UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — What Pennsylvania local governments and their residents need to understand about getting developments such as houses, businesses and community facilities built will be the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.
Presenting the 75-minute webinar at noon on Feb. 15 will be Denny Puko, a planner with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
"The local development review process prescribed by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code is complex, and it can frustrate local officials, developers and the public," Puko said. "It can lead to community controversy when not handled well."
Puko's presentation will provide a review of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code prescribed steps, timelines, and roles of elected officials, planning commissions, staff, and consultants in reviewing and approving subdivisions and land developments. He also will provide suggestions for improving the process and interacting effectively with applicants and developers.
The webinar is designed for local officials involved in reviewing subdivision and development plans and related zoning actions such as conditional uses and variances.
The session is part of the Penn State Extension Winter/Spring Land-Use Webinar Series, which is intended to assist elected and appointed municipal officials, planners, land owners, farmers and community organizations by informing them about land-use issues and decisions in their communities.
Other topics and dates in the webinar series include the following:
--Jan. 18: Intergenerational Places and Spaces to Build Meaningful Relationships (recorded).
--March 15: Pipelines and People: How Communities Can Better Understand and Manage Pipelines.
--April 12: Planning With School Districts.
--May 18: Using Reverse Fiscal Impact Analysis in Pre-Disaster Planning.
All webinars will be offered live from noon to 1:15 p.m. Eastern time and will be recorded and available for future viewing.
The cost of the webinar series is $40 for all five and $75 for all five for those who want to receive certification maintenance credits from the American Planning Association as well as for professional engineers needing PDH credits.
In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing-education credits for a fee of $45.
For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. Online registration for the webinars is available at the website.