CHAPTER 2

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY

 

            The number of housing units in the Bellefonte Area School District rose from 5,102 in 1970 to 7,455 in 1990—a growth of 2,353 or 46.1 percent.  Each of the district’s municipalities recorded increases in housing units during this period.  The largest absolute increases were in Benner Township (707) and Spring Township (603); the largest proportionate growth occurred in Benner Township (121.5 percent) and Walker Township (87.6 percent).  Together, Benner Township and Spring Township accounted for slightly more than half of the total increase in housing units during the 20-year period.  (See Table 2-1 and Graph 2-1.)

 

 

            The number of housing units in the district grew by 1,384 or 27.1 percent between 1970 and 1980, and by 969 or 14.9 percent during the decade of the 1980s.  Each of the district’s munici­palities experienced increases in the number of housing units in both decades.  During the 1970s the largest absolute increases were recorded in Benner Township (386), Walker Township (340), and Spring Township (327).  The largest proportionate increases occurred in Benner Township (66.3 percent), Marion Township (62.4 percent), and Walker Township (62.0 percent).  During the decade of the 1980s the largest absolute increases were recorded in Benner Township (321) and Spring Township (276); the largest proportionate increase occurred in Benner Township (33.2 percent).

            In 1970 Bellefonte Borough had the largest number of housing units of any of the district’s municipalities (2,323 or 45.5 percent of the district total), followed by Spring Township (1,516 or 29.7 percent) and Benner Township (582 or 11.4 percent).  In 1980, Bellefonte Borough continued to have the highest number of units (2,571), but its proportionate share of the total number of housing units in the district had decreased to 39.6 percent; Spring Township remained second with 1,843 units and its proportion of the total had also decreased to 28.4 percent; and Benner Township was still third 968 units, but its share of the total is up to 14.9 percent.

            In 1990, Bellefonte Borough still had the highest number of housing units in the district—2,772, and its share of all district housing units was down again to 37.2 percent of the total; Spring Township remained second with 2,119 units, and its share was the same as it was in 1980—28.4 percent; and Benner Township remained third with 1,289 units, but its proportionate share had again increased to 17.3 percent of the district total.  (See Table 2-1 and Graph 2-1.)

            Based on the number of housing units authorized by permit from 1990 through the August 1999, there are now 8,352 housing units in the Bellefonte Area School District.  This is 897 or 12.0 percent more than in 1990.  All of the district’s municipalities experienced increases in the number of housing units between 1990 and August 1999.  The largest proportionate  increase was in Marion Township—40.1 percent.  Spring Township and Walker Township recorded the largest absolute increases (378 and 190, respectively).  Of the 897 housing units constructed in the district through August 1999, Spring Township accounted for 42.1 percent;  Walker Township, 21.2 percent; and Benner Township, 15.8 percent.

            The largest number of housing units in the district continues to be in Bellefonte Borough (2,860), but its proportionate share of the district’s total has continued to fall to 34.2 percent.  Spring Township remains second with 2,497 units or 29.9 percent of the total (up from 1990), and Benner remains third with 1,431 or 17.1 percent of the total (down slightly in 1990).  (See Table 2-2 and Graph 2-2.)

                

 

 

            According to municipal officials, there are 18 approved and ongoing subdivisions of significance in the Bellefonte Area School District and seven which have been proposed.  The developments underway and approved represent at least 1,348 potential new housing units during the next ten years; those proposed represent the potential for 758 additional units.  (All references to housing units in subdivisions reflect lots which remain available for construction, not the total number of units in the subdivision, which would include units already built.)

            In Bellefonte Borough one approved and one proposed subdivision have been identified.  The approved subdivision totals 80 single-family units, and the proposed development has the potential to produce seven townhouses.  There is also a tract of land—about 100 acres—which could produce 300 to 350 housing units if it is developed exclusively for single family units.  It is currently zoned for medium density and/or as an office area.  Borough officials have not received any proposals for this tract of land.  The borough has enough sewage treatment capacity to support these and a reasonable number of other developments.

            In Benner Township five approved and one proposed subdivisions have been identified.  The approved subdivisions have the potential to produce 507 units during the next ten years and range in size from six units in the Flynn development to 432 modular units in Fillmore Farms.  (It should be noted that Fillmore Farms has received only conditional preliminary approval; according to the developer it is expected that during the next decade the pace of development will be about 40 units per year.)  The one proposed subdivision in Benner Township (Hampton Hills) has the potential to produce 76 single-family units.  Once the modular home development gets started, municipal officials expect the pace of development to be somewhat higher than the average of 17 units per year which was experienced during the period 1996 through 1998.  The township has ample land for growth, and all of this land is in the portion of the township which is part of the Bellefonte Area School District.  The area known as “Benner Independent” (which is part of the State College Area School District) will experience little or no residential activity.  Public sewers are available in portions of the township, and the township has adequate capacity for the approved and proposed developments which are in areas served by the system.

            In Marion Township one approved and two proposed subdivisions have been identified.  The approved development has 6 single-family units which remain to be constructed, while the proposed developments have the potential to produce 74 additional units—44 units in Meadows Estate and 30 units in the Woods at Sand Ridge.  There is considerable undeveloped land in Marion Township, but much of this is being farmed.  Further, given that there are no public sewers in the township, the minimum lot size ranges from ¾ of an acre to 2 acres.  Municipal officials have indicated that there has been an upturn in the number of inquiries it has received from potential builders, but this has not translated in an upturn in housing activity, and some question remains as to whether it will in the absence of public sewers.

            In Spring Township five approved subdivisions and two proposed projects have been identified.  The developments range in size from 42 approved units in Brockerhoff Heights to 300 proposed units in Rootwood.  The approved projects have the potential to produce 522 units and the proposed may produce an additional 501 units.  One development—the Oaks (which is not reflected in these figures and listed on Tables 2-3 and 2-4)—is age-restricted and, therefore, will not affect the school district.  Public water and sewer is available throughout the township, and the capacity at the Bellefonte treatment plant should be adequate to meet reasonable needs.  It is believed by municipal officials that the pace of growth in the future could be somewhat higher than the average of the past few years, but much will depend on the configuration of Exit 24 of I99. 

            In Walker Township six approved subdivisions have been identified as have two which are proposed.  The approved developments total 233 units and range in size from 6 single-family units in Cherrywood to 162 units in Stony Pointe which has received only preliminary approval, and township officials indicate that it has not been active in recent years.  The two proposed developments have the potential to produce a total of 100 units.  A 98-acre farm is currently for sale in the township and it has the potential to produce additional housing units if developed.

            Walker Township has adequate sewage treatment capacity.  Collection and transmission is handled by the Spring-Benner-Walker Joint Sewer Authority; waste is treated by the Bellefonte Borough Sewer Authority.  The sewered area is located in the western end of the township along Route 64.  The eastern end of the township will also have sewage treatment services available in the next few years through the Lock Haven Plant.  This capacity is designed to service existing homes in the area where on-lot septic systems are failing.

            The construction of Interstate I99 is expected to have significant implications for growth and development in the Bellefonte Area School District.  Several interchanges will be located in the district, and it is believed that this will accelerate the pace of new construction and migration into certain areas.  While the I99/I80 junction will be “high speed” and will close off local areas at that point, a new I80 exit will be constructed somewhere to the east of the present exit.  This will connect with Route 26 north of I80 in Marion Township; there will be no connection to the areas south of I80 at this point.  However, the area believed to be the most likely to experience an upturn in growth as a result of I99 is not this area, but, instead, the area along Route 64 in Walker Township because of the availability of water and sewer services in this area, and the fact that the Route 64 corridor is more wide open and better suited to development than the areas along Route 26 which will be accessed by the new exit.

            A fundamental question, however, remains—when will this growth occur and how much will there be.  The project is not expected to be completed until 2003 (although the section from State College to I80 could open in 2002).  Unfortunately, the impact study commissioned by the federal government was limited to areas within one mile of the highway; therefore, it is of little value in determining the overall impact on housing and enrollments in the district. 

            It should also be noted that a highway construction project that will likely make the Penns Valley area more accessible than at present is in the planning stages.  This could somewhat counterbalance the increased attractiveness of the areas within the Bellefonte Area School District as a result of I99; however, the effect of the project involving Penns Valley is much farther away than the I99 project.

            Based on information gathered from interviews and conversations with municipal officials and a review of the residential developments approved and underway—and recognizing the uncertainties of estimating the “build-out” in the district’s developments—it is estimated that the number of new housing units to be constructed in the district during the next ten years—based solely on units with final or preliminary approval—could reach 1,348.  Those which are proposed have the potential to produce an additional 758 units.  (It should be noted that these numbers could change somewhat prior to final plan approval.)

            Since 1990, approximately 897 housing units have been constructed in the district.  The ongoing activity could raise the total number of new housing units in the district during the 1990s to about 907—62 units or 6.4 percent less than the number constructed during the 1980’s (969).  Any impact of I99 as an accelerant to growth beyond what is already in the pipeline is not specifically reflected in the estimates of future housing units.  However, all signs tend to suggest that if conditions remain favorable and all approved developments move forward, housing construction during the next decade will be substantially higher than in the 1990s.  (See Table 2-4.)