It’s been an incredibly productive 20 years for Smart Growth Partnership! Here are our top 20 accomplishments during the last two decades:
- Introducing “Walk with a Doc” – October 13, 2021!
- Facilitated several public input sessions for the “Reimagining Our Westmoreland” County Comprehensive Plan, resulting in a plan that reflects many Smart Growth Principles and genuine Westmoreland County resident-derived plan priorities, goals, and strategic objectives.
- Joint-venture Smithton-Scottdale Active Transportation Plan and the accompanying Complete Streets Policies have been adopted unanimously by both municipalities’ elected officials. And implementation has begun!
- New Kensington asset mapping, Visioning and Better Block Charette events have been followed by ongoing assistance to the entrepreneurs of the new Corridor of Innovation and the new Corner Launchbox anchor facility
- New Kensington Art Center formed, business plan created, and non-profit 501 (c) 3 status acquired
- Several Jack Robertshaw Sr. Fellows designations were made with funding awarded to area university students
- Collegiate Partnerships formed amid student class projects with Indiana University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Seton Hill University, Saint Vincent’s College, Westmoreland Community College, Penn State New Kensington, and Penn State University Main Campus
- Delmont Library grant writing and design assistance resulted in their new state-of-the-art sustainable library facility, and preparation continues to become the next Westmoreland Heritage Trail -adjacent Trail Town
- Bicycle/walking trail connecting Keystone Park to Gray Wing Park in New Alexandria was envisioned and is now working towards construction!
- Currently undertaking an Historic Asset Mapping Project in Vandergrift
- Kunkle Park “Fishing for Kids” site development and annual trout stocking
- Assistance for funding and development of Mural Art projects in New Kensington and Mount Pleasant
- PennDOT Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project KeyS committee membership and community engagement to make for the best possible mix of land uses in the corridor between Mount Pleasant and Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.
- WEDIG community development/revitalization corporation formed in northern Westmoreland as a precursor to the county’s Remaking Westmoreland implementation plan – a first example of the new multi-municipal “planning district” approach to county comprehensive planning
- Derry area DARCee community development/revitalization corporation formed
- Visioning and Strategic Action Planning in New Stanton, Derry, Jeannette, New Kensington, Scottdale, Armstrong Conservation District, and the DARCee area of the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape initiative
- Held Greensburg’s first ever “Better Parks” visioning event with the targeted parks now seeing more permanent improvements realized
- Youth Engagement – Economic Exchange Day in the DARCee area to envision those communities’ best possible future
- Route 30 Master Plan creation and ongoing education assistance to the corridor’s communities — www.route30plan.com
- Financial Support of Penn State Extension, making all of Extension’s Energy, Business and Community Vitality community capacity-building and leadership development educational programming relevant and readily available to all in Westmoreland County and our region
