Westmoreland County’s comprehensive plan, implemented in early 2019, was designed to reimagine the future.
That reimagining is occurring, just at a slower pace than first anticipated, officials said last week as the county issued its latest report on the progress made on future planning.
“It’s rewarding to see accomplishments, but we can’t rest on them. I would absolutely call it a success, but we’re never satisfied,” Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas said.
Slowed progress
The county’s comprehensive plan identified 38 unique strategies planners hoped would reinvigorate the local economy and reverse the decade-long trend of declines in the local population.
Seven years later, many of the plans pitched to bolster employment opportunities through new growth of business and industry, improvements to technical training programs and new recreational and quality-of-life initiatives are in place.
While those efforts have yet to stave off an overall decline in population, they have sparked what officials say is an uptick of new residents relocating to Westmoreland County.
Shifting demographics
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Westmoreland County has over the past year lost about 0.33% of its population, which has dropped below 350,000.
For decades, the county’s death rate has outpaced births. That trend continues, and according to county estimates, there were more than 15,000 more resident deaths than births over the last seven years.
Overall, the local population has decreased by nearly 9,700 since 2019.
“The mission of the plan was to address demographics, and our ultimate goal is to have a population that is growing, even with the challenges of natural declines. Meeting that goal is challenging,” Westmoreland County Planning Director Jason Rigone said.
Stabilizing migration
The comprehensive plan was designed as a blueprint to attract new residents. Rigone said migration has helped stabilize the county’s population. Officials estimated more than 5,700 people have relocated to Westmoreland County since 2019.
“Based on those numbers, the plan has been successful,” Rigone said.
The plan, which cost $309,000 to produce in 2018, outlined several factors: linking workers with employers; promoting arts, recreation and tourism; enhancing local towns; improving housing; converting to a modern economy; and upgrading transportation.
Kopas was a member of the board of commissioners when the plan was approved.
“It established our first goals to set us on the path forward and added structure to what we’d been talking about. If you look back, a lot of the issues we wanted to deal with was to create job growth in the community and stabilize our population. Certainly, this has helped us focus on those issues,” Kopas said.
Regional cooperation
The plan’s progress report touts industries that have relocated to the county and points to construction of industrial facilities throughout the region. It outlined accomplishments that range from promoting downtowns, including an ongoing effort in Jeannette; highlighting ongoing solar energy projects in the county; and focusing on recreation through upgrades to the county park system, tourism and the consolidation of local services.
Rigone said the formation of the Alle Kiski Intergovernmental Council, a concept pitched in the comprehensive plan, is an example of how communities working together can push a region forward.
The council, which formed in 2023, initially included New Kensington, Arnold, Lower Burrell, Upper Burrell, Allegheny Township, Vandergrift, East Vandergrift and West Leechburg. It combined efforts to identify and eradicate blight, recruit and train junior firefighters and combine code enforcement officers’ duties. Arnold, Vandergrift and East Vandergrift announced in March they would leave the council over cost concerns.
“The bigger picture is with the way the economy is going, we will all be forced to cooperate, so we said let’s start,” New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said. Guzzo serves as chairman of the intergovernmental council. “We’re the guinea pigs and the first district to do this. It allows every town, city and municipality to solve their problems together.”
Deferred goals
Rigone said the county’s comprehensive plan was designed as a 10-year blueprint. Just a year after it was implemented, the covid-19 pandemic stalled some efforts, while other more ambitious proposals were deferred.
The plan called for construction of a county convention center. While the county’s chamber of commerce pitched that plan, no firm construction project has been undertaken. Planners also called for the county to serve as a hub for what was then a burgeoning hemp industry.
“There have been some areas where we’ve not moved forward,” Rigone said, noting the hemp industry proposal. “Market conditions for that have collapsed, so we’re not focused on that detail. We have to be flexible with what we prioritize.”
