Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ms. Kathy Jeremiah, Project Coordinator
Northumberland County Planning Department
399 S. Fifth Street
Sunbury, PA 17801
570-988-4295
REGARDING: Anthracite Outdoor Recreation Area Master Plan
– formerly the Northumberland County Off-Highway Vehicle Park
Northumberland County will hold its second public input session on the Master Plan for County property proposed as a an outdoor recreation venue. Formerly referred to as the Northumberland County Off-Highway Vehicle Park, the project is now the Anthracite Outdoor Recreation Area. Pat Mack, Director of the Northumberland County Planning Department, said “It’s time to retire the former name for one that more accurately reflects the County’s intentions for the facility. Our desire is to develop a world-class outdoor recreation area that provides a broad spectrum of recreation opportunities, from off-highway vehicle riding opportunities, to equestrian, mountain biking, and hiking opportunities, and hunting opportunities, to name a few.”
The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - 6:30 pm, at the Shamokin Area Junior Senior High School Auditorium, 2000 W. State Street, Coal Township, PA 17866. The County has commissioned a study to create a multi-use facility on over 6,000 acres of County owned. This meeting is being held to update the public on the planning process, and to gather public input relative to the planning of the facility.
At this meeting the Consultants will present a summary of economic development projections from similar facilities, review a draft of the proposed concept plan for the facility, discuss a potential park operations and life safety management system, discuss potential rules, present recommendations regarding the proposed hunting policy for the property, and summarize research findings on fee structures of similar areas.
Kathy Jeremiah, Project Coordinator for the Anthracite Outdoor Recreation Area, said “We are very excited about the potential this project has from a number of perspectives, including economic development, motorized and non-motorized recreation, and the environment. It is important that the public come to the meeting to hear what the Consultants are formulating for the facility, and to provide us their feedback on the various proposals considered.”
Jeremiah also noted several representatives of the National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, with headquarters in Great Falls, Montana will be present at the meeting.
John Buerkle, Principal of Pashek Associates, noted “The purpose of this meeting is to share with the public a work in progress. To date nothing is written in stone, as a work in progress facets of the plan are subject to change based on input received from the public. The information being presented at the meeting will indicate the direction the facility is taking.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to provide their comments and suggestions to the Consultants and to the project study committee this meeting.
This is the second of three public input sessions being held during the master planning process for the park. The third and final public meeting will be held in January.
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.
