Regional Planning Commission Format

In January 2005 your Planning Commission became the “Venango County Regional Planning Commission” (VCRPC) in order to provide more direct professional planning services to our municipalities. Each municipality in Venango County is invited to join this approach to a county Planning Commission being used across the Commonwealth. The VCRPC is staffed by trained professional planners to provide services related to comprehensive planning, subdivision and land development review, zoning administration, preparation of grant applications, Geographic Information Services (including the preparation of specialized maps for use by municipalities), grant administration, and other planning related functions (i.e. storm water management, flood plain management, ordinance preparation and review, environmental reviews, etc)

Each participating municipality will pay a fee of fifty cents ($0.50) per person (based upon the most recent census information). In return for this contribution the member municipalities would have representation on the Planning Commission through the three Councils of Governments (COGs), residents of those municipalities would pay no review fee for minor subdivisions or land developments and pay the actual cost of review for major subdivisions (10 lots or more or projects involving the construction of new infrastructure). Grant applications would be prepared at no charge to participating municipalities, grant administration will be offered at a negotiated fee. Staff of the VCRPC will be made available to attend municipal meetings on an as needed and as available basis at no charge to participating municipalities. In effect, the municipalities are hiring an extended staff. For the municipalities that do not join the VCRPC, these services are still available but fees apply. Joint and regional efforts are also more likely to receive funding from state and federal sources as well as attract support from a larger area.

It is our strong belief that improving the quality of planning in Venango County will not only assist municipalities in the day to day functions related to subdivision, land development, and grant applications, but will also provide long term benefits in terms of obtaining grants, providing realistic opportunities for economic development and working with communities to protect their built and natural environments.