Post on 15-Jul-2020
Athens Borough Government
Mayor, George Whyte
Athens Borouqh Council
Maria K. Worden, President Paul B. Chacona, Vice-president
John Dougan Joan Carey
Joseph E. Smith Lonnie Stethers Ray Stackhouse
Jonathan P. Foster, Esq., Solicitor
Planninq Commission
Mathew Klinger, Chairperson Barbara Bean
Joseph E. Smith David Wilkinson Vincent Whyte
Joan Carey Margaret Greenwood
William Blauvelt Dianne Campbell
Beverly J. Bleiler, Borough Secretary
Zoninq Hearinq Board
Mary Lou Allen Jeff ery Davenport
Jeffery Callick
Alternates:
Kevin Saxon
Daniel Barrett, Esq., Solicitor
Pat Cahill, ZoninglBuilding Code Officer
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Athens Borough Government ..................................................................... i
Acknowledgements .................................................................................. ii
Overall Goals ............................................................................................... iii
Community Assets i-A to v-A ..................................................................................
1. Legal Basis 1-1 to 1-9 ..................................................................................
II. History and Geography .............................................................. 11-1 to 11-11
111. Population ..................................................................................... 111-1 to 111-8
IV. Housing .......................................................................................... IV-1 to IV-8
V. Community Facilities ................................................................. V-1 to V-13
VI. Land Use VI - I toVI -17 ........................................................................................
VII. Transportation ............................................................................. VII-1 to Vll-12
Vlll. Statement of Interrelationships ............................................... v111-1
IX. Implementation Strategies ........................................................ IX-1 to IX-2
MAPS Pages . Between Pages
Athens Borough Wards ................................................................................... 2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
6.a
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.3a
7.4
7.5
Topography ................................................................................... Soils ................................................................................... Wetlands ................................................................................... Floodplain ................................................................................... Community Resources .................................................................... Sewer Lines ................................................................................... Fire Hydrants ................................................................................... Water Lines ................................................................................... Gas Lines ................. U ................................................................ Central Business District ..................................................... Existing Land Use ................................................................... Future Land Use ................................................................... NBANalley Clusters ................................................................... Main Elementary Site ................................................................... Main and ELmira Street Intersection ..................................... Proposed Historic District ................................................... State and Local Roads ................................................................. Circulation Routes ................................................................. Main and Elmira Intersection Improvements .................... Main and Elmira Parcels and Realignment
Sidewalks ............................................................................... Trail Locations ...............................................................................
....................
v-A and 1-1
11-5
11-7
11-8
11-9
V-1 and V-2
V-2 and V-3
V-2 and V-3
V-8 and V-9
V-8 and V-9
v1-3 and v1-4
v1-5 and v1-6
v1-6 and v1-7 v1-8
v1-10
v1-11
v1-16 and v1-17
v11-1 and v11-2
v11-2 and v11-3
v11-3 v11-3
v11-8 and v11-9
Vll-9 and Vll-10
Acknowledgements
The preparation of this Community Comprehensive Plan was financed in part through a Community Development Block Grant administered by the
Bradford County Office of Community Planning and Grants on behalf of the Bradford County Board of Commissioners
John M. Sullivan, Chairman Janet Lewis
Nancy Schrader
Phil Swank, Grants Coordinator
Planning. Consultant
The Bradford County Office of Community Planning and Grants
Staff:
Raymond J. Stolinas Jr., AICP, Planning Director
Jason R. Finnerty, Planner
Brenda Sue Strickland, Administrative Assistant
In tern:
Bryan Coates, Summer, 1998
The Community Comprehensive Plan for Athens Borough exhibits a collaborative effort between local government, county
government and citizens to envision the future of this community as it exhibits vital historic resources, a respect for the surrounding environment and remains a stable, residential
community that supports the “Valley” as a whole. The plan also acts as a resource or inventory that supports action and policy of
the Athens Borough Council.
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Athens Borough Community Comprehensive Plan
2001
Overall Goals
0 Continue to have the Comprehensive Plan serve as a guide and blueprint for sound land use and growth policy
0 Encourage citizens to continue to play a vital role in the development of the borough and i t s governance
0 Maintain and improve the overall quality of life for all citizens of Athens Borough by:
o Providing for safety, health, and education o Encouraging a stable and enduring economic base o Preserving and conserving the wise use of natural and historical
assets of Athens Borough
0 Maintain the borough’s diverse socioeconomic population base
0 Foster and maintain high quality infrastructure to all Athens Borough residents, businesses and industry
0 Retain the existing Recreation Center as a focal facility and continue to recognize the potential for additional opportunities at the Center
Develop and maintain a system to protect and prevent the borough from enduring catastrophic loss from natural or manmade disasters
0 Develop a Capital Improvements Program for the purchase of capital equipment and necessities
Improve and inventory the business stock in the Central Business District and provide support for downtown management and marketing
... 1ll
Athens Borough
Community Assets
Quick Reference
Government
1. Athens Borough Municipal Building, 2 South River Street 2. US. Postal Service, 301 South Main Street 3. Northern Bradford Authority, 51 1 South Main Street
Fire Protection
1. Diahoga Hose Company No.6, 106 North Main Street 2. Protection Hose Company No.1, 2 South River Street
Schools and Daycare
1. Athens Area High School, Frederick Street 2. His Majesty Christian Academy, 207 Pennsylvania Avenue 3. Diane Gilbert Daycare, 606 Desmond Street 4. Head Start, 11 8 South Main Street 5. Davenport Daycare, 712 North Main Street 6. Lonnie Stethers, Wells Ave. 7. Ramsey Daycare, 2”d and Vanderbilt 8. White Daycare, Ann Street
Libraries and Museums
1. Spalding Memorial Library, 724 South Main Street 2. Tioga Point Museum, 724 South Main Street
Churches
1. Calvary Baptist Church, 701 West Pine Street 2. First Baptist Church, 112 Center Street 3. His Majesty Fetlowship, 207 Pennsylvania Avenue 4. Presbyterian Church, 622 ’/1 South Main Street 5. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 205 North Main Street 6. Trinity Church, 700 South Main Street 7. Unitarian-Universalist Church of Sheshequin, 122 North Street 8. United Methodist Church, 11 8 South Main Street
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Parks and Recreation
1. Athens Borough Park, 2 South River Street 2. Athens Borough Fireman’s Pavilion, 2 South River Street 3. Athens Little League, 41 1 Third Street 4. Athens Borough Academy Lot, South Main Street 5. Teaoga Square, South Main Street 6. Valley Recreation Center, Satterlee Street
Banks and Finance
1. Citizen’s and Northern Bank, 428 South Main Street 2. Ingersoll-Rand Federal Credit Union, 199 North Main Street 3. M & T Bank, 221 South Main Street
Fraternal and Communitv Orqanizations
1. Athens American Legion, 103 Public Street 2. Masonic Hall Association, 230 South Main Street 3. Athens Business Association 4. Athens Rotary
Health Services
1. American Cancer Society, 41 3 South Main Street 2. Guthrie Clinic, 412 South Main Street (Medical Center) 3. Heritage Nursing Home, 202 South Main Street (Nursing Home) 4. Dr. George Lasco, 400 North Main Street (Dentist) 5. Availabte Office, 41 7 North Main Street (Medical) 6. Reba Associates, 214 South Main Street (Assisted Living Care Home) 7. Or. H. 5. Stoback, 332 South Main Street (Dentist) 8. Northern Tier Counseling, 419 South Main Street 9. Partners in Family and Community Development, 409 South Main Street 10. Dons E. Doheny, D.C., 180 North Elmira Street
Cemeteries, Crematoriums and Funeral Homes
1. Lowery Funeral Home, 225 South Main Street 2. H. MacDonald and Son, 802 North Main Street (Crematorium and Monuments) 3. Riverside Cemetery, South Main Street 4. Tioga Point Cemetery, North Main Street
ii-A
Law Offices
1. Abrams and Agnellino, 51 5 South Main Street 2. Daniel J. Barrett, 610 South Main Street 3. Beirne and Beirne, 309 South Main Street 4. Frances W. Crouse, 222 South Main Street 5. Kocsis Law Office, 180 North Elmira Street 6. Jonathan P. Foster, 407 South Main Street 7. Susan E. Hartley, 320 South Main Street
Antique Shops
1. Kate’s Attic, Wheelock Avenue and Elmira Street
Gasoline and Convenient Stores
1. Acorn Market, 112 North Main Street 2. Dandy Mini-Mart, 21 3 South Main Street 3. Main Street Service Center, 312 North Main Street
Restaurants and Taverns
1. D and R Ice Cream, 402 South Main Street 2. Johnny’s Tavern, 124 Susquehanna Street 3. Marty’s Restaurant, 410 South Main Street 4. Pine Bar, 505 South Main Street 5. Candlelight Lounge, Inc., 506 South Elmira Street
Insurance and Real Estate
1. Gannon Associates, 31 5 South Main Street 2. Steve Novak Real Estate Agency, 11 1 South Main Street 3. Nancy Smith’s Insurance Agency, 120 Susquehanna Street 4. Weaver Nationwide Insurance, 507 West Pine Street
Barber and Beauty Shops
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Dibble Beauty Shop, 122 North Street Hairways Styling Studio, 507 West Pine Street Keith Luther, Images Beauty Shop, 105 Center Street Jack and Jewel Beauty Shop, 11 1 South Elmira Street Laninger’s Beauty Shop, 122 Paine Street Polzella’s Hair Boutique, 109 Susquehanna Street Terrance Powers Beauty Shop, 132 Paine Street Jeanine’s Beauty/Barber Shop-Head to Toe, 203 East Pine Street
iii-A
9. The Klip Joint Hair Studio, 236 South Main Street 10. Get Nailed and Tanned Too, 132A Paine Street
Industry and Manufacturing
1. Horton Electric Motor SeM’ce, 108 ’/2 South Main Street 2. Ingersoll-Rand Company, 101 North Main Street 3. Penn-York Opportunities, 101 South Main Street (Workshop for Handicapped) 4. Wheeler Tool Company, 21 5 Wheelock Ave. 5. Custom Rebuilders, 102 North Elmira Street
Automobile Dealers and Service
1. Second Chance Auto Sales, 504 South Main Street 2. Bostwick’s Body Shop, 109 New Street 3. Croft Ford, Inc., 205 South Main Street 4. Custom Rebuilders, 102 North Elmira Street 5. Ferris Motor Sales, 102 South Main Street 6. Decatur’s Automotive and Used Cars, 106 South Main Street 7. O’Connor Body Shop, 207 North Street 8. Rolling Tire Shop, 307 South Elmira Street 9. Simmons-Rockwell Parts and Service, 203 South Street 10. Jones Custom, Inc., 508 South Elmira Street 11. Joe’s Auto Body, 305 South Elmira Street 12. Eight Ball Auto Detailing and Accessories, 110 South Main Street
Photowaphy and Video
1. B and W Video and Recording Service, 107 Paine Street
Accounting and Tax Preparation Sem’ces
1. Carberry Tax Sem’ce, 127 1/2 North Elmira Street 2. Paul Gilbert, Tax Collector, 606 Desmond Street
Printinq Services
1. Jones Printing, 802 Church Street
iv-A
Dry Cleaning and Laundromats
1. Midtown Cleaners, 100 Susquehanna Street 2. Polzella’s Laundromat, 109 Susquehanna Street
Contractors
1. William A. Cotton (Concrete), 784 South Main Street 2. Beers Builders, 205 Longway Street 3. Kreiser’s General SeM’ces, 702 Desmond Street 4. Richard D. Smith Plumbing and Electrical, 105 South Main Street 5. Havens Contracting, 801 Church Street 6. Sullivan Roofing, 124 Susquehanna Street 7. O.D. Dibble and Son, 120 North Street 8. Jack Soper, 900 South Main Street 9. James Carroll Masonry, 106 West Vanderbilt Street I O . Rosh Plumbing, 401 East Frederick Street 11 % Keysaw’s Plumbing,. 204 East Pine Street
Retail and Service Providers
, 1. Agway Inc., 100 North Main Street 2. Athens Home Center, 104 South Main Street 3. Jay Carpet Center, 314 South Main Street 4. Jay Furniture, 227 South Main Street 5. Mary Ann Northrup (Ma’s Quilts), 104 Paine Street 6. Memories Bridal Shop and Kreations by Kelly, 326 South Main Street 7. North’s Jewelers, 218 South Main Street 8. Seals, Inc. /Seals Rental Center, 116 Walnut Street 9. Tropical Pet Paradise, 409-41 1 South Main Street 10.91 1 Earth, 404 North Main Street 11. Twin Tier Travel Center, 124 Maple Street 12. Rolling Tire, South Elmira Street
V-A
Drv Cleaningi and Laundromats
1. Midtown Cleaners, 100 Susquehanna Street 2. Polzella’s Laundromat, 109 Susquehanna Street
Contractors
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10
William A. Cotton (Concrete), 784 South Main Street Beers Builders, 205 Longway Street Kreiser’s General Services, 702 Desmond Street Richard D. Smith Plumbing and Electrical, 105 South Main Street Havens Contracting, 801 Church Street Sullivan Roofing, 124 Susquehanna Street O.D. Dibble and Son, 120 North Street Jack Soper, 900 South Main Street James Carroll Masonry, 106 West Vanderbilt Street Rosh Plumbing, 401 East Frederick Street 1.
11. Keysaw’s Plumbing, 204 East Pine Street
Retail and Service Providers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Agway Inc., 100 North Main Street Athens Home Center, 104 South Main Street Jay Carpet Center, 314 South Main Street Jay Furniture, 227 South Main Street Mary Ann Northrup (Ma’s Quilts), 104 Paine Street Memories Bridal Shop and Kreations by Kelly, 326 South Main Street North’s Jewelers, 218 South Main Street Seals, Inc. /Seals Rental Center, 116 Walnut Street Tropical Pet Paradise, 409-41 1 South Main Street
10.91 1’ Earth, 404 North Main Street 1 1. Twin Tier Travel Center, 124 Maple Street 12. Rolling Tire, South Elmira Street
V-A
1. Legal Basis for Planning in Pennsylvania and Abstract of the Athens Borough Community Comprehensive Plan
The Municipalities Planning Code - Act 247 (As Amended in Act 67 & 68 of 2000)
In Pennsylvania, the adoption of planning elements such as the Official Map,
Subdivision and Land Development Administration, Zoning, Capital Improvements
Programming, Planned Residential Development, Traditional Neighborhood
Development and even the Comprehensive Plan are not mandatory under the
Municipalities Planning Code (MPC). These planning elements or tools are strictly
voluntary programs that municipalities adopt as part of an overall planning agenda, if
they so choose.
One fundamental element or “tool” that municipalities can adopt in the initial stages
of a planning program i s the Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Plans are not
municipal laws, however, they are a set of policy measures for guiding future growth
and development in a municipality. The plan provides borough officials with a
“blueprint” of how residents, businesses and industry envision their community’s
future. The “visioning” process can be simple as a public meeting or contain several
group discussions focusing on the development of a community vision or vision
statement. This, again, i s not mandatory under the “MPC” or any other planning
related statute, however, it allows the community and i t s citizens to participate in a
bottom-up, instead of a top-down approach in municipal planning.
A community that ultimately adopts a Comprehensive Community Plan and adheres to
i t s policy wil l benefit greatly when issues and problems arise that relate to local
planning. This engages the planned community to assume a proactive stance in such a
situation, as opposed to a reactive stance in an unplanned community.
The Comprehensive Plan i s not a panacea for every community issue or problem.
Nevertheless, it can provide guidance for municipal elected officials and consistency
among municipal initiatives and activities that cross municipal boundaries. One of the
I- 1
cornerstones of the Comprehensive Plan process involves the development of Overall
Community Development Goals and Objectives. The Goals act as a “wish l ist” for the
community to consider to improve or enhance the community. A may be: To
provide municipal parks in walking distance of every resident. This can be a very
daunting task for any municipality, but the goal does not have to be met overnight.
On the other hand, Objectives tel l us how the community can achieve the long-term or
short-term Goal. An example that follows the previously mentioned Goal may be: 1.
Produce an inventory of open space land in the municipality and determine the
availability of such land for park development. 2. Prioritize potential open land
considering proximity to schools, residences and linkages such as trails. In other
words, the Objectives set a community in the right path towards fulfilling their Goals.
Some may feel that Goals and Objectives are just wishes and simply that, nonetheless,
they do provide a basis for pursuing projects and sound development within the
community.
Another important part to the Community Comprehensive Plan includes mapping and
data collection. For the most part, this task can be done simultaneously with the
public input process. A borough planning commission can collect a myriad of data and
mapping resources with available GIS (Geographic Information System) technology and
the Internet. County and Regional Planning Agencies usually retain a vast majority of
the data needed to complete the Comprehensive Plan that may include current census
data, wetlands and floodplain locations, parcel data and the like. This phase of the
process i s not just a scavenger hunt for data, but it does allow the community to
collect as much information as possible to ascertain growth trends, available housing
stock, existing and future land use projections and transportation/pedestrian
priori ties.
In Pennsylvania, the Community Comprehensive Plan should contain the basic
components illustrated under Article 111 Section 301 of the MPC:
1. A statement of objectives of the municipality concerning i t s future
development, including, but not limited to, the location, character and timing
of future development, that may also serve as a statement of community
development objectives (as provided in Section 606, MPC).
1-2
2. 'A plan for land use, which may include provisions for the amount, intensity,
character and timing of land use proposed for residence, industry, business,
agriculture, major traffic and transit facilities, utilities, community facilities,
public grounds, parks and recreation, preservation of Prime Agricultural Land,
floodplains and other areas of special hazards and other similar uses.
2.1 A plan to meet housing needs of present residents and of those individuals and
families anticipated to reside in the municipality, which may include the
conservation of presently sound housing, rehabilitation of housing in declining
neighborhoods and the accommodation of expected new housing in different
dwelling types and at appropriate densities for households of all income levels.
3.
4.
A plan for movement of people and goods, which may include expressways,
highways, local street systems, parking facilities, pedestrian and bikeway
systems, public transit routes, terminals, airfields, port facilities, railroad
facilities and other similar facilities or uses.
A plan for community facilities and utilities, which may include public and
private education, recreation, municipal buildings, fire and police stations,
libraries, hospitals, water supply and distribution, sewerage and waste
treatment, solid waste management, storm drainage and flood management,
utility corridors and associated facilities, and other similar facilities and uses.
4.1 A statement of the interrelationships among the various plan components
which may include an estimate of the environmental, energy conservation,
fiscal, economic development and social consequences on the municipality.
4.2 A discussion of short- and long-range plan implementation strategies, which
may include implications for capital improvements programming, new or
updated development regulations, and identification of public funds potentially
available.
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5. A statement indicating that the existing and proposed development of the
municipality i s compatible with the existing and proposed development and
plans in contiguous portions of neighboring municipalities, or a statement
indicating measures which have been taken to provide buffers or other
transitional devices between disparate uses, and a statement indicating that
the existing and proposed development of the municipality i s generally
consistent with the objectives and plans of the county comprehensive plan.
6. A plan for the protection of natural and historic resources to the extent not
preempted by Federal or State law. This clause includes, but i s not limited to:
wetlands and aquifer recharge zones, woodlands, steep slopes, prime
agricultural land flood plains, unique natural areas and historic sites. The plan
shall be consistent with and may not exceed those requirements imposed under
the following:
Act of June 22, 1937 (P.L. 187, No. 394), known as “The Clean Streams
Law”;
Act of May 31, 1945 (P.L. 1198, No. 418), known as the “Surface Mining
Conservation and Reclamation Act”;
Act of April 27, 1966 (1‘Sp. Sess., P.L. 31, No.l), known as “The
Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act”;
Act of September 24, 1968 (P. L. 1040, No. 31 8), known as “The Coal Refuse
Disposal Control Act”;
Act of December 19, 1984 (P.L. 1140, No. 223), known as “The Oi l and Gas
Act ”; Act of December 19, 1984 (P.L. 1093, No. 219), known as “The Nocona
Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act”;
Act of June 30, 1981 (P.L. 128, No. 43), known as “The Agricultural Area
Security Law”;
Act of June 10, 1982 (P.L. 454, No. 133), entitled “An Act protecting
agricultural operations from nuisance suites and ordinances under certain
circumstances”; and
Act of May 20, 1993 (P.L. 12, No. 6), known as “The Nutrient Management
Act”, regardless of any agricultural operation within the area to be affected
1-4
by the plan i s a concentrated agricultural operation as defined under the
act.
7. In addition to any other requirements of the act, a county comprehensive plan
shall:
(i) Identify land uses as they relate to important natural resources and
appropriate utilization of existing minerals.
(ii) Identify current and proposed land uses which have a regional impact and
significance, such as large shopping centers, major industrial parks, mines
and related activities, office parks, storage facilities, large residential
developments, regional entertainment and recreationaI complexes,
hospitals, airports and port facilities.
(iii) Identify a plan for the preservation and enhancement of prime agricultural
land and encourage the compatibility of land use regulation with existing
agricultural operations.
(iv) Identify a plan for historic preservation.
The comprehensive plan shall include a plan for the reliable supply of water,
considering current and future water resource availability, uses and limitations,
including provisions adequate to protect water supply resources. Any such plan shall
be generally consistent with the State Water Plan and any applicable water resources
plan adopted by a river basin commission. It shall also contain a statement
recognizing that:
Lawful activities such US extraction of minerals impact water supply sources
and such activities are Qoverned by statutes regulating mineral extraction that
specify replacement and restoration of water supplies affected by such
activities.
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The municipal or multimunicipal comprehensive plan shall be reviewed at least every
ten years. The municipal or multimunicipal plan shall be sent to the governing bodies
of contiguous municipalities for review and comment and shall also be sent to the
Center for Local Government Services for informational purposes. The municipal or
multimunicipal comprehensive plan shall also be sent to the county planning
commissions, or upon request of a county planning commission, a regional planning
commission when the comprehensive plan i s updated or at ten year intervals,
whichever comes first, for review and comment on whether the municipal or
multimunicipal comprehensive plan remains generally consistent with the county
comprehensive plan and to indicate where the local plan may deviate from the county
comprehensive plan.
The municipal, multimunicipal or county comprehensive plan may identify those areas
where growth and development wil l occur so that a full range of public infrastructure
services, including sewer, water, highways, police and fire protection, public schools,
parks, open space and other services can be adequately planned and provided as
needed to accommodate growth.
Athens Borough may adopt and amend the comprehensive plan as a whole or in part.
Before adopting or amending the comprehensive plan or any part thereof, the Athens
Borough Planning Commission shall hold at least one public meeting before forwarding
the proposed comprehensive plan or amendment thereof to the Athens Borough
Council. In reviewing the proposed comprehensive plan, the Council shall consider the
comments of the county, contiguous municipalities and school district, as well as the
public meeting comments and the recommendations of the Athens Borough Planning
Commission. The comments from the county, contiguous municipalities and the local
school district shall be made to the Athens Borough Council within 45 days of receipt
by the Council, and the proposed plan or amendment thereto shall not be acted upon
until such comment i s received. If, however, the contiguous municipalities and the
local school district fail to respond within 45 days, the Athens Borough Council may
proceed without their comments.
Athens Borough Council shall hold at least one public hearing pursuant to public notice. If, after the public hearing held on the proposed plan or amendment to the
1-6
plan, the proposed plan or proposed amendment thereto i s substantially revised, the
Athens Borough Council shall hold another public hearing, pursuant to public notice,
before proceeding to vote on the plan or amendment thereto.
The adoption of the comprehensive plan, or any part thereof, or any amendment
thereto, shall be by resolution carried by the affirmative votes of not less than a
majority of all the members of the Athens Borough Council. The resolution shall refer
expressly to the maps, charts, textual matter and other matters intended to form the
whole or part of the plan, and the action shall be recorded on the adopted plan or
part.
Any subsequent proposed action of Athens Borough Council, i t s departments, agencies
and appointed authorities shall be submitted to the Athens Borough Planning
Commission for i t s recommendations when the proposed action related to:
(1 ) the location, opening, vacation, extension, widening, narrowing, or
enlargement of any street, public ground, pierhead or watercourse.
(2) the location, erection, demolition, removal or sale of any public
structure located within Athens Borough; or
(3) the adoption, amendment or repeal of an official map, subdivision and
land development ordinance, zoning ordinance or provisions for planned
residential development, or capital improvements program; or
(4) the construction, extension or abandonment of any waterline, sewer
line or sewage treatment facility.
The recommendations of the Athens Borough Planning Commission including a specific
statement as to whether or not the proposed action i s in accordance with the
objectives of the formally adopted comprehensive plan shall be made in writing to the
Athens Borough Council within 45 days.
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The Comprehensive Plan is a living document that wil l ultimately provide Athens
Borough Government with both a short- and long-term implementation strategy for
various projects that relate to community development. The Municipalities Planning
Code i s a State guide that assists the municipality in formulating a document that i s
consistent with state regulations and the county comprehensive plan.
Throughout the following chapters, you, the reader, wil l learn more about Athens’s
community resources, character, i t s past and goals the community has set for itself to
progress within the next five to ten years. Some of the goals may seem far-reaching,
however, it i s the intent of this plan to strive for community betterment and provide a
template for guiding Athens’s future.
Please keep in mind that many volunteer hours have been dedicated to this effort.
The Athens Borough Planning Commission spent numerous hours developing this
document and learning more about what municipal comprehensive planning entails in
Pennsylvania. In addition, the citizens of Athens Borough should be commended for
the time and dedication they offered during the community survey and the
community-visioning meeting.
Athens Borough Government proactively established and adopted comprehensive plans
in 1975 and 1990 (Revision) with the assistance of regional and county planning
agencies. Both documents outline basic elements, or components, and generally
follow the minimum requirements set forth currently in the Pennsylvania
Municipalities Planning Code. Overall, both plans illustrate the borough’s rich history,
i t s demographic and housing patterns, the presence of various community resources
such as parks, libraries, museums and public areas and plans for public facilities and
infrastructure. As stated earlier, these documents have been adopted as living policy
statements for the elected borough officials to understand and follow in the decision-
making process.
The Athens Borough Comprehensive Plans differ from typical municipal comprehensive
plans, in that, a typical plan may outline measures for regulating growth and
development into outlying, undevelopable areas of land that potentially can be
provided sewer or water services. A typical plan may also identify suggested locations
1-8
for a new highway or road that coincides with these other service improvements.
However, this i s not the case for Athens Borough since most of the borough has
developed into mostly residential neighborhoods, a central business district and a
minor industrial area. The borough does not contain vacant land for expansion of
services or development. Instead of covering these issues, you will see throughout this
new plan that the borough would like to retain its unique character as a “Valley”
Community by stressing i t s quaintness, historic past, public centerpieces, architecture
and vibrant downtown. A l l of these considerations mold the character of Athens
Borough and communicate a distinctive image that allows the borough to set itself
apart from other communities, yet retaining a “Valley” identity.
View from the Athens Borough Central Business District towards the Athens River Bridge over the Susquehanna River.
-
Overall, this revised Community Comprehensive Plan for Athens Borough will provide
you with detailed accounts of trends and forces that shape this community. It wil l
also attempt to touch upon how Athens Borough f i t s within the “Valley” region and
Bradford County.
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II. Athens Borough History and Geography
A Brief Overview
HISTORY
The Anglo-American history of Athens Borough begins in the late 1700’s after military
forces pushed Native American populations northward. Prior to the 1700’s, Native
American populations flourished in the Susquehanna and Chemung River basins as
Susquehannock, Cayuga and Iroquois settlements existed within the fertile floodplains.
The area that i s currently known as Athens was once the site of a Cayuga Indian
stronghold known as Teaoga Diahoga. This Native American village prospered for over
a century and was known to be one of the most strategic in the state. During the
French and Indian War of 1754-1767, Teaoga Diahoga was the assembly point for the
two armies of Sullivan and Clinton that devastated the northern frontier of
Pennsylvania.
The Sullivan-Clinton campaign in 1779 against the Iroquois Indians and their allies, the
British was one of the major campaigns of the Revolutionary War. This group of
Iroquois, British and Loyalists were terrorizing the northern frontier with raids at
Cherry Valley, New York and Wyoming, Pennsylvania that sent shockwaves throughout
the country. General George Washington ordered an expedition into the Native
American lands and realized it would be necessary for the Colonies to move their
armies as far westward as possible to stake a claim for this territory when the war
concluded.
General Washington developed a plan that called for a three-way invasion of Iroquois
Territory. One force would start at Easton, PA and move northward to Wyoming, PA
then up the Susquehanna River to T iqa Point (Teaoga Diahoga). The second force
would leave Albany, NY; proceed westward along the Mohawk River, and then South
along the Susquehanna River to join the main army at Tioga Point. A third force would
leave Fort P i t t (Now Pittsburgh) and proceed north to Geneseo, NY where they would
join the other two forces. General Sullivan was appointed to head the army coming
11- 1
from Easton. His forces marched into Wyoming where they gathered troops and
supplies for their trip up the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. The artillery and
heavy supplies were loaded onto 214 boats to be poled up the river. Remaining
supplies were loaded onto 1,200 packhorses and, with the army, formed a line six
miles long. Native Americans watched this line of soldiers move ever so slowly
through the countryside and called it the ”Long Blue Snake”. When the army reached
Tioga Point, they erected a fort on the spot where the Susquehanna and Chemung
Rivers were about 100 yards apart. The placement of the fort, Fort Sullivan, gave an
excellent view of both rivers.
General James Clinton left Schenectady, NY with 212 boats built especially for the
campaign. They moved up the Mohawk to Canajoharie where they took the boats out
of the water, loaded them onto wagons and carried them to Otsego Lake that is the
headwaters of the Susquehanna River. Clinton’s forces then built a dam near
Cooperstown at the outlet of the lake to raise the water downstream. An army of
1,500 soldiers moved downstream destroying Native American settlements along the
way. They met a group from Sullivan’s army at Union (now Endicott) and moved down
to Fort Sullivan. This gave the force 5,000 colonial soldiers that was about 1 / 3 of the
total Colonial army.
On August 26, 1779, the combined forces left Fort Sullivan and moved up the Chemung
River toward Newtown (now Lowman, NY). The enemy forces set up a line of defense
to surprise the colonial army. Sullivan’s scout had been notified that some of their
camouflage had begin to wear down and reported it to General Sullivan who made his
battle plan dealing with this information. He sent Colonel Ogden to the far left and
Generals Clinton and Poor to the right. Colonel Proctor’s artillery was moved to
within thirty yards of the enemy front. It was a hotly contested battle, but,
eventually, the heavy artillery had an effect on the combined Indian and Tory forces
and they retreated. It was a victory for the colonists as over 7,000 men had been
involved with this battle, a key battle in the Revolutionary War. Only 3 of Sullivan’s
men were killed and the wounded were sent back to Fort Sullivan.
After waiting for the army from Pittsburgh to show, Sullivan decided not to attack Fort
Niagara due to his ailing men and lack of equipment. The army split with Clinton’s
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forces heading back to Albany, NY and Sullivan retreated to Elmira, NY where they
built Fort Reed. Sullivan’s packhorses were in bad shape and he did not have room or
food to take care of them. As a result, most were killed and buried so any lingering
Native Americans could not use them for food. This i s where the name of Horseheads,
NY came into being. Later, both Fort Reed and Sullivan were destroyed as the army
returned to Wyoming and the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition was over. Resistance was
weakened and this territory had been opened up for settlement.
In 1773, a deputy surveyor of the state made surveys and laid warrants on the
following: all the level lands lying directly east of the village. The remainder of the
lands in the township east of the river was embraced wholly in what was known as the
LeRoy and Asylum Company Lands. In 1784, Matthias Hollenback of Wilkes-Barre
opened a store on the Tioga Point as settlers began to accumulate. It was not until
1786 that he erected a large storehouse, known as the Hollenback House, a warehouse
and dock (on the lot which he afterwards drew the corner of the public square). In
addition, Tioga Point was laid out by a surveyor in 1786 and, in 1801, it was renamed
Athens due to its geographic and topographic similarities with the ancient Greek city
of Athens (the peninsula with partially encircling hills). Athens Borough was
incorporated by an act of assembly approved on March 29, 1831 as it was officially
named an incorporated borough. Originally, borough government consisted of one
burgess, a town council of six members and one high constable.
In 1798, the village of Athens was described in the American Gazetteer, as “a place
containing as yet but few houses, but i s promising to be a place of importance”.
Again, in 1842, a visitor described Athens as “Now, one of the pleasantest villages in
Pennsylvania, extends across an isthmus between the Tioga and Susquehanna Rivers,
about two miles above their confluence. Above and below the town the land widens
out into meadows of surprising fertility. The long main street of the village runs
lengthwise of the isthmus, and i s adorned by delightful residences and verdant shades
of shrubbery.”
In 1840, the town had a population of 435, by 1850 it increased to 706 and by 1870 the
population continued to increase to a total of 965. In 1880, the population jumped to
1,592 and, again, continued to grow due to peak employment periods for the Athens
11-3
Bridge Works. By 1890 the population was at an all time high of 3,274 and by 1920,
the population reached 4,400.
Athens Borough consists of 1.7 square miles of land, or 1,070 acres. It also contains
12.9 miles of streets.
As one can attest, the rich history of Athens played a vital role in our country’s birth
and the demise of the Native Americans. This rich history, for the most part, has been
preserved through local architecture and through monuments and buildings that have
stood the test of time. The Protection of the Flag Monument, Spaulding Memorial
Library and the Tioga Point Museum are all examples of historic resources that tell the
story of Athens.
History plays a vital role in Comprehensive Planning as it lays out a path that was once
taken and altows us to consider continuing the path or diverting from it to pursue
other opportunities that may or may not be conducive to the environment or
landscape. Most importantly, we need to analyze our past so that we do not repeat
mistakes that could have been avoided. Within this particular plan, we anticipate that
Athens Borough leaden and its planning commission recognize the value of historic
preservation and assist them in promoting the vestiges of i t s past. Also using the
history of Athens as a promotional tool to guide the community towards attracting
residents, businesses and consumers.
GEOGRAPHY
The Borough of Athens is situated in what is better known as the “Valley”, comprised
of four communities: Athens Township, Athens Borough, Sayre Borough and South
Waverly Borough. For the purpose of this Pennsylvania Planning document, we
excluded Waverly, NY and the Town of Barton.
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Map 2.1 - Tomraphy
The borough communities are situated on ground between the Chemung and
Susquehanna Rivers as both rivers enter Pennsylvania from the North. Athens
Township surrounds both the rivers and the boroughs to the east and west. Athens
Borough is situated as the southern most “isthmus of land” wedged between the
Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers. The Chemung River borders Athens Borough to the
west, and the Susquehanna River borders the borough to the east. Topographically
speaking (see Map 2.1 - Topography), the borough is fairly flat and retains a low
elevation of approximately 740’ above sea level, A majority of the northern portion of
the borough i s developed with moderately dense neighborhoods, central business
district and industrial area. The lower portion of the borough, what one can refer to
as the “isthmus” contains what i s known to be Queen Esther Flats and culminates at
Tioga Point where the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers merse. These flats contain
11-5
very fertile soil and have been under the influence of flooding since the retreat of the
last glacier. Two large islands lie just east of the borough within the Susquehanna
River, known as Harris Island and Paines Island. As you may observe in other
components of this plan, you will come to find that the rivers have played a major role
in the development of the borough and their emergency preparedness.
The climate of Athens Borough is typical of the mid-continental regime where there
are extremes in both the winter and summer months. Athens Borough is under the
influence of the westerlies and i s usually affected by cold, dry air coming out of
Canada and warm, tropical air from the gulf of Mexico. In other words, the area is
constantly under the influence of battling warm and cold fronts throughout the year.
On the average, precipitation falls within 37 to 40 inches annually, with wet weather
usually occurring in the spring, early summer and drier weather in winter and late
summer. The annual mean temperature for Athens Borough is approximately 48.7”F
and the seasonal means equal 25.4” in January and 70.6” in July. Overall, there i s a
clear distinction between all four seasons within this region of northern Bradford
County.
The Soil Survey of Bradford and Sullivan Counties of Pennsylvania reveal that a
majority of Athens Borough contains Alton gravelly s i l t loam (AgB), which is well
drained, somewhat excessively well drained that i s usually found next to major
streams in Bradford County. In addition, much of the lower “isthmus” consists of both
Pope (Po) and a smaller area of Udifluvents (Uc). The Pope soils are almost always
found on nearly level ground adjacent to a large stream channel and usually flooded.
The Pope soils are also well drained as opposed to the Udifluvents that are somewhat
poorly drained to excessively drained. The Pope soils are the most suitable soil for
cultivated crops as the “isthmus” area i s currently used for agricultural purposes.
A public sewer and water system exists within Athens Borough so there i s no need to
categorize these soils as usable for on-site septic management. However, it i s
important to note that the Alton soils were once used for that purpose and possibly
contributed to groundwater con tamination.
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Map 2.2 - Soils
Athens Borough i s not devoid of wetlands, however, it is noted that most of the
wetland classifications are found adjacent to both sides of the borough limits due to
the influence of both the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers. There are several
Riverine and Palustrine subclasses of wetlands on the banks of both rivers. No
substantial wetlands have been identified in the developed areas of the borough. The
only area of the borough that may also be affected by the presence of Palustn'ne
subclass wetlands would be in the agricultural areas within the flats.
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Map 2.3 - Wetlands
Map 2.4 illustrates the areas of Athens Borough that are inundated during either a 100-
year or 500-year storm event from both the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers. The
most devastating storm event that influenced Athens Borough happened in 1972 as a
result of Tropical Storm Agnes. Records indicate that a peak flood crests of 767.0’
occurred 550’ upstream from Satterlee Street and 766.5’ occurred on the downstream
side of the Susquehanna River Bridge. After Agnes, the Borough successfully received
permission to raise the levee on the Susquehanna River 3 to 4 feet. Earthen dikes
were also placed along the Chemung River boundaries to add protection to the
borough. This alone does not solely protect the Borough and other “Valley”
communities. Four existing upstream dams contribute to this protection, they
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include: Arkport Dam on the Canisteo River and Almong Lake on Canacadea Creek
which provides protection for the Chemung River, Whitney Point Lake on the Otselic
River and East Sydney Lake on the Ouleout Creek that provides protection for the
Susquehanna River. Additionally, the Tioga-Hammond and Cowenesque Dams provide
protection on the Chemung River. With this in mind, borough officials have considered
approaching the Federal Emergency Management Agency to consider a flood map
change. This approach may be an objective listed later in this document.
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Moreover, Athens Borough continues to be considered a flood-prone municipality,
which retains a detailed flood insurance study, flood insurance rate map, flood
boundary and floodway maps. Included with these tools, the municipality also retains floodplain regulations that assist the municipality in deterring an increase in one
hundred year flood levels from future development. Most of the time, new
development within the floodplain must be elevated above the one hundred year flood
level or flood proofed according to the ordinance criteria. Floodplain management
regulations are codes and ordinances that have been adopted by a municipality to
provide standards for use and development. These regulations can be included in
zoning ordinances, subdivision/land development ordinances, building codes or special
floodplain management ordinances. Municipalities are eligible to receive 50%
reimbursement from the Department of Community and Economic Development for
the enforcement of such regulations by whatever means. The Floodplain Management
Act, Act 166, requires municipalities to: participate in the National Flood Insurance
Program, adopt appropriate regulations that at a minimum meet program standards,
comply with Department of Community and Economic Development Standards and
issue Special Permits or Exceptions for Obstructions posing Special Hazards.
Flooding from both the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers has ultimately shaped the
way the “Valley” communities developed over time. In Athens, the community has
grown to respect the rivers with full knowledge of what they can do during an intense
storm event. Much of the more dense residential and commercial development that
occurred in Athens located within the upper interior of the borough and the fringes
and lower “isthmus” have been reserved as riverbank and fertile agricultural land.
Borough officials and residents recognize that the rivers have set limitations on
development and any future expansion or annexation. However, we must look further
than the obstacles the rivers may bestow onto this community. The rivers are also
environmental assets that enhance the community’s image and provide recreational
opportunities to residents and non-residents.
In sum, the geography of Athens Borough i s unique, in that, two rivers that dictate
activity and future development within i t s boundaries surround it. Within the borough
boundaries itself, there lies a thriving community with quiet residential
neighborhoods, a centrally located business district, an industrial complex and
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potential for expansion of existing recreational facilities. The borough also retains a
number of structures that may be considered historic and may contribute to a future
historic district. As this plan i s being written, students from Cornell University have
begun to compile information that may contribute to a historic district designation.
The borough of Athens has not changed much since the days it was first settled and
continues to retain i ts own unique historic character and diversity.
A view of Tioga Point, the southern most point of Athens Borough, where the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers converge.
11-1 1
111. Population and Demographics
Within the framework of any community comprehensive plan, one can observe the
most basic and fundamental approach towards measuring community growth, which i s
through the population component. The population component outlines overall
population growth or decline, comparison with surrounding municipalities, age and
racial distribution, gender-specific population distribution and the like. We can also
compare local trends with national trends and examine similarities with one another.
For the most part, from 1930 to 1960, Athens Borough grew in population by +3.27%
and began to fall thereafter from 1960 to 2000 for a decrease of -24.36%. The
following graph illustrates these statistics:
With these statistics in mind, the next graph will illustrate both the Athens Borough
total population and adjacent municipal totals:
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3.2 Total Population of Valley Communities 1930 - 2000
8750
7750
6750
5 5750 n
4750
3750
2750
1750
750
C 0 .- 3
I930 1940 6958 1960 4970 1980 1990 2000 Census Yeas
One trend that i s fairly obvious i s that all the boroughs lost population over the past
thirty years and Athens Township gained a significant population increase from 1980 to
2000. This trend i s not surprising, in that, across the Bradford County, all borough
populations have decreased over the past 20-30 years and outlying townships are
gaining in population. What explains this trend? Several factors account for this trend
as they include:
a
a
a
e
Age of Housing (Older in the boroughs than in the townships)
Perceived tax incentive (Less services within the townships than
the boroughs, Clean and Green Preferential Tax Assessment)
People’s desire to live and work on more acreage in rural
townships versus the smaller lot sizes established in the boroughs
Lack of Land Use Regulations in Townships
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People’s appreciation for living near woodland, open space and a
setting to perform outdoor recreation activities
Moreover, the overall population trends of the “Valley” communities over the past
seventy years exhibit national populations trends that occurred within this period. For
example, after World War I t , population increased in many cities and municipalities as
a result of men coming home from the war and raising families. The “Baby Boom’’
began at this time and continued into the late 1940s and 1950s. The economy grew
stronger with industrial shifting from manufacturing-oriented jobs into more service-
oriented positions. With this situation as it was, and as families grew larger, the inner
cities and urban areas became less attractive than the suburban developments that
were closer to the service-oriented businesses. From the 1960s onward, we find that
trend to continue as suburban development has continued to sprawl outside our major
metropolitan areas. The same seems to hold true here in the Northern Tier of
Pennsylvania where we have seen a shift in populations increasing in the rural outlying
townships and losing strength in the developed borough settings. The previous graph
exemplifies this exact point. This trend was mainly brought about by the widespread
introduction of automobiles, declining family size and the elimination of the railroad.
Pedestrian oriented municipalities such as Athens Borough were highly affected by this
transformation and continue to slowly rebound from this change.
Although Athens Borough experienced a 24 % population loss since 1960, population
has somewhat stabilized within the last twenty years. The next segment of the
population component wil l further break the population down into gender and race
categories so that you may fully understand the population composition of Athens
Borough and derive some assumptions about i t s future populations.
The following graph illustrates the Athens Borough Population as it i s distributed by
age comparing both the 1990 and 2000 Census totals:
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u
02000Total
01990Total
3.3 Total Population by Age
85 and Over
Under5 5 to9 10to14 15to19 20to24 25to34 35 to44 45to54 55to59 60to64 65to74 75to84
216 218 241 249 168 400 501 436 169 146 280 263 128
207 263 282 203 181 475 500 326 122 135 359 288 127
85 and Over
75 to a4
65 to 74
60 to 64
55 to 59
45 to 54
35 to 44
25 to 34
Graph 3.3 in this section illustrates an interesting comparison of Age Cohorts from
both the 1990 and 2000 Census. The data susgests that the population of Athens
Borough i s getting older, as a majority of the population in 2000, almost 40% of the
total population, range in age from 25 to 54. The population of 24 and under consists
of 32% of the total population and 55 and over make up 29% of the total population.
These latter cohorts wil l ultimately increase within the next decade demonstrating an
even older population. Also, Median Age reached 39.4 years in Athens Borough 2000
Census figures as opposed to the following "Valley" municipalities: Athens Twp.: 39.5,
Sayre Borough: 38.9 and South Waverly Borough: 44.1 years.
A second pattern that emerges in Graph 3.3 lies within the cohorts of 0 to 14. This
accounts for approximately 19% of the total 2000 population, as opposed to the aging
I114
population observed in the 25 to 54 age cohorts. Younger people are not replacing the
older population equally, and, within the next ten to twenty years this same trend
continues, a majority of the population wil l be aging. This may pose certain demands
on Athens Borough, as an older population wil l require different needs and possibly
different services than accommodating a younger population. instead of thinking
about expanding schools, the borough may want to investigate the establishment of a Senior Center.
The next chart illustrates the total number of males and females within the borough
over the past two Census periods:
3.4 Athens Borough Total Population by Gender
1990 2000
Census Years
Females have consistently outnumbered males by approximately 451 in 1990 and 391
in 2 0 0 . However, analysis of gender and age cohort may reveal patterns of where the
female population may be distributed more prominently. The following chart, 3.5,
illustrates a “population pyramid” that shows total population by age cohort and
gender. Unfortunately, at the time this plan was written, Census 2000 figures were
not avaitable to compare with 1990 data. We can make some assumptions from the
1990 data.
rII-5
3.5 Athens Borough Population Pyramid (1990)
e 0 c s 2 Q,
1
13
Population
The population pyramid divides both male and female genders by age cohort. The
pyramid provides a profile of total population by both gender and age. The data
illustrated in the 1990 Population Pyramid dogs not actually contain negative numbers
for male cohorts. The data is input as negative figures to compare each cohort by
gender. For example, the 5 to 9 cohort illustrates that there are 139 females and 125
males, an even distribution of both genders within that particwlar cohort. There i s a significant difference of male to females in several cohorts, in particular, the cohorts
from 50 to 85 and over. In 1990, Athens Borough retained a Large population of older
women as compared to men with these cohorts, approximately 375 more women than
men in these cohorts. Considering the previous chart 3.4, we can assume that
population has not changed significantly and older women dominate the population
pyramid. What has caused this trend? One explanation may be the number of elderly
housing facilities within Athens: Page Manor (100 Units), Chemung View (100 Units)
and Heritage Nursing Home (120-130 units). Twin Rivers (80 Units) i s a federally
subsidized housing complex for low-to moderate-income families. A majority of
residents within the elderly housing facilities must be female within these cohorts.
Race data for Athens Borough and a majority of Bradford County heavily favors a
white, Anglo-Saxon population. However, there i s some racial diversity present within
the “Valley” communities as represented within the following chart. The following
chart compares 1990 racial data with 2000 data without white population figures.
3.6 Athens Borough Racial Population Change
1980 1990 2000
Census Years
Throughout these periods, white population decreased from 3,592 in 1980, 3,421 in
1990 and 3,341 in 2000. Despite the insignificant decrease, white population
continues to dominate the total population in Athens Borough, making up 97.8% of the
total population in 2000.
In sum, the population of Athens Borough has decreased over the past several decades
and has become older. The female population in the age cohorts of 50 and above
seems to dominate the male population. One explanation for this trend i s the
presence of low-income, elderly housing facilities within the borough limits. Although
the borough retains a high population of older citizens, the population pyramid also
demonstrates a strong pyramid base of youth that wil l eventually replace citizens in
the upper age cohorts. Athens Borough retains a diverse housing stock and remains a
bedroom community within the “Valley” region. Population wil l eventually stabilize
with the growing opportunities younger families have with new industry such as Mill’s
111-7
Pride or existing healthcare occupations with the region’s largest employer Guthrie
Clinic and the Robert Packer Hospital. In addition, Athens Borough, as a residential
community, i s central to industrial centers such as Towanda (with OSRAM Sylvania,
Dupont de Nemours, Craftmaster Corporation), Elmira, NY and the tri-city area of
Binghamton, NY (Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott). Elmira i s within 19 miles
and Binghamton i s within 40 miles of the “valley” region. In addition, lthaca lies only
32 miles directly north of the “Valley” and Athens Borough. This points to the fact
that Athens Borough is almost geographically central to both Pennsylvania and
Southern New York State urban and industrial centers making it a very desirable place
to live and raise a family. What makes this possible is the close proximity to highways
such as US. 220 and PA 199 that connects with NY Route 17 East and West (future I-
86), NY Route 34 and 13.
Athens Borough has an opportunity to promote itself as a livable community with job
and occupational opportunities just outside i t s backdoor. The following Goals and
Objectives have been suggested for the Population component:
1. Athens Borough wil l continue to foster population growth while sustaining
i t s aging population.
Athens Borough wil l promote itself as prime residential community
accommodating a diverse population, considering race and age.
II.
OBJECTIVES:
Promote Athens Borough as a great place to live and raise a family.
Provide services for a growing elderly population.
Continue to sustain an individual, yet unique, community character through
local history and environment.
Attract young families by promoting affordable housing, close proximity to
schools, clinicslhospital and recreation facilities.
Encourage community involvement in activities that attract a cross-section of
the municipality
111-8
IV. Housing
Total Units Owner-Occupied (%)
The housing component of the community comprehensive plan usually contains
analysis of owner-occupied houses versus rental housing. The analysis contains data
that pertains to number of households and units, occupied versus vacant units,
average household size, housing value and rent, just to name a few. The housing
component can also describe or illustrate the overall condition of housing within the
community, however, without qualified assistance determining housing condition, it is
merely a windshield view of the outside of structures. This component will not
attempt to describe overall housing condition due to a lack of qualified observation
and knowledge of true home conditions. The component will confer a broad overview
of housing in Athens Borough and compare it to other “Valley” communities.
Renter-Occupied (%I
Athens Borough does retain a diverse housing stock related to age, style and use. In
addition, major rental housing for the very low income, the disabled and elderly exists
in four locations: Page Manor, Chemung View Apartments, Heritage Nursing Home and
Twin Rivers Terrace.
I
- 1980 1990 - 2000
Athens Borough 1,504 1,515 1,500
South Waverly Borough 41 7 43 1
The following represents a comparison of total units, owner vs. renter percentages
throughout the “Valley” communities:
- 1980 - 1990 - 2000 __ 1980
57.0 55.1 58.1 38.0
79.4 82.7
Athens Township 1,996 2,189 76.8 84.1
IV- 1
The Owner-Occupied and Renter-Occupied comparisons among the “Valley”
communities illustrate some simple patterns of housing within the four municipalities.
The percent of renters in Athens Borough remains the highest with Sayre Borough.
This i s mainly due to the presence of low-income and elderly facilities that contain the
following :
FACILITY AVAILABLE UNITS FUNDING TYPE GROUP TYPE
Page Manor 100 Units Public Housing (BCHA) Elderly/ Disabled
Since 1980, the number of owner-occupied housing units remained stable in Athens
Borough, but somewhat lower than the owner-occupied percentages in South Waverly
Borough and Athens Township. In addition, owner-occupied and renter percentages in
Sayre Borough were very similar to those of Athens Borough throughout two census
periods. Athens and Sayre Boroughs are older municipalities with neighborhoods that
grew out from the central business districts. Conversely, South Waverly Borough and
Athens Township have no discernable central business districts and respectively
contain newer homes. The 1990 Census housing data contains information regarding
the age of homes and exemplifies this point. In addition, the median year homes were
built also validates this assumption: Athens Borough (1939), South Waverly Borough
(1951), Sayre Borough (1939) and Athens Township (1964). The older boroughs, Athens
and Sayre, retain older structures. The following graph illustrates when homes were
built from before 1940 up until 1984 and after. A majority of homes in the “Valley”
were built before 1940, with the exception of Athens Township, where a significant
number of homes have been built every decade and continue to contribute structures
after 1984. Current building permit data would reinforce this point also. One
Chemung View
Twin Rivers
Heritage Nursing Home
IV-2
100 Units Privately Owned-Subsidized ELderlY/Disabled
80 Units Privately Owned-Subsidized FamilY/Disabled
120-1 30 Units Private Elderly/ Disabled
interesting item to note with graph 4.1 i s the number of homes built in between 1970
and 1979. The Agnes Flood, i f you will, caused this anomaly, in 1972. Over 200 homes
were flooded during that catastrophic flood event that effected neighborhoods on
Center, Chestnut, North and Paine Streets. Although many homes were lost to the
flood, some rebuilt, especially in those area now protected by the levee system built
after Agnes.
4.1 Years Homes were built in the Valley Communities (1 990)
OAthens Borough
OSouth Waverly Borough
OSayre Borough
OAthens Township
Before 1940 1940-49 1950-59 1960-69 1970-79 1980-84 After '84
The next graphic also illustrates the point that Athens Borough retains a high
percentage of rental units. Again, 1990 Census figures illustrate this example due to
the lack of 2000 Census data during the development of this plan. However, due to
the age of structures in Athens Borough, this data reinforces the trend. The statistic
that Athens officials may be in disagreement with i s the number of mobile homes
accounted for during this census period. Nineteen were accounted for by the US.
Census in 1990, however, the borough may have only retained one or two, if at all.
Iv-3
4.2 Units in Structure within “Valley” Communities (1990)
The graph demonstrates the number of units per structure in each of the “Valley”
municipalities. As the data implies, Athens Borough retains 545 structures with 2 or
greater units. Obviously, the elderly and multi-family housing complexes mentioned
earlier contribute a majority of these units within the borough. Again, Sayre Borough
demonstrates similarly high numbers regarding units, as South Waverly Borough and
Athens Township demonstrate lower unit numbers due to the majority of single family
housing within these municipalities.
The next data set that illustrates housing patterns in Athens Borough and the “Valley”
communities relates to Housing Value and Contract Rent. Again, these statistics were
not available for the 2000 Census at the time this plan was developed, however, the
data does indicate that rental values are much lower in Athens Borough due to the
subsidized housing present for elderly and families. Median Housing Value also ranks
lower than South Waverly and Athens Township due to the number of newer homes in
these municipalities.
IV-4
Pennsylvania
Bradford County
Athens Borough
South Waverly Borough
Median Housing Value Median Rent
- 1980 - 1990 1980 - 1990
$62,091 $ 69,700 $276 $322
5 49,704 $50,900 $213 $231
$43,035 $47,600 s 178 s 218
, $49,387 I $53,200 $273 $275 ,
4.3 “Valley” Communities Distribution of Home Value (1990)
Sayre Borough
Athens Township
I I I 5 OAthens Township 276 350 131 44 17 I
$43,670 $48,900 $243 $276
$ 59,931 $67,900 $251 $278
Lastly, a comparison of size and type of households within Athens Borough and the
“Valley” communities reveal other housing trends that are occurring in the area.
Average household size in Athens and the other municipalities are stable, although
household size did decrease in Athens Borough, Sayre Borough and Athens Township
over the past 10 years. The growing elderly population and lack of younger families
moving into the borough may cause this apparent decrease in Athens Borough
household size. The average househotd size for Bradford County in 2000 equaled 2.55
people.
Iv-5
Athens Borough
South Waverly Borough
Sayre Borough
Athens Township
Total households can be divided into family households, married couple families and
non-family households. The following compares changes within Athens Borough and
the “Valley” communities from 1990 through the ZOO0 Census.
Average Household Size
- 1990 - 2000
2.37 2.29
2.63 2.9
2.39 2.28
2.58 2.51
Married Couple
Total Households Family Households Fam i Hes
- 1990 rn 1990 rn - 1990 - 2000
Athens Borough 1,399 1,427 866 858 674 61 8
South Waverly
Borough 399 41 0 308 283 263 239
Sayre Borough 2,391 2,529 1,543 1,516 1,204 1,111
Athens Township 1,836 2,002 1,373 1,449 1,168 1,176
In Athens Borough, Family Households and Married Couple Families decreased within
the two Census periods, the most significant being the decrease in Married Couple
Families by 56 families. Total Households increased slightly by 28 households and Non-
family Households increased slightly over the period with 36 households. This trend is most attributed to the aging population in Athens Borough considering the decrease in
Married Couple Households and increase in Non-Family Households.
Non-Family
Households
- 1990 - 2000
533 569
91 127
848 1,013
463 553
Athens Borough and i t s residential neighborhoods have created a unique character and
livable environment for people of various generations. Elderly/disabled housing
facilities were established to accommodate older and frail individuals due to the
proximity of world-class healthcare facilities such as the Robert Packer Hospital in
Sayre Borough. There are other considerations for establishing such facilities in the
IV-6
borough: sidewalks, flat topography, proximity to a central business district and i t s
small- town environment.
Athens Borough retains many qualities that cannot be duplicated in today’s modern
subdivisions and suburban developments. Homes were built up to the street and
sidewalk edge, some homes were built with a consistent local theme-Victorian style
and homes in neighborhoods were built close to one another due to building lot size
regulations. In addition, other aesthetic considerations were taken into account when
neighborhoods were developed such as tree plantings, placement of wrought iron and
white picket fences and large barns that now serve as garages for automobiles instead
of horses and buggies. Some property owners s t i l l preserve hitching posts outside
their front doors from the days of horse and buggy. However, there are residential
neighborhoods that grew out of the Central Business District that were developed well
after the automobile became popular. As the Norfolk-Southern Railroad divides two
sides of the borough, we can think of this as a dividing line between home styles and
lot sizes. Homes north of the railroad that abut Sayre Borough and Athens Township
were built between the 1900s and 1920s and serve as simple single-family residences
in addition to homes found on Second and Third Streets built a few decades later, in
the 1940s and 1950s. In the northern section of the borough, in several instances,
homeowners have developed in-home businesses such as beauty salons, craft dealers
or daycare facilities. Working class families dominate these neighborhoods as homes
are affordable and contain small yards and driveways. This may be one of the most
popular needs for families of yesterday and today. The close proximity to schools,
work, church and the like make small town living an asset as opposed to the suburban
commutes of 30 or 40 miles.
Athens Borough population and inhabitants desire a safe, livable community that
provides all the amenities of any small American town. People are generally proud to
live in this community and tend to stay for life. The planning commission has
considered this factor heavily and suggests the following goals and objectives for
Housing:
IV-7
- GOALS:
1.
11.
111.
Athens Borough wil l continue to provide quality housing to working-class,
professional, elderly and low-income individuals and families.
Athens Borough intends to preserve i t s unique housing stock that promotes
the borough’s individual character as both a “Valley” and Bradford County
community.
Promote Athens Borough as a premiere residential community within the
“Valley” and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania.
0 BJ ECTIVES: . Continue to enforce proper building and property maintenance codes to ensure
safe and desirable housing, . Work with county, state and regional officials to encourage housing
rehabilitation programs available to low- to moderate-income families. Consider historic preservation measures that help property owners preserve
homes without mandatory regulations. = Promote shade tree and sidewalk programs that enhance property values and
community aesthetics. . Provide essential services to elderly and low-income facilities and recognize on
going needs to support these facilities. . Provide services for Senior Citizens and the elderly living in housing facilities
within Athens Borough and connect them with community-oriented activities.
IV-8
V. Community Facilities
I View of the Valley Joint Sewer Treatment Fucility in Athens Borough I
One of the most important facets of a community’s comprehensive plan i s that it
outlines important community resources, whether they are public (municipal or
educational) vs. private (gas, electric, telephone, cable). This inventory provides
existing residents, newly elected borough officials and prospective businesses a source
to derive information from when approaching decisions on why they should do business
in Athens Borough, why they should live in Athens Borough or how can the quality of
life be improved in the community. The following map (5.1) outlines the general
location of all community resources in Athens Borough including doctor offices,
apartments, industries, churches, cemeteries, post office and banks, just to name a
few.
This component of the Comprehensive Plan wil l outline municipal, private and
educational community facilities as it did in the 1989 Comprehensive Plan, hopefully
with a few updates. Municipal facilities shall include the joint sewage collection
authority, police, fire, code enforcement and existing parks and recreational
amenities. The private facilities will outline water, natural gas, electric, telephone,
television and solid waste disposal. And, lastly, the educational facilities wil l
inventory the Athens Area School District and the borough libraries.
v- I
A. Municipal Facilities
Joint Sewaqe Collection and Treatment: Athens Borough is a member of
the Valley Joint Sewer Authority which i s the owner and operator of the
joint sewage treatment facility located on the corner of Walnut and South
River Streets. Current statistics demonstrate that 1,123 structures are
connected to the facility, making-up 1,602 equivalent dwelling units or
EDUs. Eight properties are not connected to the system due to their
proximity from the collection line. (Pictured on Page V-1) Map 5.2
illustrates the existing sewer lines within the borough.
Police Protection: Athens Borough retains a full-time municipal police
force that functions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Police coverage includes eight officers that consist of: (1) Chief, (5)
Patrolmen, (1) School Resource Officer and (1) Part-time Officer. Mutual
aide is received from the adjacent “Valley” Police Departments in Sayre,
South Waverly, Athens Township and Waverly N.Y. The Athens Borough
Police Department retains (3) vehicles: a 2000 Ford Explorer, a 1997 Crown
Victoria and a 1994 Crown Victoria. In 2001, the Athens Borough Police
Department received a grant from the US. Department of Justice COPS
Program that provides funding for placing an officer in the local school.
There were a limited amount of grant dollars available in this program as
the Borough is proud of being one of four recipients in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania. Borough and Township officials in the “Valley”
municipalities are currently researching the issue of police service
consolidation, but have not agreed on any particular regional program at
this time.
Fire Protection: Athens Borough is served by an all-volunteer fire
department that consists of two stations that are located within the
borough, namely Station #1 - the Protection Hose Company located on 25
River Street in the Athens Borough Municipal Building and Station #2 -
Diahoga Hose Company located on North Main Street. The department provides 24-hour service and currently composes itself with 30 active
v-2
members. Each department maintains house rules and meeting dates and i s
governed by one Fireboard that meets the last Wednesday of the month.
Protection Hose Company meets the second Tuesday of the Month and the
Diahoga Hose Company meets the next to last Monday of the month. The
department retains officers such as (3) Chiefs, (2) Captains, (2) 1%
Lieutenants and (2) 2"d Lieutenants. The department also contains a (6)
member PA Fireman's Relief Board. The department provides mutual aide
to Sayre Borough, Athens, Ulster, Litchfield and Towanda Townships and
Waverly, N.Y. A municipal fire hydrant map (5.3) i s contained in this
section of the community facilities component. The following table
illustrates the equipment that the department retains as of the date of this
plan:
- Call
Letters
1 -T-7
1 -E-1
1 -M-1
1 -E-2
1 -SQ-I
1 -M-2
---_
ComDanv in DeDartment Vehicle Tvpe - Model Year
Protection Hose Company #l Aerial American 1981 LaFrance
Protection Hose Company #l Pumper Ward 79 Limited 1984
Protection Hose Company #l Suburban C hevrole t 1992
Diahoga Hose Company #6 Pumper Pierce 1994
Diahoga Hose Company #6 Rescue Ford N 1 1996
Diahqa Hose Company Van Ford 1984
---- Motor Boat _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Water Rescue)
8 Athens-Savre Joint Code Enforcement Aqency: In October 1997, both Athens
and Sayre Borough Councils passed ordinances creating the Athens-Sayre Joint
Code Enforcement Agency. The authorization and establishment of this agency
v-3
is set forth in the Athens Borough Code, Act 180 and the Pennsylvania
Municipalities Planning Code. The borough councils appoint seven members to
form the agency. The members consist of the Sayre Borough Manager, the
Chairperson of the Sayre Borough Zoning and Code Enforcement Committee,
two Sayre citizens at large, the Athens Borough Manager, the chairperson of
the Athens Zoning and Code Committee and one Athens citizen at-large.
The Agency performs inspections of structures, licensing of contractors and
enforcement of the building code. The Agency provides enforcement
inspections within the municipalities pertaining to all the provisions of the
International Building Code 2000 and i t s updates. The Agency issues all permits
and orders required to enforce the code. The Agency is intended to be self-
supporting, but may request funds from the municipalities if it does not have
sufficient funds to operate. In 2003, the borough will need to make a decision
on enforcing the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code under Act 45. Under
this legislation, Pennsylvania municipalities wil l be required to “opt in” or “opt
out” of enforcing these standard regulations. It i s assumed that the current
code enforcement program will continue to enforce building codes under the
Pennsylvania Uniform standard.
The Agency may hire inspection personnel as required. There is currently one
full-time Code Enforcement Officer, Mr. Patrick Cahill and one full-time
administrative assistant, Ms. Carol Lee.
The Agency collected the following statistics relevant to building and permit
activity throughout 2001.
(47) Remodeling I (12) in Businesses
(67) Roof Permits
( 1 1) Additions
( 1 ) Demolition [No New Construction]
(9) Siding Permits
(13) PatioslDecks
(10) CarportslGarages
(9) Fences
v-4
Tioga Point Cemete
Athens Area High Schoo Available Medical Office
Athens Area Little League Fie1
Twin Rivers Apartmen Joint Valley Sewer Authority
n-York Opportunities Main Elementary School
Chemung View Apartmen ns Borough Boat Launch
American Legion Post
Heritage Nursing Ho US/Athens Post Office
Old Athens Cemetery
Citizens 8 Northern
Tioga Point Museum Spalding Memorial Libra
Point Far Map 5.1
Athens Borough Consun 9' Community Resources / / I I
Resource: 1995 PENNDOT Digitat Highnay C-Line File (KCCPG -Adjusted July, 2001)
March, 2000 Northem Tier Won CIS Database (BCCCffi - County Boundaq Adjusted May, 2000) March, 2000 Northem Tier Regim GIS Database (BCCCPG - Tcnmhlp Elcumdaly Adjusted May, 2000)
Bradford Ccunty Office of Canmnmity Planning and Grants
3000 0 3000 goo0 F e t 1
w+E
S
ners PA Water Wells
I 1 I
LEGEND Identified Community Resourc
0 Borough Boundary 0 Tax Parcel Boundaly
N
S
Sewer Lines
Resource: 1995 PENNDOT Digital Hghway C-Line File (BCOCPG - Adjusted July, 2001 )
March, 2000 Nathern Tier Region GIS Database (BCOCPG - Towhip BounQry Adjusted May, 2000)
Bradford County Office of Community Planning and Grants
March, 2000 Northem Ti- Region GIS Database (BCOCPG ~ h n t y Boundary Adjmted May, 2000) I I] Athens Borough Boundary
0.5 0 0.5 Miles
(5) Pools (13) Driveways
(1) Handicap Access Ramp
(1) Cell Tower
(2) Sheds
(3) New Homes
(157) Sidewalks
0 (28) Sidewalks combined with other projects
"There were a total of 389 permits issued and there were 374 contractor
permits issued in 2001.
. 4th Ward Storm Water Sewer System Desiqn: In August of 2001, Stearns 8 Wheler LLC, Environmental Engineers and Scientists prepared a Preliminary
Design Report to develop a storm sewer system in the 4th Ward. This particular
area of the borough has experienced localized flooding as a result of poor
drainage. The storm water that accumulates during storm events damages the
existing paved roads as excess volumes of water infiltrate into the sub base of
these streets. A Storm Water collection and conveyance system should
improve the overall conditions in the 4th Ward.
The 2001 report illustrated soil information, collection system method of
analysis, storm water collection system design and probable construction costs.
The collection system will consist of a network of inlets and piping (high
density polyethylene) located in the street right-of-ways. The design is
somewhat simplistic, since the system will not consist of pump or lift stations,
as gravity flow will be proposed to also curb maintenance costs. Storm water
inlet basins wil l be utilized to capture sheet flow off of paved road surfaces
and possibly be located at street intersections and at intervals of (+I-) 400
feet. Facilities that wil l be placed in PENNDOT right-of-way must comply with
PENNDOT design guidelines. Facilities may be placed along state owned streets
such as West Pine Street, North Main Street, Elmira Street and Route 220.
The borough must decide on the sizing of the new system with regards to storm
frequency (two- and five-year storm). Proposed discharge points for the
v-5
collection and conveyance system will be on the west side of the 4* Ward
under Elmira/Pleasant Street into the Chemung River and on the east side of 4‘h
Ward under North River, the Railroad and S.Cove Street into the Susquehanna
River. The proposed construction cost for each frequency i s outlined below:
Storm
2 - Year
5 - Year
- cost Optional Concrete Total Cost Curbinq
$2,881,000.00 $546,000.00 $ 3,427,000.00
$ 3,027,000.00 $ 546,000.00 $ 3,573,000.00
Parks and Recreation: Athens Borough retains three parks and the Valley
Recreation Center (formerly the Ingersoll-Rand Clubhouse). The following gives
a brief description of each:
a. Athens Borough Park: This 9.85 acre park i s located adjacent and behind
the Athens Municipal Building located on Susquehanna Street. The
facility consists of the Valley Playland, tennis courts, softball fields, the
fireman’s pavilion and picnic facilities. This is a highly used
recreational facility in Athens Borough and in walking distance to most
residents. However, many “valley” residents that live outside of Athens
Borough utilize these facilities due to park’s location, well-maintained
park apparatus and amenities.
b. Downtown Teaoga Square: This smaller park is located on the Main
Street between the Guthrie Clinic and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Antique Store. The park is well placed within the Central Business
District and offers brick paving and a large, ornate pavilion for spring
and summer concerts. The park also contains a small business that
caters to many pedestrians in the downtown: ice cream. The park i s a
perfect link between the downtown and parking behind the main street
stores.
V-6
c. Valley Recreation Center: The clubhouse, which was an Ingersoll-Rand
employee clubhouse, was donated to the borough in September of 1998.
Borough officials realized the potential for this 15,000 sq. ft. building
and 4.4 acre piece of ground for recreational purposes. The borough
received $ 100,000.00 in planning and development funds from the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to initiate feasibility
study for the complex. Larson Design Group conducted a feasibility
study for the future use of the facility and land. In addition, the
borough received $81,260.00 in Community Development Block Grant
funds to modify male and female restrooms handicap accessibility. The
restroom modifications were completed in September 2001. The
facility i s currently used for Athens Area School District class space
while new school facilities are built in Athens Township on the site of
the campus.' After the campus is fully constructed, the borough will
need to address the future use of this facility and hopefulty consider
community organizational use and potential recreational uses on the
land and in the building. Possible improvements to the site include: the
construction of baseball and/or soccer fields, improved parking
facilities, installation of handicap accessible pathways and fixtures,
walking and biking trails, installation of field lighting to accommodate
night games and placement of picnic tables and cooking facilities. The
borough may also consider skateboard and bicycle motocross facilities.
The building itself may be considered for many functions as related to
the continued use of meeting facilities for Ingersoll-Rand employees,
accommodations for dances, and potential uses for seniors, the
Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and trade
shows/special community events.
v-7
B. Private Facilities
. Water: Athens Borough i s served with potable water from Consumer’s PA
Water Company on 206 South Keystone Street in Sayre, PA. Consequently,
much of the entire “Valley” water supply comes from wells located on the river
flats south of town. The new well had been established in 2001 and services
1,080 residential customers, 130 commercial customers and 4 industrial
customers. Map 5.4 illustrates the location of waterlines throughout the
borough.
Natural Gas: Valley Cities Gas Service on 523 South Keystone Avenue, Sayre
services Athens Borough with natural gas. Map 5.5 illustrates the gas lines that
serve all of Athens Borough.
Electric: Athens Borough i s serviced with electricity from GPU Energy in
Towanda, PA as it presently services 1,320 residential customers and 189
commercial / industrial customers.
. Telephone: Compared to other telephone service areas, the area serving
Athens Borough and the rest of the “Valley” i s very small. It is not only small,
but also causes dissatisfaction among customers due to the inconvenience of
long distance calling within miles of the service area. Once under GTE, the
service area is now managed by Verizon Communications. The service issues
have not ceased and residents are forced to use long distance just calling to
locations such as Waverly, NY, East Smithfield, Sheshequin or Towanda.
. Television: Television cable service i s provided through Time Warner with
offices at 142 West Lockhart Street in Sayre.
. Solid Waste Disposal: Al l waste in Bradford County i s shipped to the Bradford
County Landfill in West Burlington Township. The following haulers in Athens
Borough haul municipal and residual wastes: Superior, Dibble and NTSWA.
Residential, commercial and industrial solid waste producers are responsible
v-8
Map 5.4
Consumer's PA Water Lines
Rescurce: 1995 PENNDOT Meital HiPhwav C-Line File lBCoCPG . Adiusted Julv. 20011
N
W E
S
LEGEND
Water Lines
Athens Borough Boundary
March, 2000 Northem Tier R&on GiS Oakbase (BCoCk - County Bbundary Mjusted May, 2000) March, 2wO Northern Tier mion GIS Database (BCOCPG - Township Boundary Adjusted May, 2000)
hdiwdcantyoffke of carmunttyp(ennfng and Grants
0.5 0 0.5 Miles
N
Map 5.5
Valley Cities Gas Lines
I I
Resource: 1995 PENNDOT Digital Highway C-Line File (BCOCffi - Adjusted July, 2001)
March, 2wO W e m Tier Regon GI5 Database (BCOCffi - Cwnty Boundw Adjusted May, 2000) March, 20W Nathem Tier Regla, GIS Database (BCOCPG ~ Township Boundary Mjusted May, 2000)
Bradford County Office of C m u n i t y Planning and Grants
w E
S
r LEGEND
Gas Lines I Athens Borough Boundary
0.5 Miles 0.5 0
for contracting with one of the haulers named above. Curbside recycling
continues to be a large part of waste reduction in Athens Borough. The
convenience of curbside pick-up allows for the separation and pick-up of glass,
plastics, paper etc. Residents, commercial and industrial waste producers are
encouraged to contact the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority to learn more
about used tire recycling, battery and paint disposal.
Internet Access: Includes the following providers to costumers within the
borough: Cableracer, CQ Services, Exotrope, Clarity Connect, Roadrunner,
USADatanet and North Penn.
C. Educational Facilities:
The following section provides a detailed overview of the Athens Area School District
employees, buildings, students and service area. The School District is currently
upgrading their facilities in Athens Township that contains the Junior High School and
an Elementary School. This will create some concern for Athens Borough officials, as
one school building, Main Elementary, would no longer serve as a Kindergarten through
fifth grade facility. The proposed use for this potential property will be further
examined in the land use section of this plan. Administration will be housed in the
elementary school or in the high school. Later in 2002, the High School, located
within the borough limits, will be rehabilitated and house sophomores through seniors.
Athens Area School District, 204 Willow Street, Athens, PA 18810
Number of Employees: 335
Number of School Buildings: 2 (Borough)
6 (Outside the Borough)
1 (Willow Street within the borough -
moving to the Athens Township)
1 (Maintenance Bldg. outside the borough)
181
Number of Other Buildings:
Number of Students Graduating in 2001:
v-9
School
A thens
Canton
Sayre
To Wanda
Wyal using
Northeast Bradford
Troy
Sullivan County I I I
Square Miles Countv Rank
180 5
206 4
33 8
160 7
280 2
168.7 6
260 3
470 1
Athens School District Jurisdiction: Athens Borough and Township, Smithfield
Township, Ridgebury Township, Ulster Township and Sheshequin Township
Athens Area School Enrollment
v-10
Athens Area School Enrollment of Children receivinq Special Education
Deafness or nearina Impairment I o Learnin
Mental
Orthopedic Impairment
Emotlonal Disturbance
Lanruare Irnmirment
I o Impairment includinq Blindness - Disabilities
I o
Other Impairments
TOTAL
GOALS:
1.
II.
111.
IV.
Provide sound emergency services to residents and businesses within the
borough and in surrounding “Valley” communities.
Provide a variety of recreational opportunities for children, adults, senior
citizens and those physically challenged.
Continue enforcing up-to-date building codes to protect homeowners and
tenants from substandard construction practices and the use of low-grade
building materials.
Retain first-rate educational facilities in close proximity to the residential
population and support programs that concentrate on assisting children
mentally or physically challenged.
v-11
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Establish recreational linkages, in the form of walking, hiking or biking
trails that provide linkages to the Susquehanna River, municipal parks and
other “valley” amenities.
Eliminate storm water damage and flooding in the 4‘h Ward.
Develop the Valley Recreation Center as a widely utilized community and
recreation facility that provides building space for community events and
sport facilities that can be utilized by citizens, clubs and organizations
alike.
Coordinate with private service providers to establish ample, state-of-the-
art infrastructure throughout Athens Borough.
OBJECTIVES:
Continue to work closely with emergency service providers such as the
Athens Borough Police Department and the Diahoga and Protection Hose
Companies and establish a capital budget for future equipment purchases.
Investigate the possibility of merging or consolidating emergency services
with other “valley” communities and initiate studies to analyze the
feasibility of service consolidation.
Work with the Bradford County YMCA, Senior Citizen organizations,
community groups, the Athens and Sayre School Districts, Ingersoll-Rand
and the Recreation Center Committee to implement the center’s feasibility
study and recreation plan.
Coordinate with the Northern Bradford Authority and the Carantouan
Greenway to develop trail linkages along the Susquehanna River and other
environs to connect communities to the north in New York State and
southward to Central Bradford County.
Expand the Athens-Sayre Joint Code Enforcement Agency and invite other
municipalities to participate in the agency’s efforts, especially with
consideration for the forthcoming Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.
Request grant funding under the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources for improving park amenities at existing parks and future
recreational lands related to the Valley Recreation Center.
v-12
' Carry out preliminary and final design on the 4'h Ward Sanitary Sewer
System and pursue PENNVEST and or Rural Utility Service Funds to assist in
facilitating the system's construction.
Involve community youth to plan and design future recreational facilities.
Coordinate with the Athens Area School District to determine the projected
lifespan of school buildings within the borough and discuss plans for
renovation, abandonment or sale.
'
I
View off of South River Street at the Athens Borough Municipal Building
V-13
VI. Existing and Future Land Use
METHODOLOGY
One of the more difficult components to develop within the Comprehensive Plan i s the
Existing and Future Land Use Component. The reasons it can be so difficult to develop
are many: What data is to be used to develop the component? What format should be
utilized to illustrate the data? Should fieldwork be initiated to gather accurate base
data? What is the optimum future land use designation for a particular parcel now
being serviced with sewer and water? How does the planning commission come to a
consensus recommending these future changes within their community? The
municipality and i t s planning commission should be considering all these questions
prior to developing this component. However, GIS technology and the availability of
satellite imagery now make it easier for municipalities to develop better plans for
future growth and development. The first part of this component will describe and
discern the methods used now versus the last comprehensive plan. The second part of
this component wil l inventory specific land uses in the community and analyze
potential changes with future land use recommendations.
In 1989, Athens Borough revised i t s original 1975 Comprehensive Plan and updated the
plan’s land use information with the assistance of graduate students from the State
University of New York at Binghamton. At that time, students verified land use
classifications through fieldwork and applied this to early Geographic information
System software. it i s stated in the 1989 plan, under Methodology, that the students
acquired land use information at the tax parcel level; however, the maps did not
depict the individual parcels throughout Athens Borough. The maps did depict general
land use areas overlaid onto a street base map. This has obviously changed within this
revised plan. In 1989, the plan outlined the following standard categories:
Residential, Commercial, industrial, Public/Utilities and Vacant/Agriculture.
As stated earlier, technology and available spatial information make the development
of the land use component much simpler. Available aerial photography and imaging
allow municipalities the advantage of analyzing land use trends with a “bird’s eye”
view of their community. The planning commission learns that the imaging i s not
VI- 1
simply enough to arrive at conclusions, but, with the use of other resources within the
comprehensive plan, such as wetlands, floodplain, soils, topography and infrastructure
locations, planning commission members can better analyze growth trends and what
land might be available for various types of development within their community.
For the purposes of this plan, a key piece of information that allowed Athens Borough
to develop this component pertained to 1992 Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quad 8
[DOQQI Information (NAD 83 meters). This digital information basically looks like a
black and white aerial photograph, where homes, structures, water bodies, right-of-
ways and vegetation are all discernable at a particular scale. In addition to using the
DOQQ, another data set, the Bradford County Tax Parcel information, was utilized to
show all tax parcels within Athens Borough. Both pieces of information provide a base
layer for all other information to be applied within this Comprehensive Plan.
Geographic Information System (GIS) software allows for the storage, manipulation
and input of this data. ArcView 3.2 was the GIS software utilized for the development
and design of all maps in this plan.
Obviously, the Athens Borough Planning Commission acted as a valuable resource
throughout the comprehensive plan process as they possess knowledge related to
existing conditions in parts of the municipality and contributed a vision of how
development or revitalization should occur in the future. Their assistance in
completing the existing and future land use map verified the data sets and confirmed
modifications that should be considered in future zoning decisions.
There i s a distinct difference between the future land use map and the zoning map.
The future land use map illustrates specific land use designations per parcel,
regardless of the zoning district designated. Whereas, a zoning map establishes zoning
districts that contain similar characteristics and densities that allow for Permitted
Uses By-Right, Conditional uses, Special Exceptions and Nonconforming Uses. It i s quite
apparent that zoning districts should contain fairly similar land uses within the district
boundaries. For example, a single-family residential district should contain a majority
of single-family residences without conflicting uses such as a four-story apartment
building or professional offices. However, some of these particular uses may remain if
they existed previous to the adoption of a zoning ordinance, otherwise known as
VI-2
Nonconforming uses. Moreover, a strong correlation exists between the future land
use map and the zoning map, as the future land use map is used as a guide towards
developing zoning district designations. Other resources such as the floodplain,
topographic, soil and wetlands maps all play a similar role in establishing a
municipality’s future land use map. For the purpose of the Athens Borough
Comprehensive Plan revisions and the existing zoning regulations, the following
component wil l recommend subtle changes to the zoning map considering items
mentioned above.
Existine. Land Use
Athens Borough consists of 1.8 square miles of land or 1,152 acres. As stated in the
Geography component of this plan, Athens Borough i s situated between the
Susquehanna River to east and the Chemung River to the west as an “isthmus of land”.
The land in the borough i s typically flat with an unvarying elevation of 740’ above sea
level. Agricultural lands dominate the southern isthmus of the borough due to the
presence of fertile soils and sediments previously left over from high water and floods.
One hundred year floodplain encompasses a majority of this land, which restricts
development from locating in this area of the borough. This Agricultural land, also
known as the “Point Farm” produces productive crops of potatoes and corn. In the
future, this farm may be reserved as an Agricultural Easement if the property owner
wishes to volunteer it to the County Agricultural Preservation Board. The property
must be an Agricultural Security Area and then reviewed as a potential easement
following the criteria set forth by the County’s Agricultural Preservation Program. If
eligible, the lands may be purchased in perpetuity as an agricultural easement. The
land can s t i l l be designated as an Agricultural Security Area if there i s at least 250
contiguous acres. The Agricultural Security Area law protects farmers from nuisance
lawsuits and i s a precursor to the Easement Purchase program.
Residential parcels exist just north of the agricultural lands along South Main Street. A
majority of the homes in this area convey “Victorian” style architecture and themes
reminiscent of the turn of the century. Dependent on which side a home i s situated
VI-3
LEGEND
11 Central Business District 1
Reclrae: 19% PENNDOT Digital Highvmy C-Line File (BCOCPG - Adjusted July, 2oM)
1992 Mgital orthophoto Qmrter Quads 8 (NAD 83 meters) (BCOCPG . Created Landuse Layer, December, 2001) March. ZaX, Northem nw Region WS Database (BCoCPG - Township Bamdary Mjuzted k y , 2000)
6radfd County Wfke of Community Planniw and Grants
0.2 0 0.2 0.4 Miles
along South Main Street, tax parcels in this part of town, for the most part, extend
from the borough street to the edge of either the Susquehanna or Chemung River.
The Athens Borough Central Business District i s well defined by two to three story
buildings from the turn of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Route 199,
Main Street, dissects the borough's downtown and connects to Sayre Borough to the
north and Athens Township to the south. Map 6.a illustrates a rudimentary illustration
of the Central Business District that encompasses mostly commercial, but some
residential and public properties. This representation illustrates the area that
resembles downtown with an area of approximately 23 acres. The photos shown
below give some indication of the historic architecture s t i l l present in the downtown.
View of South Main Street at the intersection of Susquehanna Street
Norfolk-Southern Railroad bisects the borough just north of the central business
district through Elmira and North Main Streets. The railroad progresses northward into
Sayre Borough along the extreme eastern edge of Athens Borough. A majority of land
uses consist of residential properties and neighborhoods. Ingersoll-Rand, the only
heavy industrial parcel in the borough, lies immediately north of the railroad tracks
between Elmira and Main Streets. Two large public parcels lie in the northwest corner
of the borough along the Athens Township line - the Tioga Point Cemetery and the
Athens Area High School.
Map 6.1 offers a better illustration of what i s described above, where seven (7) land
use categories have been identified through the development of this component. The
VI-4
categories include Agriculture, Parks and Open Space, Business, Industrial, Public,
Quasi-public, Residential and Vacant. The 1989 Plan depicted Residential,
Commercial, Industrial, Public, Agriculture, Vacant and Other Land Uses. The
following compares percentages of each land use from the 1989 and current plans.
6.1 Percentage of Existing Land Use by Category (2002)
There i s a large disparity between current land use percentages and those presented
in previous plans. This disparity cannot be explained other than recognizing that the
current percentages where derived from land uses assigned to each tax parcel.
Acreages for each land use were also calculated then compared to the total area of
the borough, thus deriving a percentage for each category. Observing Map 6.1 -
Existing Land Use, one can observe the distribution of land uses throughout the
borough and conclude that previous land use maps were not as detailed and may have
not calculated actual acreage.
VI-5
It i s fairly evident that both Agricultural and Residential uses dominate the existing
{and use types with much smaller land use percentages contributing to commercial,
industrial, public and vacant. Athens Borough does not have a great deal of land for
future development. This makes the future land use map a bit difficult to derive
unless there are areas within the borough that may be abandoned and improved over
time. Within the next section of this component, several recommendations wil l be
outlined that originated from ideas set forth in the Valley View 2010 Strategic
Development Master Plan for the Valley. A few locations within the borough have
been identified as betterment areas as a result of potential business or public building
abandonment. These ideas are only ideas that the borough may support i f land
becomes available through attrition or abandonment. In addition, the future land use
section adds categories to the future land use map taking al l space into consideration
from border to border. This section should also be considered when the borough
chooses to amend the existing zoning ordinance.
Future Land Use
As stated previously, the borough does not have a great deal of available land to
develop within the next several years. Changes and improvements can be
recommended for properties that may be abandoned, fall into disrepair or need to be
improved due to aging. Below are the recommended land use changes found on the
future land use map. Three new categories were added to the future land use map as
a result of review and deliberation. Map 6.2 outlines these changes throughout the
borough.
VI-6
6.2 Percentage of Future Land Use by Category (2002)
Multi-Famiiy Residential
Single-Family Residential
2%
Three additional categories were added to future land use, they include: Multi-family
residential, riparian and transportation. Multi-family land uses were added due to the
presence of several elderly and middle to low income housing facilities. These
facilities are prominent multi-family structures and should not be mixed with the
single-family category. The Riparian land use was another minor addition that
encompasses a very small area of shoreline on the Susquehanna River side of the
borough from Susquehanna Street to the Sayre Borough line. The last category added
to the Future land use map was identified as Transportation. This area f i l l s al l
transportation right-of ways, whether it i s a local street, railroad or Route 220. The
addition of these three categories does not affect the overall distribution of land use,
however, it does make coverage 100% and allows for a better resolution of what i s
available and may exist in the future.
Athens Borough does not have an opportunity, like other municipalities, to expand or
grow into developable corridors. The borough i s a well-defined community related to
land use. A discernable central business district i s present surrounded by residential
neighborhoods, public space and an industrial use that i s appropriate for i t s location.
There i s not much to remark about how vacant parcels can be developed or which
infrastructure can be expanded for development at this time. Nonetheless, Athens
Borough has an opportunity to plan for areas that may require revitalization or
VI-7
improvement. Several years ago, the Northern Bradford Authority, the Valley’s
economic development authority outlined several initiatives for the Valley
communities in what i s referred to as “Valley View 2010” dated February 1999. The
document i s a Strategic Development Master Plan for the entire “Valley” and i t s
communities. The authority outlined initiatives separately through development
clusters. The NBA delineated these clusters in the central part of the borough around
the downtown, Ingersoll-Rand and the streets between such as Chestnut, North, and
Paine. This approach identifies key areas within the borough that warrant some
forethought to future development potential and delivers an alternative that the
borough can begin with in order to improve community character and provide infill
development at appropriate locations. The following Map 6.3 outlines these clusters
in Athens Borough. The following wil l illustrate some of the NBA recommendations for
this area and further identify sub-clusten for future development.
VI-8
The “Valley View” plan provided an outlook towards improving commercial,
recreational and industrial opportunities within each community and also offer a vision
of what could be in certain areas. This cluster map and what follows offers some
recommendations for future land use in Athens Borough.
As stated in the Community Facilities Component, the Valley Recreation Center wil l
provide community organization and recreation type uses for both Athens Borough and
the entire “Valley”. This i s the largest observable on the above-referenced map along
Satterlee Street. The borough has initiated a site specific plan for the Center and
hopes to establish walking and biking trails, handicap accessible walkways and
fixtures, soccer and/or baseball fields, improved parking and possibly picnic facilities.
The Valley Recreation Center i s the old Ingersoll-Rand Clubhouse that was used for
years by employees.
The second major cluster identified on Map 6.3 i s the Main Elementary School. The
Athens Area School District i s currently improving and expanding the campus in Athens
Township. Someday, the Main Elementary will not be used as a public school facility
due to the age of the structure and the costs for improving it. The Athens Borough
Planning Commission, along with the Borough Council have a duty to review the
location, demolition, removal, sale or lease of any school district structure or land and
provide recommendations forty-five (45) days prior to such action from the governing
body of the school district under Section 305 of the PA Municipalities Planning Code.
A t this point, the planning commission may outline alternative uses for the site to
anticipate any future changes or amendments to the zoning ordinance. Map 6.4
identifies the recommended use for the site by the NBA:
VI-9
- PROPOSED SITE PLAN
The site i s recommended for residential use, in particular, a mixture of townhouses,
single-family homes, and a possible independentlassisted living senior complex.
Maple Street would be extended from Public Street, where it currently terminates and
would continue to Susquehanna Street. This recommendation seems logical since it i s
close proximity to the central business district and surrounding residential
neighborhoods to the north and south of the site. Trail connections can also be
established for this area both internal to the development and external to the
Susquehanna River and to the Valley Recreation Center cluster. Since the borough
already supports elderly and assisted living facilities, it may be enough just to propose
single-family and townhouse/garden apartment development within this proposed
cluster. Again, this i s only a recommendation to facilitate land use changes if the
Athens Area School District abandons or sells the Main Elementary School structure and
site.
A third major cluster identified in Map 6.3 i s the southern most cluster at the
intersection of Main, Elm, Elmira and South Streets. The site i s currently used as a
used car dealership. The NBA identified this site for infill improvements as depicted
on Map 6.5.
VI-10
. . . ..
A t the time the NBA developed the “Valley View” plan, the previous use relocated to
Elmira Street in Athens Township. The NBA recommended that the site reconfigure to
accommodate both municipal and private parking, service and commercial use
buildings compatible with the historic character of the area and landscaping around
the parking and infill areas. The proposed plan would provide for several anchor
businesses on the southern portion of the business district and improve the
intersection at Main and Elmira Streets.
Several other recommendations pertain to vacant parcels along the railroad tracks
between Elmira Street and Ingersoll-Rand and vacant land between Agway and Seals
Lumber. These two areas could be considered for light industrial or commercial due
to their proximity to the railroad and downtown.
The “Valley View 2010” plan also outlined some general recommendations to improve
the downtown. One recommendation concerns the maintenance and upkeep of
building facades and the need for the borough to develop a facade program to
preserve the existing architectural characteristics present within the downtown
VI-1 1
business district. The program would guide building owners into improving properties
consistent with common standards found throughout the existing architecture.
Other recommendations for the downtown and i t s appearance relates to Streetscapes,
Signage and Cleanliness. A l l these ideas connect as they speak about the appearance
of the borough. These could be costly recommendations as streetscaping often
involves consistent lighting, upgraded sidewalks and pavers, attractive trash
receptacles, outdoor seating, landscaping and plantings, banners and amenities that
add to the charm of the downtown. Tree plantings would also add shade for parked
cars and pedestrians. Signage should also convey some consistency with architecture
and local design characteristics. They should not be cluttered, oversized or obstruct
views. On the contrary, signs should be well designed according to standards set forth
in the zoning ordinance. Lastly, the borough already takes pride in presenting itself as a community that cares about how it looks. The borough businesses have achieved a
level of success for maintaining Athens downtown as a very clean community. This
activity should continue as people that visit downtowns often remember how they are
treated and how businesses maintain sidewalks and streets.
There are many things to consider when discussing downtown appearance: funding,
technical expertise, cooperation and leadership. A t some point, it may be appropriate
for Athens to consider a downtown manager to promote these recommendations.
Historic Preservation
Historic preservation of structures and other community resources relate to how
specific areas are utilized and ptanned for in a municipality considering past historic
events. Recognizing and preserving these resources often leads to gaining a better
sense of local identity and showcasing characteristics that are unique to a region. The
municipality that moves toward identifying resources to be preserved usually finds
itself active with regards to visitors, tourists and those just passing through to get a
glimpse of what established the borough or village as unique. In Athens Borough’s
case, in the late 1700’s, the area was a focal point for battles between Native
Americans and migrating colonists. Athens became a crucial strategic site for
Sullivan’s Army during this time. Thereafter, the area was opened up for settlement
VI-12
and Athens was incorporated in 1831. Many buildings, structure and monuments s t i l l
survive today commemorating the settlement of this area.
The 1989 Athens Borough Comprehensive Plan only touches upon the subject of
preserving historic resources. The plan outlines only one recommendation - “Initiate a
historic preservation program for the borough.” To date, this has not happened,
however, the borough has recently received assistance from the Spaulding Memorial
Library and Museum with regard to collecting data integral to designating a historic
district in Athens Borough. The curator of the museum recruited Cornell University
students to collect data on local history and architectural characteristics in order to
define the area of the historic district. The process of establishing a historic district i s
governed by rules and regulations set forth by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum
Commission.
Two Historic Structures: United Methodist Church and Spalding Memorial Library
Prior to establishing a historic district, the PA Historical and Museum Commission
states that a municipality should question what resources should be protected, how
much should be regulated and why? Moreover, it i s also stated that,
“Historic District designation is reputed to increase or stabilize property
values, foster pride and appreciation of the historic built environment and
consequently contribute to the quality of life in the community. ” - Historic
District Designation in Pennsylvania (1 997)
VI- 13
Since 1961, 67 Pennsylvania municipalities administered 88 historic districts and have
been certified as historically significant by the PHMC, and local ordinances establishing
controls for those districts have taken effect. In addition, over 440 Pennsylvania
historic districts have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In Pennsylvania, there are two main types of Historic Districts that can be created:
the National Reqister Historic District and the Municipally Requlated Historic District.
The National Register Historic District considers a district as a geographically
definable area, urban or rural, that possess a significant concentration, linkage or
continuity of historic buildings, structures, objects or sites united historically or
aesthetically by plan or physical development which has been designated by the
National Park Service as worthy of preservation. Examples of Historic districts
include: business districts, canal systems, groups of habitation sites, college
campuses, estates and farms with large acreage or numerous buildings, industrial
complexes, irrigation systems, residential areas, rural villages, transportation
networks and rural historic districts. The National Register of Historic Places is the
official federal l i s t of resources reflecting the nation's cultural heritage. Eligibility or
inclusion In the National Register affords local government oversight, and by some
protection from the effects of federal agency actions that assist, permit or license
activities that have an effect on historic resources. In 1978, Pennsylvania established
i t s own Register of Historic Places to recognize significant historic sites, however, the
program has not been implemented to date as the state s t i l l recognizes the National
Register of Historic Places listing as the official recognition program. Nation Register
recognition offers two benefits: federal tax incentives for income-producing properties
and grant opportunities for nonprofit organizations or agencies that own or lease
National Register sites.
Municipally Regulated Historic Districts consist of areas that are either residential or
commercial neighborhoods or a mixture of both, that are delineated by boundaries
made of buildings, structures, objects or sites that may be listed in or eligible to the
National Register of Historic Places. The district i s subject to regulation and
protection under local ordinance. The ordinance usually regulates building demolition
and exterior alteration of buildings within the district. A Histon'c Architectural Review
Board (HARB) i s established to make recommendations to the elected governing body
VI- 14
regarding any changes or alterations of building within the historic district. This differs from the National Register of Historic Places Historic District designation, in
that, the Municipally Regulated Historic District protects historic buildings from
demolition and inappropriate alterations by private property owners.
A historic district can be established through a process set forth by the PA Bureau of
Historic Preservation. A municipality intending to pursue historic district designation
must conduct a survey of the proposed district that follows the Bureau’s “Guidelines
for Historic Resource Surveys in Pennsylvania”. The PHMC will ultimately certify the
historical significance of the district upon completion of the survey. Public support for
the establishment of the district i s essential, especially where the municipality
chooses to adopt a Historic District Ordinance.
The Bureau of Historic Preservation considers the following characteristics of a historic
district:
. The area should posses a high degree of historic and architectural integrity
with a minimum of non-historic buildings and features, i.e. parking lots
The area should possess an implied cohesiveness through characteristics of
architectural style such as height, proportion, scale, rhythm and detail. . The area should possess a particular and identifiable character, a special
historical or aesthetic atmosphere which distinguishes it from the
surrounding area. = The area should be readily definable by physical factors i.e. railroads,
highways or topographical boundaries i.e. hillsides, stream and historic
factors, i.e. boundaries of original settlements, concentrations of historic
buildings and sites. . The area should be significant in the historical or cultural life of the
locality, the state or the nation. The district need not represent a particular architectural style, and may, in
fact, contain a wide variety of styles providing they are in a harmonious
relationship.
.
VI-15
In January of 1999, the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission Bureau of
Historic Preservation listed eligible properties in Bradford County. The following were
part of the l ist of eligible properties:
o Athens Historic District / Paine and Main Streets
o Athens United Methodist Church / 118 Main Street
o Spalding Memorial Library and Museum / 724 South Main Street
Map 6.6 offers a proposed historic district boundary for future consideration. The
district i s a “rough” representation of what the proposed district can encompass. The
“green” boundary includes the central business district, Main and South Main Street
and the “Point Farm”. The significance of the “Point Farm” was important to the
Colonial Army as Fort Sullivan once stood on this isthmus to monitor everything flowing
down the both rivers. This district recommendation can be modified with further
research and comparison with the Cornel1 student’s data and certification by the
PHMC.
Athens Borough land use i s timited; still, there i s an opportunity to enhance the
community with measures that can foster economic growth and public interest in
promoting Athens’s unique community identity. The following are goals and
objectives related to land use and historic preservation:
GOALS:
1. Utilize the Athens Borough Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use
Component when altering or amending the Athens Borough Zoning
Ordinance.
Accommodate all land use types throughout the borough.
Establish zoning districts and performance standards consistent with
intended land uses.
Recognize the NBA “Valley View 2010” plan as a Strategic Plan that guides
the borough towards improving development “clusters”.
II.
111.
IV.
VI- 16
V.
VI.
Vlt.
VIII.
IX.
Preserve all prime agricultural land and distinguish these lands through
proper zoning and other designations.
Promote the enhancement of the Athens Borough Central Business District.
Preserve Historic Resources in Athens Borough through the establishment of
a National Register of Historic Places Historic District designation.
Encourage redevelopment in areas where land i s abandoned or left
irreparable.
Promote Athens Borough as a historic, residential community.
OBJECTIVES:
. Monitor land use changes and modifications to the Athens Borough Zoning
Ordinance annually.
Update the Athens Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map as needed.
Investigate landscaping, fasade maintenance and streetscape standards for the
Athens Borough Zoning Ordinance.
Apply to the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission for a Historic
District Designation under the National Register of Historic Places.
Investigate agricultural preservation measures to compliment the agricultural
zoning district designation for the “Point Farm” . Work with Northern Bradford Authority on developing identified clusters in the
“Valley View 2010” Plan and investigate other areas for improvement.
Determine the feasibility of establishing a Main Street Committee to promote
and manase central business district activities.
=
VI- 17
VII. Transportation
These days, transportation means much more than just highways and bridges.
Transportation also deals with the public transit system, airports, railroads, trails,
bicycles and pedestrians. A l l affect Athens Borough in one way or another, as the
public has access to almost all mentioned above. Transportation also effects
community issues such as economic development, land use and community facilities.
New or improved transportation facilities usually increase visibility to vacant lands
and/or existing businesses, creating opportunities to attract new customers and
possibly new business ventures. Facilities that attract bicyclists or pedestrians also
promote economic development, as those people using walking or bicycle trails usually
stop and eat or stay overnight, especially if the activity i s linked to other community
assets such as rivers, streams, historic attractions, etc. Moreover, the automobile has
become an integral mode of travel for everyone in this country. People in Athens
Borough utilize the car, SUV or Minivan to go to work, drop off kids at baseball
practice, travel to Elmira or Binghamton to shop or pick-up a dog license in Towanda.
As stated in the 1990 Athens Borough Comprehensive Plan, “the system of highways
and streets in Athens Borough serve both as a framework and lifeline.” Without
connections to the regional transportation system, the borough and its residents would
definitely experience isolation and be limited from moving people, goods and services.
Throughout this component, available modes of travel wil l be described and
recommendations for improvement will be outlined for future consideration.
Streets and Hishwavs
Map 7.1 illustrates the Athens Borough street layout along with minor categorization.
It has a typical grid pattern of streets that were established when the borough was
first incorporated. In all, Athens Borough maintains approximately 13.46 miles of local
streets that serve i t s residential neighborhoods, elementary school, churches and
elderly housing facilities. The borough maintains the street system very well, as existing conditions exemplify their work. The map also illustrates the state road
VII- I
Athens Borough State and Local Roads
Resource: 1995 PENNDOT Gigital Highvmy C-Line File (BCOCPG - Adjusted July, 2001)
March, 2000 Nofthem Tier Region GIS Liatabase (KOCPG - County Boundary Adjusted May, 2000) March, Zoo0 Nolthem Tier Regia, CIS Database (BCOCPC - Towship h n d a r y Adjusted M y , 2 W )
Bradford County Office of Ccnarunlty Planning and Grants
I000 0 1000 2000 3000 Feet
STREET LEGEND
Major Route ,A\\ ,,'
/ State Road
Municipal Street
system, represented by red double lines. Five state routes exist in the borough and
include S.R. 199 (Main Street), S.R. 1056 (Susquehanna Street), S.R. 1064 (West Pine
Street) and S.R. 1069 (North Elmira Street). Route 220 traverses the northwestern
section of the borough and contains on/off ramps at the Athens exit. Travelers exiting
Route 220 from the north or south follow the ramp to the Elmira Street / W. Pine
Street intersection and negotiate moving south, east or north on those streets. Those
traveling onto 220 use the opposite ramps on W. Pine Street. Traffic seems to flow
smoothly through this area and i s usually not too congested due to the presence of a
traffic light at the Elmira St./W. Pine Street intersection.
The Commonwealth maintains approximately 4.68 miles of state-owned roads within
the borough. Map 7.2 illustrates a general representation of traffic circulation
patterns for collector and arterial roads. For the most part, the circulation patterns
follow the state routes into and out of the borough. Access within the borough i s
limited, especially at the southern access points that cross the Susquehanna and
Chemung Rivers. S.R. 199, Tioga Street, allows access in the southwestern portion of
the borough over a fairly new river bridge. Traffic along this route usually emanates
from the Route 220 corridor. This access i s a very attractive gateway into the borough
due to the presence of tree-lined streets, Victorian style homes, historic markers and
structures. Athens Borough should consider signing this entrance with an attractive
gateway message - “Welcome to Historic Athens Borough”, just as an example. The
alternate river access i s to the northeast across the Susquehanna River at S.R. 1056
(Susquehanna Street). This i s another gateway entrance into the borough, which leads
into the Central Business District onto North Main Street (S. R.199). Traffic coming
into the borough from the east usually originates along River Road in Athens Township
and points south. Improvements to this integral access will be made within the next
few years, as PENNDOT will replace the existing bridge under the Twelve-Year
Program. This multi-million dollar construction project wi l l allow PENNDOT to widen
the bridge and also construct a typical concrete span across to Athens Township. The
improvement to this access may increase traffic into Athens Borough, especially if the
Ulster/Sheshequin River Bridge i s replaced a short time thereafter. In addition, the
Northern Bradford Authority, through i t s Valley View 2010 Plan, proposed
improvements to the Elmira Street, Main Street and Susquehanna Street intersection.
The following, Map 7.3 and 7.3a, illustrates the proposed realignment at the junction
VII-2
of Elmira and Main Streets and possible redirection of traffic from Susquehanna Street
onto Herrick Street. There are no formal plans to change the traffic at this time,
however, it may be worth looking into, especially considering the bridge replacement
project.
RMposu)ZsmRIMxEDwVn ANDcoLkERaALUSE- C O W A T S l € w I M H s T o R I c ~
F E r I S 1 4 8 0 a ---El
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PROPOSED SITE PLAN
VII-3
Another circulation pattern evident on Map 7.2 i s the use of North Elmira Street. This
route connects downtown Athens Borough with the Elmira Street Business Corridor in
Athens Township and Route 220. This also connects with W. Pine Street as through
traffic connects with North Main Street (S.R. 199). North Main Street (S.R. 199)
connects all of Athens with Sayre Borough and points northlsouth. West Frederick
Street indicates circulation from North Main Street due to the presence of school
traffic from the Athens High School.
Overall, Athens Borough i s not an isolated community due to the transportation
connections made available through state routes and a well-maintained street system.
It not only has access to PA Routes like 220, but also is in close proximity to major NY
State Routes such as Route 17, the future Interstate 86 Corridor. Improvements to
infrastructure such as the Athens River Bridge wil l insure travel into more rural parts
of the “Valley” and the regional transportation network. In addition, circulation in
the central business district i s not critical as traffic flows smoothly through
intersections such as Main and Elmira Streets. Nonetheless, a new river bridge can
increase traffic into the downtown, particularly if it makes it more attractive for local
and through traffic to get to Route 220 north and south.
The Norfolk-Southern Railroad, formerly Conrail, bisects Athens Borough crossing the
Chemung River from Athens Township, entering into the borough, crossing two major
streets: North Elmira Street (S.R. 1069) and North Main Street (S.R. 199) and
progressing northward, crossing South River Street then entering Sayre Borough
between Cove and N. River Streets. Approximately 1.17 miles of active rail line
traverse the borough. Traffic on the line i s not too active as cars may pass through
three times in a week. Cars usually deliver resource material to the Proctor 8 Gamble
Plant in Mehoopany, Wyoming County from the north out of Gang Mills-Corning N.Y.
Once in a great while, salt i s shipped to southern destinations from the Finger Lakes
Region.
VI14
Since the rail crosses two major routes within the borough, there is usually concern for
fire, police or ambulance services getting across the tracks in the case of an
emergency situation. However, the borough has established mutual aid agreements
with adjacent municipalities such as Sayre Borough to alleviate any problems when
train cars pass through these busy intersections.
A t this time, Norfolk-Southern has no intention of abandoning this segment of track or
the entire northern tier line that spans Luzerne, Wyoming and Bradford Counties. A
few years ago, there was speculation that it may have become abandoned
immediately after Norfolk-Southern assumed ownership. Future possibilities of this
happening may exist, and, if so, the Northern Tier Regional Transportation Advisory
Committee would possibly assist the Commissioners in Bradford and Wyoming Counties
to establish a Rail Authority to assume operation and maintenance. This would allow
greater flexibility, on the region’s behalf, to attract new businesses and industry that
would utilize the track and the establishment of industrial spurs. The future of the
line i s uncertain; nevertheless, the region can pull together and establish an
organization to retain the line for future economic and transportation benefits.
Public Transit
While public transit systems seem to dominate the urban landscape in many cities and
suburbs, rural public transit systems have become more and more popular across the
country. Bradford County i s fortunate to have such a system through the Endless
Mountains Transportation Authority or EMTA. EMTA services include typical bus stops
and routes and door-to-door shared ride service to residents of Bradford, Sullivan and
Tioga Counties. Residents in Bradford County may be picked-up at home and delivered
to a destination and then dropped off back a t the resident’s home at a certain time.
Passengers using the Shared Ride Program must place reservations at least by 9:OO
a.m. the business morning prior to their appointment. The cost of services i s based on
a defined set of criteria, although several programs provide funding to reduce
passenger costs. The Medical Assistance Transportation Program provides passengers
free transportation to and from medical appointments if they retain a valid Medical
VII-5
Access card. This service i s very crucial to the elderly population in Athens Borough as
EMTA lists Senior Centers one of the more popular pick-up and drop-off locations.
Other popular locations include the Robert Packer Hospital, K-Mart, TOPS, Wal-Mart,
Banks and P&C. Passengers must register with EMTA to be eligible for reduced or free-
fare transportation.
The following table illustrates Fixed Routes and Stops currently offered in Athens
Borough. These may be subject to change after the adoption of this plan. Athens
residents should consult with EMTA on times and locations:
Route
50 - Lycoming Mall
40 - TowandaISayre
to Arnot Mall
10 - SayreITowanda
Days
Tuesday and
Friday Only
Saturday Only
Weekdays
Bus Stop (Northbound)
Leave Lycoming Mall (2:45
p.m.1 Athens - Page Manor (4:30
P-m.) Athens - Chemung View
(4:35 p.m.)
Athens - Chemung View
(9:39 a.m.)
Athens - Page Manor
(9:45 p.m.)
Arrive at Arnot Mall
(11:15 a.m.)
(Towanda to Waverly)
Athens - Chemung View
Apartments
(9:28 a.m., 10:36 a.m.,
12:16 p.m., 1:25p.m., 3:25
p.m. and 5:Ol p.m.)
Bus Stop (South Bound) ~~
Athens - Page Manor (820 a.m.)
Athens - Chemung View (8:25
a.m.)
Arrive at Lycoming Mall
(10:30 a.m.)
Leave Arnot Mall
(2:05 p.m.)
Athens - Chemung View
(3:OO p.m.)
Athens - Page Manor
(3:OO p.m.)
(Waverly to Towanda)
Athens - Chemung View
Apartments
(10:50 a.m., 12:lO p.m., 1:40
p.m., 2:40 p.m., 4:49 p.m.)
The schedule i s not inclusive, as stops can be made anywhere along the route as long
as there i s an area for safe passenger boarding and exiting. There are other numerous
VII-6
stops made in the “Valley” and Towanda areas. Some of the more popular Athens
stops include: Downtown Athens and the Spaulding Memorial Library.
Public transit systems such as the Endless Mountains Transportation Authority are
important to citizens that do not have a means of traveling from place to place or
cannot due to health conditions or illness. The system works well for elderly
populations in both the urban centers and rural areas of Bradford County. EMTA
service travels beyond the local service area and transports residents to places like the
Lycoming or Arnot Malls giving them an opportunity to shop or transact business at the
regional level. Public funding supports the service as residents also have the security
of traveling free to and from medical appointments. As stated earlier, Athens Borough
i s not an isolated community as various modes of travel are prevalent here.
Pedestrians, Sidewalks and Trails
With i t s attractive tree lined streets, quiet neighborhoods and level terrain, Athens
Borough residents walk for leisure, exercise and for social interaction with their
neighbors or people at businesses in the downtown. One destination popular on a
summer night i s Teoga Square and D and R ice Cream Stand. Other people chose to
briskly walk River Street to take advantage of the Susquehanna River scenery and stop
at Valley Playland with their children for a time. There i s no doubt that residents and
people in the “Valley” communities are linked with a system of sidewalks and linear
amenities not improved as of yet. This section wil l first discuss the Athens Borough
Sidewalk Program and then highlight areas that may be enhanced to promote trail
development.
The 1990 Athens Borough Comprehensive Plan mentions sidewalks briefly. A t that
time SUNY Binghamton students conducted a field survey of sidewalk conditions. The
information they collected demonstrated that 11.2 % of parcels (1 15 out of 1028) did
not have any sidewalks present. Further, they identified 69.1 % of parcels being in good condition (631 out of 1028) and 16.8 % being in poor condition or (173 out of
1028). On May 4‘h and 5‘h of 1995, the borough conducted a sidewalk survey through
their Police Department. The borough concluded, “virtually every property in the
borough has at least one or more sidewalk blocks that need repair”. A t that time, the
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Borough Council appointed an ad hoc committee to make recommendations and
develop a long-range sidewalk repair and replacement plan. The committee would
also:
m
Set up a program to provide financial assistance to property owners
Begin properly enforcing the sidewalk ordinance
Establish sidewalk design criteria for new homeowners
The Borough adopted a plan based upon completing “main arteries” first, which
included Church Street, North and South Elmira Street and South Main Street. Once
the “main arteries” were completed, the enforcement program would proceed
NorthISouth (Phase I) alphabetically by street and then East/West (Phase 11)
alphabetically by street. The Borough obviously realizes that the establishment of
new sidewalks aesthetically improves the walking environment, but more importantly,
improves safety for all i t s residents’ and pedestrians alike.
In order to replace sidewalks and contribute financial assistance to property owners,
Athens Borough applied for Community Development Block Grant funds. The cost of
replacing a sidewalk i s approximately $1,000 - $2,000 per property owner. In order to
facilitate a rehabilitation/replacement program, the Borough applied for $50,000.00
to share the sidewalk costs. Bradford County approved the grant program and
received funds for the project in July 2002. The Borough began the assistance
application process through grants and low-income loans, on a first come, first serve
basis. The maximum grant or low-income loan per owner/occupied residence is
$2,000.00. Low-interest loans have a maximum of five years to be paid back to the
boroah. To facilitate enforcement, the Borough passed an ordinance amendment
providing for sidewalks on November 9, 1998. The Building Code Enforcement Officer
enforces these regulations. Map 7.4 illustrates the locations of sidewalks throughout
the borough without current conditions. This map may need to be updated in the
future to prioritize sections of the Borough that have poor sidewalks.
Trails and Greenways, over the past 10 to 20 years, have become an integral part of
community planning and economic development. People use the trails to access boat
launches, bird watch, hike, visi t connecting historic resources, fish and usually relax
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and enjoy the scenery. Outdoor activities attract more and more people to the rural
areas as people using trails often originate from urban centers. Communities have
learned that sidewalks and parks are just as important as connecting existing
greenways and trail systems. People that visit and utilize trails stay overnight, visi t
local restaurants, buy gas, purchase gear and make a positive impact on the local
economy. What does trail development mean for Athens Borough?
Developing trails in Athens Borough may just simply involve connecting communities in a different way that were never connected before. Utilizing the Susquehanna and
Chemung Rivers and railroad right-of-way may enhance these connections and create
an even larger system that transcends municipal, regional and state boundaries.
Map 7.5 illustrates proposed trail corridors in the borough. These trails are conceptual
and do not reflect any final decision on location or design. The first, the Portage
Trail, was proposed by the Northern Bradford Authority as a connective hiking and
biking route that crosses Route 220, the Chemung River and utilizes Norfolk-Southern
Railroad right-of-way. It was one part of a three-part trail system proposed by the
NBA. These trails would be connected to the “Andaste Valley Visitor’s Center’’
proposed off of Route 220 in Athens Township. None of the amenities mentioned have
been built to date; however, NBA developed some preliminary project scope.
Regardless of the status of the other trails or Visitor’s Center, the Portage Trail may
be an initial trail project that sets an example for other trails to develop in the
“Valley” and region. The second trail, the Carantouan Greenway, follows the
shoreline of the Susquehanna River from Sayre Borough down to the Valley Joint
Sewage Treatment Facility. Several years ago, the Carantouan Greenway organization
proposed a trail along this stretch as it connected with Cayuta Creek to the North and
points above in New York State. The trail never developed, however, it i s an excellent
connection to New York State and possible connection along the Susquehanna River
southward towards Ulster and Towanda.
Pedestrian modes of travel area are usually established out of necessity for
recreational, social or for connective purposes. They are important to our sense of
community and environment. Pedestrian travel i s important to residents in Athens
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Borough and in the surrounding “Valley” communities because of the many accessible
resources found here.
Airports
There are no major commercial airports in Athens Borough or Bradford County.
Residents of Athens Borough must utilize regional airports within a 100-mile radius.
The closest commercial airport, west of Athens Borough, i s the Elmira-Corning
Regional Airport (34 miles) that offers commercial flights to Pittsburgh with US. Air.
East of the Borough, the Binghamton Regional Airport (50.5 miles) in Broome County,
NY provides 35 daily flights to Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Airlines include US Airways and US Airways Express, Northwest Airlines and United
Express. North of Athens Borough lies the Tompkins County Airport (60.2 miles) which
carries US Air Express Service with several daily roundtrips to Pittsburgh, Boston, New
York (La Guardia) and Philadelphia. Two other airports accessible to Athens Borough
residents include the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport (88.7 miles) and the
Williamsport Regional Airport (82.7 miles) that connects to similar hubs as the New
York Airports mentioned above.
The Bradford County Airport, located in Towanda Township, eighteen miles south of
Athens Borough, may offer connections to these regional airports in the future. The
Bradford County Airport recently underwent major improvements and runway
expansion to accommodate business-class aircraft. The Blue Swan Airport in Athens
Township retains a grass-strip runway used for recreational purposes. The airport i s
located in, what i s now referred to as the “Valley Business Park”. Sayre Borough
currently owns the Blue Swan Airport. No major improvements are planned for the
Blue Swan at this time.
For a small borough, both geographically and demographically speaking, Athens
maintains access to major routes such as PA 220 and NY Route 17 (Future 1-86), rail,
transit routes, future trail connections and within 50-100 miles of regional airports.
Residents, business and industry within the borough cannot claim to be isolated or cut-
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off from the rest of the world. Improvements have been proposed and change the way
this community develops over time. The various modes of transportation discussed in
this component are a true lifeline for everyone living in the borough.
GOALS:
I.
II.
111.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Provide Athens Borough residents with unobstructed access to various types
of transportation modes available locally and at the regional level.
Create a seamless network of sidewalks designed to borough standards.
Connect Athens Borough to other communities i n New York and in other parts
of Bradford County through the development of trails and greenways along
the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers and other environs.
At suitable access points within the borough, create “gateways” that are
attractive and demonstrate community pride.
Consider local transportation enhancements as a result of major
infrastructure replacement projects such as the Athens River Bridge.
Support the utilization of rail service through private investment or through
the establishment of a regional rail authority.
Encourage elderly residents and those with difficulty in finding transportation
alternatives to utilize the services of the Endless Mountains Transportation
Authority . Promote Athens Borough as a walkable community.
OBJECTIVES:
. Prioritize street projects based on overall conditions, number of property
owners and proximity to state roads.
Establish a storm sewer in the 4th Ward to protect streets from on-going storm
water flooding and damage.
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Recommend, where needed, state road or bridge projects on the
Commonwealth’s Twelve-Year Transportation Program
Continue to pursue Community Development Block Grant funds to assist
property owners in replacing decaying sidewalks and curbs.
Update and enforce the Borough Sidewalk Ordinance.
Join with the Northern Bradford Authority, Carantouan Greenway and other
organizations that promote the development of trails and connections to trail
sys tems . Pursue and support grant applications with the PA Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources for the establishment of trails and designated
greenways.
Work with the Planning Commission, Shade Tree Commission and Chamber of
Commerce establishing “Decorative Gateways’’ into Athens Borough.
Continue to cooperate with neighboring municipalities, regarding mutual
emergency aid, to allow rail traffic through the borough and avoid tragedy.
Promote the use of public transit through the Endless Mountains Transportation
Authority and recommend establishing other central stops where the elderly
can access transportation services.
Utilize EMTA in transporting trail and bicycle enthusiasts to integral access
points on proposed trail systems.
Initiate developing a promotional walking and trail map for the borough
identifying historic, recreational, environmental resources and businesses along
routes.
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VIII. Statement of Interrelationships Among the Various Plan Components
The components of this Athens Borough Comprehensive Plan Revision have been
written and presented as independent pieces of data, text, mapping and goals for
Borough leadership and i t s Planning Commission to consider within the next 5 to 10
years. It is inconceivable that a decision wil l be made without considering al l aspects
of the community or without consulting various components within this plan. A
decision to move forward with one component goal ultimately affects other plan goals
or objectives. Moreover, it i s recommended that the Borough Planning Commission
make recommendations to Borough Council when issues arise related to floodplain,
community facilities, existing and future land use, housing, transportation, historic
preservation or recreation. The Planning Commission can then weigh the importance
of a proposal with the plan’s stated goals and objectives. The end of each component
contains a set of goals that provides the borough with a desired target for community
growth and development. Accompanied with those goals are sets of objectives or
steps to guide the borough towards achieving those goals. The overall rationale for
creating this plan i s to consider all aspects of the community before moving forward
with individual ideas or projects.
The Athens Borough Plan components, along with goals and objectives, shall be
consistent with other plans and regulations the borough adopts subsequent to this
plan. In addition, the components and content of this plan shall be consistent with
the revised County Comprehensive Plan.
The Borough Planning Commission shall annually review progress made on
implementing this plans component goals and objectives. The following component -
IX. Implementation Strategies will recommend projects to implement plan components
in the short or long-term.
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IX. Short and Long-Range Plan Implementation Strategies
Usually, the window of implementing a Community Comprehensive Plan lasts 5 to 10
years, depending on community growth and development. Short and Long-Term
Implementation Strategies divide goals and objectives into 1 to 5 year windows for
Short-Term and 5 to 10 year windows for Long-Term Implementation Strategies. The
following are recommended timeframes to implement this plan:
Short-Term Implementation Strateqies:
D
D
Annually: Borough Planning Commission Review Plan Components, Goals and
Objectives, completed and outstanding.
1-5 Years: Promote Athens as a great place to live and raise a family through
Northern Bradford Authority and the Chamber of Commerce.
1-5 Years: Investigate updating floodplain maps considering the performance of
the existing levee system.
1-5 Years: Update the Code Enforcement Program where necessary for
compliance with the proposed Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.
1-5 Years: Encourage low- to moderate-income families to take advantage of
available housing rehabilitation programs within Bradford County.
1-5 Years: Monitor services that may be needed by the elderly population of
Athens Borough
1-5 Years: Establish a Recreation Center that can be utilized by Athens Borough
all Valley Residents. Update the Facility Master Plan as needed.
1-5 Years: Pursue funds to finally design and construct the 4'h Ward Sanitary
Sewer System.
1-5 Years: Review and update the Athens Borough Zoning Ordinance with
recommendations made herein.
1-5 Years: Work with the Athens Borough School District and consider
alternative uses for buildings and land proposed to be abandoned or sold.
1-5 Years: Adopt faqade maintenance and streetscape program within the
Central Business District.
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m
1-5 Years: Work with the Northern Bradford Authority on developing “Valley
View 2010” Plan Clusters and retain industries such as Ingersoll-Rand.
1-5 Years: Establish a Main Street Program to promote activities and enhance
downtown business opportunities.
1-5 Years: Encourage Long-Term Preservation of the “Point Farm”.
1-5 Years: Pursue a Historic District Designation through the PA Historic and
Museum Commission.
1-5 Years: Establish a recreational trail system that links New York State,
Central Bradford County and the “Valley Recreation Center”
1-5 Years: Develop attractive “Community Gateways” into the borough.
1-5 Years: Enforce the Borough Sidewalk Program and pursue grant funds, when
available, to offset property owner costs for sidewalk replacement.
1-5 Years: Develop a trail and community resource map to attract bicyclists,
walkers, river enthusiasts, and the like.
Long-Term Implementation Strategies:
5-10 Years: Monitor Population Growth/Decline during Census Periods.
5-10 Years: Update or Revise the Comprehensive Plan
5-1 0 Years: Consolidate the Building Code Enforcement Program with other
“Valley” municipalities.
5-10 Years: Consider consolidation of emergency and police services with other
“Valley” municipalities.
5-10 Years: Establish a capital budget for future emergency equipment and
other municipal purchases.
5-1 0 Years: Consider implementing Historic District Design Standards for
property within the designated historic district.
5-1 0 Years: Identify and prioritize major transportation enhancements and
improvements within Athens Borough and those facilities that contribute to the
borough’s well being.
5-10 Years: Support and participate in establishing a regional rail authority, if
necessary.
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