Long Range Plan Committee

Rostraver Township has started the foundation for making sound land-use decisions by being more pro-active with decision making by adopting the 2000 Comprehensive Plan and by hiring a full-time planner on staff. The Township does not want to be reactive with decision making but to be pro-active. Since the adoption of the 2000 Comprehensive plan, the Commissioners have used the plan to help guide them in land-use decision making. Then the Commissioners went a step further in September 2005; they appointed a Long Range Plan Committee to guide them, along with township staff, with the long range planning process in the community.

The Long Range Plan Committee is made up residents of Rostraver Township, township staff, local elected officials and the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County. Members of the committee include: Tony Boscan, Frank Lorenzo, Nick Lorenzo, Jim McKevitt, William Melilli, Philip Giordano, Gerald Smith, Larry Vachon, Tamira M. Spedaliere (Township Planner), Alex Graziani (Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County), and John Surmacz (Westmoreland County Planning).

In an effort to enjoy both the benefits of growth, while still protecting the quality of life, Rostraver Township received funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Land Use and Planning Technical Assistance Program (LUPTAP) to update the adopted 2000 Comprehensive Plan. The Plan hopes to achieve a vision of unique residential neighborhoods, inviting mixed use areas, and successful commercial development, while still keeping rural beauty. The Plan will also identify tools to prevent land use conflicts, provide for conservation of natural areas, and create a community center complex that becomes a hub for local activities.

One of the components of a comprehensive plan is recreation, open space and park planning. In order to define this component, Rostraver Township also received funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to create a Comprehensive Recreation, Parks and Open Space Plan. The Recreation Study Committee consists of the Recreation Commission, township staff, and local elected officials.

The updated 2000 Comprehensive Plan and the Comprehensive Recreation, Parks and Open Space Plan will be combined into one planning document. Once both plans are adopted the Township will begin updating our ordinances accordingly, and implement recreation and transportation capital improvement plans.

Any questions, please call the Township Planner, Tamira M. Spedaliere, at 724-929-8877 or e-mail at planning@rostraver.us .