CLEARFIELD, Pa. — The Clearfield County Planning Commission presented a concept Tuesday to help the county and municipalities without zoning prepare for big development projects during the Clearfield County commissioners’ meeting.
Jodi Brennan, director of county planning, spoke Tuesday about High Impact Development (HID), an idea the planning office has been working on recently. Brennan explained this is a new concept by the planning commission, designed to be innovative while remaining within what the county can regulate, as well as providing meaningful protection for rural areas. The plan builds on the county’s existing subdivision and land development ordinance and would apply to very large projects, such as distribution centers or data centers.
Brennan said many people believe the county has more power over such development than it does. She said the state gives much of the power to local municipalities with their own zoning and ordinances; however, about 30 municipalities in Clearfield County do not have zoning laws. HID would provide an engineering-based framework for the county to ensure there are resources and infrastructure available to allow for a huge construction project.
Brennan said more large facilities are looking at rural Pennsylvania and areas without zoning. She said HID will give those municipalities and the county a chance to legally review these facilities earlier in the process, while also helping responsible developers by giving clear expectations up front.
Under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, counties can have authority over site design, roads, traffic, and stormwater plans, and can accept the plans developed by the state Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection. Brennan said certain criteria would trigger HID, such as when a project is so large it noticeably changes how the roads and/or utilities function; something you can’t miss being constructed, like a warehouse or industrial complex. The result would be protection for private wells and water systems, protecting local roads and community character, as well as minimizing construction disruption. HID would not be needed for projects like farms, shops, or restaurants.
Currently, the High Impact Development plan is still being introduced as a concept. The planning commission is gathering feedback and reviewing the idea before beginning the formal process of review and receiving comments.
“No other county has anything like this,” Brennan said, adding that Clearfield County is being watched and other counties intend on creating their own plans as they observe the success of Clearfield. “We’re being pro-active, not re-active,” Brennan said, adding they want to encourage responsible development.
Commissioner John Sobel, who also acts as solicitor for several small municipalities in the county, said the municipalities have been worried about these things, especially data centers. Commissioner Tim Winters added it has been an item discussed at conferences and will be a huge help for those areas without zoning.
