2010 CENTRE REGION GROWTH MANAGEMENT …6AD7E2DC-ECE… · The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 was performed as part of the update to the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s

Centre Regional Planning Agency 2643 Gateway Drive Suite #4 State College, PA 16801 814.231.3050

2010 CENTRE REGION2010 CENTRE REGION

GROWTH MANAGEMENT REPORTGROWTH MANAGEMENT REPORT

2010 CENTRE REGION

GROWTH MANAGEMENT REPORT

Centre Regional Planning Agency 2643 Gateway Drive Suite #4

State College, PA 16801

814.231.3050

PREPARED BY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE NUMBER EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i INTRODUCTION 01 CONCLUSION 04 MUNICIPAL ANALYSIS 09 COLLEGE TOWNSHIP 11 FERGUSON TOWNSHIP 21 HARRIS TOWNSHIP 31 PATTON TOWNSHIP 41 STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH 51 HALFMOON TOWNSHIP 61

2 0 1 0 C E N T R E R E G I O N G R O W T H M A N A G E M E N T R E P O R T

Centre Regional Planning Agency http://cog.centreconnect.org/crpa-mpo/index.htm

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In an effort to update the 2002 Centre Region Vacant Land Inventory, the Centre Regional Planning Agency has produced the 2010 Centre Region Growth Management Report. This report incorporates vacant land information collected in late 2009 and combines it with data devel-oped for the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040. The outcome is a report that compares the amount of vacant land in the Centre Region with the forecasted growth to determine if sufficient land is available to accommodate the growth forecasts of the Centre Region through 2040. The vacant land inventory conducted for the Centre Region in 2009 took into account only those properties within the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area (RGB/SSA) therefore an analysis of vacant land was not conducted for Halfmoon Township since it’s com-pletely outside the RGB/SSA. The methodology for this was based on the fact that infrastructure and public services (such as transit, fire, po-lice, etc.) are, for the most part, already in place to serve properties within the RGB/SSA. Also, future growth should be directed within the RGB/SSA as noted in the 2000 Centre Region Comprehensive Plan. Halfmoon Township was, however, included in the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 therefore analysis of future growth will be in-cluded in this report. The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 was performed as part of the update to the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Long Range Transportation Plan. The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 was intended to determine the amount of future growth and where it might occur throughout Centre County. Primarily, the information is intended to determine what transportation projects might be needed in the future based on employment and commuting patterns.

The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 uses six distinct categories to classify land uses. These include: Dwelling Units—All types of residential dwellings are incorporated into this category including single family residential and multi-family residential uses. Retail—This includes any type of commercial or retail establishment. Retail-Hotel—Provides a distinction between hotels and typical retail establishments. Office/Light Industrial—Office and professional uses as well as simple assembly of goods fall into this category. Heavy Industrial—This addresses fabrication or production of materials for sale. Public/Semi-Public—Any use that has a public function such as schools, churches, governmental facilities, libraries, or institutes of higher education are considered public or semi-public. Based on the forecasted information in the Centre County Growth Fore-cast 2040 each municipality is expected to see growth over the next 30 years. In particular, residential growth will generally be spread out throughout the six municipalities; the majority of retail growth will be seen in College, Ferguson, and Patton Townships; College and Patton Townships and the Borough of State College will benefit from retail-hotel development; College Township will see the majority of office/light industrial uses followed by Ferguson and Patton Townships; Col-lege Township will experience all of the heavy industrial growth; and the Borough of State College will see the majority of public/semi-public uses.


Centre Regional Planning Agency http://cog.centreconnect.org/crpa-mpo/index.htm i

Table 2 provides a full distribution of forecasted uses by municipality. A summary of the forecasted totals through 2040 include: 9,278 Dwelling Units 1,804,302 square feet of Retail space 729,301 square feet of Retail-Hotel space 2,695,940 square feet of Office/Light Industrial space 554,650 square feet of Heavy Industrial space 905,422 square feet of Public/Semi-Public space To put this in perspective, a 16,000 square foot office building would have space for about 50 full-time employees, conference spaces, break facilities, and supply space. A building of this size would occupy about two and a half acres of land to accommodate the required parking, set-backs, and other land development requirements. Conversely, a typical big box home improvement store or building supply store would be ap-proximately 125,000 square feet. A building of this size would occupy between 15 and 20 acres of land for required parking, stormwater man-agement, and other land development requirements. Included in the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 are just over 4,000 acres of land. It should be noted, this includes land both inside and outside of the RGB/SSA. This total, however is for gross land area and does not take into account necessary infrastructure or development amenities such as roads, sidewalks, landscaping, buffers, open space, and similar requirements. Within the RGB/SSA is approximately 3,000 acres forecasted for growth through the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040. Based on current development patterns the Centre County Growth Fore-cast 2040 indicates approximately 3,000 acres of vacant land will be absorbed in the Centre Region by the year 2040. Currently, there are approximately 3,700 vacant acres within the Centre Region’s RGB/SSA. This indicates that adequate vacant land is available to accommo-

date the anticipated growth and development within the Centre Region through 2040 and additional land would not need to be included in the RGB/SSA to accommodate forecasted growth. It is also anticipated that redevelopment of underutilized parcels will occur therefore reduc-ing the consumption of vacant land. The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 also estimates approximately 9,300 dwelling units will be built between 2009 and 2040 or an average of 300 dwelling units annually. The average household size for the Centre Region based on the 2010 U.S. Census was 2.64 persons per household. If no change in household size is assumed, that would indi-cate an estimated 116,648 people will live in the Centre Region by the year 2040. This is approximately a 26% increase over the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population of 92,096 persons. This would equate to a .83% annual increase over the next 30 years. It is important to remember that forecasts do not account for short term economic downturns or upturns that might occur over the next 30 years. The growth forecasts should be revisited on a regular basis to better ac-count for shifting demographics, market dynamics, public policy, re-gional growth management practices, and other influences the effect how and where people choose to live in the region. Specific information for each municipality including considerations for future growth are included throughout this report. Also, estimates for the Centre Region are included to provide a collective overview. This report will be periodically revised to provide updated information re-lated to vacant land and consumption trends within the Centre Region.


Centre Regional Planning Agency http://cog.centreconnect.org/crpa-mpo/index.htm ii

INTRODUCTION The 2010 Centre Region Growth Management Report provides infor-mation on vacant properties within the Centre Region and information on projected growth in the Centre Region. The intent of this report is to identify the amount of growth that is anticipated to occur throughout the Centre Region and simultaneously look at areas where the growth may reasonably occur based on information provided by the local mu-nicipalities related to developments that are approved, planned, or could be realized through 2040. This growth management report includes data from the 2009 vacant land inventory and the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 in the same document to help provide a more complete perspective on what the future growth and land consumption needs of the Centre Region may be as we move into the future. The information from the 2009 vacant land inventory was collected and reviewed by the municipal planning staffs and the Growth Forecast 2040 land use assumptions were reviewed by municipal staff and ultimately adopted by each mu-nicipality. This document is not intended to provided recommendations or policy decisions. Instead, it will provide information on projected growth for each municipality to evaluate their own long-term land use needs. OVERVIEW OF THE CENTRE REGION The Centre Region is comprised of the townships of College, Ferguson, Harris, Halfmoon, and Patton, and the Borough of State College. These six municipalities are located in the south central portion of Centre County and have a land area of approximately 150 square miles. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau calculated the Centre Region’s popula-tion at 92,096 residents.

The Centre Region is also home to the University Park Campus of the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) which exerts a tremendous influence on the economic, cultural, and educational characteristics of the region. In the fall of 2010, the University Park Campus reported an enrollment of approximately 44,000 students including undergraduate and graduate students. The Penn State student population represents approximately 48% of the region’s total population. BACKGROUND In 2002, a comprehensive vacant land inventory and analysis was com-pleted by the Centre Regional Planning Agency and included informa-tion on all the municipalities within the Centre Region. The inventory focused on vacant land within the Regional Growth Boundary. The 2002 inventory identified approximately 5,500 acres of vacant land within the Regional Growth Boundary. Table 1 provides an overview of the 2002 vacant land inventory. The 2002 inventory has been a useful planning tool to help identify ar-eas where future growth could occur because it’s within the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area and has access to typical urban services such as transit and retail centers. It should be noted that Halfmoon Township was included in the 2002 report to provide a more comprehensive view of the Region, however Halfmoon Township was not included in the total for vacant land because it is entirely outside of the Regional Growth Boundary. GROWTH FORECASTING In 2003, the Centre Region conducted growth forecasts through the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization. The growth fore-casting project was done primarily to evaluate transportation projects and corridor subarea analysis; levels of service on roadways; and infor-mation for air quality conformity purposes throughout Centre County.


Centre Regional Planning Agency http://cog.centreconnect.org/crpa-mpo/index.htm 1

The growth forecasting information was also used within the Centre Region to provide a perspective on the future needs of the community in terms of land use. This information was primarily used to forecast growth for water and sewer infrastructure needs. Again, in 2009, the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization completed the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 to assist in the up-date of the Long Range Transportation Plan for Centre County. Staff of the CRPA worked with municipal staffs to gather data on known fu-ture developments and potential developments at a parcel level for the Centre Region, therefore establishing an anticipated need for available land through the year 2040. Projecting growth 30 years into the future is not a precise science, however it does provide general guidance for other long-range projects such as:

Comprehensive Land Use Plans Transportation Network Improvements Public Infrastructural Investments and Upgrades Provide Baseline Data for Tracking Growth

The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 looked at multiple land use categories including residential, commercial, office and industrial. It also addressed future growth over three ten year time periods to help allocate and better plan for the future needs of the community. All six municipalities were included in this growth forecast to provide a thor-ough picture of future land use needs. Using the data in the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 to help quantify the demand for vacant land in the Centre Region is a logical association since the forecast provides an indication as to how much future development may occur. The data collected for the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 will provide a reasonable estimate re-garding future growth in the Centre Region. This data will be used to assess future land use needs and help determine how much land (both

vacant and underutilized) might reasonably be required to meet the fu-ture land use needs of the Centre Region assuming no changes are made to municipal development regulations including zoning and land subdi-vision. Similarly, the vacant land inventory will provide a general indi-cation as to the amount of vacant land that will be available to support the future growth. Finally, not all the identified vacant land will be forecasted for develop-ment activity through the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040. In some cases the vacant land will remain vacant while additional density will be located on other parcels. Also, redevelopment of existing prop-erty will constitute some of the development activity. Redevelopment is almost exclusively the case for the Borough of State College as their inventory of vacant land is minimal. REGIONAL GROWTH BOUNDARY & SEWER SERVICE AREA The Centre Region has maintained a Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area (RGB/SSA) since 2000. These two geographic ar-eas are coterminous and were reestablished in the 2006 Centre Region Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan as indicated on Map One. The RGB/SSA provides a boundary that identifies where public services and in-frastructure should be expected and where a rural lifestyle will be an-ticipated. Properties within the RGB/SSA can expect public sewer, public water, public transit, improved roadways, bicycle & pedestrian facilities, and advanced public safety response. Similarly, properties outside the RGB/SSA should expect a more rural lifestyle where agri-culture practices are prevalent and public services are not readily avail-able. This distinction between properties inside or outside of the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area is important because it will help determine the levels of development densities that could be antici-



pated on vacant parcels or redevelopment areas. This includes various development densities that were projected through the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040. It’s important to note that specific densities will be determined by each municipality based on what is acceptable for their own development needs and desires. The RGB/SSA was used to determine which vacant properties would be included in this report and therefore will help determine if adequate land exists within the current RGB/SSA to meet the development needs identified through the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040. While Halfmoon Township is completely outside of the RGB/SSA, it is in-cluded in this report to identify the anticipated development that has been forecasted through the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040, even though no vacant parcels are identified. Approximately 22% of the Centre Region’s 96,100 acres are within the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area. The 2006 update to the Centre Region Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan used the data from the 2002 Vacant Land Inventory to reflect approximately 5,500 acres of vacant land within the RGB/SSA*. This means that roughly 25% of the land within the existing RGB/SSA was vacant. This report will provide an update to those figures and should provide a more current perspec-tive on the amount of vacant land within the current RGB/SSA. There may be a perception in the community that additional vacant land exists within the RGB/SSA. This happens when physical development has not occurred on a parcel of land, yet land development plans have been submitted and are approved by the municipality. In some cases, a parcel (or parcels) of land will appear to be undeveloped and vacant for several years before any actual development takes place.

In these instances, the property has been included in the vacant land in-ventory because the property has been deemed appropriate for develop-ment. This is evidenced by the fact that, in some instances, a plan for future development or a master plan that outlines future development has been approved by the elected body of the individual municipality. Plan approval allows a property to be developed in a specific manner but does not require a property owner to develop. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code allows an approved land development plan to remain valid for up to five years without any development activ-ity occurring on the property. Based on this provision, a property may appear vacant, however an approved plan may exist therefore the prop-erty can be developed under the approved development plan. Historically, the Centre Region has an annual population growth rate of approximately one percent. However, recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau has shown the Centre Region has a population growth rate be-tween 10 and 20 percent between decennial censuses. In the same time period, housing units have increased at a higher rate. From 1970 through 2010 the population of the Centre Region increased by approxi-mately 71% (from 53,639 persons to 92,096 persons). In that same time frame the number of housing units increased approximately 141% (from 14,438 units to 34,832 units). This would indicate that residen-tial development is out-pacing population growth, therefore creating a surplus of housing stock. This abundance of residential development may create a false sense of need for additional land uses such as com-mercial, office, or other service oriented uses to support the additional residential units. Growth in the Centre Region has historically remained steady, however 2006 marked a highpoint in land development and construction activity. According to data from the Centre Region Code Office, there were over 2,200 building permits issued for construction activity totaling just over $142,000,000 in construction value. This included almost 400 single family housing units. However, like the economic downturn that has



* The 2002 Vacant Land Inventory was completed in November 2002 . Planning for the 2006 Update to the Centre Region’s Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan began in late 2004 therefore data from the 2002 Vacant Land Inventory was used. Adoption of the Act 537 Sewage Facili-ties Plan didn't occur until 2006.

affected most of the country, land development activities have slowed in the Centre Region. In 2010 there were approximately 1,760 building permits issued which included 135 single family homes. As the econ-omy improves, so should the land development and construction indus-try. This will have a direct impact on the amount of vacant land that is consumed in the coming years. CONCLUSION The Centre Region should be able to accommodate increases in growth for the foreseeable future without the need to expand the Regional Growth Boundary or Sewer Service Area. While the forecasted growth and development is based on current conditions, market trends, and ex-pert opinion, it’s not an exact science. As new developments are pro-posed or constructed this report will be updated to reflect the changes seen on the ground. Through 2020, the Centre Region is forecasted to grow by approxi-mately 3,000 new dwelling units. Assuming a regional average of 2.44 persons per household this would equate to approximately 7,300 new residents. Also, through 2020, the Centre Region is forecasted to add over 700,000 square feet of retail space and over 1,000,000 square feet of office space. Establishing areas to accommodate this forecasted growth that take advantage of existing infrastructure will help minimize the overall impact to the region. It is important to note that each municipality participated in the devel-opment of the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 and subsequently each municipality approved the forecasted development. This is an im-portant distinction because it legitimizes the amount of growth that is forecasted for the Centre Region through the year 2040 and implies a level of confidence for planners to use the data to help develop future goals and recommendations for the Centre Region’s future development patterns.

Similarly, these forecasted development patterns will allow each mu-nicipality an opportunity to evaluate their existing regulations to deter-mine if the forecasted growth fits with their own vision for future devel-opment and make specific policy decisions to correct any undesirable development trends.





Source: Centre Regional Planning Agency—2009

MAP 1

GENERAL ZONING DISTRICT

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP

HARRIS TOWNSHIP

PATTON TOWNSHIP

STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH

2002 2009 2002 2009 2002 2009 2002 2009 2002 2009 2002 2009

LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL 635 572 740 345 454 302 310 102 28 30 2,167 1,355

MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL 41 28 38 28 17 0 55 1 8 7 159 63

MIXED USE COMMUNITY 37 33 260 506 0 0 1,884 1,166 0 4 2,181 1,709

COMMERCIAL 226 186 21 18 40 9 77 81 8 24 372 318

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL 35 34 212 54 0 0 0 0 0 1 247 89

INDUSTRIAL 104 134 27 11 8 8 14 7 0 0 153 160

NATURAL RESOURCES2 7 N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 78 N/A 0 N/A 85 N/A

UNIVERSITY 73 0 0 0 0 0 80 10 0 0 153 10

TOTAL 1,158 987 1,298 962 519 319 2,498 1,367 44 66 5,517 3,701

TOTAL BY ZONING DESIGNATION

TABLE 1 2002 & 2009 CENTRE REGION VACANT LAND INVENTORY

FOR PROPERTY WITHIN THE REGIONAL GROWTH BOUNDARY1



Source: Centre Regional Planning Agency, 2009 Notes: -All numbers are in acres Footnotes: 1—Halfmoon Township has no land within the Regional Growth Boundary 2—Natural Resources were not calculated in 2009 therefore no values are recorded

Zoning District Descriptions Low Density: R1, R2, RR, MHP, RM, R1B, A, A1, F, RA Medium/High Density: R3, R4, R3B, R3H Mixed Use Community: PC, PAD, PRD, UV Commercial: C, C1, C2, CP2, CID, PO, RO, ROA, OC, GWC Light Industrial: IRD, PRBD, MP Industrial: I1, I Natural Resources: NR1, OSC University: UD, UR

MUNICIPALITY DWELLING UNITS RETAIL RETAIL-

HOTEL OFFICE/

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP 1,466 523,340 370,201 1,576,328 554,650 108,717

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP 2,863 457,962 40,500 506,762 0 0

HALFMOON TOWNSHIP 467 14,000 0 0 0 0

HARRIS TOWNSHIP 983 5,000 0 83,000 0 21,000

PATTON TOWNSHIP 2,404 614,500 193,600 354,000 0 195,100

STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH 1,095 189,500 125,000 175,850 0 580,605

CENTRE REGION TOTAL 9,278 1,804,302 729,301 2,695,940 554,650 905,422

TABLE 2 2009—2040 CENTRE REGION GROWTH FORECAST1

Source: 2009 Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 Footnote: 1—All numbers are in square feet except Dwelling Units



The following definitions are used to quantify the various zoning dis-trict descriptions listed at the bottom of Table 1. Low Density Residential—Zoning districts that permit no more than four units per acre. Medium/High Density—Zoning districts that permit no fewer than five units per acre. Mixed Use Community—Zoning districts that permit a mix of uses in-cluding but not limited to: office, commercial, or residential. Commercial—Zoning districts that permit commercial or retail uses and also permit office uses.

Light Industrial—Industrial uses that do not include manufacturing or fabrication of products but permit the assembling of products or re-search and development. Industrial—Zoning districts that include the fabrication or manufactur-ing of products from raw materials. Natural Resources—Zoning districts that exist in a natural state such as woodlands, wetlands, or other naturally occurring features. University—Zoning districts that include land owned or used by the Pennsylvania State University to further their academic and research initiatives.

MUNICIPAL ANALYSIS

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP College Township is often referred to as “the Gateway to the Centre Region” due to its location along the College Avenue and Atherton Street corridors. In 2010, College Township’s population was 9,521 people. College Township has a significant commercial area near the intersection of State Routes 26 and 150. In addition, with the comple-tion of Interstate 99, the Shiloh Road Corridor continues to experience growth pressures in the vicinity of the Nittany Mall and adjacent com-mercial areas. Future growth areas within College Township will in-clude the Shiloh Road Corridor, redevelopment of the Corning Asahi Plant, and residential development adjacent to the existing Spring Creek Estates and Houserville communities. College Township is the fifth largest municipality in the Centre Region in terms of land area with approximately 11,700 acres. Currently there are approximately 990 acres of vacant land inside the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area (RGB/SSA) within College Town-ship. This is the second largest municipal total of vacant land within the Centre Region’s Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area. The largest portions of vacant land in College Township are zoned for Single Family Residential (R-1) uses. This is followed by the Agricultural District (A), the General Industrial District (I-1), and the General Commercial District (C-1). Table 3 outlines the amount of vacant land available within each zoning district. Based on the data in Table 3, 76 percent of College Township’s vacant land is zoned for single family residential, agriculture, general indus-trial, or general commercial uses. According to the data in Table Four the Centre County Forecast 2040 indicates College Township will ex-perience growth in retail, office, industrial, and public/semi-public sec-tors as well as adding new dwelling units. While it’s difficult to deter-mine exactly how much growth will occur, there should be adequate land within College Township’s portion of the RGB/SSA to accommo-

date the forecasted growth through the year 2040. It will be necessary to reevaluate the quantity of vacant land in the future to determine if adequate land exists for the anticipated growth. Similarly, it will be important to periodically evaluate the forecasted growth to determine if trends indicate any changes regarding the consumption of vacant land or redevelopment opportunities. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS College Township has approximately 175 acres of land within the Re-gional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area zoned for agricultural uses. This includes two properties along the Shiloh Road Corridor that were included in the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area during the 2006 update to the Centre Region’s Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan. These two parcels were also a major part of the Shiloh Road Land Use Study that was conducted by the Centre Regional Plan-ning Agency beginning in late 2003. It is anticipated that these two properties will be rezoned in the future to allow more density in devel-opment and reduce the amount of agriculturally zoned land within the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area in College Town-ship. The following items may also impact future growth: Adequate vacant land should exist to accommodate the forecasted

residential growth through the year 2040. Office uses are the largest forecasted land use. Additional land may

be needed to accommodate future office demands in the 2030 –2040 time period. However, adequate land should exist for office devel-opment over the next ten to twenty years.

Approximately 525,000 square feet of retail space is forecasted

through the year 2040 in College Township. Possible future rezon-ing along the Shiloh Road Corridor will ensure adequate land is available to accommodate this increase.



ZONING DISTRICT VACANT ACRES

PERCENTAGE OF VACANT LAND GENERALIZED CLASSIFICATION

AGRICULTURAL (A) 174 18 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

GATEWAY COMMERCIAL (GWC) 10 1 COMMERCIAL

GENERAL COMMERCIAL (C-1) 87 9 COMMERCIAL

GENERAL INDUSTRIAL (I-1) 134 13 INDUSTRIAL

MEDICAL CAMPUS (MC) 57 6 COMMERCIAL

MOBILE HOME PARK (MHP) 4 < 1 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-3) 28 3 MEDIUM/HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

PLANNED RESEARCH & BUSINESS PARK (PRBD) 34 3 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT (PRD) 33 3 MIXED USE COMMUNITY

RESIDENTIAL OFFICE (R-O) 33 3 COMMERCIAL

RURAL RESIDENTIAL 17 2 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-1) 351 36 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-2) 26 3 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

VILLAGE (V) < 1 < 1 MIXED USE COMMUNITY

TOTAL 987 100

TABLE 3 2009 COLLEGE TOWNSHIP VACANT LAND BY ZONING DISTRICT

Source: 2009 Centre Regional Planning Agency




MAP 2




YEAR DWELLING UNITS RETAIL RETAIL-

HOTEL OFFICE/LIGHT

INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

2009-2020 507 206,340 176,467 590,628 290,000 83,000

2021-2030 494 177,000 193,734 680,000 110,000 25,717

2031-2040 465 140,000 0 305,700 154,650 0

TOTAL (2009-2040) 1,466 523,340 370,201 1,576,328 554,650 108,717

TABLE 4 COLLEGE TOWNSHIP GROWTH FORECAST1




Centre Regional Planning Agency http://cog.centreconnect.org/crpa-mpo/index.htm 18 Source: Centre Regional Planning Agency—2009

MAP 3




MAP 4

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP Ferguson Township is the Centre Region’s largest municipality in terms of land and population with approximately 47 square miles and 17,690 residents according to 2010 U.S. Census. Approximately 80 percent of the township’s land is used for agriculture and is protected by a very stringent Rural Agricultural Zoning District. Most of Ferguson Town-ship’s development is concentrated in the eastern portion of the town-ship between Science Park Road and the Borough of State College. The Science Park Road Corridor contains a significant amount of light industrial development, while the CATO/Bristol Park Area contains a concentration of office space. Future Development in Ferguson Town-ship is expected to occur adjacent to the Western Inner Loop (Blue Course Drive) on the Imbt Tract, in the Saybrook and Foxpointe area west of Science Park Road, and within the CATO/Bristol Park area. According to the inventory conducted during 2009, there are approxi-mately 960 acres of vacant land zoned for development in Ferguson Township. The largest percentage of vacant land is zoned for Tradi-tional Town Development (TTD) with approximately 33 percent of the total vacant land. This is followed by the Planned Residential Develop-ment (PRD) District at 20 percent, and the Single Family Residential (R-1) District with 19 percent. These three zoning districts account for 72 percent of the vacant land in Ferguson Township. Table 5 provides an overview of the vacant land by zoning district within Ferguson Town-ship. Based on the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040, Ferguson Town-ship will experience relatively balanced growth in both retail and office uses with approximately 500,000 square feet of each use. Also, the forecast data anticipates approximately 3,000 additional dwelling units through the year 2040. The TTD and PRD zoning districts allow for a mix of uses including residential, commercial, office, and similar uses and the R-1 district allows single family residential uses. Based on the

mix of uses permitted within the TTD and PRD zoning districts there should be adequate vacant land to accommodate the forecasted growth through 2040. Table 6 provides an overview of the Growth Forecast 2040 for Ferguson Township. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS Ferguson Township has taken steps to protect its agricultural uses and heritage. This includes aggressive land use regulations that require fifty acres as the minimum lot size in the Rural Agricultural Zoning District. This encourages more intensive growth to locate in areas that are more suited to accommodate greater development densities and mixed uses. Other items to consider include: Preliminary master plans have been proposed for development of

the property along Blue Course Drive that is zoned for Traditional Town Development.

Approximately three million dollars in Federal Funds have been re-

ceived to assist in the completion of an extension to Old Gatesburg Road to connect with Blue Course Drive. This new roadway will traverse across the properties zoned for Traditional Town Develop-ment.

Based on the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 Ferguson Town-

ship has the most residential development proposed than any other municipality with 2,863 dwelling units.







GENERAL COMMERCIAL (C) 16 2 COMMERCIAL

GENERAL INDUSTRIAL (I) 11 1 INDUSTRIAL

LIGHT INDUSTRY, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (IRD) 54 6 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-4) 28 3 MEDIUM/HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

OFFICE COMMERCIAL (OC) 3 < 1 COMMERCIAL

PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT (PRD) 192 20 MIXED USE COMMUNITY

RURAL AGRICULTURE (RA) 29 3 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

RURAL RESIDENTIAL (RR) 79 8 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL


SUBURBAN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-1B) 40 4 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

TRADITIONAL TOWN DEVELOPMENT (TTD) 313 33 MIXED USE COMMUNITY



TOTAL 963 100

TABLE 5 2009 FERGUSON TOWNSHIP VACANT LAND BY ZONING DISTRICT




MAP 5





HOTEL OFFICE/LIGHT

INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

2009-2020 745 222,412 0 202,612 0 0

2021-2030 1,097 105,100 0 60,400 0 0

2031-2040 1,021 130,450 40,500 243,750 0 0

TOTAL (2009-2040) 2,863 457,962 40,500 506,762 0 0

TABLE 6 FERGUSON TOWNSHIP GROWTH FORECAST1





MAP 6




MAP 7

HARRIS TOWNSHIP

HARRIS TOWNSHIP Harris Township is the second largest municipality in the Centre Re-gion in terms of land area, encompassing approximately 32 square miles. It’s important to note, however, that almost 50 percent of Harris Township is comprised of Rothrock State Forest which is located along Tussey Mountain in the southern portion of the Township. Harris Township is known for the historic village of Boalsburg and has been able to maintain its small town character as a suburb of State College. The Village of Boalsburg contains small retail shops while other com-mercial land uses are located along U.S. Route 322. The 2010 U.S. Census lists Harris Township’s population at 4,873 persons. The majority of the vacant land within Harris Township falls into one of three zoning categories. These include Agricultural (A), Single Fam-ily Residential (R-1), and Two Family Residential (R-2). Together, these three districts encompass 94 percent of the total vacant land within the Township. A full breakdown of the vacant land within Har-ris Township is shown in Table Seven. While not included in Table 7, Harris Township has approximately 400 acres of land outside the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area where pressure for development or redevelopment is increasing. Approximately 70 percent of this land is zoned as Agricultural while the other 30 percent is zoned for Forest uses. These properties are out-side the existing Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area but were still considered when looking at future growth within the Township. Based on the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040, Harris Township will see a majority of its future growth in both the office & industrial sectors. The township is also anticipated to see growth in the number of residential dwelling units. Table 8 outlines the specific breakdown of forecasted growth through 2040. The majority of the forecasted

growth is anticipated to occur between 2009 and 2020. This includes all the retail, office, industrial, public/semi-public, and approximately one third of the dwelling units. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS The amount of vacant land zoned for office and industrial uses may

not be adequate to satisfy the forecasted growth through the year 2040 therefore additional land may need to be considered.

Harris Township’s Agricultural Zoning District minimum density is

one unit per acre with lot sizes as small as 6,500 square feet if rural preservation is incorporated. This could allow increased densities in areas that are not prepared for the demands on the existing infra-structure such as roads, transit, emergency services, and other mu-nicipal functions.

Natural features such as Rothrock State Forest will act as a growth

barrier and limit the amount of development that could occur within Harris Township.







AGRICULTURAL (A) 160 50 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

GENERAL COMMERCIAL (C-1) 8 2 COMMERCIAL

GENERAL INDUSTRIAL (I-1) 8 3 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

RESIDENTIAL OFFICE (RO) 1 < 1 COMMERCIAL




TOTAL 320 100

TABLE 7 2009 HARRIS TOWNSHIP VACANT LAND BY ZONING DISTRICT




MAP 8





HOTEL OFFICE/LIGHT

INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

2009-2020 328 5,000 0 83,000 0 21,000

2021-2030 418 0 0 0 0 0

2031-2040 237 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL (2009-2040) 983 5,000 0 83,000 0 21,000

TABLE 8 HARRIS TOWNSHIP GROWTH FORECAST1





MAP 9




MAP 10

PATTON TOWNSHIP

PATTON TOWNSHIP Patton Township had a population of 15,311 people according to 2010 U.S. Census which is an increase of almost 4,000 people from the 2000 U.S. Census (11,420 persons). Patton Township contains a mix of sin-gle family and multi-family residential areas. Also, the North Atherton Street Corridor in Patton Township has experienced a significant amount of commercial development since 1990. Several large commer-cial developments including the Colonnade and North Atherton Place have occurred in this area. Additionally, several planned communities exist in Patton Township and are expected to see additional growth con-taining a mix of single family and multi-family residential uses as well as commercial and office uses. Patton Township has the most vacant land within the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service area of any municipality in the Centre Re-gion at almost 1,400 acres. The majority of Patton Township’s vacant land is zoned for Planned Community and represents almost 80 percent of the township’s total vacant land within the Regional Growth Bound-ary and Sewer Service Area as noted in Table 9. This is significant be-cause the Toftrees Planned Community and the Gray’s Woods Planned Community represent the majority of this vacant land. Both of these planned communities have approved master plans that will dictate the future uses. The next largest amount of vacant land is zoned for the Planned Airport District and represents six percent of the total vacant land in the town-ship. The Planned Airport District has specific requirements on uses due to the proximity to the University Park Airport. This is followed by the Office Buffer District 2 and the Rural District with four percent of the total vacant land within the Regional Growth Boundary. Based on the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040, Patton Township is anticipated to grow significantly within the retail, office, and residential

sectors. Table 10 outlines the anticipated growth for Patton Township. Based on the vacant land inventory, it would be assumed that the fore-casted growth will occur in the areas zoned Planned Community. Maps 12 and 13 identify where the forecasted growth will occur and when it is anticipated. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS In 2005, the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area was expanded to include property that has been developed by the Geisinger Medical Center in Patton Township. This development was a catalyst for a rezoning of several properties adjacent to the medical center. While currently developed with single family residences, these proper-ties are now zoned for office uses. If these properties redevelop this area may experience additional traffic or pressure to rezone additional property for similar uses. Some other items to consider in Patton Township include: Patton Township has limited vacant land that is not in the Planned

Community Zoning District. This may require the township to look at possible redevelopment opportunities to accommodate growth outside of these areas.

The rate of future growth within the Township will be dictated by

development within the Planned Communities. If conditions are not favorable for development to occur in these areas, the township may experience a lull in development activity.

While not indicated on Map 11, Patton Township has approximately

1,200 acres of vacant land outside the Regional Growth Boundary that is zoned as Rural.







COMMERCIAL TRANSITIONAL (C-T) 10 1 COMMERCIAL

INDUSTRIAL (I-1) 7 1 INDUSTRIAL

LOW DENSITY RESIDENCE (R-2) 5 < 1 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

MANUFACTURED HOME PARK (R-MHP) 5 < 1 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

MANUFACTURED HOME RESIDENCE (R-M) 2 < 1 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENCE (R-3) 1 < 1 MEDIUM/HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

OFFICE BUFFER (OB) 3 < 1 COMMERCIAL

OFFICE BUFFER DISTRICT 2 (OBD2) 52 4 COMMERCIAL

PLANNED AIRPORT (PAD) 84 6 MIXED USE COMMUNITY

PLANNED COMMERCIAL (C-2) 16 1 COMMERCIAL

PLANNED COMMUNITY (PC) 1,082 79 MIXED USE COMMUNITY

RURAL (A-1) 55 4 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

RURAL RESIDENCE (R-1) 36 3 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

TOTAL 1,367 100

UNIVERSITY PLANNED DISTRICT (UD) 10 1 UNIVERSITY

TABLE 9 2009 PATTON TOWNSHIP VACANT LAND BY ZONING DISTRICT




MAP 11





HOTEL OFFICE/LIGHT

INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

2009-2020 853 204,800 193,600 104,600 0 91,400

2021-2030 775 204,900 0 114,400 0 65,300

2031-2040 776 204,800 0 135,000 0 38,400

TOTAL (2009-2040) 2,404 614,500 193,600 354,000 0 195,100

TABLE 10 PATTON TOWNSHIP GROWTH FORECAST1





MAP 12




MAP 13

STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH

STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH From a population standpoint, the largest municipality in the Centre Re-gion is State College Borough. The 2010 U.S. Census listed the Bor-ough’s population at 42,034 people, including Penn State students. The Borough of State College has a healthy and vibrant downtown area which includes multi-family housing oriented to the student population located within and adjacent to the downtown area. Most of the land area within the Borough of State College is developed with only about 66 acres of vacant land remaining within the municipality. While having the largest population in the Centre Region, the Borough of State College has the smallest land area at just over 2,500 acres (3.9 square miles) of which approximately 600 acres are owned and used by Penn State University. This also means the Borough has the smallest amount of vacant land of any municipality in the Centre Region at just over 66 acres. The majority of this land is zoned as Planned Commer-cial or one of three residential districts. These two zoning categories encompass approximately 90 percent of the vacant land within the Bor-ough. A full breakdown of the vacant land by zoning district can be found in Table 11. Based on the Centre County Growth Forecast 2040, the Borough of State College will experience a significant amount of growth in the pu-bic/semi-public sector. This is due in large part to development activity at Penn State University and several projects that are proposed or under construction. In particular, Penn State’s Millennium Science Complex accounts for approximately 275,000 square feet of public/semi-public development. Table 12 provides an overview of the forecasted growth for the Borough of State College through 2040. Similarly, a limited amount of retail and office uses are forecasted for the Borough of State College. Some of this growth is anticipated to oc-cur in the West End along West College Avenue which would corre-

spond to the West End Revitalization Plan that was completed for the Borough in 2007. The majority of the forecasted growth will occur in and around the downtown area, however the majority of these projects will be redevelopment of underutilized properties. One example of this would be the Westerly Parkway Plaza shopping center. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS The entire Borough of State College is located within the Regional

Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area therefore the infrastruc-ture should be in place to accommodate additional development density.

Redevelopment will be a major factor in the future growth of the

Borough of State College. Redevelopment or increased diversity in uses for underutilized commercial centers will contribute to revitali-zation efforts.

Increased student enrollment at Penn State University may lead to

increased pressure to develop additional student housing in the Bor-ough of State College.

Preservation of existing stable neighborhoods is a high priority for

the Borough of State College (as identified through the State Col-lege Land Area Plan). Integrating appropriately scaled development within established neighborhoods may lead to continued stability by relieving inappropriate development pressure.

Increased development density will need to be considered in terms

of impacts on existing infrastructure and public services.







COMMERCIAL (C) < 1 < 1 COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL INCENTIVE (CID) 2 3 COMMERCIAL

HISTORIC (R-3H) < 1 < 1 MEDIUM/HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL (MP) 1 1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

PLANNED COMMERCIAL (CP-2) 22 33 COMMERCIAL

PLANNED OFFICE (P-O) < 1 < 1 COMMERCIAL

RESIDENCE (R-1) 6 10 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

RESIDENCE (R-2) 24 37 LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

RESIDENCE (R-3) 7 11 MEDIUM/HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL

RESIDENCE OFFICE (R-OA) < 1 < 1 COMMERCIAL

URBAN VILLAGE (UV) 3 4 MIXED USE COMMUNITY

TOTAL 66 100

TABLE 11 2009 STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH VACANT LAND BY ZONING DISTRICT




MAP 14





HOTEL OFFICE/LIGHT

INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

2009-2020 329 78,500 0 89,150 0 345,405

2021-2030 311 89,800 125,000 74,200 0 220,200

2031-2040 455 21,200 0 12,500 0 15,000

TOTAL (2009-2040) 1,095 189,500 125,000 175,850 0 580,605

TABLE 12 STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH GROWTH FORECAST1





MAP 15




MAP 16

HALFMOON TOWNSHIP

HALFMOON TOWNSHIP Halfmoon Township is the most sparsely developed municipality in the Centre Region in terms of population, although it experienced signifi-cant growth in the past decade. Halfmoon Township has a population of 2,667 people according to the 2010 U.S. Census which is an increase of almost 300 people from the 2000 U.S. Census (2,357 persons). Since Halfmoon Township does not have access to public sewer ser-vice, most of the development is located on residential lots of one to three acres in size. During the next ten years Halfmoon Township is expected to experience significant growth pressures in the eastern por-tion of the Township near the shared boundary with Patton Township. Halfmoon Township is the fourth largest municipality in terms of land area in the Centre Region with just over 15,100 acres. All of Halfmoon Township is located outside of the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Service Area therefore no vacant land is identified in this report. In 2005, Halfmoon Township reaffirmed its position and did not want to have pubic sewer extended to their municipality. This means that development densities will remain low in Halfmoon Township until a public sewage option becomes available. Also, any development will be required to use on-lot wastewater treatment or other alternatives. The majority of Halfmoon Township’s land is zone for agricultural uses. There is limited commercial zoning in their village district which provides several commercial uses in the Village of Stormstown, how-ever services and conveniences are limited. Halfmoon Township is in the process of developing development regulations that will permit ad-ditional density in the eastern portion of the township. The intent is to focus density and development in the eastern portion of the township against the Patton Township boundary and preserve the rural and agri-cultural nature of the western portion of the township. The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 does include some limited

development for Halfmoon Township that consists of residential and retail uses and is reflected in Table 13. The majority of the growth forecasted for Halfmoon Township is anticipated to occur in the eastern portion where the development densities are anticipated to be increased. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS A unanimous vote of the Centre Region Council of Governments

General Forum would be required to include any portion of Half-moon Township in the Regional Growth Boundary and Sewer Ser-vice Area.

Halfmoon Township has been developing ordinances that would

preserve properties in western Halfmoon Township in exchange for additional density in the eastern portion of the township.

Additional facilities and services such as schools, police, transit,

and fire protection may be required to serve any additional develop-ment that occurs as a result of the increase in density along the Pat-ton Township boundary.






HOTEL OFFICE/LIGHT

INDUSTRIAL HEAVY

INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC/

SEMI-PUBLIC

2009-2020 165 0 0 0 0 0

2021-2030 135 9,000 0 0 0 0

2031-2040 167 5,000 0 0 0 0

TOTAL (2009-2040) 467 14,000 0 0 0 0

TABLE 13 HALFMOON TOWNSHIP GROWTH FORECAST1





MAP 17




MAP 18

Documents

2010 CENTRE REGION GROWTH MANAGEMENT …6AD7E2DC-ECE… · The Centre County Growth Forecast 2040 was performed as part of the update to the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s