Zelie, Harmony share goals
ZELIENOPLE — The historic boroughs of Zelienople and Harmony now have long-range goals to work together to share services, to improve traffic flow, to boost recreation and to enhance each other's main streets.
This means the boroughs plan to coordinate such services as leaf and snow removal and to buy services such as health and workers' compensation benefits.
The final public hearing to lay out the major aspects of the communities' Joint Comprehensive Plan was Wednesday night at the Strand Theater on North Main Street.
After that hearing, both borough councils adopted that plan as their long-range guide.
The plan was put together by Jim Pashek and Paul Gilbert of Pashek Associates, a planning firm in Pittsburgh, which also had done Zelienople's master park plan.
"This is truly a celebration. These two communities have a lot of do with it," said Pashek before presenting the plan.
The plan, which will serve as a blueprint for the two communities for 10 to 15 years, covers six major areas:
• Controlling borough costs
• Revitalizing the borough's main streets
• Addressing traffic issues
• Enhancing tourism
• Looking at land use and flooding along Connoquenessing Creek
• Expanding recreational amenities.
The boroughs now are poised to implement the first year of the plan.
For controlling costs and enhancing services, the plan calls for the sharing of public works equipment and the joint buying of new equipment while coordinating services such as snow removal.
The coordination of administration purchasing includes supplies and services, health/disability/workman's compensation benefit, and information technology.
Another major point includes revitalizing the two main streets. The plans calls for creating a common sign system for the two business districts, establishing a facade improvement program and using common streetscape amenities.
Addressing traffic issues includes coordinating, retiming and doing minor equipment upgrades to the four traffic signals in Zelienople, doing major upgrades to those four Zelienople intersections, and maintaining crosswalks and sidewalks.
To enhance tourism, the plan outlines a joint marketing campaign for the two boroughs and promotes the renovation of an "anchor building" in each business district to promote more private investment.
Although Pashek pointed out the comprehensive plan doesn't solve flooding in areas along the Connoquenessing Creek because they are outside of the boroughs and would take a major regional solution, the plan does suggest reducing flooding through restoring creek bank areas and updating stormwater regulations to slow water run off.Regarding recreation, the plan calls for the revitalization of the Zelienople Community Pool and the implementation of a master site plan for the Zelienople Community Park, the initiation of a plan between the two boroughs to jointly manage the communities' parks and to develop a trail system in the two boroughs.A number of shared services committees will be established to recommend to the councils the best way to put the plan into action.Both boroughs will look for volunteers to serve on those committees and information will be listed on the Zelienople and Harmony websites and with the Zelienople-Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce.The two borough councils plan to have quarterly council sessions to keep updated on the committees' progress and on implementation of the plan's recommendations.Several members of the public had other suggestions for the plan.Bill Kessler, husband of Zelienople-Harmony chamber director Meg Kessler, said the Zelienople council should look at a downtown tree revitalization program that would have a business or a sponsor buy a tree in a planter that could be removed if the tree gets too large or relocated if it creates a hazard. Name plaques could be added showing who sponsored it and who adopted the maintenance of it.Ray Stetz of Zelienople, whose wife owns Many Ann's Classy Lady Consignment Boutique next to the Strand Theater, said the borough should establish more business-friendly ordinances such as permitting sidewalk displays other than during the traditional festivals of Horse Trading Days and the Country Fall Festival.Harmony resident Mike Corrigan suggested the communities establish outdoor cafes.Eva Dixon, who owns the Once Upon A Bride & Groom shop on South Main Street in Zelienople, said people traveling on Interstate 79 get confused where they're going because the sign for the Zelienople exit actually says Evans City.She suggested signs be added for both Zelienople and Harmony.The plan document is at both borough offices and at the Zelienople Public Library. Officials also hope to have a copy on the websites of both boroughs.
