Planning Commission
Monthly Public Meetings7:00 PM, 3rd Thursday
Warriors Mark Grange Hall
Grange Lane, Centre Line Road
Warriors Mark, PA 16877
Planning Commission Members
Harry Gearhart, Chairman
2535 Pennington Road
Tyrone, PA 16686
phone: 814-632-8349
Daniel Durbin, Secretary
2294 Durbin Drive
Tyrone, PA 16686
phone: 814-632-8616 email: DDeanD1943@aol.com
Peter C. Liese, Board of Supervisors Representative
P.O. Box 247
1732 Arbutus Lane
Warriors Mark, PA 16877
phone: 215-327-5482 email: pcl022@aol.com
Joel Branstetter
2657 Pennington Road
Tyrone, PA 16686
phone: 814-632-8416
Dick Hoyne
2784 Tumblehill Drive
Warriors Mark, PA 16877
phone: 814-919-2060
Rodney L. Marshall
3928 Burket Road
Tyrone, PA 16686
phone: 814-632-8692
Jason Moore
1868 Centre Line Road
Warriors Mark, PA 16877
Paul Smith
P.O. Box 161
Warriors Mark, PA 16877
The Planning Commission
A planning commission plays a major role in giving advice and providing recommendations to a governing body. Today, land use is an important issue at the local and state level. Land use planning is a topic among state agencies, county and local governments, business and industry, charitable and private foundations, as well as environmental organizations. A planning commission is on the front-line regarding land use issues. Its job is to advise locally elected officials on planning and community development matters.
At the state level, the Governor created the 21st Century Environment Commission and charged it with a mission. The final report identified many urgent issues requiring attention and concluded that: “Among all these urgent matters, however, we give top priority to the challenge of promoting responsible land use. Promoting land use stewardship may be the most important issue, but correcting our land use patterns is the most pressing.” At the local level planning commissions are crucial in developing recommendations for implementing change in land use and promoting responsible land use practices.
On January 7, 1999, Governor Tom Ridge issued Executive Order 1999-1 implementing the land use recommendations formulated by the commission (See Appendix I – Executive Order 1999-1). The order recognizes that: “Pennsylvania’s land is a precious, yet finite, resource…. [and] the role of Pennsylvania’s local government in land use planning is an important and vital part of our heritage…” A planning commission is a local organization that can assist local governments in implementing change in future growth patterns. Change in land use patterns is an important part of the future of Pennsylvania.
By June of 2000, the General Assembly passed and Governor Ridge signed several significant land use enabling statutes modernizing planning in Pennsylvania. Particularly, the most recent legislative session resulted in passage of four acts that impact the way state agencies, county and local governments do planning. Collectively, Acts 32, 67, 68 and 127 of 2000 provide broad authorization to look closely at areas that are already developed, examine natural areas for conservation and achieve general consistency among local, county and state entities for promoting sound land use. Each component of the legislation constitutes an important connection in implementing basic principles of sound land use.
At the municipal level, Pennsylvanians realize that land is one of our most valuable natural resources and the way it is used or developed creates a significant part of our physical surroundings. Any change in land use becomes a permanent part of our daily lives in the future. Yet all valuable resources must be used reasonably, economically and equitably to benefit both the property owner’s interest as well as the general public.
An important power of local government is to plan for and guide the way land resources are used. A planning commission can play a significant part in guiding the use of land resources. The power and authority to plan for future land use patterns rest primarily on the municipal officials that serve the citizen of the Commonwealth as volunteers.
From: Planning Series #2 Document
Governor’s Center for Local Government Services
Department of Community and Economic Development
4th Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-0225