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Home My WebLink AboutNovember 2024 - PC Staff ReportFranklin County Planning Department Updates Franklin County Planning Commission Thursday,November 7,2024 Addressing With the development of Next Gen 911,new standards are being put out for road naming and addressing.Matthew Romero has taken responsibility for road naming and addressing procedures on the planning department side and the department is coordinating closely with GIS to work these new standards into our general workflow. Agricultural Preservation The program currently has 157 preserved farms totaling over 19,504.30 acres. 2022 Farms ●The Brechbill Family Revocable Trust (139.27 acres)-Settled 8/27/24 ●Diehl,Wayne &Jackie (60.34 acres)-Settled 8/23/24 ●Hershberger,Daniel &Amy (113.78 acres)-Pending conservation plan ●Lesher,Thomas &Heather (78.26 acres)-Settled 9/3/24 ●Martin,Donald &Denise #2 (48.75 acres)-in review state board meeting ●McKenrick,Rodney &Bonnie (101.52 acres)-in review for state board meeting ●Miller,Doug &Connie (62.95 acres)-Settled 10/22/24 ●Peckman,Dennis &Barbara (74.22 acres)-Pending Settlement ●Snyder,Vaughn (100 acres)-approved at October State Board Meeting ●Witter,Paul (42.15 acres)-Settlement Process ●Witter,Paul (26.47 acres)-Settlement Process 2023 Farms ●Lemar Road LLC (204.08 acres)-Peters Township -Encumbering Funds ●Steve and Lynn Hykes (141.10 acres)-Antrim Township ●Paul Witter (4)(88.2 acres)-Southampton Township ●Barry Timmons -(46.11 acres)-Montgomery Township ●Todd and Vicki Heckman -(37.1 acres)-Peters Township ●Donald and Denise Martin #3 -(79.6 acres)-Guilford Township -Encumbering Funds ●Jeff Grove -(58.17 acres)-Peters Township -Encumbering Funds 2024 Farms ●Schnebly (136.6 acres)-Montgomery Township -waiting for Appraisal ●Brake,B (80.7 acres)-Montgomery Township -Sent to survey ●Brenize,Ben (115.3 acres)-Southampton -Sent offer letter to owners ●Gingrich,A.(104.9 acres)-Peters Township -Sent offer letter to owners ●Bachtell (132.90 acres)-Montgomery Township -Sending to Appraisal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) ●FY 2024 application was submitted to DCED on Friday,November 1st.We have requested the full allocation of $357,219.The proposed projects are as follows: ○Luminest-Acquisition -$226,919.58 ○Habitat for Humanity-Acquisition-$50,000 ○Upwards-BOOST Program-$16,000 ●The County received an executed contract for FY 2023 in August of 2024.We are currently waiting on approval for modifications before proceeding.Projects being funded pending approval: ○Borough of Greencastle -Baltimore Street Crossing Signal -$54,210 ○WCHS -Community Health Nursing Program -$10,845 ○Habitat for Humanity-Acquisition-$27,715 ●The FY 2022 CDBG application was submitted in October of 2022 to DCED.Approval to move forward with the projects below was received in August of 2023.These projects have been set up and have received notices to proceed: ○Borough of Greencastle -ADA Curb Ramp/Sidewalk project:$286,103 ■Goes to bid late October/early November of 2024. ○WCHS -Nursing Program:In-home medical care of Senior Citizens:$10,845 ●The CDBG program is continuing to move forward with FY 2021 projects having cleared all required Environmental Reviews.The WCHS -Nursing Program is open and moving forward. CONTACT Helpline has expended all of its available funding serving 1,464 individuals.The Borough of Greencastle has completed curb ramp installation.DCED awarded a total allocation of $128,000 (excluding admin fee)for the following projects: ○Borough of Greencastle –ADA Curb Ramp project:$110,000 ○WCHS –Nursing Program:$9,000 ○CONTACT Helpline:$9,000 ●General updates on other CDBG program years: ○FY 2019 and 2020 Projects: ■Greencastle Curb Ramp Project-$289,875:Ganoe Paving was awarded as of 9/3/2024 and has begun construction.To be completed in early early December. ■FY 2020 Projects are complete and closed out on IDIS. Comprehensive Plan Implementation of the comprehensive plan is underway.Staff have created a tracking spreadsheet to ensure that we are making progress on our three-year implementation plan.Community Planners have received a checklist to help guide their own tracking of plans and zoning impacts on the long term vision that the community set during the development of Imagine Franklin 2035.Staff would be happy to accept feedback on community organizations that are or may be willing to help advance some of these goals so that we can work together on implementation. Mosquito and Tick-Borne Disease Control Program ●Mosquitoes: ○The mosquito season ended with 27 West Nile Virus positive mosquito pools and 5 truck mounted sprays.In summary the season was average as far as virus activity and very low in terms of mosquito numbers.2023 saw Pennsylvania’s first ever recorded La Crosse Virus positive here in Franklin County.Unfortunately,we got another one this year.Both positives have come from the same location and staff continue to try and contain the virus. ●Ticks: ○Black-legged Tick nymph collection numbers are lower this year compared to last year. The collection of Black-legged adults is currently underway. Municipal Outreach The annual municipal summit was held on Sept.13th.A total of 8 of the county’s 22 municipalities were represented to hear department updates and to get information on Food Processing Residual (FPR)ordinances from Antrim Township as well as some updates from the Franklin County Conservation District. Letterkenny,Fannett,and Lurgan are beginning their comprehensive plan update.Tim Cormany with Martin &Martin met to discuss the County’s perspective and relation to some of our existing plans. Transportation ●2025-2027 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP):A final draft of the 2025-2027 UPWP, following initial review by PennDOT,FHWA,and FTA,has been shared for public review and comment as of October 16,and will be open for a 30-day period.The document is currently on schedule to be presented at the November 21,2024 Policy Board meeting for review and approval. ●Carbon Reduction Program (CRP)Guidance Development:Following release of the CRP guidance upon its adoption on May 16,2024,as well as a request for project proposals being issued to our regional partners and subsequent promotion on County social media and publication in the Mercersburg Journal,the deadline for project applications passed on October 4.As of the closing date,no new project applications have been received. ●Cumberland Valley Rail Trail Feasibility Study:Following a series of conducted interviews with pertinent parties and hosting an online survey which lasted until October 15 and resulted in 1,041 responses,a third stakeholder meeting was held which went over the survey results and the prospects of five potential trail alignments.Efforts are still underway to secure interviews with other pertinent parties,including with PennDOT representatives,Wellspan,and CSX. ●County Bridge Projects:Bridge 26 and 63 replacement projects have concluded their construction.Preliminary engineering for bridge replacement projects on bridges 130 and 131, which are funded through the MPOs TIP,is continuing -for these projects,a design kickoff meeting for Bridges 130 and 131 was held on August 6. Solid Waste Plan We have been approved for a DEP grant to develop an update to the Solid Waste Plan.Once the grant agreement is issued,the county will be working with GT Environmental and a 9-10 person Solid Waste Advisory Committee to update the plan.Plan development is scheduled to occur over a 15-month period and will hopefully wrap up around December 2025.The plan will highlight waste disposal needs,ensure disposal capacity,and outline methods to achieve the state recycling goal of 35%.