COAL TOWNSHIP - Northumberland County will hold its third public input session on the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) Master Plan at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, at the Shamokin Area Junior-Senior High School Auditorium, 2000 W. State St..
The county commissioned the study to evaluate and provide recommendations for more than 6,500 acres of county property proposed to become a formalized venue for motorized and non-motorized recreation activities. A draft of the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area Master Plan is available for review at www.northumberlandco.org and www.anthraciteadventure.com.
Consultants will present a draft of the recommendations developed for the proposed facility including facility and activity areas proposed within the AOAA, proposed plan for Phase I funding and development, proposed rules of use for the AOAA and the safety and security of visitors to the AOAA.
Business plan components include the proposed fee structure to cover operating and maintenance expenses and future capital development. Attendees will have the opportunity to comment on the draft recommendations presented in the master plan.
John Buerkle, principal of Pashek Associates, said, "Throughout the process, the community, business leaders and steering committee provided thoughtful input and raised legitimate concerns. That input was taken to heart. Collectively, the committee, the county and the consultants listened to it, reflected on it and responded with a plan that responds to resident's desires.
"Implementing the master plan will formalize and secure public access to the land for current and future residents of the county, provide a safe venue for responsible motorized and non-motorized recreation and provide the county with much needed economic development by spurring the creation of new businesses and jobs, increasing the tax base and increasing spending in the local communities. Economic development was the impetus for the project, and Bloomsburg University has agreed to study and report on the actual economic impact of the AOAA on the region as the plan is set in motion."
Pat Mack, director of the Northumberland County Planning Department, said, "This has been a good process. A lot of issues have been raised, and we believe the plan reflects the appropriate direction for the future of the property. Formalizing the plan opens the opportunity to seek the state, federal and private funding necessary to build the project. This provides an opportunity to legally permit recreation on this property for future generations, as well as much needed economic stimulus to the Lower Anthracite Region."
This is the third of three public input sessions being held during the master planning process for the AOAA.
The master plan is being funded with grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The plan is being prepared by Pashek Associates, a landscape architecture and community planning firm located in Pittsburgh, in conjunction with Pennoni Associates of Mechanicsburg.