO TOWNSHIP
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Charles Gilliland
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James
Eakin
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S. PYMATUNING TOWNSHIP
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David
Lapikas
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Mike Nashtock
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SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP
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Judy
L. Hassler
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Larry T. Gruntz
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WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP
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Charles Garrett
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Jeff Hoy
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WOLF CREEK TOWNSHIP
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Ray Penland
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Mark Smith |
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MERCER COUNTY
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James L. Hogan
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Julie Widel |
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James Hughes |
Jeff Fiedler
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Patty McClusky
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Jean Hodge
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Larry McAdams
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BOROUGHS ASSOCIATION
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David George
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SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
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Robert Birtciel
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COUNTY COMMISSIONER
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Michele Brooks
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STAFF
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OTHERS PRESENT
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Dan Gracenin, Executive Director
Carmen
Reichard, Assistant Director, Admin.
Jeremy
Coxe, Assistant Director, Planning
Brian Barnheizer, Senior Planner
Andrew Dash, Planner
Matt
Stewart, Planner
Don Blakesley, Senior Program Administrator
Jill Boozer, Program Administrator
Margaret
Heldorfer, Associate Planner |
Robert
Kochems, Solicitor
Richard Brandes, Jefferson Twp.
Phil & Mary Yasnowsky, Shenango Twp. residents
Nathan S. Clark, Jr., Hempfield Twp. - Concerned Citizen
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CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Tom Stanton, Chairman,
called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE
Ms. Patty McAdams, Secretary,
led the Commission in the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
ATTENDANCE SIGN-IN
An attendance sign-in sheet
was passed around and representatives present were asked to mark their
attendance. A quorum was not present.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ANY AGENDA
ITEM
There were no public comments.
MINUTES
OF THE SEPTEMBER 27, 2005 MEETING
A motion was made by Mr. Hoy
and seconded by Ms. Ferringer to approve the Minutes of the September 27, 2005
meeting with no additions, corrections, or deletions. The motion passed.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
A motion was made by Mr.
Johnson and seconded by Mr. Morocco to approve the September 2005 Financial
Statement as presented. The motion passed.
STAFF REPORTS
Mr. Barnhizer, Senior Planner
explained some of the work that he has been doing. He noted that work has been
completed for the Hempfield Township Municipal Park Handicapped Accessibility
Improvement Project under the CDBG program. Also, an Emergency Warning Siren
Project in Mercer Borough is progressing well. Equipment is expected to be
delivered to the Borough later this week from Federal Signal Corporation, with
work estimated to be completed by mid-November. He noted that a mailing went
out for the Brownfields for Housing with applications due by November 18th
so that a County application can be submitted to the State by December 16th.
He stated that he has been working on the Shenango Valley Multi-Municipal
Comprehensive Plan. Spotts, Stevens and McCoy from Reading, PA were the
consultant selected, and are in the process of negotiating a contract with
this firm. A Steering Committee is being created from the six municipalities
that are involved in this project.
Mr. Coxe stated that a public
hearing will be held for the Sharpsville Area Multi-Municipal Plan on October
26th to review the final draft of their Comprehensive Plan. Also,
the municipalities involved under the Mercer Area Multi-Municipal Plan are in
the process of finalizing their draft, with a public hearing set for November
17th at 7:00 p.m. at the Mercer County Agricultural Extension
office on Route 19 in Coolspring Township.
Mr. Gracenin next talked about
Eminent Domain. Back in June, there was an issue in Massachusetts regarding a
local community using eminent domain to take a few homes (property) in order
to provide that property to an economic development group for private profit.
This case went to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court found the local
community was appropriate and was allowed to do this. This caused a great deal
of concern across the country and the Commonwealth of PA. Currently, there are
2 bills, 1 in the Senate and 1 in the House, discussing the issue of eminent
domain and how it is used. He felt that we might want to take a position on
this, either write a letter in support of bills going through or we take a
position that we do not favor the changing of the current eminent domain
regulations, or we do nothing. He noted that he will be attending a CCAP
meeting on November 4th at State College for planning directors
across the State and one of the items on their agenda is eminent domain. He
noted that he received a copy of a letter from the Mercer County Housing
Authority which was sent to Senator Robbins, taking a position to not support
the legislation to change the eminent domain law. He explained that he is
going to gather more information regarding this since this is a very important
issue and will discuss this at our November meeting or at some other point in
time. In discussion, a question was raised concerning where does the state law
stand relative to the Supreme Court decision or is Pennsylvania’s law as
favorable to private development. Mr. Gracenin stated that he thought the
Supreme Court stated that the Pennsylvania’s law would supersede their
decision. He stated that when eminent domain is used, it is typically used in
blighted areas.
Mr. Gracenin next stated that
MCRPC’s Annual Dinner Meeting will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Church in Mercer Borough on Tuesday, December 20th at 6:00 p.m. He
noted that instead of our typical sit down dinner this year, we will be having
a buffet. Notices for the dinner should be going out at the end of November.
ZONING & SUBDIVISION
REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Scott, Committee Chairman,
reported that the Committee met this evening, a quorum was present, and took
action of the following items:
1. Zoning Ordinance Text
Amendment – City of Hermitage –
Mr. Scott explained that we received a request to amend the text of the City
of Hermitage Zoning Ordinance to change the definition of "Basement"
and "Floor Area". This change was requested because due to the
current definitions, a development of a 5,000 square foot first floor and a
6,400 square foot basement which contains offices, for a total of 11,400
square feet was approved in the Route 18 South Overlay District, which allows
office uses only of up to 5,000 square feet. The new definitions will only
exempt basement space that is used for storage. A motion was made by Mr. Scott
and seconded by Mr. Garrett to approve the text amendment to the City of
Hermitage Zoning Ordinance. The motion passed.
2. Modification Request –
Delaware Township – Mr. Scott
explained that we received a request for a modification to the Mercer County
Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Section 407 (2.f) for lands of
Jonathan and Miriam Troyer at 494 St. John’s Road, Delaware Township. This
modification was requested to add 2 acres to a lot that received a
modification when it was created in 2002. The lot, which is 135’ in width,
would go from 1,135’ in depth to approximately 1,410’ in depth. A motion
was made by Mr. Scott and seconded by Mr. Hogan to approve the modification to
the Mercer County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance for Uriah
Hostetler. The motion passed.
FINANCE-PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
REPORT – PRELIMINARY BUDGET
Dr. Brenner, Committee
Chairman, reported that the Committee met this evening, a quorum was present,
and took action of the following item:
1. MCRPC Preliminary Budget
– Dr. Brenner explained that the Committee reviewed and approved the MCRPC
preliminary budget this evening. He discussed the preliminary budget worksheet
in detail. (The preliminary budget worksheet is attached to and made a part of
the permanent record of Minutes). He also noted that the Committee decided to
not finalize the 2006 MCRPC budget until the January 2006 meeting in order to
have the actual figures in place for 2005. A motion was made by Dr. Brenner
and seconded by Mr. Hoy to approve the 2006 MCRPC preliminary budget. The
motion passed.
APPOINTMENT OF NOMINATING
COMMITTEE
Mr. Stanton appointed a
Nominating Committee consisting of James Pat White, Chairman, Clifford
McCandless and Larry McAdams. The Nominating Committee will present a
recommendation for 2006 officers at the November meeting. At the December 20th
meeting, nominations can be made from the floor and the election of officers
will be held. The 2006 officers will assume office on January 1, 2006.
CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING
OPERATIONS
Mr. Dash explained that there
has been some interest in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in Mercer
County from various companies. Mr. Stewart explained the definition of
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), which is any farm which the
food is brought directly to the animal as opposed to having the animal having
space to graze around. CAFO is a much larger scale, factory farm. In the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there are two ways to qualify for a CAFO. There
would need to be 2,000 lbs. of live animal weight per acre or 1,000 lbs. of
Animal Equivalent Units (AEU). CAFO is fairly new and is rapidly increasing
since the farms are getting larger, but fewer. Mr. Stewart gave some
advantages and disadvantages to CAFO’s. Some advantages would be that they
would create jobs directly and indirectly; they could have effects on the
economy at a regional or state-wide scale; provide tax revenue; and keep farms
in the area. Some disadvantages would be the threat of odor, particularly
swine; and threats of brown water. Normally, these disadvantages would not be
major problems if they are taken care of properly. Also, he noted that some
possible health risks such as respiratory problems, asthma, headache, nausea,
and in some extreme cases death could be factors to CAFO’s. Another
disadvantage would be that it could hinder future adjacent development or
housing values.
Mr. Dash stated that the
majority of CAFO’s are regulated through the State level. Currently under
the Acre Legislation, a municipality cannot discriminate on the method of a
farming operation, whether it is zoned by a family or zoned by a corporation.
At the County level, any CAFO that would be presented would have to go through
the Nutrient Management Plan Act, which would be handled through the Mercer
County Conservation District. He explained how other areas are dealing with
potential land use conflicts and options to minimize those conflicts. He noted
that Lycoming County has collaborated with the Department of Agriculture to
create a set of CAFO regulations, which would control the adverse impacts that
can be created by these types of uses. He stated that Mercer County and the
surrounding counties have showed some interest in these types of uses and he
felt that we need to get some information out to the various municipalities in
Mercer County and possibly be of some help to discuss these types of uses. In
discussion, Mr. Johnson questioned if there were any CAFO’s in Mercer
County, is there an interest in Mercer County for CAFO’s and is the Mercer
County Conservation District involved in this yet? Mr. Gracenin stated that
there are none in Mercer County, and yes there is an interest in western PA,
Mercer County and we are not aware that the Mercer County Conservation
District or Extension office is involved with this yet. Commission members
felt that we should look into this further and also discuss with other areas
about CAFO’s and the Nutrient Management Plan.
OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Gracenin explained that
MCRPC is looking for an approval to enter into an agreement on two projects.
The first would be for the Hermitage Town Center Study, which is a PennDOT
funded project with funds passing through MCRPC, to allow MCRPC to sign a
contract with the consulting firm of Strada Architecture from Pittsburgh, PA.
There being no discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Hogan and seconded by Ms.
McCluskey to approve entering into an agreement with Strada Architecture. The
motion passed.
The second project would be to
enter into an agreement with Spotts, Stevens & McCoy from Reading, PA to
prepare the Shenango Valley Multi-Municipal Plan which would include the
Cities of Farrell, Hermitage, Sharon, the Boroughs of Wheatland and West
Middlesex and Shenango Township. He noted that this project would be for
$75,000, which is also a pass through grant. There being no discussion, a
motion was made by Dr. Brenner and seconded by Mr. Hogan to approve entering
into an agreement with Spotts, Stevens & McCoy. The motion passed.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business or
discussion, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Submitted and Certified By:
Patricia McAdams, Secretary -
MCRPC
Mercer
County Regional Planning Commission
2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
mail@mcrpc.com www.mcrpc.com
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