CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Borough Code Enforcement Officer Larry Mack reported at last night’s committee meeting that two areas included in the Clearfield County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) Riverfront Project will require zoning changes.
Mack noted the previous Tool Shed property and property on the downtown side of the Market Street Bridge are zoned residential and will need to be re-zoned commercial.
Mack said in researching the situation, he found that these zoning changes do not need to be implemented through the Borough’s Zoning Hearing Board, but the borough council can approve to proceed with the changes.
It was noted that the proposed zoning changes will still need to be approved through the County Planning Commission, advertised and reviewed at a public meeting before the changes can be finalized.
The Borough Planning and Community Development Committee approved to recommend the changes to be adopted at borough council’s meeting next week.
With one dissenting vote, the committee also approved to recommend that council sign the grant documentation with the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $100,000 grant that will fund a feasibility study regarding the possible restructuring of Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township into one municipality under a home rule charter.
Engineer Todd Banks of Stiffler, McGraw and Associates Inc. reported that the Third Street sidewalk upgrade project is nearly complete. He said there are still two sidewalk pours and electrical work to finish, and the new light poles will be delivered mid-December. It was agreed that tree-planting will be postponed until spring.
Todd Kling, as lead man for the Borough Street Department, reported the leaf machine has been operating every day except during rain, and bagged leaf pick-up has been accelerated as the department is wrapping up the fall leaf clean-up.
Borough Operations Manager Leslie Stott noted that the Street Department is also responsible for cleaning up leaves in the borough’s parks, and added that street decorations will need changing soon for the Christmas season, another responsibility of the department.
Kling also reported that emergency repairs were done for an undermined storm drain near Soult Lumber.
Kling said that, due to previous issues with street salt loss, the borough’s salt shed will stay locked, and fencing was added at the shop, which will also be kept locked.
The Public Works Committee recommended that council approve free parking for downtown for Black Friday, Nov. 28. Stott noted that CNB Bank will provide meter cover bags and advertising for the free parking.
The committee also recommended that holiday parking be approved for December.
Council would like to encourage shoppers to visit downtown Clearfield on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29, and support Clearfield’s small businesses.
Finance Committee Chairperson, Heather Bozovich presented the draft budget for review, noting that council will set the tax rate for 2015 and approve the budget for advertisement at its regular meeting next week.