Westmoreland County comprehensive plan soon to be released to the public

Westmoreland County’s future will be on display by month’s end.

Reimagining Our Westmoreland, the comprehensive plan that is expected to provide a blueprint for the county’s future growth, will be unveiled Oct. 29 and slated for approval in late December, officials said Monday.

“I believe we have a decent document that will focus on high-level opportunities in the county. We will be able to make an impact,” said Jason Rigone, county planning director.

Work on the $309,000 document started two years ago with an objective to identify needs to bolster population, job growth, recreation opportunities and a general advancement of the quality of life for residents. The 110-page plan was delivered to the county last week by the Chicago-based consultant hired to coordinate the effort.

Officials said the plan is designed to offer strategies to deal with an aging and declining population in Westmoreland County. Most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the population at 358,000, down from 370,000 in the 2000 census. Meanwhile, the number of retirement-aged residents is expected to account for about 28 percent of the county’s population by 2020 as the population of school-aged children continues to decrease.

Rigone said final details such as pictures and charts will be added before the comprehensive plan document is publicly released online. It is expected to be published on the county’s website as well as the Reimagining Our Westmoreland website . Two open houses will be held Nov. 1 at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg to allow the public to look over the document and ask questions.

A public hearing for the plan is scheduled Dec. 17, with county commissioners tentatively slated to give final approval on Dec. 20, Rigone said.

The project is an effort to replace a 428-page plan authored in 2005 that largely went unused.

Planners over the last two years conducted a series of public information sessions to identify needs for the county and strategies to address those concerns. The document is expected to address seven topics:

• aligning the local workforce with businesses and education opportunities;
• helping the public discover Westmoreland County;
• repositioning local towns for the future;
• connecting residents with parks and nature;
• building healthy communities;
• adjusting to new economies; and
• creating new transportation choices.

“We wanted to focus on the issues the public identified, the challenges and the county’s needs. We were able to achieve that,” Rigone said.

Planners originally said the document was expected to take about 18 months to complete. A six-month extension was needed to allow additional work that is expected to map out implementation of the proposed actions identified as part of the blueprint.

Commissioners said Monday they have not reviewed the draft plan but expect it will address the county’s key needs.

“I’m looking forward to an ambitious agenda. We should think big,” said Commissioner Ted Kopas. “One of the best parts of this process has been identifying our challenges.”

Commissioners Charles Anderson said the comprehensive plan will be an important tool in positioning Westmoreland County’s future.

“We need to attract a young demographic, and this plan should give us an idea of how to do that,” Anderson said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.