Brackenridge, Harrison, Tarentum to hold public hearings on development plan

Three Alle-Kiski Valley communities that have drafted a plan to guide their collective future have scheduled public hearings for residents to comment on it.

Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison, in that order, will hold hearings on their proposed joint comprehensive plan in December.

The plan, in development for more than a year, addresses issues faced by all three municipalities including economic development, property deterioration, recreation and branding.

No significant changes have been made to the draft since it was released and sent to neighboring municipalities and Highlands School District for comment, said Elaine Kramer, a designer and planner with the Pittsburgh-based consulting firm Pashek+MTR, which worked with a 17-member committee of volunteers from the three communities to develop the 10-year plan.

“No comments were received from any of the contiguous communities or the school district,” Kramer said. “Their comments would have been most welcome. But I have to be honest that it’s extremely rare to receive any review comments from anyone other than the county, so we were not surprised by this, and it’s not at all unusual.”

James Pashek, a founding partner of Pashek+MTR, will give a presentation at each hearing to review the plan once more with officials and answer any questions from the public, Kramer said.

Dave Rankin from Faith Community Partners and Gerald Driggs from Ground Floor Solutions, which is working with FCP, are expected to attend to speak about the community development corporation that FCP has formed and how it will support implementing the plan, Kramer said.

Tarentum is scheduled to hold a hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and could vote to adopt the plan during its regular meeting following at 6 p.m.

Previously planned to be held in-person, borough Manager Michael Nestico said the hearing and meeting will both be held virtually on Zoom. The borough posts links to meetings on its website.

Brackenridge will hold its hearing two days later on Zoom beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday

Like Tarentum, Brackenridge Council may vote on the plan during its meeting scheduled to follow the hearing at 6 p.m. on Zoom.

A link to the meeting as well as dial-in information will be on the borough’s website and posted on the door at the borough building.

Harrison commissioners are not scheduled to hold their hearing on the plan until later in the month, at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 21 ahead of their scheduled monthly meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Those meetings are currently expected to be held in-person at the township building.