Design Guide

SYNOPSIS

The Pennsylvania Wilds region of northwest Pennsylvania, like the South Cumberland area, largely chooses not to have zoning regulations.  Instead, a “Design Guide” was created by the Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, providing suggestions to area businesses, new or existing, for making their facilities more attractive and appealing to visitors — a type of “idea book” with many good tips for their use. The South Cumberland version of this book will include many examples with local photos, as well as suggestions and ideas local property and business owners can put to immediate use. As one example, these ideas can also be used when chain/franchise stores or restaurants wish to create locations in our area, in order to encourage them to style their South Cumberland locations in a way that blends with its history and traditions.

PROJECT STATUS

The Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship has graciously allowed SCP to base its draft of a South Cumberland Design Guide on the Pennsylvania Wilds’ guidebook.  A draft is available in PDF form for local leaders to review.

OPPORTUNITIES

• The South Cumberland Design Guide should always be regarded as a “work in progress,” reflective of the area’s history and traditions. Regular input from local leadership, planners and other trusted advisors should be used to keep the Design Guide current and relevant.

• The Design Guide should also describe best practices for informing and engaging with non-local developers who wish to create new projects within the region.

CHALLENGES

• A concerted effort will be needed by SCP to inform all local governmental entities about the Design Guide and its merits; and to solicit each entity’s endorsement.

• It is important that the Mayors and councils of each jurisdiction within our region take time to review and comment on the draft version of the South Cumberland Design Guide, and understand how it can and should (and cannot and shouldn’t) be used.  

• The  concept of a regional Design Guide needs to be endorsed by each jurisdiction, although it can be utilized by any local government entity, with or without endorsement. 

PROJECT NEEDS

A Project Coordinator is needed for outreach to each local governmental entity; to successfully obtain endorsement from each entity; and to oversee any work needed to update/revise the Design Guide based on input from each entity.