Fastest-growing county in Pa. putting together blueprint for future

(Harrisburg) — The fastest-growing county in Pennsylvania is set to lay out a blueprint for the future: Cumberland County is putting together an update to its comprehensive plan.

More and more people have moved to Cumberland County in recent years, just as more and more warehouses have been built.

Its population grew by more than 4.5% between 2010 and 2015, the highest rate of growth of any county in the midstate.

So, the comprehensive plan will be critical in charting a path forward that weighs land preservation with housing needs and economic development.

Kirk Stoner, the county’s director of planning, says the update will be a complete overhaul – since the last changes were made in 2013 and only affected a couple sections.

He says preserving natural resources, and maintaining clean air, water and land are vital, but that’s not all.

“If our county isn’t growing from an economic standpoint, we see a lot less interest and a lot less money infused in the county to help support some of the preservation efforts that are out there. So we really look at the county as diverse, and that planning is really the tool to balance those diverse needs,” says Stoner.

A public survey is open until the end of April, and then public hearings will be scheduled.

“When we look ahead, we realize that we have to have growth, whether it be residential growth or commercial/industrial growth, to provide us a stable tax base, provide wealth for our residents. But we also have to have those natural resources preserved and protected,” he adds.

Stoner says he hopes the final comprehensive plan will be ready by the summer months.