State Awards $30,000 for New Clarion County Comprehensive Plan

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published December 2, 2019 5:30 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A $30,000 grant for Clarion County to develop a new comprehensive plan was announced last week by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

“Our current one was done in 2004 and it’s quite outdated,” said Clarion County Commissioner Ed Heasley.  “All of the boroughs and municipalities will have a chance to respond and it should take about a year. We started about a year ago and filed the application last February and just got approval on the grant. However, we have been working with the Planning Commission, Planning Office, and also Economic Development.”

DCED Secretary Dennis Davin announced the approval of 12 projects statewide and nearly $475,000 in funding. The goal of the new plan is to provide direction for the development and future of the county through the Municipal Assistance Program (MAP) to assist local governments with planning for zoning, coordinating emergency services and creating comprehensive plans.

“The first step in ensuring the continued growth and success of a community is developing a comprehensive plan that addresses and anticipates both established and emerging needs,” said Davin. “This critical funding will help Pennsylvania’s municipalities create and implement the plans that will allow them to be more effective today and more prepared for tomorrow.”

In addition to working with municipalities, Heasley said the county would also seek additional professional help.

“There are various engineering firms out there who want the business and we will probably send out an RFP and see what kind of response we get,” said Heasley. “There is a whole multitude of things that could be included in the plan, from recreation to economics to infrastructure improvements, transportation, and there is a whole list of other things included in the plan.”

The grant requires a 30 percent match from the county, 30 percent from in-kind work by the county, and the remainder from the Commonwealth.

Funding from MAP helps local governments plan for and efficiently implement municipal projects available in three groups of activities: shared services, community planning, and floodplain management.

 

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