Lancaster planners weigh expanded land-use map, EPA wastewater assistance; action limited to approving minutes

Lancaster County Planning Commission members discussed updating the county’s comprehensive-plan land-use maps and described technical help from an EPA program aimed at addressing failing septic systems, but took no major policy votes other than approving last month’s minutes.

Commissioners spent the bulk of the meeting reviewing examples of land-use maps from other localities and considering what additional categories and map “layers” Lancaster might show — including conservation areas, working waterfronts, public and semi-public sites (such as schools), parks, water-access points, EMS and fire facilities, and locations suitable for utility-scale solar. Staff described an ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Initiative,” which is providing no-cost technical assistance and support applying for grant funds to address failing septic systems and plan future wastewater infrastructure.

The discussion matters because updated illustrative mapping and wastewater planning can affect grant eligibility and the county’s ability to target infrastructure investment. Planning staff said clearer mapping of planned-growth and secondary-growth areas, overlays such as the waterfront protection zone, and an inventory of “ready-to-develop” parcels would help when applying for state and federal grants that require projects be shown in the comprehensive plan.

Planning staff member Andrea Hall told commissioners the packet included a preliminary outline and several example…