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Carbon County adopts comprehensive plan and greenways trail and open-space plan
Summary
After a 16-month planning process, the Board of Commissioners adopted the Carbon County Comprehensive Plan and a Greenways, Trails and Open Space Plan; the plans identify housing, outdoor economy, infrastructure and placemaking priorities and include implementation guides and grant lists.
The Carbon County Board of Commissioners voted on June 4 to adopt two planning documents: the Carbon County Comprehensive Plan and the Carbon County Greenways, Trails and Open Space Plan. The plans, developed over a 16-month public-engagement process, were presented to commissioners by Tim Staub, the project manager for the planning effort.
Why it matters: The comprehensive plan and the greenways plan guide development priorities, grant-seeking, and intermunicipal coordination across the county. The documents outline goals and implementation tables intended to help the county and municipalities pursue funding and lead projects.
Tim Staub, project manager for the plans, told the commissioners the process began in January 2024 and followed discovery, outreach, envisioning, plan development and implementation planning. He said public engagement included pop-up events at community gatherings and outreach to municipalities. "This process started back in January 24. It was a 16 month process," Staub said.
Staub summarized key findings: housing demand varies by geography and the county has lost housing stock as out‑of‑county buyers purchase second homes; infrastructure needs often have regional impacts and require intermunicipal cooperation; childcare costs have increased in recent years (he cited a 12% increase for families and up to 40% for single parents); and most users of county recreational amenities live within about 50 miles. The comprehensive plan is organized around four themes—housing, outdoor economy, infrastructure and placemaking—while the greenways plan uses themes of connected, protected, plentiful and celebrate to guide outdoor recreation and tourism recommendations.
Each plan contains an implementation chapter with priority actions, a timeline, suggested implementers and a list of grant and loan programs to pursue. Staub said both documents have been advertised, posted on the county website for public review as required by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, and recommended for adoption by the county planning commission.
The board approved two formal motions: to adopt the Comprehensive Plan (motion referencing document 25-0-115) and to adopt the Greenways and Open Space Plan (motion referencing document 25-0-116). Both motions passed by voice vote.
Commissioners and staff urged residents and municipal officials to review the plans and to engage on implementation. "It's up to us to implement those plans now," Commissioner Safranco said during the meeting, encouraging public review of the documents online.
The adopted plans and implementation tables are published on the county website for public review and will be used to guide grant applications and intergovernmental coordination.
