to Millcreek residents and position the staff to deliver on the
recommendations of Embrace Millcreek.
PHASE ONE UPDATE
n REDEVELOPMENT
Several of the action items revolve
around improving the Township’s
ability to spur attractive and quality
redevelopment of residential and
commercial areas. The most important
of these recommendations is to revise
the zoning code and the subdivision and
land development ordinance (SALDO)
to support the goals of many Embrace
Millcreek focus areas. The Township
recently hired a consultant to assist in
the preparation of a new zoning code
and SALDO. The new ordinances are
expected to be in place by the end of
2020. Public workshops and open houses
will be held beginning later this year to
seek input on the revisions. During this
process the Planning Commission will
develop an Official Map to further guide
development in Millcreek, another Phase
One action item.
Other redevelopment related
initiatives are moving along as well.
Embrace Millcreek calls on the Township
to perform periodic evaluations of
permitting and site review procedures.
The Planning & Development
Department has revised and streamlined
several development applications
and has utilized the Township’s new
website to make those accessible
online. Simplifying the permitting
process will be a major focus as the
new development codes are written.
Additionally, Millcreek departments are
in the process of evaluating new software
for both financial management and
community development, to be partially
funded by an EIP grant. This software is
anticipated to increase efficiency, reduce
development review processing time,
improve communication with developers,
and allow developers to track the status
of their applications.
n GATEWAY TO PRESQUE ISLE
One of the action items in this focus
area recommends creating a streetscape
plan for major commercial corridors
and coordinating with PennDOT to
ensure implementation of appropriate
improvements as part of scheduled
reconstruction projects. To date, the
Township has opened discussions with
the City of Erie which is in the process
of improving the streetscape along
their portion of West 8th Street from
Pittsburgh Avenue to Frontier Park. In the
future we will be cooperating with the
City so that the corridor has a cohesive
feel with similar lighting and street
furniture, while taking opportunities
to highlight elements unique to each
community. As a participant in the
Erie Municipal Planning Organization,
Millcreek will work with PennDOT through
its PennDOT Connects initiative to
advocate for streetscape improvements as
work on major corridors is performed.
Another recommendation is to
develop a detailed plan for the Presque
Isle Gateway which includes selection
of a preferred alternative from the
2017 PennDOT and DCNR Presque Isle
Multimodal Study, and to develop a
detailed design/engineering plan for West
8th Street. Since adoption of the plan,
regional consensus has organized around
the 4-lane alternative for Peninsula
Drive recommended in the 2017 study.
Millcreek has applied for grants to fund
the first phase of an extension of the
multipurpose trail from Presque Isle State
Park to the Tom Ridge Environmental
Center based on this alternative.
Additionally, the Township has sought
a $5 million allocation of RACP funds to
bury overhead utilities along the West
8th Street corridor which are currently
a barrier to roadway and pedestrian
improvements. In the future Millcreek will
proceed with design and construction
of those projects if grant funds are
awarded.
For more information on Embrace Millcreek, please visit the Planning & Development page, located under the Government tab
at www.millcreektownship.com .
The plan document can be viewed and downloaded directly at www.millcreektownship.com/plan. Activating Embrace Millcreek
can be found beginning on Page 66 of the plan.
MILLCREEK
❘
FALL 2019
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