In 2017, the CLUS conducted an online survey on behalf of the Cumberland County Planning Commission (CCPC). The purpose of this project was to assist the Cumberland County Planning Department in gathering public feedback on the goals and objectives laid out in the draft comprehensive plan. The Cumberland County Comprehensive Plan is a long range policy document that establishes goals and objectives for the orderly development of the county. Almost 3,000 survey responses were used to update the draft county comprehensive plan.
We presented the results of the Cumberland County survey to the Commissioners at the August 16 Finance Meeting. View the presentation slides and watch the video to learn more. Visit the Planning Department website to view the draft 2017 Comprehensive Plan and survey results.
Over 2,900 residents provided feedback to the Cumberland County Planning Commission on the draft goals and objectives that will be used to update the comprehensive plan. Your feedback will help determine how we conserve, grow, and connect in the future! Visit the Cumberland County Planning Department website to learn more about the 2017 Comprehensive Plan and how you can provide your input.
The U.S Census Bureau identified Cumberland County as the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania from 2000-2014. During that time period the County added just over 8,000 residents to reach an estimated population of 243,762[1]. By 2040, Cumberland County’s population is expected to swell to over 280,000 residents[2].
Cumberland County’s growth should come as no surprise. The diversity of Cumberland County’s urban, suburban, and rural landscapes truly offers something for everyone. The County’s strategic location, low unemployment, abundant recreational opportunities, and high quality of life are powerful attractants for residential, commercial and industrial development.
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (“MPC”, Act 247 of 1968, as reenacted and amended) requires all counties to prepare a comprehensive plan following guidelines established in the statute. Further, the MPC requires general consistency between the county comprehensive plan and municipal comprehensive plans that townships and boroughs have adopted. The required “general consistency” of municipal and county comprehensive plans ensures that issues that transcend municipal boundaries are effectively coordinated between the municipal and county level. Municipalities implement the policy guidance found in coordinated municipal and county comprehensive plans through local zoning, subdivision, and official map ordinances.
View the 2003 Comprehensive Plan or Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for the 2016 update.
The Cumberland County Comprehensive Plan effectively addresses the required elements of a comprehensive plan as outlined in Section 301 of the MPC. The plan has been concisely organized and simply written to create a user-friendly document, easily understood by a broad cross-section of county residents and stakeholders. The plan is intended to be primarily an electronic document that provides users with the most current data in a readily accessible, widely available document.
The plan is structured around 3 major themes, functional elements for each theme, and accompanying goals, objectives, and strategies for each functional element. The organization of the plan moves from general issue identification to specific actions that the County should take in order to address each issue.
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, 2014.
[2] 2040 Harrisburg Area Transportation Study Long Range Transportation Plan, 2015.
Kirk Stoner, AICP
Director of Planning
[email protected]
717-240-5362
Antonia Price
Project Coordinator
[email protected]
717-477-1519
Affiliate Scholars
Dorlisa Minnick, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Social Work & Gerontology
