Centre County panel grants conditional approval to Zion Manor Phase 1 subdivision

The Centre County Planning Commission on May 19 conditionally approved Zion Manor Phase 1, a 30-lot subdivision in Walker Township, subject to the Walker Township engineers and zoning officers review and the recording of required documents.

The commissions conditional approval applies to 27 single-family lots and three open-space/stormwater management lots on roughly 18 acres. The motion to grant conditional final-plan approval was made by Andrea Pandolfi and seconded by Denny Hameister; the minutes record that the motion carried. The commission's action requires the applicant to obtain the necessary approval signatures from the Walker Township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors and to provide recorded copies of easements and dedications before final county signatures are placed. The minutes do not list a roll-call vote tally.

Staff told the commission the plan, prepared by PennTerra Engineering for developer Torron Group, L.P., must satisfy outstanding technical and administrative items. Among the items listed by county staff are a recorded replacement West Penn Power easement that explicitly voids the prior instrument; recorded deeds of dedication and homeowner association documents; a variety of utility, stormwater, and temporary access easements; and written confirmation from the Walker Township Zoning Officer and Township Engineer that all township conditions have been met or addressed. Staff also noted the plan may trigger review under the Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act ("Clean & Green"), and recommended the applicant consult the Centre County Assessment Office regarding potential rollback taxes.

County planning staff said the applicant must either construct required improvements or post adequate surety and then request a final site inspection by the Walker Township Engineer and county staff before the county will issue final signatures. The commission's conditional approval follows a December 2025 preliminary-plan approval and documentation in the county file about required schedule updates under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

Next steps: the applicant is responsible for completing the outstanding engineering and administrative items, filing and recording the required instruments, and obtaining the Walker Township signatures noted above. The county will place final approval signatures once those conditions are satisfied. The county minutes do not include direct quotes from participants for this agenda item.