February 17, 2006
by Jaime Bumbarger
Mo Valley Bureau Chief
Reproduced with permission.

Circulation Manager:
Cindy Aughenbaugh
Phone: 814-765-5581
Fax: 814-765-5165

PHILIPSBURG -- Planners call it a "roadmap," but opponents view the Rush Township comprehensive plan, approved last night by a 2-1 vote, more as a one-way street headed straight to a landfill they don't want.

While planners and supervisors tried to separate the comprehensive plan from the proposed landfill, opponents could not help but say the two go hand-in-hand.

"This plan is a roadmap for one special interest-- Resource Recovery LLC," Jenn Shufran, Rush Township resident, said during last night's public hearing on the comprehensive plan.

Ms. Shufran, who was among roughly a dozen people to offer testimony during the public hearing, questioned the supervisors' motive to act on a comprehensive plan now, 20 years after it failed to act on another plan. The only difference she said she observed between the two plans was the recent one "tailor-made a new designation of the northernmost land in the township."

The parcel of land is designated as "industrial enterprise," in the new plan, with its primary use for waste management, manufacturing, warehousing and transportation. By coincidence or not, it is the site of RRLLC's proposed landfill and industrial park.

But of the six sites identified for industrial development in the first plan two decades ago, this parcel of land was not one of them, said Rush Township resident Mike Savage. The land was labeled forest/recreation, similar to the designation of adjacent property in Snow Shoe Township.

"It doesn't seem to fit," said Ms. Shufran, asking supervisors re-evaluate the type of land use planned for the parcel.

But others said Rush Township does not seem to fit with Centre County. "I resent the fact that so many outsiders are putting in so much input," said Dewey Evans of Rush Township. "What I'm hearing from the county is that you guys [the supervisors] are puppets. I think Rush Township ought to be Rush Township."

The township is required by the Municipal Planning Code to submit the comprehensive plan to the county, school district and adjacent municipalities for comment. The Centre County Planning and Economic Development Office did offer numerous comments, many of which have been already addressed, said Chris Price, assistant director.

However, Mr. Price did ask supervisors to consider a few more recommendations. He asked that location quotient data be incorporated. LQ data tells how strong or weak the local economy is relative to a particular industry and is useful in recruitment efforts.

Another area of the plan Mr. Price requested be addressed is the employment projections. He said the method used to calculate the projections was suspect.

Finally, Mr. Price asked that the township re-evaluate whether or not its land uses can accommodate the projected growth over the life of the plan.

With those recommendations said, the majority of the approximately 50 people in attendance, favored tabling any official action at least until those recommendations could be examined.

However, supervisors closed the public hearing, and after a short break, convened a special meeting where they voted to incorporate the county's concerns and approve the comprehensive plan.

Supervisor Steven Knowles, who cast the lone dissenting vote against adoption of the plan, said the township needed more time to properly evaluate what was said during the public hearing. "The residents make up Rush Township and the residents put us [the supervisors] up here. We should listen to the residents of Rush Township," Mr. Knowles said.

Mr. Price seemed puzzled by the supervisors' decision. "Basically, you adopted a plan and don't know what the final wording will be," he told supervisors after the vote.

Supervisors Jack Shannon and Pat Couturiaux contend they did listen to the input and are satisfied all the substantive comments were incorporated.

"We felt there was a need for a vision for the township," said Mr. Shannon. "This will give us a plan and structure as to where Rush Township is going."

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©2005-2006 People Protecting Communities • last updated Feb 17, 2005
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