Cumberland County Planning Department

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.

Survey Results

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.

Community Feedback

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 Challenge…

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 County’s prosperous growth cannot be taken for granted. The County and its constituent 33 municipal governments must plan for the future. Economic development opportunities should be planned and pursued to provide employment opportunities and increase the tax base. Housing must be provided to accommodate households of all sizes and income levels. Essential natural resources must be conserved to insure countywide access to healthy food, clean air, and pure water supplies. Critical communications, sewer, and transportation infrastructures must be maintained and expanded to accommodate new growth. The Cumberland County Comprehensive Plan provides an opportunity for these issues to be considered on a countywide basis and insure that the County’s prosperity continues well into the future.
What is a Comprehensive Plan?

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.

Organization of the Comprehensive Plan

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.

Any Questions? Contact Us!

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

B.A. in Social Work from Shippensburg University M.S.W. from S.U.N.Y. - Stony Brook Ph.D. in Social Work from The Catholic University of America Dr. Dorlisa Minnick believes social and environmental justice is inextricably tied together in order to build sustainable...
College of Education & Human Services

Antonia Price

Project Manager, Department of Geography-Earth Science

H.B.S. in Biology from University of Utah Antonia received an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Utah, with Undergraduate Research Scholar designation. As Project Manager for the Center for Land Use and Sustainability, she oversees...
College of Arts & Sciences