Young professionals sound off on Fayette County’s assets, challenges
Bill Talkington of South Union Township came to the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown hoping to discuss the advantage he thinks Fayette County has and to hear what others had to say.
The county鈥檚 edge, Talkington opined, is that it retained compact, multiuse-building-heavy downtowns amid a population decline and economic struggles in the 1970s and 1980s, which it could now capitalize on with bikeway systems and business growth instead of being stunted by closed big-box retailer buildings and interchanges that do more to separate communities than unite them.
Talkington and other local residents got a chance to express what they see as Fayette County鈥檚 assets and challenges at a discussion facilitated by Fayette Young Professionals Network as the county looks ahead to approving a new comprehensive plan.
Leading the discussion was Brandi Rosselli, manager of planning services at Mackin Engineering, the Pittsburgh-based company hired by the county to draft the county鈥檚 comprehensive plan.
Rosselli and county Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites touted the importance of public feedback, especially as Mackin Engineering is still in the data collection phase of the planning process.
The county鈥檚 assets include a beautiful outdoor setting and relatively close proximity to metropolitan areas such as Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore as well as smaller cities like Morgantown and Washington, Pa., the event鈥檚 attendees told Rosselli. Attractions like Fallingwater, Ohiopyle State Park and the burgeoning Sheepskin Trail are pluses as well, they said.
The county鈥檚 challenges are limited broadband service, difficulty in filling even high-paying jobs. Some of the young people present added that they didn鈥檛 feel politically empowered.
鈥�(Fayette County) definitely has a pride problem,鈥� Tiffany Guittap of FYPN said.
鈥淲e belittle ourselves all the time,鈥� Erica Miller of the State Theatre said.
鈥淗idden jewel of the mountain鈥� and 鈥渄iamond in the rough鈥� were two phrases that the crowd thought of to market Fayette County.
The commissioners hired Mackin Engineering last year to assist in the development of the plan. The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code requires municipalities and the county to prepare a plan that details not only current residential, industrial, business, traffic and transit facilities, utilities, public grounds, parks and recreation, flood plains and other areas, but also future development.
The one now in use is approximately 14 years old, four years past the recommended 10-year-use deadline.
Rosselli said that the 鈥渧isioning鈥� phase of the plan鈥檚 development will last until late spring or early summer, consisting of public input meetings throughout the county. She projected that the commissioners will have a plan to adopt early next year.