City Planning
Planning and the Planning Department
The role of the newly created Planning Department and Planning Director for the City of Erie has been evolving since the City’s first Director was appointed in January, 2018. The focus of this department is to coordinate the efforts of the City to achieve its goals and implement the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Erie Refocused, and its 5 Year Action Plan. Ensuring that the community’s vision for the future is understood, memorialized and then acted upon is paramount to the mission of planning and will help drive progressive change in Erie. This endeavor will take the collective effort of the City and its community partners to realize so coordination at this moment is key.
The Department works with all other City departments to align resources to meet community needs as well as help identify areas where additional research, policy development, or planning is needed and fill those areas of need. The Planning Department and Director works with the Planning Commission in order to provide the citizen planner’s voice to meet the challenges and opportunities for the City as well as with a multitude of neighborhood groups, businesses, residents, and other agencies within the City and the region.
City Planning Commission
General Information
Purpose: Planning is a visionary task to lead residents in creating and building a view of their future. Local planning commissions are established to guide land use and development at the municipal level. The planning commission has the responsibility of developing and implementing a comprehensive plan as well as reviewing proposals for new developments and public projects. The planning commission requires technical skills and expertise to provide advice to the City. The planning commission is the City’s surrogate on land use issues, providing assistance by taking time to conduct in-depth research on important planning issues and then make informed recommendations for action. As an independent advisory body, the planning commission gives the City the assurance that the important issues of land use and future growth are given the necessary attention.
Recommendations to public authorities; approval of plans.
[Ord. 16-1962 § 1, passed 5-9-1962]
The City Planning Commission may make recommendations to any public authorities, corporations or individuals in the City, with reference to the location of any buildings, structures or works to be erected or constructed by them. No improvement, redevelopment or revitalizing project shall be constructed or otherwise undertaken, in whole or in part, by any agency, authority or department, without first acquiring approval of the City Planning Commission that such project complies with the comprehensive and detailed planning and programming for the improvement, redevelopment and revitalizing of the City and, secondly, without acquiring Council’s approval thereof by ordinance.
The Planning Commission in Pennsylvania (2017)
Number of Board Members: 5 + 2 alternates
Skills/Expertise: Planning, Zoning, Neighborhood Development, and an understanding of Zoning and Erie Refocused, the City of Erie’s Comprehensive Plan:
Requirements: Must be a City of Erie resident
Term: 4 years
Appointed by: The Mayor
Powers and Duties
The planning commission acts as an advisor and recommending body to City Council. The MPC authorizes a planning commission to conduct the following activities for the municipality:
- Prepare a comprehensive plan for the long-term growth, development, and well-being of the municipality to present it for consideration and adoption
- Prepare and present a zoning ordinance, and make recommendations on proposed amendments to it
- Prepare, recommend, and administer subdivision and land development and planned residential development regulations
- Make recommendations concerning the adoption or amendment of an official map
- Submit a recommended capital improvements program
- Review the zoning ordinance, subdivision and land development ordinance, official map, provisions for planned residential development, and such other ordinances and regulations governing the development of land
Ordinances
Meetings
3rd Tuesday of every month, 1PM
City Hall, City Council Chambers
Please contact the Planning Commission Secretary for information regarding the process for submitting items for review.
Contact Information
Email: JWelsh@erie.pa.us
Phone Number: (814) 870-1273
Agendas & Minutes
Planning Commission Agendas
Planning Commission Minutes
Planning Commission Annual Reports & Other Misc. Documents
Members
Comprehensive Plans/Strategic or Study Area Plans
A comprehensive plan is more than just a document disclosing past and present land use trends with a proposed course of action. It is a process of organizing for the future. It creates a blueprint for our land use patterns of tomorrow. Community planning is an organized way of thinking about tomorrow. By thinking about how a community changed in the past can help predict what changes might be in store for the future. When this type of thinking translates into action, it needs to be done in an orderly fashion and made part of a local process.
Pennsylvanians know that land is one of our most valuable natural resources and the way it is used or developed creates a significant part of our physical surroundings. Any change in land use becomes a permanent part of our daily lives in the future. Yet all valuable resources must be used reasonably, economically and equitably to benefit both the property owner’s interest as well as the general public. An important power of local government is to plan for and guide the way land resources are used. We hope that this publication assists local officials in this stewardship and planning endeavor.
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Comprehensive Plans and other Planning Documents
Neighborhood Action Plans
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