Five West Hills municipalities moving toward county's first joint comprehensive plan

Yahoo

18-03-2025

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The five municipalities of the 30-square-mile West Hills region are preparing to spend a combined $37,500 to develop a comprehensive plan for improving the region over the next 10 years.
The Cambria County Planning Commission is coordinating the municipalities' steps toward developing and implementing a plan that would preserve each municipality's autonomy while saving municipal costs through sharing more services and cooperating to improve housing, recreation and environment across the municipalities.
Southmont Borough unanimously approved its financial commitment of $5,026 for the plan Monday.
Brownstown Borough has committed to funding its share, borough officials said, and Westmont Borough and Upper Yoder and Lower Yoder townships are each in the process of scheduling votes to finalize a contribution.
'It will be a good thing,' Westmont Borough Council President Marc McCall said.
'The municipalities tried this years ago but didn't go forward. Now that we have all municipalities in agreement, I feel positive that it will pass.'
Each municipality's financial contribution is based on its population, Cambria County Planning Commission Community Development Planner Shanna Murphy Sosko said.
The $37,500 contribution from the municipalities is required to match a state grant of the same amount secured by the Cambria County Planning Commission in the fall.
The grant of $37,500 from the Pennsylvania Municipal Assistance Program and the local share of $37,500 would cover the $75,000 fee to hire a consultant to write the plan, Murphy Sosko said.
The county planning commission is currently seeking proposals from qualified planning consultants to provide professional services to develop the plan for the West Hills region.
Proposals are due April 11, according to the commission's Request For Proposal (RFP).
A consulting firm would be selected and awarded May 15, and the selected firm would be given a target of July 2026 for the plan's completion.
The consultant will focus on conducting engagement with the public and a steering committee to identify top community priorities and deliver guidance for executing the plan, the RFP says.
The state and local funds of $75,000 combined would be exhausted after the formation of the plan; new sources of funding would have to be used to execute the plan.
The consultant's guidance would include identifying potential sources of funding for projects, and identifying completion timeframes, the RFP says.
Doug Beri, Southmont Borough Council president, said more grant funds would naturally flow to the West Hills municipalities after the comprehensive plan is completed.
'For the West Hills to be competitive for state and federal grants, it needs to have a comprehensive plan,' Beri said. 'This will help us access more grant funds in the future.'
The identity of each municipality would be honored by the plan, the RFP says.
'To ensure the preservation of each municipality's autonomy and to accommodate their distinct socio-economic and geographical characteristics, the plan will integrate collective regional goals and objectives,' the RFP says.
'Additionally, each municipality will be allocated a dedicated section within the plan, delineating its individual background, specific goals, objectives, and a tailored action plan. This approach aims to honor the diverse identity of each municipality while fostering collaboration towards overarching regional objectives.'
Once hired, the consultant 'should start the planning process by engaging with the public, the commission and the municipal steering committee to identify top priorities,' the RFP said.
The RFP includes several topics that have already been identified by the municipalities and planning commission.
Those topics for the plan include extending collaboration beyond EMS and police to include shared staff, public works, equipment and utility services; revitalizing existing commercial districts and integrating smaller, mixed-use businesses into residential areas for economic vitality; enhancing pedestrian infrastructure with sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks, and prioritizing protection of sensitive environmental areas and implementation of sustainable stormwater solutions.
The plan could also include proactive maintenance and rehabilitation initiatives for existing housing, address aging and blighted structures to foster stable communities; modernization of antiquated land use ordinances, codes, and regulatory processes, and developing a comprehensive parks and recreational approach that evaluates options for regional recreation programs, including potential collaboration with existing recreation providers.
The West Hills comprehensive plan would be the first ever joint municipal plan in the county, Sosko said.
'It's exciting,' she said. 'The hope is that it will set stage for other municipalities in Cambria County to want to do this as well.'