Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Funding Secured: $40 million
Lycoming County Comprehensive Plan
The Challenge
In 2002, the Lycoming County Planning Commission vigorously embraced the concept of multi-municipal comprehensive planning to support the update to the Lycoming County Comprehensive Plan by coordinating the preparation of six multi-municipal comprehensive plans covering 26 municipalities and 83 percent of the county’s population. Lycoming County’s objective was to evaluate both countywide and regional community planning and economic development issues, and develop strategic public and private partnerships for implementation.
The comprehensive planning efforts encompassed the following geographic areas:
• Lycoming County
• Muncy Creek Area
• U.S. 220/Future I-99 Area
• Greater Williamsport Area
• U.S. 15 South Area
• Montoursville/Muncy Growth Area
• Lower Lycoming Creek Area
The Solution
Delta collaborated with Gannett Fleming, Inc., to update the County Comprehensive Plan and to prepare six multi-municipal plans for the 26 municipalities. The process relied heavily on public involvement through ad hoc planning advisory committee meetings, focus group sessions with key public and private stakeholders, and community meetings. The public involvement process resulted in raising both county-wide and regional issues, which were substantiated through background data research and analysis on population and housing, land use, transportation, sewer and water, municipal services, cultural and historical resources, natural resources, and economic development.
The Result
The planning process resulted in public and private support for the vision and strategic actions identified in the County Comprehensive Plan and the six multi-municipal comprehensive plans. The public/private partnerships coupled with the public support have enabled county and local elected officials, as well as community leaders, to begin changing public policy and start programming physical community improvements to benefit county residents. To date, Delta has secured over $40 million of state and federal funding for Lycoming County’s economic initiatives.
