Chapter
3
Goals and Objectives
This
chapter of the Comprehensive Plan presents the goals and objectives of the
Washington Township/Waynesboro Borough Planning Region. Goals are general statements indicating the
desired direction for the communities, and reflect the long-term state they
wish to establish or maintain.
Objectives are more specific, relatively short-term policy guidelines
for the municipalities to follow. Goals
are achieved through accomplishment of one or more of the stated objectives. This Plan will identify goals and objectives
of a regional nature, but because of some differences between the
municipalities, some objectives are specifically aimed at one municipality and
not the other.
It
should be noted that the goals and objectives contained in this chapter, as
well as the Policies contained within Part II of this Plan support the American Planning Association concept of
Smart
Growth. Smart Growth encourages
a more efficient use of the land by encouraging a larger share of growth within
urbanized or previously developed areas already served by public
infrastructure. Smart Growth reduces the
pressure of development on farmland, open space, and environmentally sensitive
areas.
Smart
Growth can be interpreted in many ways by different people and organizations.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed the
following list of 10
Smart
Growth Principles that have generally
been accepted by planning professionals as a starting point:
1.
Incorporate Mixed
Land Uses
2.
Take Advantage of
3.
Create a
4.
Create Walkable
Neighborhoods
5.
Foster
Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place
6.
Preserve Open
Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty, and Critical Environmental Areas
7.
Strengthen and
Direct Development Towards Existing Communities
8.
Provide a Variety
of Transportation Choices
9.
Make Development
Decisions Predictable, Fair, and Cost Effective
10.
Encourage
Community and Stakeholder Collaboration in Development Decisions
Goal: Protect,
preserve and enhance the natural, agricultural, and scenic resources of
Objectives:
Protect and retain water resources within the municipalities to
assure the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater for recreational
use, wildlife habitats, fire protection, and water supply. Of particular concern will be water supply
recharge areas,
Protect groundwater and surface water from pollution and
excessive withdrawal.
Protect and manage woodlands within the municipalities.
Protect the steep slopes within the Township and Borough.
Protect the actively farmed land remaining
in the Township.
Identify
techniques to encourage continual use of existing farmland, including the
Agricultural Preservation Program.
Encourage the retention of existing desirable trees in the
Borough and Township and the planting of additional trees as part of a tree
planting program.
Protect watersheds and wellhead areas.
Encourage the preservation of the scenic road corridors and
views along them within
Encourage creation of riparian buffers and retention of greenways
along the Regions creeks.
Goal: Identify, preserve and enhance the historic, architectural, artistic,
and cultural resources of the Township and Borough.
Objectives:
Encourage
the preservation, protection, and enhancement of historic and architectural
resources and their context.
Preserve and
promote the unique aspects of the Regions cultural diversity and heritage that
is displayed through its architecture and its people.
Encourage
the appreciation of the visual and performing arts in the Region.
Support efforts of the Waynesboro Historical Society to preserve
historic and cultural resources.
Create an
atmosphere that attracts and enhances the artistic community.
Work with
the
Require new development to reflect and consider the history,
architecture and development patterns of the municipalities; discourage
inconsistent development near historic resources; require impact studies for
development near historic resources; and require mitigation of any potential
adverse impacts on historic resources.
Consider
initiating community-wide festivals to promote, enhance, and celebrate the Regions
unique cultural diversity.
Encourage adaptive re-use of historic structures where
appropriate.
Goal: Provide open space and recreation in the Region by
protecting and preserving, the remaining wooded, rural areas in the Township
and by retaining and maintaining existing parks, and planning and developing
new recreation areas.
Objectives:
Concentrate the future growth in the Township near existing
developed areas to reduce pressure on existing open spaces.
Advocate the protection of regional treasures such as the
Protect and preserve the perimeter of existing park, recreation,
and natural areas.
Promote and preserve the Regions many fishing, hunting, and
hiking opportunities.
Maintain a buffer around Happels Meadow. The Township should monitor the availability
of surrounding properties and seek to acquire them when they become available.
Promote infill development in existing developed areas and maintenance
and restoration of existing housing resources to reduce development of open
space.
Limit and plan infrastructure extensions in order to not encourage development in areas desired as open space.
Develop a trail head or stop-off facility
for
Link recreation areas and natural areas within the Region
through open space, greenway and trail systems.
Plan, facilitate, and identify a trail connection between
existing and future subdivisions and recreation areas.
Encourage the continued availability of the park system
facilities to area residents.
Implement the
Goal: Retain
the existing character of the Borough and the Township by preserving natural,
scenic, and open space resources; managing growth; enhancing the tax base;
enhancing streetscapes; and assuring the continued desirability of the
municipalities as places to live.
Objectives:
Identify growth areas which are logical extensions of existing
concentrations of development in the
Direct new development in
the Township and Borough to the growth areas.
Enhance the tax base
through preservation of open space, agricultural land, and commercial/industrial development.
Discourage development in areas not suitable for on-site sewage
disposal which cannot be feasibly sewered.
Encourage compact business development patterns along
Utilize the
Minimize
conflicts between non-residential and residential uses through allocation of
land use and utilization of performance and design standards and buffer
yards. Discourage proximity of
incompatible land uses within the area and along municipal boundaries.
Recognize the variety of housing needs of area residents,
particularly for the physically challenged/senior citizens and the Regions
workforce.
Allow a variety of housing densities and attractive residential
housing types in appropriately designated areas, consistent with the natural
resources, service constraints and existing character of the municipalities.
Encourage owner occupancy of dwelling units in the Borough and
Township.
Encourage retention of dwelling units within commercial areas
to provide for mixed and continued use of these areas.
Appropriately allocate land use on a regional rather than municipality by municipality basis.
Maintain community character.
Identify and preserve historic structures.
Provide
for suitable, attractive and compatible commercial and office uses at
appropriate locations, consistent with existing land use patterns, support
services, and the transportation system.
Encourage additional commercial development along
Work to retain existing and attract new desirable businesses in
the community, and foster the viability of downtown
Provide
for adequate, safe and sound housing for present and future residents.
Provide
for the maintenance and any necessary improvement of existing residential areas
and housing stock through appropriate land use controls and enforcement
policies and programs.
Establish appropriate policies for residential conversions within
the area which will be consistent with retention of the character, stability,
and upkeep of residential neighborhoods and provision of adequate parking
facilities.
Plan
land uses and densities which will be consistent with the need to preserve open
land, manage traffic, maintain the quality of life in the area, and have
manageable tax structures.
Goal: Plan for a circulation system which will allow
safe and efficient vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian travel throughout the
Region.
Objectives:
Coordinate land use and road improvement policies.
Improve the safety of intersections along PA Route 16.
Preserve and improve the
capacity of the existing roads within the area as future development occurs
through cooperative efforts with developers and PennDOT.
Monitor impacts on roadway
capacity from new development and require developers to address projected
increased traffic volumes in the road system by improving the existing system.
Investigate providing additional parking
opportunities in Waynesboro Borough.
Assure adequate access management occurs along the major road
corridors such as PA Routes 16, 316, and 997 to minimize the number of access
points to the road system.
Facilitate pedestrian circulation within
the business areas of the community through such means as benches, landscaping, shade, windbreaks, street lights, curb cuts, water
fountains, and other pedestrian amenities.
Preserve the scenic road corridors and vistas within the Township.
Maintain and upgrade the existing road system as necessary and
encourage PennDOT to improve state-controlled roads and intersections.
Institute appropriate traffic calming and noise abatement
techniques in the Region.
Encourage
and support the development of a network of trails linking residential areas to
open space and recreation resources, surrounding municipalities trail systems.
Encourage maintenance and improvement of sidewalks and curbs,
completion of gaps in the sidewalk system, and extension of the sidewalk
system.
Expand the pedestrian system and parking
to the area of the
Relieve truck congestion along PA Route 16, particularly in the
Borough.
Determine the merits of and appropriate locations of park and
ride facilities and other multi-modal facilities.
An engineering study should be conducted to investigate a
potential bypass of PA Route 16 around the southern part of the Borough.
Complete
Encourage
Community Facilities, Services and
Development
Goal: Provide essential facilities
and services to meet the existing and future needs of residents consistent with
the financial capabilities of the Borough, Township, and Region.
Objectives:
Identify services and facilities which can be provided on a
cooperative basis and work toward intermunicipal cooperation.
Continue
to evaluate the need and opportunity for additional, expanded or improved
community services and facilities and plan for the efficient and economical
provision of those services and facilities.
Maintain intermunicipal cooperation for
sewage treatment and disposal and water supply.
Advocate for the provision of adequate
child and adult day care facilities.
Review proposed developments to ensure that developers are
providing for required infrastructure, and properly designed and appropriately
located recreation facilities.
Plan and discuss tax base issues on a community-wide basis.
Review opportunities for sharing of equipment, service and
facilities.
Investigate the possibility of
establishing a coordinated emergency services plan for the area.
Foster a spirit of community within the
Borough and Township.
Support community-wide activities, events
and resident participation in government.
Encourage communication and cooperative
efforts among Borough government, Township government, the
Provide efficient police, fire, and emergency services to the Region.
Investigate opportunities
for cooperation among municipalities and the school district in providing and
making available facilities and programs to area residents.
Provide adequate athletic fields for area
youth through cooperative efforts in the Region.
Require developers to adequately manage stormwater runoff and
erosion and sedimentation.
Successfully address the areas storm drainage problems and
reduce flooding.
Assure that the scale of development in the area is consistent
with the capacity of the areas infrastructure and fiscal capacities.
Coordinate sewer and water
planning with land use policies.
Encourage cooperation among
the fire companies in the Township and Borough to address the fire protection
needs of the community.
Investigate the feasibility
of locating all
Goal: Sustain
and enhance the economic vitality of the Township and the Borough, while
maintaining the small-town character.
Objectives:
Enhance the quality of life in the Region.
Encourage appropriate
re-use and infill of vacant and underutilized properties.
Encourage the development
of the
Support programs and
efforts to promote economic development in
Provide for additional,
appropriate commercial development at designated areas along
Provide linkages to major
open spaces and attractions such as the Renfrew Museum Institute, Happels
Meadow,
Plan for adequate parking
facilities in the downtown.
Facilitate pedestrian
access to businesses.
Encourage streetscape
improvements along
Foster municipality and
business community cooperation in promoting economic development, community
attractiveness, and activities and events.
Foster home ownership,
maintenance of the building stock, increase of the tax base, stability of
neighborhoods and community, and fiscal soundness of local government and
school district.
Goal: Provide guidance for the
decision making of Township and Borough officials and commissions by
identifying an effective action plan in this Comprehensive Plan.
Objectives:
Encourage acceleration of regional Act 167
stormwater management planning for the DEP designated watersheds in the Region.
Continue to meet to discuss
planning issues of common concern which arise in the future. Yearly, review the
goals, objectives and policies of the Plan, their continued relevance, the
extent to which they have been accomplished, and the need for revision, and
establish a work program for implementation of the Plan.
Establish a process to
coordinate planning future efforts with key stakeholders in the Region,
including the school district.
Work with surrounding
communities, regional planning and development organizations and PennDOT to
address vehicular, pedestrian, and transit, circulation, land use, community
facility and economic development issues which impact Waynesboro Borough and
Encourage community-based,
long term planning for school facilities.
Invite the school district to actively participate in the planning
process,
Implementation
Goal: Accomplish the goals, objectives and policies of this Joint Comprehensive
Plan through identified appropriate implementation techniques.
Objectives:
Establish a process and identify techniques to manage and
control growth in the Township.
Identify
techniques to protect agricultural land in the Township.
Implement Growing Greener by Design conservation zoning
regulations and ordinances in the Township to preserve farmland, open space,
and natural areas.
Identify opportunities for
intermunicipal cooperation to accomplish the goals and objectives of the plan.
Participate in State grant
programs which will aid in the implementation of this Plan.
Participate with
Establish the basis for
land use regulations which will implement this Plan.
Encourage PennDOT and
Secure funding for unfunded
government mandates.
Establish a yearly meeting with major stakeholders, such as citizens, merchants, industrial firms, the
Downtown Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, elected officials, other civic
groups, and the school district to evaluate the accomplishments of this
plan.