North Strabane should stay semi-rural
The North Strabane trailer park saga continues, costing taxpayers tens of thousands in legal n bills.
In May 2016, the township published the North Strabane Township 2016 Comprehensive Plan. It includes the following: “The township’s residents value their green spaces and civic amenities. While the township’s historic pattern of development and topography limit the feasibility of providing additional active or passive green space within the western area of the community, the community’s eastern hills and valleys provide opportunity for the creation of additional open space areas as needed for future population growth demands.”
The township refers to the “eastern hills” as the area to the east of Route 19, that runs to the Route 519 and Route 136 crossroads in Eighty Four. This is my neighborhood, which is exactly where developers are attempting to place the trailer park. Due to tight roads, nearby railroad crossings and a single-lane bridge on the western side of Christy Road, the plan to place hundreds of trailers on a piece of land zoned for agricultural use is just plain wrong.
A few weeks ago, a farm and golf course were sold to Heartland Homes. Heartland’s plan is place hundreds of high-density “senior living” homes on these properties, which by township code, requires lots to be at least 1 acre.
Do we really want to be the next Peters Township, with virtually no farmland remaining, or do we want to remain a semi-rural township, exactly like the comprehensive plan has identified? North Strabane residents should say “no way” to these high-density developments in areas zoned for agricultural use.
Mark Caskey
North Strabane