EMBRACE MILLCREEK:
A COMMUNITY PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE
Issues and Ideas Discussed at
Embrace Millcreek Open Houses
Embrace Millcreek – the Township’s new comprehensive plan
– is rapidly coming into focus after more than a year of work and
several rounds of input from residents, businesses, and a wide
range of other stakeholders.
A draft of the plan is set for delivery in May and will be
presented to the public for comment and feedback on its way
to completion over the summer. The date and location of the
May presentation will be announced at the project’s website
(EmbraceMillcreek.com), Facebook page, and through local
media outlets.
Residents received a preview of the plan during two open
house events in late January at J.S. Wilson Middle School and
McDowell Intermediate. The events were structured around
five focus areas that have emerged as priorities in Millcreek,
including: strengthening neighborhood investment, improving
commercial corridors, creating a distinctive gateway to Presque
Isle, supporting business development, and promoting
stewardship of Township infrastructure.
Among the key findings discussed during the open houses
were visible pockets of residential disinvestment in the Township
where blight may worsen if left unchecked. To confront this
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MILLCREEK
issue, efforts to address blighted properties and stimulate
investment by property owners were outlined.
Also noted was the likelihood that changes in the national
retail economy could result in rising vacancies, especially at
older commercial properties in Millcreek. Zoning reforms
to allow a greater mixture of uses along major commercial
corridors were identified as among the tools for addressing this
issue.
Posters from the January open houses, which include
summaries of key findings and emerging concepts, are on
display in the hallway adjacent to the Municipal Building
lobby. Digital copies can be viewed and downloaded at
EmbraceMillcreek.com, along with other project resources.
czbLLC, the Township’s planning consultant on Embrace
Millcreek, has been working with Supervisors, staff, and the
Planning Commission since last summer to complete research,
analysis, and outreach. This included a comprehensive visual
survey of Township residential properties in the fall of 2017 to
identify residential investment and disinvestment patterns, work
that was completed with assistance from Edinboro University
students.