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Balya’s Mayors' Forum Focuses on
County Comprehensive Plan, Economic Development
Posted 04-20-2004
Westmoreland County’s comprehensive plan and economic development initiatives led
the list of subjects discussed at the most recent session of the Westmoreland County
Mayors’ Forum, facilitated by County Commissioner Tom Balya.
The Mayors' Forum was held Saturday, April
17 in Greensburg and hosted by Mayor Karl Eisaman.
"The county is required by law to have
a comprehensive plan in place, and given the changes that have occurred in Westmoreland
County in recent years, now is the ideal time to have a plan in place," Balya said.
"At our last Mayors’ Forum, we discussed the principals of ‘smart
growth’, so it was a natural progression to update our county’s mayors on the
status of the county’s comprehensive plan that will guide development efforts in the
years ahead.
"Our planning department has received
a lot of valuable input regarding the comprehensive plan," Balya said. "Our goal
is to strike the proper balance between sometimes competing interests and ensure that the
public is involved every step of the way."
Larry Larese, Executive Director of the
Westmoreland County Planning Department and Westmoreland County Industrial Development
Corporation (IDC), served as the guest speaker, offering a detailed presentation of the
comprehensive plan. He shared with the mayors a 10-point vision statement for the future
growth of the county. The goal of the plan is to establish a list of policy statements and
should not be confused with zoning regulations or an effort to eliminate local zoning
standards.
The plan will be presented to the
Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee in May, with additional public meetings to follow.
During a series of seven public meetings,
89 percent of the participants identified economic development as their top priority,
followed by transportation improvements and public safety.
Concerning economic development projects in
the county, the mayors received updates on projects in the county industrial park system
and efforts to secure state funding.
In addition to the featured presentation,
Commissioner Balya updated the mayors on news from county government, including the
county’s budget and the status of the countywide readdressing project to enhance
emergency dispatch services.
The meeting closed with a moment of silence
for former Arnold Mayor Willie DeMao and North Belle Vernon Mayor Pat Angelo, who both
passed away since the last mayors’ forum.
Since 1996, Commissioner Balya has
sponsored Mayors’ Forums at least three times per year at various locations
throughout Westmoreland County.
Additional information on the comprehensive
plan and the IDC is available on-line through the Westmoreland County home page at www.co.westmoreland.pa.us. |
