Members of the Central Carbon County Regional Comprehensive Plan moved forward in the planning process during a meeting held Thursday at the office of Att. William Schwab. The meeting was facilitated by Allen Heist, project manager and consultant with Stell Environmental Enterprises.

Representatives attending the meeting were Bruce Steigerwalt, Mahoning Township; Rod Mann and Paul Kocher, Franklin Township; Att. Schwab, East Penn Township.After a brief Park, Greenway and Open Space plans update, Heist asked questioned whether an abandoned rail bed in East Penn Township or former Route 29 could be used as a trail connector.Att. Schwab noted that the railroad is on private land and that parts of it belong to various people. As far as Route 29, the group informed Heist that most of that roadway became Route 209.Heist then moved on to present a draft chapter "Protect and Improve the Character and Sense of Community in the Region," that summarizes the area's housing data. The information noted that Lehighton and Weissport have declining populations, while the surrounding townships are seeing increasing population and housing units."If the trend continues, Franklin Township will receive 50 percent of the new housing units and Franklin Township's population will be the largest in the region by 2030," he said.He said the migration of residents from denser areas to the townships will result in the loss of valuable agricultural and open space lands to development, inefficient expansion of infrastructure and roadways, higher cost for public services and greater traffic congestion."Efforts to revitalize the boroughs as attractive and desirable places to live will be needed if this trend is to be reversed," he said.He also noted that the area is consistent with the national trend that the population of the region is aging and is expected to do so as the baby boomers begin to retire. He noted that this will increase the demand for services specific to the elderly population, such as medical services and housing for the elderly."Agriculture land occupies a significant portion of the region and plays an important role in the local economy and landscape," he said. He said that there are many tree farms and other types of agricultural activity in the area.Heist said that age restricted housing is a new form of residential development resulting from an increase in the number of aging baby boomers and from favorable federal laws that allow for deviations from the Fair Housing Act.Heist said that the area has a variety of commercial activity with the majority of it located in Lehighton and along Route 443 in Mahoning Township and along Route 209 between the Turnpike exchange and Route 248.The industrial uses include Jake Arner Memorial Airport and there is also a quarry in East Penn Township.Institutional uses include the Lehighton Area School District and Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital. He said that enrollment projections do not indicate that any of the schools need to expand in the near future, but that the hospital may need to expand as demand for services for the region's aging population increases.Heist noted that Lehighton is designated as the commercial and residential area for the region. Lehighton's housing density ranges from four dwelling units per acre and higher.His suggestion for development included redevelopment of the Packerton Yards and Semanoff properties along Route 209 and Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard are important to the revitalization of Lehighton's downtown and the overall economic development of the region. He said that an effective redevelopment plan should include a town center zoning district, updated and consistent floodplain regulations in Lehighton and Mahoning Township, limiting retail commercial uses so not to further contribute to the loss of Lehighton's downtown, provide a greater mix of general land use categories in zoning districts to allow for free market system, eliminate the open space conservation district in Lehighton and incorporate open space and recreation requirements into the master plan for the entire town center district.To minimize commercial sprawl, is to limit commercial uses to areas where it currently exists, such as to eliminate commercial zoning districts west of the new Walmart in Mahoning Township and along Route 895 in East Penn Township, which have no or very limited activity.To encourage economic development and job creation in addition to redevelopment of the Packerton/Semanoff properties, transportation oriented industrial uses are proposed in area of the Turnpike exchange and Jake Arner Memorial Airport."Up to 2,116 new housing units are anticipated in the region by 2030 on projections," said Heist.He suggested that municipalities should consider zoning provisions for assisted living facilities, community residential home or group homes, apartments, life care communities, in-law suites, and elder cottages."Future development should be sustainable," he said. He said that new development should make efficient use of land and water, infrastructure and services, incorporate mixed uses, provide for transportation options, provide for people, and incorporate a quality design and be energy efficient.Heist asked the committee to help him provide information about their communities for a the draft chapter, "Form and Function of Government," which lists the elected and appointed positions of governing bodies to be included in Chapter 5 Action Plan and Implementation Strategy.Heist noted that the 1972 Comprehensive Plan for Weissport had devoted considerable discussion to the possibility of consolidating or merging Weissport and Lehighton in a single municipality. He said that did not lead to a consolidation in the intervening 40 years, he wondered if the present plan should recommend the proposal and be seriously discussed.The population of Weissport was 674 people in 1950 and in 2009, there were 428 people.He brought up the proposal that possibly Franklin Township might be a better route for consolidation with Weissport because there is only a canal between the two communities instead of a river.The next portion of the CCCRCP will be discussed at the next meeting to be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at the office of Att. William Schwab at 811 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive East, Lehighton. The topic will be "Existing Conditions" and "Recommended Improvements" chapters.