COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN DALLAS BOROUGHelibrary.pacounties.org/Documents/Luzerne_County... · The plan that has been ... east and south and by Lehman Township on the west. The Borough

COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN DALLAS BOROUGH

LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

PREPARED FOR

DALLAS BOROUGH COUNCIL AND

PLANNING COMMISSION

BY

W

AND

MALCOLM STRACHAN, PLANNING CONSULTANT

COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN FOR

DALLAS BOROUGH ,

APPROVED UNA

LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 1980

IIMOUSLY BY BOROUGH COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1980

The p r e p a r a t i o n o f t h i s r e p o r t was f inanced i n p a r t through a p lann ing g r a n t from the Deartment of

Community A f f a i r s under t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f Ac t 16A approved May 31, 1978, as admin is tered by the

Bureau o f Planning, Pennsylvania Department o f Community A f f a i r s

THE CHESTER ENGINEERS ENGINEERS ARCHITECTS PLANNERS

(41 2) 262- 1035

AND

MALCOLM STRACHAN PL,ANNING CONSULTANT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Harold L . Brobst, President William Bert:, Vice President

Wi 11 ard Newberry D. Craig Aicher

Kenneth Young Nancy Eckert Je r ry Flachell

MAY OR

James B . Davies, 111

BOROUGH SECRETARY

Ralph C. Garris

BOROUGH TREASURER

Wi 11 i am Baker

BOROUGH SOLICITOR

Johen E. Morris

BOROUGH ENGINEER

Leo Corbet

PLANNING COMMI S I ON

Warren Y arne l l Thomas E. Reese Charles Lemmond Richard D i sque

A. T. Common

OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Paul Sol ornon, P1 anni ng Analyst Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs

Luzerne County Planning Commission Pennsylvania Department o f Transportation Luzerne County Transportation Authority

TE-fE CH&S"i"ER ENc2ENEERS

845 Fourth Avenue Coreopolis. PA 151 OS Phone [412] 262-1 035 Phone (41 21 771-4320

October 9 , 1980 Ref. No. 3045-02

Mr. Harold L. Brobst, President Dall as Borough Counci 1 Dall as Borough B u i 1 d i n g Main S t r ee t Da 1 1 as , Pennsy 1 vani a 1 861 2

Dear Mr. Brobst:

Dallas Borough Comprehensive Master Plan

We are pleased t o submi t herewith the Dallas Borough Comprehensive Master Plan. development of the community, has been completed through the cooperation and ass i s tance of Borough o f f i c i a l s and in te res ted c i t i z e n s .

This plan, a long range guide for the fu tu re growth and

We would l i k e t o extend a special thanks t o Ms. Nancy Eckert, Councilperson and Mr. Ralph Garr i s , Borough Secretary f o r their a s s i s - tance during the planning process.

I t was a pleasure serving the Planning Commission, Borough Council and the Community i n the development of this plan. of fu r the r ass i s tance t o your Community, please fee l free t o contact us.

I f we can ever be

Very t r u l y yours,

THE CHESTER ENGINEERS a+ %- Anthony M. Caffarel l Communi t y PI anner

AMC/nl k



TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE NO. TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................... i

L I S T OF TABLES ................................................... V

L I S T OF FIGURES ................................................. V i i

L I S T OF PLATES ................................................... Viii

CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ......................................... 1 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ..................................... 2 FORMATION AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :. . . . . . . . 5 STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ................................... 7 '.

CHAPTER I 1 - EXISTING CONDITIONS ................................ . 13

POPULATION ................................................... HISTORIC POPULATION TRENDS......... ........................ 13

NATURAL INCREASE AND MIGRATION. .. . . .. ........... ... ... ... .. 18 POPULATION PROJECTIONS..... ................................ 19

AGE-SEX D~STRIBUTION ....................................... 16

HOUSING ...................................................... 20

HOUSING STOCK CHARACTERISTICS... ........................... 20 .HOUSING VAUIE .............................................. 24 HOUSING D E ~ N D ............................................. 24

LAND USE. .................................................... 27

ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . '

31

SOILS... ................................................... 31 SLOPES..................................................... 31 FLOOD HAZARD AREAS... ...................................... 32

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)

PAGE NO. ECONOMY ...................................................... 32

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ................................... 32 LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS. ............................... 40 EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION. ............... 42 IN-PLACE MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT. ......................... 44 INCOME... .................................................. 44

TRANSPORTATION AND THOROUGHFARES ............................. 48

STREET CLASSIFICATION AND DIMENSIONSIONS....................... 48 TRAFFIC VOLUMES.... ........................................ 53 PROJECTED’ TRAFFIC VOLUMES. ................................. 52

TRANSIT SERVICE 58 TURNING MOV~ENTS.. . . . . . . . . . . ............................... .56 ............................................

......................................... COMMUNITY FACILITIES 59

RECREATION FACILITIES ...................................... 59 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES... . . . ............................... 63 LIBRARY FACILITIES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 SEWER FACILITIES...................... ..................... 67 WATER FACILITIES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 FIRE AND AMBULANCE PROTECTION.... .......................... 73 DALLAS BOROUGH POLICE DEPARlWENT.. ......................... 74

CHAPTER I11 - BUSINESS DISTRICT PLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

DALLAS BOROUGH RETAIL TRADE AREA ............................. 75

BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN THE BOROUGH.. ........................... 76

EXISTING CONDITIONS .......................................... 79

A P P E ~ N C E ................................................. 79 PARUNG. ................................................... 79 TRAFFIC CIRCULATION..... ................................... 80

..................................... BUSINESS DISTRICT PLAN.. 81

PRIVATE ~PROVEMENTS. ............................ :......... 81 ADDITIONAL PARUNG FACILITIES. 87 .............................

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT I NU ED 1

PAGE NO . CHAPTER IV . COMPREHENSIVE PLAN .................................. 91

LAND USE PLAN ................................................ 91

FUTURE LAND USE AREAS ...................................... 92 ZONING ANALYSIS ............................................ 97

COMMUNITY FACILITIES ......................................... 103

RECREATION FACILITIES ...................................... 103

LIBRARY FACILITIES ......................................... 104

SEWER FACILITIES ............................................ 107

BIKE PATH .................................................. 103 EDUCATION FACILITIES ....................................... 104

FIRE, AMBULANCE. POLICE AND BOROUGH OFFICE FACILITY ........ 105

WATER FACILITIES ........................................... 107

TRANSPORTATION AND THOROUGHFARE PLAN ......................... 108

LOCAL STREETS .............................................. 108

INTERSECTION IMPROVIWENTS .................................. 109 .. COLLECTORS .................................................. 109

CHAPTER V . FISCAL STUDY ........................................ 113

FINANCIAL TRENDS ............................................. 113 .

R.ENUES ................................................... 115 CASH BALANCE ............................................... 115 EXPENDITURES ............................................... 115 RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS ............ 115

OUTSTANDING INDEBTEDNESS AND DEBT LIMITATIONS ................ 117

EXISTING DEBT 117 DEBT LIMIT 117

................................................ .................................................. OTHER METHODS OF FINANCING .....................................

PAY-AS-YOU-GO ............................................... REVOLVING FUNDS ............................................ MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY ......................................... STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING ..................................

118

118 119 120 120

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)

PAGE NO. SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM .........................

PRIORITY RANkTNG. .......................................... 121 SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVi5MENTS PLAN .........................

120

121

A- 1 APPENDIX A - CRITIQUE OF EXISTING ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT ......... APPENDIX B . LOCAL ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TAX ASSISTANCE....... B- 1

i V

TABLE NO . 11-1

11-2

11-3

11-4

11-5

11-6

11-7

11-8

11-9

11-10

11-11

11-12

11-13

11-14

11-15

11-16

11-17

11-18

111-1


LUZERNE COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA

LIST OF TABLES

HISTORIC AND PROJECTED POPULATION STATISTICS ..... HOUSING UNITS BY STRUCTURE TYPE .................. HOUSING TENURE ................................... HOUSING UNITS BY YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT ............ OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS ..................... RENTER OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS .................... HOUSING DEMAND ESTIMATES ......................... EXISTING LAND USE ................................ ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ......................... LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS AND LABOR

PARTICIPATION RATES ............................ EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION ...... IN-PLACE MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT ................ MAJOR DURABLE AND NON-DURABLE MANUFACTURERS ...... INCOME FOR FAMILIES AND UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS .... STREET CHARACTERISTICS AND STANDARDS ............. INVENTORY OF RECREATION FACILITIES ............... INVENTORY OF RECREATION PROGRAMS ................. DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT ENROLLMENT TRENDS ......... COMMERCIAL AND SERVICE FUNCTIONS BY TYPE .........

PAGE NO . 14

22

22

23

25

25

26

28

39

41

43

45

46

47

49

61

62

65

78

L IST OF TABLES (CONTINUED)

TABLE NO. PAGE NO. IV- 1 LAND USE PLAN ACREAGE ............................ 95

v- 1 SUMMARY OF GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES ................................... 114

v- 2 PROJECTED RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES .............. 116

v- 3 CALCULATION OF BOROUGH'S NONELECTORAL DEBT LIMIT .......................................... 1'17

v- 4 S I X YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN ............... 122

V i

FIGURE NO. I- 1

11-1

11-2

11-3

11-4

11-5

11-6

111-1

111-2

IV-1

IV-2

Vii



LIST OF FIGURES

PAGE NO. PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL FEATURES. .................. 6

HISTORIC AND PROJECTED POPULATION STATISTICS ..... 15

AGE-SEX POPULATION DISTRIBUTION .................. 17

TRAFFIC VOLUMES - 1977... ........................ 51

TRAFFIC VOLUME ESTIMATES.. ....................... 53

TRAFFIC VOLUMES PER HOUR ......................... 55

DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC FLOW DIAGRAM ................. 57

DALLAS BOROUGH RETAIL TRADE AREA ................. ’ 77

PROPOSED PARKING PLAN ............................ 88

DALLAS CENTER TRAFFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ............ 110 ..

DALLAS SHOPPING AREA TRAFFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ..... 111

PLATE NO. I- 1

11-1

11-2

11-3

11-4

11-5

11-6

111-1

IV- 1

IV-2



LIST OF PLATES

REGIONAL ORIENTATION MAP.................'........ 3 . . . EXISTING LAND USE. ............................... 29

SOIL'SUITABILITY ................................. 33

SLOPES.. ......................................... 35

DRAINAGE DIVIDES AND FLOOD HAZARD ZONES .......... 37

SEWER LINES AND SERVICE AREAS .................... 69

WATER LINES AND SERVICE AREAS .................... 71

FACADE STUDY - MAIN STREET ....................... 83

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ............................... 93

ZONING DISTRICTS - ZOOO.... ...................... 99

viii



CHAPTER I I NTRODUCT I ON

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

A comprehensive master plan examines the broad spectrum of physical, social and economic elements of the community i n order t o develop policy guidelines for directing future growth. After examination of each of these elements separately, they are related and coordinated w t h each other t o achieve the s ta ted local goals and objectives. This comprehensive master plan for Dallas Borough not only examines the raditional comprehensive p l ann i ng elements such as 1 and use , population , communi ty f a c i l i t i e s , e tc . , b u t also the Borough's central business d i s t r i c t .

In most communities, the central business d i s t r i c t ( C B D ) i s usually .. the hub of both economic and social ac t iv i ty . obtain the i r i n i t i a l impression of a community while traveling through the central business d i s t r i c t on a major transportation route. Residents of the community and surrounding area frequent the central business d i s t r i c t to shop and u t i l i ze the services provided.

Frequently, strangers

The drawing power o f a comunity's central business d i s t r i c t is primarily a function of the number and variety of commercial and service establishments available. Two other factors which influence the drawing power of the central business district are attractiveness and con- venience.

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A central business d i s t r i c t possessing a t t r ac t ive s tore f ronts , clean, shaded s t r ee t s , and provisions for pedestrian circulation and comfort stands a better chance of a t t ract ing more business. accessibi l i ty of the central business d i s t r i c t via automobile and mass transportation, together w i t h ample and convenient p a r k i n g f a c i l i t i e s also enhances the drawing power.

The

After an examination of the central business d i s t r i c t ' s assets and l i a b i l i t i e s , a plan was developed to achieve the goal of improving the central business d i s t r i c t . Both public and private involvement will be considered i n the developing a plan for implementation.

This p l a n i s the r e su l t of many months o f data gathering, analysis and synthesis re la t ive to the pas t and existing conditions within the Borough. does however, re f lec t current local goals and objectives re la t ive to the existing conditions and estimated future potential of the Borough. W i t h the passage of time, conditions change, additional development occurs, and therefore these plans should be re-examined in l igh t o f these changes

The plan tha t has been developed i s by no means f i n a l , b u t

LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION

Dallas Borough i s located County. As shown in Plate 1-1,

u . s area Area and

n the north central portion of Luzerne the Borough is bounded by Dallas Town-

s h i p on the north, eas t and south and by Lehman Township on the west. The Borough i s located about nine (9) miles north of the City o f Wilkes- Barre, the Luzerne County Seat, which i s located on the North Branch o f the Susquehanna River i n the Wyoming Valley. According t o the 1970

Census, Dallas Borough i s a part of the Wilkes-Barre urbanized and the Wi 1 kes-Barre-Hazel t o n Standard Metropolitan S ta t i s t i ca l which consists of a l l of Luzerne County. Pennsylvania Routes 309 15 connect the Borough to Kingston Borough and the City of

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c m

1

1

I '

REGIONAL ORIENTATION MAP DALLAS BOROUGH & THE GREATER BACK MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY AREA LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

I

\ \ \ \

LEGEND

@ STATE ROUTES @ U.S. ROUTES @ INTERSTATE ROUTES

BOUNDARY OF GREATER BACK MOUNTAIN AREA -

0 I 2 3

PLATE 1-1

Wilkes-Barre t o the south. Dallas Borough t o Harvey's Lake Borough and Pennsylvania Route 309 connects the Borough to Tunkhannock, the Wyoming County Seat.

To the north, Pennsylvania Route 415 l inks

Relative re l ie f w i t h i n the Borough is approximately 200 f e e t , the lowest p o i n t be ing 1,080 f e e t above sea level and the highest point a t 1,340 f ee t above sea level (see Figure 1-1). In comparison, the Sus- quehanna River pool level near Kingston Borough is 520 f e e t above sea level.

Major bodies of water include the Huntsville Reservoir located in The reser- the western portion of the Borough and i n Lehman Township.

voir and i t s t r ibu tar ies drain about two-thirds of the Borough and Toby Creek, which paral le ls Pennsylvania Routes 415 and 309, receives runoff from the remaining portion. Two t r ibu tar ies drain t o the Creek w i t h i n the Borough (see Figure 1-1). The f i r s t enters the Creek just south of the northern boundary of the Borough (Center Hill Road) and the second enters behind the Post Office on the eas t s ide of Pennsylvania Route 415 and 309.

..

FORMATION AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

In order t o have school taxes applied t o the construction of a new Dallas High School, area residents presented a pet i t ion for the forma- t i o n of Dallas Borough t o a grand jury on January 4, 1879. t ion , which was opposed by Towns h i p Supervi sors and school d i rectors , was f ina l ly approved April 21, 1879.

The applica-

The historical development of the Borough is linked t o the development of the Wyoming Valley. Until the discovery of anthracite coal i n 1825, the Wyoming Val ley was predominantly agricultural i n nature. Growth i n the valley occurred a t a rap id r a t e as a resu l t of the development of the coal industry and canal and railroad f a c i l i t i e s d u r i n g the mid eighteen hundreds. From the 1850's to the early par t of the

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PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL FEATURES DALLAS BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY

I! d

1600' 0 1600' 3200'

. .-- -- _ -

1. LAND USE

GOAL: Encourase efficient and harmonious utilization of land

twentieth century, the area became a leading center for anthracite coal. Low wages and the availability of surplus female labor fostered the growth o f the textile and garment industry in the valley in the 1940's. Employment in the coal industry declined over the period 1940-1960 and the importation o f clothing from abroad made it difficult for the garment industry to compete. and unemployment during this period. in the 1960's as the economic situation began to improve. light industries have begun to locate in the valley.

The Val ley experienced high out-migration An upturn in employment occurred

Recently, new

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The following goals and objectives will be used in guiding the It is development o f the Dallas Borough Comprehensive Master Plan.

intended that these goals be realistic and attainable and consider the present characteristics of Dallas Borough and its Central Business District. Changing community desires, problems, and financial resources may necessitate a reassessment of these goals and objectives at some future point in time.

..

for

OBJECT I VES :

a.

b.

P C.

com6ercial and residential use.

The existing general land use pattern should be maintained and protected. The presence of public utilities, shopping, and highway access will draw new development to Dal las.

Residential growth should be channeled into areas where sewer and water services either exist or can be easily extended by developers.

Commercial growth and redevelopment should be designed to have safe highway access, adequate off- street parking and storm water management, and at least some landscaping.

- 7-

2.

3.

d . All new development should respect the natural features and drainage patterns of the land. velopment should be res t r ic ted in areas subject t o flooding, underlaid by poor s o i l s o r containing steep sl opes.

De-

POPULATION AND HOUSING

GOAL : Maintain the character and qual i ty of existing housing in the Borough and encourage the development of new housing t o accommodate the modest population growth expected i n the future.

OBJECTIVES :

a. The Borough should encourage the development of additional h o u s i n g w i t h i n i ts 1 imi t s t o accommodate a gradually r is ing population.

The character and qual i ty of exis t ing housing should be maintained. Dilapidated houses s h o u l d be removed and deteriorated housing should be rehabi l i ta ted to a standard condition.

b.

c. The Borough should consider the adoption of a housing code t o guarantee the qual i ty of older housing.

d . Older dwellings too large t o be maintained by i n - dividual families and i n danger of becoming deteriorated should be converted t o two or three family dwellings.

e. Housing fo r the elder ly should be encouraged near the central business area. Such housing should preferably be provided by a non-profi t corporation under a rent subsidy program.

f . The planned resident ia l development approach should be used in developing large properties t h a t contain development problems or s ign i f icant amenities.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND UTILITIES

L I I I I L

GOAL: Provide adequate community f a c i l i t i e s , u t i l i t i e s and emergency services for the existing and future Borough residents.

-a-

OBJECTIVES :

a.

b.

C.

d.

Public sewers should be extended a t developer expense to the limits of the watersheds now served, as development proceeds.

The Borough should take steps t o a l lev ia te potential storm water drainage problems by creating retention basins and requiring developers to release storm water from the i r properties a t a control led rate.

Recreation a c t i v i t i e s should be available to a l l age groups; using municipal, school, college and church f a c i l i t i e s t o the maximum in order t o avoid duplica- t ion. needs of the elderly.

Special a t tent ion should be g iven t o the

Because of the Borough's position in the Back Mountain area, i t should be the center for emergency services coordination throughout the region.

e. The Borough Building should be examined t o see i f cer ta in services, such as the s t r e e t s department or f i r e department, could be relocated, or i f a second building should be acquired f o r administrative functions.

4. TRAFFIC AND PARKING

GOAL : Improve the functioning and safety of both vehicular and pedestrian circulat ion w i t h i n the Borough and espe- c i a l ly i n the central business d i s t r i c t .

OB3 ECTIVES :

a . Proposed improvements to relieve congestion and increase safety should be the min imum needed to achieve the desired resul t . Addition o f turning lanes, adjustment o f s igna l cycles and elimination of unneeded access poin ts m i g h t be typical improvements provi d i n g major benefits . Consideration should be given to pedestrians and b i cycl i s ts i n preparing the pl an. between major locations should be s t u d i e d and safe pedestrian crossing points along highways provided.

b. Separate b i keways

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c. New street construction should avoid curbing and ex- cessively wlde pavements t o recharge the ground water table a s quickly as possible and lessen run-off problems.

d. Commuters from the Dallas area to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton should be encouraged t o drisve to designated parking lots i n the Dallas business area for pick-up by express buses.

e. Access of new commercial development t o the highway should be carefully located t o assure safe entry and exit and adjacent properties should be encouraged t o share access drives t o reduce the number of conflict points and attain maximum sight distances.

5. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

GOAL: Improve the appearance and functioning of the Central Business District, thereby making i t more competitive relative t o other retail centers.

OBJECT I VES :

a. The older business area along Main Street west of Route 415 should be encouraged t o renew i tself .

b. New commercial growth, particularly special ty-type shops, should be channeled there rather t h a n along the highway.

c. The area should be made more attractive through public and private action. Public action should include intersection improvements, repair of sidewalks , leadership in the provision of additional off-street p a r k i n g , and development of new signage controls. should include facade improvements and repair of rear areas of the buildings. An overall policy of sign arrangement and repainting should be adopted.

Use should be made o f vacant upper floor space for apartments or offices.

Private action

d.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION

GOAL: Encourage the wise use and management of the Borough's natural resources and protect them from the adverse effects of unsound new development.

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1 1 1 1 I 1 1 I

OBJECTIVES:

a. New development should have a min imum impact upon the or iginal ground surface by si t ing structures, parking and circulat ion t o keep grading and removal of trees and ground cover t o a minimum; by controlling storm water run-off and recharging as much water as possible t o the water table; and by encouraging planned resident ia l development t o preserve h i l l s ides , woods and floodplains.

Parks, playgrounds, schools and shopping areas should be connected by sidewal ks and/or bikeways.

of park and natural areas t o teach environmental apprecia- t ion and nature studies.

b.

c. School and recreation departments should make maximum use

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CHAPTER I 1 EXISTING CONDITIONS

POPULATION

HISTORIC POPULATION TRENDS

Dallas Borough's population has been growing s t e a d i l y for the past several decades a s shown i n Table 11-1 and Figure 11-1. During the 40 year period, 1930 t o 1970, the population increased by 1,210 persons or 102 percent. per year. occurred d u r i n g the 1950 decade. Recent estimates made by the U . S. Census Bureau show the Borough's population increasing from 2,398 in 1970 t o 2,825 i n 1975. surrounding the Borough i n the Greater Back Mountain Community Area, as shown i n Table 11-1.

Examined i n another way, t h i s i s an increase o f 30 persons Dur ing this 40 year period the l a rges t increase, 555 persons,

T h i s trend i s cons is ten t with the municipalities. '

While Dallas Borough and the Greater Back Mountain Area experienced increases i n population over the period 1930-1970, Luzerne County's population decreased from 445,109 t o 342,478. 102,631 or 23 percent over the 40 year period. this t o t a l loss occurred d u r i n g the 1940's and the 1950's. The County continued t o loose population from 1960 t o 1970; however, this loss was only about 4,500 o r one-tenth of the loss t h a t occurred d u r i n g the two previous decades. The 1975 estimated population of the County, accord- i n g t o the U . s. Census Bureau was 345,645. 3,167 or .9 percent over the 1970 f igure . T h u s , the previous declining trend i n the County's population appears t o be reversed t o an increasing trend.

This was a t o t a l loss o f

The major po r t ion o f

This i s an increase o f

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.- I__---

T A B L E 11-1 HISTORIC AND PROJECTED POPUL4TIr)N STATISTICS FOR

D A L L A S BOROUGH, THE SREATER BACK MOUNTAIN ARE4 AND LUZERME COUNTY, PEr\lNSVLVAN I A

1930-2020

1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 20 20

Absolute Change - +296 +190 t555 t169 t362 t2 75 t225 t190 t140 A % Change - +24.9 t12.9 4-33.2 t7.6 t15.1 t10.0 t7.4 t5.8 t4.1

- - - - _I I_

Dall as Borough 1,198 1,484 1,674 2,229 2,398 2,760 3,035 3,260 3,450 3,590 I

P I

Greater Back Mountain Area* 10,542 13,527 14,744 18,546 22,686 29,095 33,385 37,860 42,480 47,210

Absolute Change - +2,985 +1,217 +3,802 t4,140 t6,409 +4,290 +4,475 +4,620 +4,730 % Change - t28.3 t9 .o t25.8 t22.4 t28.3 +14.7 t13.4 t12.2 t11.1

Absolute Change - -3,591 -49,277 -45,269 -4,494 +19,522 +21,500 +21,000 +21,500 +20,900 % Change - - .8 -11.2 -11.5 -1.3 t5.7 t5.9 t5.5 4-5.3 t4.9

Luzerne County 445,109 441,518 392,241 346,972 342,478 362,000 383,500 404,500 426,000 446,900

* Includes the Boroughs of Dallas and Harveys Lake and the Townships o f Dallas, Frank l i n , Jackson, Kingston, Lake, and Lehman.

SOURCE: U . S . Census Bureau and the Luzerne County P1 anni ng Comini s s i on.

HISTORIC A JD PROJECTED POPI ATION STATISTICS FOR DALLAS BOROUGH, THE GREATER BACK MOUNTAIN AREA AND

LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 1930 - 2020

1 ,ooo,o0O

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40.000

20,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,oqo

1 .oo a

I I 1 I 1 1 I I 1 I I I I I 1 I I I I I

$30 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 201 0 2020

KEY k, - HISTORIC POPULATION

PROJECTED POPULATION 4 i? --

f SOURCE U S CENSUS BUREAU AND THE LUZERNE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION J

' i

YEAR

FIGURE 11-1 -

'.," , -i' [* t " '... ,'./

As a r e su l t of t ropical storm Agnes in June of 1972, var ia t ions in the population d is t r ibu t ion i n the Wyoming Valley and surrounding area have occurred. Population losses occurred along the r ive r flood plain in the Valley while the Back Mountain and Mountain Top areas continued t o grow.

AGE-SEX DISTRIBUTION

Dallas Borough and Luzerne County, age-sex groups by f i v e year in te rva ls fo r 1960 and 1970 a re shown by the population pyramids i n Figure 11-2. The pyramids show each f i v e year age-sex group as a percentage of the to t a l population, thus indicat ing the d i f f e ren t per- centages of males and females i n each age g roup and a l so comparing the Dallas Borough p ro f i l e with the County's. l i f e expectancy and b i r th ra tes have had the a f f e c t of a l t e r ing the " t rue" pyramid shape of an a r e a ' s population d i s t r ibu t ion . Smaller b i r th r a t e s have made pyramids narrower a t the bottom, while increased l i f e expectancy has broadened the tops of the pyramids. of the Borough's and County's l e s s t h a n 5 and 5-9 groups f o r 1960 and 1970 reveals the decline in births and a narrowing of the base of the pyramids while the tops (75 and over age g r o u p ) , have broadened.

I n general , recent changes i n

An examination

The pos t war "baby boom'' population appears as a bulge i n both s e t s of pyramids i n the 10-14 and 15-19 age group. The r e l a t i v e large percentage of females in the Borough 15-19 and 20-24 age groups i s probably a r e s u l t of Misericordia College (previously an a l l g i r l s school) s tu- dents residing i n the Borough.

The narrowing of the pyramid explained in p a r t by the r e l a t i v e Another reason f o r the pat tern i s

this age g roup due t o the lack of t h i s age group a re l i ke ly t o have

i n the groups from age 20 to 39 is y low b i r th r a t e s in the 1930's. the out-migration of young workers in employment opportuni t ies . Persons in a family; therefore , losses in t h i s

1 e

-1 6-

AGE

75 AN0 OVER

65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 3 5 - 3 9 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5 - 9

70-74

LESS THAN 5

AGE

75 AN0 OVER 10-74 65-69 6 0 - 6 4 55 -59 5 0 - 5 4 4 5 - 4 9 40-44 3 5 - 3 9 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14

5 - 9 LESS THAN 5

AGE-SEX POPULATION DISTRIBUTION DALLAS BOROUGH

-r-nlTr m POPULATION 2.229

POPULATION

L

,398

6 7 6 5 4 3 2 I O 1 2

PERCENT OF TOTAL POPULATION L +-- MALES 1- FEMALES .-d

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

AGE

75 AND OVER 7 0 - 7 4 65 - 6 9 6 0 - 6 4 55 - 5 9 5 0 - 5 4 4 5 - 4 9 4 0 - 4 4 3 5 - 3 9 30-34 25 -29 20-24 1 5 - 1 9 1 0 - 1 4

5 - 9 L E S S THAN 5

AGE

75 AN0 OVER 7 0 - 1 4 6 5 - 6 9 6 0 - 6 4 5 5 - 5 9 50.54 4 5 - 4 9 40-44 3 5 - 3 9 3 0 - 3 4 2 5 - 2 9 2 0 - 2 4 1 5 - 1 9 1 0 - 1 4

5 - 9 LESS THAN 5

AGE-SEX POPULATION DISTRIBUTION LUZERNE COUNTY

I

I

I

1 7

j I 11970 i I i I ~ ' I POPULATION 342

4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5

I I I

i

! I i

i I 478

i I

1 8

PERCENT OF TOTAL POPULATION _ _

1- FEMALES 4 + MALES

EIfiI IRC IlLr)

group ult imately a f f e c t the b i r t h r a t e and the number of children under 14 years of age. group i n Dallas Borough increased as a r e s u l t of improved employment conditions and out-migration from the more urbanized areas of the Wyoming Valley t o Dallas Borough.

From 1960 t o 1970, the percentage of persons i n this

NATURAL INCREASE AND MIGRATION

Population changes occur as a r e s u l t of changes i n the number o f

Birth and bir ths , deaths, and persons moving in to o r o u t of an area. death s t a t i s t i c s f o r Dallas Borough were obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Health f o r the period 1960 t o 1975. Dur ing the ten year period 1960-1970, there were 360 births and 311 deaths i n the Borough, an excess of 49 births over deaths. 169 over the same period and therefore , an in-migration of 120 persons occurred d u r i n g the 1960's decade. This means t h a t every year there was an average of 36 births, 31 deaths and 1 2 persons entering the Borough. From 1970 t o 1975, there were 200 births and 176 deaths, an excess of 24 b i r t h s over deaths. During this same period, i t has been estimated tha t the Borough's population increased by 427 and therefore , an in-migration of 403 persons occurred d u r i n g the f i v e year period. number of these migrants were displaced from t h e i r homes i n Wil kes-Barre and Kingston as a r e s u l t of t ropical storm Agnes i n 1972. period 1970-1975, there were on the average 40 births, 35 deaths and 81

The Borough's population increased

A s i g n i f i c a n t

For the

r a t e of births and deaths between 1970-1975 has increased s l while in-migration has increased by about

in-migrants t o the Borough per year. T h u s , the

seven

Luzerne County over the same periods exper

over the 1960 ( 7 ) times.

enced the fol

s decade

owing: i -1 8- 1

1

1960- 1970 1970-1 975

Births 51,125 20,411 Deaths 36 , 981 22 , 497

Population Change -45 , 269 + 3,167 Mi gra ti on -59,413 + 5,253

Natural Increase +14,144 - 2,086

I

The above shows t h a t during the 1960's the natural increase (b i r th s minus deaths) could not make up f o r the large loss of population due t o out-migration. were more deaths than b i r th s , the County population increased by about 3,200 due t o the in-migration of 5,253 people. period 1960-1975, the number of b i r t h s per year has decreased while the number o f deaths per year has almost remained constant. hand, both the number of b i r th s and deaths per yea r f o r Dallas Borough has remained r e l a t ive ly constant.

During the period 1970-1975, desp i te the f a c t t h a t there

Over the fifteen year

On the other

AVERAGE FAMILY SIZE AND POPULATION DENSITY

In 1970, 651 fami l ies and 636 unrelated individuals resided i n the Using the 1970 census population f igu re of 2,398, the average

.'

Borough. family size i s 2.71 persons.

The land area of the Borough is 2.4 square miles. Based on the 1970

populatfon, the Borough's population densi ty i s 999.2 persons per square mile.

POPULATION PROJECTIONS

According t o the population project ions , developed by the Luzerne County Planning Commission shown i n Table 11-1 and Figure 11-1, Dallas Borough's population i s expected t o increase by 1,192 or 49.7 percent from 1970 t o 2020. The l a r g e s t port ion of this to ta l increase, 362 or 15.0 percent, i s expected t o occur during the present decade.

-1 9-

The Greater Back Mountain Community Area, which includes Dallas Borough, i s expected t o increase by 24,524 o r 108 percent over the same period. increase, 6,409 or 26.1 percent, i s expected t o occur dur ing the 1970's. Increases f o r the remaining four (4 ) decades a r e in the neighborhood of 4,500 persons per decade.

As was t rue f o r Dallas Borough the l a r g e s t portion of the

The increases t h a t Luzerne County's population experienced d u r i n g the ea r ly and mid 1970's a r e expected t o continue and a to t a l increase of 19,522 or 5.7 percent i s projected from 1970 t o 1980. population i s expected t o grow by about 21,000 persons per decade f o r the fou r succeeding decades.

The County

HOUSING

The purpose of this section i s t o examine the cha rac t e r i s t i c s of the ex is t ing housing supply i n Dallas Borough and a l s o determine future h o u s i n g needs. housing wil l increase grea t ly . an increased supply of units, those t h a t a r e ava i lab le wil l command a higher pr ice and t h u s make i t d i f f i c u l t f o r persons of low and moderate incomes t o acquire she1 ter.

As the Borough's population grows, the demand f o r I f this increased demand i s n o t met by

HOUSING STOCK CHARACTERISTICS

The major housing type found i n Dallas Borough is the single family detached u n i t which comprises 83.2 percent of the to t a l housing units (see Table 11-2).

. Table 11-2. y single family r e s iden t i a l community.

Multiple family units account for 16.2 percent This is more than the County, S t a t e and national f igures

T h u s , i t can be seen t h a t Dallas Borough i s a of the to t a a s shown i n predominant

- 20-

In 1970, 2.5 percent of the t o t a l h o u s i n g units i n the Borough were vacant. This was l e s s than the County, S t a t e , and national figures which were 3.8 percent , 4.5 percent and 6.3 percent, respect ively. Usually vacancy r a t e s a r e ind ica t ions of the amount of ava i lab le housing

supply. housing units. than the County, S t a t e o r Nation and a lower percentage of r en te r occupied housing units, as shown by the s t a t i s t i c s i n Table 11-3.

In this case, a small vacancy r a t e may ind ica t e a shortage o f

Dallas Borough has a higher proportion of home owners

The following i s a summary of the three major indices o f housing qua l i ty : conditions of crowding, age o f structure, and lack of san i ta ry f a c i l i t i e s . The 1970 s t a t i s t i c s f o r Dallas Borough will be compared t o those f o r Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and the United S ta t e s .

Overcrowding: A common index of overcrowding a r e those hous ing un i t s t h a t contain more than 1.01 persons per room. Dallas Borough has only .65 percent of i t s occupied units i n this category, while Luzerne County has 4.41 percent and Pennsylvania and the Nation had 4.5 percent and 6.0 percent, respect ively. T h u s , i t can be seen t h a t overcrowding i s not a ser ious problem i n Dallas Borough.

''

Housing Age: Nearly half (48.7%) o f the t o t a l housing units i n Dallas Borough were constructed i n 1939 or before, while Luzerne County has more tha;i three-fourths (76.5%) of i t s units constructed d u r i n g this period and the State and the Nation had 58.8 percent and 40.6 percent, respect ively. A post-war growth i n housing construction i n Dallas Borough between 1950-1959 i s noted by the r e l a t i v e l y la rge percentage of homes i n this age bracket (Table 11-4). A s imi l a r growth trend f o r this period occurred i n the S t a t e and the Nation, while Luzerne County does not show a h i g h percentage of s t ruc tu res b u i l t d u r i n g this period.

-21 -

TABLE 11-2

BY PERCENT - 1970 HOUSING UNITS BY STRUCTURE TYPE: COMPARISON

DALLAS L UZE RN E BOROUGH COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES

1 Unit Detached 83.2 56.4 53.6 66.2 1 Unit Attached .6 4.5 19.0 2.9 2-4 Units 15.6 32.3 15.4 13.3 5 o r more Units 0.6 5.6 9.7 14.5 Mobile Homes 0.0 1 .2 2.3 3.1

TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

TABLE 11-3 HOUSING TENURE FOR DALLAS BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA AND THE UNITED STATES

BY PERCENT - 1970

T E N U R E DALLAS LUZERNE

BOROUGH COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES Owner Occupied 77.1 63.6 65.7 59.0 Renter Occupied 19.5 31.9 29.8 34.8 Vacant f o r Sa le . 5 .4 .6 . 7 Vacant f o r Rent .4 1 .3 1.6 2 . 5 Vacant, Other’ 2.5 2 .8 2.3 3.0

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Includes seasonal housing units. SOURCE: 1970 U. S. Census: Fourth County Summary Tape.

1970 U. S. Census of General Housing Charac te r i s t ics f o r Pennsylvania: HC ( 1 ) 40. 1970 U . S. Census of General Housing Charac te r i s t ics f o r the United S ta tes : HC ( 1 ) A l .

-22-

TABLE 11-4

BY PERCENT - 1970 HOUSING U N I T S BY YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT: A COMPARISON

YEAR DALLAS LUZERNE STRUCTURE BUILT BOROUGH COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES

10.9 8.6 15.4 25.0 24.6 6.5 16.5 21.4 15.8 5.3 9.3 13.0

40.6

1960-1 970 1950- 1959 1 940- 1 949 Pre- 1939 48.7 79.6 _I__ 58.8 -

TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 -

SOURCE: 1970 U . S. Census of Detailed Housing Characterist ics fo r Pennsylvania, HC (1) 40. Characterist ics fo r the United States , HC (1 ) B1. Census: Four th C o u n t Summary Tape.

1970 U. S. Census of Detailed Housing 1970 U. S.

Lack of Sanitary Fac i l i t i es : In 1970, less t h a n one percent (.76%) of the housing units lacked some form of sanitary f a c i l i t i e s . This i s a very low percentage re la t ive t o a l l o f Luzerne County which had 5.29 percent of i t s units lacking some plumbing f a c i l i t i e s . National f igures were 4.7 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively.

T h e S ta te and

General Housing Cond i t ion : Based on a visual inspection of the

General areas where some of the Borough's housing stock, no res ident ia l structures appeared to be in a delapidated condition (beyond repa i r ) . structures appeared t o be i n need of minor repair and thus considered deteriorated are: sides o f Franklin Street near the Dallas Elementary School; and on both sides of Jackson Street. The condi t ion of these s t ruc tures f o r the most par t could be improved by painting them and making needed minor repairs. The condition o f most of the housing stock in the Borough could be considered good t o excellent.

b o t h sides o f Main St ree t south of the CBD; on b o t h

-23-

HOUSING VALVE

The market value of owner occup ed housing and the gross monthly rent fo r renter occupied units gives an indication of the s t a b i l i t y and quality of a residential area. hous ing unit market values of Dallas Borough and Luzerne County according to the 1970 U. s. Census. Dallas Borough had a higher percentage i n the four highest market value categories t h a n Luzerne County. other hand, Luzerne County had a higher percentage o f the total i n the lowest valued categories. T h u s , the real e s t a t e values i n the Borough are , i n general, higher than the County averages. This i s supported by the Borough's mean market value figure of $19,183 compared t o the County figure of $13,357.

T a b L 11-5 compares the owner occupied

On the

Table 11-6, shows t h a t a relationship s imilar t o the above exis ts

Comparing the Borough's mean monthly rent o f $119 w i t h that of between the Borough and the County regarding renter occupied housing units. the County, $84, also re f lec ts the fac t that the Borough has a higher percentage of units in the three highest rent categories than the County.

HOUSING DEMAND

Projected housing demand figures developed by the Luzerne County P l a n n i n g Commission are found i n Table 11-7. person per household s i ze (as shown) over the period 1970-2020, 1,310 housing units will be needed by the year 2020 to accommodate the projected Borough population of 3,590. This is an increase of 388 units over the estimated 922 units i n existence as o f April 1 , 1977. i n another way, this means t h a t the housing u n i t supply must be increased by about 9 units per year over the next 43 years.

Based on a declining

Examined

-24-

.

rh

TABLE 11-5

BY MARKET VALUE-1970 OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING U N I T S

DALLAS BOROUGH NUMBER PERCENT

Less T h a n $7,500 37 6.9 $7,500-$9,999 33 6.1 $1 0,000-$14,999 189 35.1

$1 7,500-$24,999 122 22.7 $25,000 and O v e r 92 17.1

$1 5,000-$17,499 65 12.1

TOTAL TABULATED 538 100.0

MEAN MARKET VALUE $19,183

LUZERNE COUNTY NUMB E R PERCENT 14,734 27.2 9,524 17.6

13,070 24.1 4,485 8.3 7,599 14.0 4,782 8.8

$1 3,357

54,194 100.0

SOURCE: 1970 U. S. C e n s u s F o u r t h C o u n t Summary Tape.

TABLE 11-6

BY GROSS RENT-1970 RENTER OCCUPIED HOUSING U N I T S

DALLAS BOROUGH LUZERNE COUNTY MONTHLY RENT NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER

Less T h a n $50 0 0.0 3,055

$50-$79 $80-$99

25 43

15.5 14,068 26.5 9,065

$1 00-$119 31 19.1 ,

$1 20-$149 24 14.8

39 24.1 $150 and O v e r - TOTAL TABULATED 162 100.0 MEAN RENT P A I D $119

4,074 2,331 1,325

33 $91 8

$84

SOURCE: 1970 U. S . C e n s u s F o u r t h C o u n t Summary T a p e .

-25-

PERCENT 9.0

41.5 26.7 12.0 6.9 3.9

100.0

I N cn I

TABLE 11-7 HOUSING DEMAND ESTIMATES -1970-2020

DALLAS BOROUGH

411 177 1970 ESTIMATE 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 -

786 922 950 1,070 1,170 1,250 1,310 60 - 136 28 120 I00 80

- 17.3 3.0 12.6 9 .3 6 .8 4.8

Housing Units Absolute Change Percent Change

Persons Per Household 3 051 2.935 2.905 2.836 2.786 2.760 2.740

Popul a t i on 2 , 398 2,706 2,760 3,035 3,260 3,450 3,590

SOURCE: Luzerne County Planning Commission, March 1 , 1978.

As previously shown in the population section, the number of elderly ( re t i red 65 and over) persons has been increasing i n the Borough. These elderly persons who are on fixed incomes will not be able to afford conventional housing and therefore present a problem. By 1990, these persons may account for nearly 20 percent of the population compared to abou t 11 percent in 1960.

LAND USE

E x i s t i n g land use i n Dallas Borough i s shown on Plate 11-1. Table 11-8 gives the estimated existing land use acreage i n 1979. This data was compiled from the Luzerne County Land Use Plan fo r the year 2000 which was prepared by the Luzerne County Planning Commission i n June 1976, the Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties Transportation Study Area aer ia l photographs of October 30, 1978 compiled by PennDOT, and from f i e l d checks performed by the consultant.

The following i s an explanation of the land use categories shown on . . the existing land use map:

RESIDENTIAL: s ingle family and mu1 ti-family are shown separately.

COMMERCIAL: includes central business d i s t r i c t commercial and

INDUSTRIAL:

highway commercial.

t ransfer and storage. includes manufacturing and non-manufacturing such as

PUBLIC/SEMI-PUBLIC:

TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATION, AND UTILITIES (TUC) :

includes schools, churches, colleges, cerne- t e r i e s , parks, municipal county and s t a t e f a c i l i t i e s .

disposal plants, water reservoirs, treatment plants, gas or e l ec t r i c ut i l i t ies , etc.

includes

AGRICULTURE: i ncl udes 1 ands i n agri cul ture , orchards, commeri cal t ree growing, etc.

-27-

LAND USE

TABLE 11-8

DALLAS BOROUGH - 1979 EXISTING LAND USE

Residential - Single Family Residential - Multi-Family Comerci a 1 Industrial Transportation, Utilities and

Public and Semi-Public Agriculture Wooded Vacant Water TOTAL DEVELOPED ACRES TOTAL AREA OF BOROUGH

Communi cation

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ACRES

145.3 57.4 42.5

17.45

65 29.4 92.6

417.5 601.65

62.2 357.05

1,536

PERCENT OF TOTAL

9.5 3.7 2.8 1.1

4.2 1.9 6.0

27.2 23.5 4.0

23.2 100.0

EXISTING LAND USE

MJ . ...,: . INDUSTRIAL

m d PUBLlClSE'M~CPUBLIC

TRANSPORTATION COMMUNICATION AND UTILITIES

m] AGRICULTURE

WOODED

J VACANT

- - . . -~

LUZERNE COUNTY, PEN

d N

S' A

Source Lurerne Couniv Plannlng Cornm>ss#on

PLATE 11-1

WOODED: areas w i t h non-commercial tree cover.

VACANT: land no t classified in any of the above uses.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES

SOILS

Using the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service information, an analysis of Dallas Borough's soils were made w i t h particular attention t o their suitability for community development. was evaluated by considering i t s suitability for on-lot septic tanks and i t s ability t o accommodate low buildings w i t h basements. According t o the Soil Conservation Service's interpretation, a l l o f the soils i n the Borough have severe limitations for on-lot septic tanks. Plate 11-2 shows the areas of the Borough which are considered t o have moderate and severe limitations t o low buildings with basements according to the S . C. S . i nterpreta ti ons .

Each o f the soil types

SLOPES

Topographic conditions in Dallas Borough are shown on Plate 11-3. The slopes were divided into the following four categories:

1 . 0-8% Present no development problems.

2. 9-15% Present slight development problems.

3. 16-24% Severe development problems; usually requires extensive s i t e preparation.

4. 25% and Over Development considered not feasible.

-31 -

As shown by Plate 11-3, the majority of the Borough's land surface l i e s i n the 0-8% and 9-15% slope categories and t h u s , this environmental factor presents only s l ight deterrent t o land development within the Borough.

FLOOD HAZARD AREAS

Plate 11-4 shows the areas o f the Borough which l i e i n the flood hazard zone as designated by the Department of Housing and Urban De- velopment Flood Insurance Administration and corresponds t o the approximate area of the 100-year flood. The boundaries enclose the area expected t o be inundated by a flood a t a magnitude which could be equalled or exceeded once on the average during any 100 year period.

ECONOMY

Dallas Borough, as p a r t of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Urban Area, i s 1 inked economically t o the manufacturing, commercial and service establishments located i n the Wyoming Valley. dependent upon m i n i n g employment, the Valley and a l l of Luzerne County has recently experienced h i g h growth rates i n other major economic sectors and i s well on the way to industrial divers i f icat ion. The decline of the anthracite industry i n Luzerne County was followed by a large number o f garment and t e x t i l e industries locating i n the County. As a resu l t o f the e f for t s of industrial development groups, new industries have been at t racted to the County and the garment and t e x t i l e mill products industries now account for a smaller share of the manufacturing labor market.

Formerly an area strongly

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS

A comparison of key economic character is t ics fo r Dallas Borough, Luzerne County, and Pennsylvania from the 1970 U . S. Census appears i n Table 11-9.

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- -

SOIL SUITABILITY

Soil Suitability for septic tanks * basements.

- - ----3nd.-low-buildings with _._I. _ _ _ - __-

LEGEND

MODERATE LIMITATIONS Low

WITH BASEMENTS I 1-1 SEVERE LIMITATIONS

Rc\TB CUT AND FILL-NOT CLASSIFIED

*All soils have severe limitations for use of on-lot septic tanks and are not shown on map.

Source: Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, Soil Survey, Luzerne County.

- -

DALLAS BOROUGH LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

THE CHESTER ENQINEERS I .,I .,.,, , . > . , . I . . . , I ::.I,/ / I

. . . . . . . Souice Luzerne Counly Plannmg Conrmlsslon

PLATE 11-2

SLOPES

SLOPE CATEGORIES

r l 0 - 8 %

9 - 15%

16 - 24% 25% AND OVER

Source: U.S.G.S. Kingston Quadrangle


Source Luzcrna Counlv Planning Carnmmlon

PLATE 11-3

.. .

DRAINAGE DIVIDES

FLOOD HAZARD ZONE

Source: Department of Housing and Urban Development-Federal insurance Administration.


Source Luzerne Counly Planning Commission

PLATE 11-4

TABLE 11-9 ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, 1970

DALLAS BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY, AND PENNSYLVANIA

% Unemployed % Adult Females i n Labor Force Non-Worker - Worker Ratio % Employed i n Manufacturing Median Family Income % Families Below Poverty Level % Families w i t h Income of

$1 5,00O/year or More

DALLAS BOROUGH

4.4 28.1 1.69 30.0

$1 0 , 01 0 5.7

18.9

LUZERNE COUNTY 4.0

38.8 1.41 40.8

$8 , 244 a. 9

10.9

P E NNS Y L VAN I A 3.7

39.4 1.47 34.1

$9,558 7.9

18.3

The above s t a t i s t i c s show tha t i n most categories , Dallas Borough's economy could be considered on a par w i t h o r be t t e r than the County's and the S t a t e ' s . The Borough's non-worker t o worker r a t i o (equal t o the number o f people no t i n the labor force d i v i d e d by those who a r e ) i s 1.69, which is somewhat h igher than the County and State figures. This '. higher r a t i o i s probably due t o the r e l a t ive ly low percentage of females i n the labor force. 60 percent of the Borough's population i s female. d ica te there may be a lack o f employment opportunities for females i n the area or t h a t family incomes a r e s u f f i c i e n t l y h i g h enough t o discourage the female members of households from seeking work.

This s i tua t ion is worsened by the f a c t t ha t nearly These fac tors i n -

The unemployment r a t e f o r the Borough in 1970 was s l i g h t l y higher t h a n the County and the Sta te . The percentage o f Dallas Borough residents employed i n manufacturing was 10 percent l e s s than the County figure and 4 percent less than the Sta te .

-39-

The median family income f o r Dallas Borough i n 1970 was s i g n i f i - cantly higher than the County's and the S ta t e f igure . Dallas Borough i s an area of r e l a t ive ly high incomes i s a l so supported by the f a c t t ha t the percentage of famil ies below poverty level was less t h a n the County and the S ta t e and a lso by the f a c t t h a t the Borough had nearly 19 percent of i t s family incomes i n the $15,000 or more per year range.

The f a c t t h a t

LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS

Table 11-10 compares the labor force cha rac t e r i s t i c s f o r Dallas Borough, Luzerne County, the S ta t e and the Nation according t o the 1970 U. S. Census. The Census considers anyone who i s 14 years old or older a s a potent ia l member of the labor force. The category, Civi l ian Labor Force, appearing in Table 11-10, does n o t include persons i n the armed services , in school, i n s t i t u t iona l inmates or other persons, b u t only those who a re employed and those who are unemployed, b u t ac t ive ly seeking work.

The to t a l number of persons 14 years old and over i n Dallas Borough i n 1970 was 2,281. labor force. S t a t e , and County f igures of 59.0 percent, 56.2 percent, and 53.0 percent, respectively. Some 567 school students or nearly 25 percent of t o t a l persons 14 years old and over, a re not included as par t ic ipants i n the labor force as a re some 621 "other" persons or 27.2 percent. percentage of males in the Dallas Borough labor force is s igni f icant ly higher than the percentage i n the County labor force , while the percentage o f females, 29.5 percent, i s s ign i f i can t ly lower than the nat ional , S t a t e and County f igures of 43.3 percent, 39.4 percent, and 40.1 percent, respectively.

Of this t o t a l , 1,093 (o r 47.9%), were pa r t o f the This f igure i s s ign i f i can t ly l e s s than the nat ional ,

The

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TMLE I 1-10 LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS AND LABOR P A R T I C I P A T I O N RATES - 1970

Total (14 and over) C i v i 1 i an Labor Force

Employed Unemployed % Unemployed

% O f Tafal

I

2 I C i vi 1 i an Labor Force

Total Males (14 and over)

% o f Total

Unemp Empl O f e d oyed % Unemployed

C i v i 1 i an Labor Force % of Total Employed

% Unempl Unemp O f e d oyed

Total Females (14 and over)

DALLAS BO ROUGH

2,281 1,093 47.9

1,045 48

4.4

850 671

78.9 643 28

4.2

1,431 422

29.5 402

2Q 4.7

LUZERNE COUNTY

267,794 141,819

53.0 136,180

5,639 4.0

123,059 83,779

68.1 80,038

3,741 4.5

144,735 58,040

40.1 56,142

1,898 3.3

PENNSYLVANIA IN 1,000's

8,848 4,757

53.8 4,577

179 3.8

4,163 2,989 71.8

2,834 105 3.5

4,685 1,768

37.7 1,693

74 4.2

UNITED STATES IN MILLIONS

140.2 82.7 59 .O 78.7 4.1 5 .O

67.4 51.2 76 .O 49.0

2 .2 4.4

72.8 31.5 43.3 29.7

1.9 5.9

SOURCE: 1970 U . S . Census - Fourth Count Sumnary Tape and the 1970 Census Report General, Social , - and Economic Characteristics.

EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION

Resident employment f igures by major industry c l a s s i f i c a t i o n from the 1970 U. S. Census f o r Dallas Borough and Luzerne County a re presented in Table 11-11. These s t a t i s t i c s r e f l e c t the number of employed persons by place of residence rather t h a n by place of employment.

Nearly 30 percent of the to t a l number of jobs of persons residing in Dallas Borough are in manufacturing. Luzerne County with 40.5 percent employment in manufacturing. services category i s the second l a rges t employer of Borough residents accounting for 29.2 percent of the to t a l res ident jobs. and r e t a i l trade category ranks t h i r d i n importance accounting f o r about 20 percent o f the t o t a l . The above three categories together account f o r 78.7 percent of the to t a l 1,045 resident j o b s i n Dallas Borough. The remaining 21.3 percent a re in public administration (7 .2%) , construc- t i on (5 .4%) , t ranspor ta t ion , communication and u t i l i t i e s (4 .4%) , f inance, insurance, and real e s t a t e (3 .5%), and agr icu l ture and fores t ry (.8%).

This i s a lower percentage t h a n The

The wholesale

A t the County l eve l , manufacturing services and wholesale and r e t a i l t rade a l so ranked f i r s t , second, and t h i r d , respect ively. Con- s t ruc t ion , 5.7 percent of the to t a l employment, ranked fourth and public administration w i t h 4.5 percent ranked f i f t h .

The t o t a l 1,045 res ident jobs in Dallas Borough in 1970 was an increase of 293 jobs over the 1960 f igure of 752. period, the l a rges t increase, 167, occurred in the services category, while manufacturing jobs increased by 88, public administration by 47, wholesale and r e t a i l t rade by 36, finance, insurance and real e s t a t e by 6 , and agr icu l ture and fo res t ry by 4. p a r t i a l l y counterbalanced by the loss of 33 construction j o b s , 23 j o b s

i n t ransportat ion, communication and u t i l i t i e s and a loss of 8 j o b s in mining. In 1960, 57 jobs were n o t reported by category.

During this ten-year

This gain of 354 j o b s was

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T A B L E 11-11 EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY C L A S S I F I C A T I O N - 1970

INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION T o t a l Employment Agr i c u l t u r e and Fores t ry Mini ng Const ruc t ion

w J=- Manufactur ing I

I Transpor ta t ion , Communi c a t i on

and U t i 1 i t i e s

DALLAS BOROUGH LUZERNE COUNTY NUMBER EMPLOYED % OF TOTAL NUMBER EMPLOYED % OF TOTAL

1,045 100.0 136,180 100.0

8 .8 1,189 .9 0 0 .o 1,914 1.4

56 5.4 7,823 5.7 31 3 29.9 55,150 40.5

46 Wholesale and R e t a i l Trade 205 Finance, Insurance and Real Es ta te 37

Se r v i ces P u b l i c Admin i s t ra t i on

305 75

4.4 19.6

3.5 29.2

7.2

7,333 5.4 25,538 18.7

4,567 3.4 26,563 19.5 6,103 4.5

SOURCE: 1970 U. S . Census - Four th Count Summary Tape.

A high percentage (72.8%) of the to t a l number of Dallas Borough residents employed i n manufacturing a re engaged in the production of non-durable goods. This i s a l so true f o r Luzerne County which has 67.4 percent of i t s t o t a l manufacturing employment engaged i n the production of non-durable goods. apparel and related products, food and k ind red products, t e x t i l e mill products, l ea ther and lea ther products, p r in t ing , publishing, and a l l i ed products.

These jobs a re connected w i t h the production of

MANUFACTURING EMPWYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION

Table 11-12 gives a summary of the manufacturing employment i n Dallas Borough i n 1975 according t o Pennsylvania Department of Commerce s t a t i s t i c s . ing f o r 256 j o b s were located in Dallas Borough. engaged i n book p r i n t i n g i s located e a s t of Pennsylvania Route 309 i n Dallas Township just outside the Borough and accounts f o r 246 additional j o b s .

In tha t year, s i x (6) manufacturing establishments account- One establishment

In Luzerne County i n 1975, there was a to ta l of 644 manufacturing establishments employing a to t a l of 40,866 persons. Industr ia l Classif icat ion (SIC) groups were represented w i t h 7 groups having employment exceeding 2,000. turers of durable goods and four were non-durable goods manufacturers as shown i n Table 11-13.

Twenty Standard

Three of the seven were manufac-

INCOME

A comparison of incomes f o r famil ies and unrelated individuals fo r Dallas Borough and Luzerne County according t o the 1970 U . S. Census i s found n Table 11-14. Based on the s t a t i s t i c s presented, Dallas Borough's incomes a re s ign i f i can t ly higher than the County averages i n 1970. Dallas Borough shows 50 percent of i t s family incomes i n the

-44-

1 il d f

a 1 n d ill

TABLE 11-12 I N-P LACE MANUFACTUR I N6 EMPLOYMENT

BY FOUR D I G I T I N D U S T R I A L CLASS I F I CATION DALLAS BOROUGHJ LUZERNE COUNTY J 1975

NUMBER OF CODE DESCRIPTION ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYMENT

2258 Warp K n i t Fabric Mil 271 1 Newspapers: P u b l i s h

2732* Book Pri n t i n g 2751 Comerci a1 Printi ng ,

Press and Screen 3599 Machinery, except El

Printing

S 1 164 2 38 n g , and/or

1 246 Let ter 1 43

11

TOTALS 7 502

1 2 lc t r ic n.c,e. -

* This establishment i s located just outside o f the Dallas Borough i n Da 1 1 as Towns h i p .

1 n.c.e. - n o t c lass i f ied elsewhere.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Industrial Census Series M-5-75, Pennsylvania Department o f Commerce.

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CODE

TABLE 11-13 MAJOR DURABLE AND NON-DURABLE MANUFACTURERS

I N LUZERNE COUNTY BY TWO DIGIT SIC - 1975

INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT

County Total

DURABLE

34 Fabricated Metal Products

36 Elec t r ica l and Electronic Machinery, Equipment and Supplies

35 Machinery, Except Electr ical

NON- DURABLE

23 Apparel and Related Products

20 Food and Kindred Products

22 Text i le Mil 1 Products

31 Leather and Leather Products

40,866

3,021

2,917

2,230

12,428

3,187

2,754

2,182

PERCENT

100.0

7.4

7.1

5.4

30.4

7.8

6 .7

5.3

SOURCE : Penns 1 vani a Industri a1 Census Seri es M-5-75 , Pennsyl vani a &f Commerce.

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TABLE I 1-14 INCOME FOR FAMI L I E S AND UNRELATED I N D I V I D U A L S

1970

DALLAS BOROUGH NUMBER PERCENT

Less t h a n $2,000 16 2.5 $2,000 - 2,999 18 2.8 $3,000 - 3,999 14 2 .2 $4,000 - 4,999 29 4.4 $5,000 - 5,999 49 7.5

$7,000 - 7,999 72 11.1 $6,000 - 6,999 30 4.6

$8,000 - 9,999 97 14.9 $10,000 - 11,999 96 14.7 $12,000 - 14,999 107 16.4 $15,000 - 24,9.99 101 15.5 $25,000 - 49,999 15 2.3 $50,000 and Over 7 1.1

TOTAL -- ALL FAMILIES 651 100 .o MEDIAN. INCOME $10,010 MEAN INCOME 11,538

6 36 707 MEDIAN INCOME

MEAN INCOME 1,017

INDIVIDUALS 1,287 MEDIAN INCOME 4,230 MEAN INCOME 6,339

ALL UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS

ALL FAMILIES AND UNRELATED

LUZERNE COUNTY NUMBER PERCENT 4,462 4.9 3,911 4.3 5,554 6.1 5 , 500 6.1 7,410 8.2 7,892 8.7 8,658 9.6

15,587 17.2 12,132 13.4 9,663 10.7 7,808 8.6

4 70 .5

90,642 100.0 $ 8,244

9,233 26,728

1,915 2 , 908

1,595 1.7 ..

117,370 6,928 7,793

SOURCE: 1970 U . S. Census - General, Social , and Economic Characteristics, - .- C40.

-47-

ranges $10,000 o r grea te r , while the County shows 34.9 percent. Borough shows only 7.5 percent of i t s family incomes i n the less than $4,000 ranges, while the County has 15.3 percent. family median and mean incomes a l so r e f l ec t s Borough family income levels higher than the overall County averages.

The

A comparison of the

The median and mean incomes fo r unrelated individuals subs tan t ia l ly reduces the mean and median incomes when combined with the family figures. County due t o the very low median and mean incomes of unrelated individuals i n the Borough of $707 and $1,017, respectively. This may be due t o the low incomes of college students residing i n the Borough.

The e f f e c t appears t o be more severe f o r the Borough than the

TRANSPORTATION AND THOROUGHFARES

Transportation t o and from Dallas Borough plays an important role Both automobiles and mass transporta- i n the functioning of the area.

t ion (buses) provide circulat ion between places of work, residence, recreation, and shopping. Both o f these means of t ransportat ion l i n k the Borough t o the much l a rger c i rcu la t ion system i n Wilkes-Barre and the Wyoming Valley and a l so t o the smaller nearby local communities. T h u s , the maintenance of this system i s essent ia l t o the functioning of the Borough.

Street Classif ication and Emensions

The streets i n Dallas Borough may be c l a s s i f i ed i n t o three categories shown i n the following tab le w h i c h summarizes the charac te r i s t ics and standards of each c l a s s i f i ca t ion .

;

: -48-

I oci TABLE 11-15

STREET CHARACTERISTICS AND STANDARDS

D I PI ENS I ON STANDARDS STREET (IN FEET)

CLASSIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS RIGHT-OF-WAY PAVING

Local Internal community 40-44 s t r e e t s ; serve adjacent res ident ia l properties

Col 1 ector Recei ve t r a f f i c from 52- 60 local s t r e e t s and funnel i t onto major or a r t e r i a l s t r e e t s

Arteri a1 Major ca r r i e r s of t r a f f i c 60 m i n . in to and out of the community and t o other areas w i t h i n the community

Parking Lane* Self explanatory -

20- 24

22-24

24 m i n .

8-10'

DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES

<2,000

2,000-8,000

600 per hour per 1 ane

-

* Paving w i d t h s of t ravel lanes should be widened by one ( 1 ) foot when park ing 1 anes are provi ded.

NOTE : All of the above paving w i d t h s are for uncurbed s t r e e t s . a re curbed an additional foot of p a v i n g w i d t h i s recommended.

When s t r e e t s

SOURCE: Guidelines of Local Transportation, Pub

Roads and Streets - Pennsylvania Department of icat ion #70.

-49-

Due t o the degree of development t h a t has occurred t h r o u g h o u t the Borough, the above standards for recommended pavement widths are d i f f i - c u l t t o apply uniformly. I n future developments, however, i t i s recommended t h a t the above right-of-way and pavement widths be used as standards.

I n Dallas Borough, s t r e e t s t h a t are c l a s s i f i ed as a r t e r i a l s include Memori a1 Hi ghway (Pennsylvania Routes 41 5 and 11 8) and Pennsyl vani a Route 309. destination outside of the Borough. Memorial Highway links the Borough t o Harvey's Lake t o the northwest, while Route 309 connects the Borough t o Kingston and Wil kes-Barre t o the south and t o the Borough of Tunk- hammock i n Wyoming County t o the north.

Much of the t r a f f i c on these routes has i t s origin and

The following s t r e e t s located within the Borough have been c l a s s i - f ied a s col lectors : Church S t r ee t , Lake S t r ee t , Machell Avenue, Hunts - v i l l e Road, Main S t ree t , and Center Hill Road. above l i s t e d s t r e e t s meet Memorial Highway i n the v ic in i ty of Dallas Center. creates s ign i f icant amounts of t r a f f i c congestion i n Dallas Center.

The f i r s t four of the

This convergence upon Memorial Highway a t the same p o i n t

The remaining s t r e e t s located wthin the Borough are c lass i f ied as local s t r ee t s . They serve a variety of functions, the most important of which i s vehicular and pedestrian access t o property abutting the pub i c right-of-way. (See Table 11-15 fo r s t r e e t c l a s s i f i ca t ion ) .

TRAFFIC VOLUMES

Traf f ic volumes f o r s t a t e maintained roads i n Dallas Borough obtained from PennDOT, a re shown i n Figure 11-3. Memorial Highway on the average had 13,700 t r i p s per day between the intersect ion with t r a f f i c route (T . R . ) 309 and the Borough boundary t o the northwest.

The d a t a shows t h a t

The second most heavily traveled s t a t e maintained road

L L B P 3

s 31 '1

-50-

TRAFFIC VOLUMES DALLAS BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY

\ \ \

\ ' v' \

N

0' 1000' 2,000' I

SCALE IN FEET

SOURCE: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTM ENT OF TRANSPORTATION

i s T. R. 309 with 7,020 average dai ly trips (ADT) w i hin the Borough Boundaries. co l lec tor followed by Church S t r e e t with 5,980 ADT. Memorial Highway t o Pioneer Avenue, had an ADT of 3,850, while the segment from Pioneer Avenue t o T. R. 309 had an ADT of 160. These volumes a re presently less than the rated capac i t ies as shown i n Figure

Lake Street with 6,380 ADT was the most heavily traveled Main S t r e e t , from

11-4.

PROJECTED TRAFFIC VOLUMES

Projected t r a f f i c volumes for the major s t a t e maintained highways i n the Borough were obtained from the PennDOT Bureau of Advanced Plan- ning for the year 1990. Figure 11-4 shows these projected volumes together with the 1990 dai ly capacity. Please note tha t the road segments f o r which volumes and capaci t ies have been projected do not correspond exactly w i t h the 1977 ADT segments shown i n Figure 11-3.

As might be expected, the 1990 projected ADT's are higher than the Tra f f i c along the southern portion of PA 309 i s expected

PA 309 nor th of the intersect ion w i t h PA

1977 f igures . t o increase by nearly four (4) times the 1977 figure and will exceed i t s design capacity by 4,000 ADT. 41 5 and 118 is expected t o have a t r a f f i c volume of 11,000 ADT o r an increase of about 4,000 over the 1977 f igure. This increase wil l be 5,000 ADT l e s s than the roads design capacity. expected t o experience a 1990 t r a f f i c volume of 19,000 ADT, a 6,000 ADT increase over the 1977 figure. Daily volumes of this magnitude by 1990 mean t h a t this road wil l be exceeding i t s des ign capacity of 16,000 ADT by 3,000 ADT. increase of about 1,500 ADT over i t s 1977 f igure of 3,850 ADT by 1990, i t will not be close t o exceeding i t s design capacity of 12,000 ADT. The projected volumes a re based on the level of service " C . " This level of service ra t ing refers t o the r e l a t ive amount of road congestion w i t h "A" being l e a s t congested and 'IF" being the most congested.

Memorial Highway i s

Although Main S t r e e t i s projected t o experience an

T h u s , a

-52-

TRAFFIC VOLUME ESTIMATES DALLAS BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY

. \ \ /

/ /

\ \ / \ / v

N

0' 1000 I 2000' 8

SCALE IN FEET

SOURCE: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BUREAU OF ADVANCED PLANNING

./ 5,300 - 1990 ADT (12,000) - 1990 DAILY CAPACITY N D - NO DATA

FIGURE 11-4

level of service "C" ra t ing indicates a condition of average t o below average congestion f o r the routes i n Dallas Borough, shown on Figure 11-4 f o r the year 1990.

Based on PennDOT counts performed i n October of 1974, 8 :OO t o 9:00 AM was the peak morning t r a f f i c hour in the Dallas Borough Central Business D i s t r i c t f o r a l l b u t Church Street which peaked from 9:00 t o 1 O : O O AM (see Figure 11-5). The peak afternoon t r a f f i c hour was from 4:OO t o 5 :OO PM for a l l the s t r e e t s except Lake S t r e e t and PA 415 and 118 eas t of Main S t r ee t which peaked from 5:OO t o 6:OO PM. l e a s t t r a f f i c i s from 3:OO t o 4:OO PM f o r a l l of the streets shown i n Figure 11-5.

The hour of

In general, the morning peak hour t r a f f i c volumes dropped unt i l about 10:30 o r 1l:OO AM a t which time they rose again and peaked a t 12:OO PM and 1:00 PM. Volumes again dropped unt i l about 2:OO PM and 3:OO PM when they s t a r t ed t o increase and peaked d u r i n g the afternoon rush hour. Traf f ic due t o persons commuting t o and from work dropped off a t about 10:30 t o 1 1 : O O AM. AM due t o persons who a re shopping and conducting t h e i r business i n the Central Business Di s t r i c t . 3:OO PM i s due t o the f a c t t h a t morning and noon time shoppers have gone home and lunch time t r a f f i c which contributed t o the ear ly afternoon peak i s back a t work. After this l u l l , t r a f f i c volumes increase and peak f o r the day as afternoon shoppers and workers t ravel t o their residences. t o 4:OO PM.

Volumes begin t o r i s e again a f t e r 1 1 : O O

The drop i n t r a f f i c volumes around 2:OO t o

Volumes then decline unt i l the morning low point from 3:OO

-54-

TRAFFIC VOLUMES PER HOUR IN THE DALLAS BOROUGH CBD - OCTOBER, 1974

-- 4 I

I

I I

I

1

60

500 -

400 -

300 -

200 -

100 -

I \*

\ / \ \

! I

r I

f \ I I

\ \

\

\ I

.*

0 c -

Y

'* -

c

, , \

\'

-- a

P . M . A -A.M.

LEGEND -*- T.R. 415 & 118 EAST OF MAIN STREET --- T.R. 415 & 118 WEST OF MAIN STREET

- CHURCH STREET NORTH OF T.R. 415 & 118 ------ LAKE STREET NORTH OF T.R. 415 & 118 MAIN STREET SOUTH OF T.R. 415 & 118 ---

FIGURE 11-5 SOURCE: PENNDOT, BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION

TURNING MOVEMENTS

T u r n i n g movements recorded Over an 11 hour period d u r i n g 1969 by PennDOT for the in te rsec t ion of Memorial Highway and Main Street a re shown on Figure 11-6. w i t h a t o t a l of 20 t u r n i n g movements. ble and is shown i n the diagram.

The diagram shows a f i v e (5) legged intersect ion Data for 18 movements was avai la-

The diagram helps t o point o u t the large number of t r a f f i c conf l i c t p o i n t s t h a t ex i s t s a t the in te rsec t ion , while a l so showing the to t a l number of vehicular movements f o r each path d u r i n g the 11 hour period of t r a f f i c flow. The s o u t h leg of Memorial Highway experienced the l a rges t number of vehicular movements with 6,858, while the nor th leg experienced 6,232 movements. which i s l e s s than one-half the volume on the south leg o f Memorial Highway. movements were the l e a s t t raveled routes.

Church S t r e e t ranked t h i r d w i t h 2,701 movements

Main S t r ee t w i t h 2,471 movements and Lake Street w i t h 1,790

An analysis of the t r a f f i c e entering and leaving each leg of the intersect ion revealed the following:

(I Memorial Highway - A la rge percentage of the t r a f f i c passing through the in te rsec t ion i s through-traffic. 3,595 vehicles which are south bound i n the south leg, 2,756 or about 77 percent came from the north leg. hand, of the 2,700 nor th bound in the nor th leg, 2,408 o r 89 percent came from the south leg.

Of the to t a l

On the other

0 Main S t r e e t - A majority of the n o r t h bound t r a f f i c i s local i n nature w i t h 371 vehicles crossing t o Lake S t r e e t and 407 vehicles crossing t o Church Street.

-56-

DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC FLOW DIAGRAM INTERSECTION OF MEMORIAL HIGHWAY AND MAIN STREET

DALLAS BOROUGH, LUZERNE COUNTY

M E M O R I A L H I G H W A Y

t W w t cn z 4 5

a

- L

DATE: August 1, 1969 (Friday) 7:OOam to 6:OOpm WEATHER: Clear Numbers are the total vehicles in each movement. Source: Commenwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation.

c c

& i

c W W

c v)

I 0

x I 0

a

a

TO W I L K E S - B A R R E - T . . R . 415 & 1 1 8

FIGURE 11-6

0 Church St ree t - A l i t t l e more than half o f the south bound t r a f f i c crosses the intersect ion t o Main S t r ee t , while the remaining portion turns o n t o Memorial Highway. of the t r a f f i c turning onto Memorial Highway i s ea s t bound.

The majori ty

Lake St ree t - About two-thirds of the south bound t r a f f i c turns onto Main S t r ee t and Church S t r ee t and i s considered local i n nature, while the remaining one-third turns onto Memorial Highway and is south bound.

Memorial Highway is the most important s t r e e t in the Dallas Borough Central Business Dis t r ic t . t h r o u g h the Central Business Di s t r i c t and also car r ies t r a f f i c t o and from the Central Business Dis t r ic t . the future for a l l the roads i n the Central Business Di s t r i c t can have bo th a posit ive and negative e f fec t . more business fo r establishments located in the Business D i s t r i c t , however, i t a lso means t h a t i t may become more d i f f i c u l t f o r business patrons t o c i rcu la te by car and foot i n the Business Di s t r i c t area and a l so increases the t r a f f i c hazards a t the access and egress points t o r e t a i l trade establishments and parking areas.

I t ca r r ies a s ign i f icant amount of t r a f f i c

The increased volumes projected fo r

More t r a f f i c means potent ia l ly

TRAiVSIT SERVICE

The Luzerne County Transportation Authority provides bus services t o Dallas Borough, Harveys Lake and Misericordia College. extends along Pioneer Avenue and Pennsylvania Route 309 southward to the Public Square i n Wilkes-Barre. from Old Forge i n the eas t to Glen Lyon i n the west.

The route

Service t o the Wyoming Valley extends

A1 though n o t an o f f i c i a l l y designated Luzerne County Transportation Authority Park and Ride location, the parking l o t to the rear of Fino's and the United Penn Bank i s used by t r a n s i t r iders who commute t o

-58-

Wilkes-Barre and other points south. This creates a problem f o r customers who patronize the business establishments, as i t l imi t s the available parking fo r shoppers. Attempts by the Luzerne County Trans- portation Authority t o es tab l i sh Pa rk and Ride locations i n the Borough have been unsuccessful i n the pas t .

I f a Park and Ride l o t could be establ ished, i t would rel ieve the pressure from the presently used l o t and make more parking avai lable fo r persons wish ing t o u t i l i ze the Dallas Center establishments.

COMMUNITY FAC I L IT 1 ES

This section examines those f a c i l i t i e s w h i c h are owned by the public and are operated f o r the benefit of the community or the public. Fac i l i t i e s owned and operated by pr ivate enterpr ise or quasi-public au thor i t ies fo r the benefit of the community, i . e . , sewer, water, will a lso be examined. The information presented i n this section addresses the needs, p r i o r i t i e s , and standards f o r a wide range of f a c i l i t i e s i n the community. In some cases, as is true i n the case of p l a n n i n g f o r educational and l ib rary f a c i l i t i e s , this information may be of a contributory nature and not o f primary importance i n the overall plan- n i n g f o r the community.

'*

RECREATION FACILITIES

Due to recent increases i n the amount of le i sure time and dis- posable income, the cost of fue l , the demand for recreational f a c i l i t i e s close t o home has been continually expanding. In order t o determine the r e l a t ive adequacy o r inadequacy of the Borough's recreation f a c i l i t i e s and programs, an inventory of the exis t ing f a c i l i t i e s compared t o the appropriate recreation standards i s presented here.

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Dallas Borough's recreation f a c i l i t i e s are inventoried i n Table I I - 16 while Table 11-17 presents an inventory o f recreation programs. The National Recreation Association uses the r a t i o of seven and one half (7-1/2) acres per one thousand (1,000) persons as a general standard for determining the recreational needs w i t h i n a community. In order for Dallas Borough, with an estimated population of 3,000, t o be within this standard, According should be

1 .

2.

3.

4.

the Borough needs a to ta l of 22.5 acres of recreational land. t o the Association, this to ta l recreational development accounted f o r by the following four types of f a c i l i t i e s :

Playlots or Totlots - service radius of 1,500 feet; 1/2 acre of playlots per 1,000 persons.

Neighborhood Playground - an area comprised of 1-1/2 acres per 1,000 population, service radius of 1 / 2 mile; should consist of play area w i t h apparatus f o r children from 5-12.

Neighborhood Park - two ( 2 ) acres per 1,000 persons, service radius of 1/2 mile; consists of picnicking, walking area; passive and supervised recreation.

Community Park - an area comprised of 3-1/2 acres per 1,000 persons of population w i t h a service radius of 2 miles. A diversified park providing a wide variety of a c t i v i t i e s fo r a l l age groups both indoor and outdoor a l l year round; 1 f a c i l i t y fo r up t o 15,000 persons.

Because the Borough's present population is about 3,000, i t does not appear t o be necessary t o apply the standards f o r a community park. Also, the low density pattern of development, charac te r i s t ic of the Borough, allows a considerable amount of open space i n association w i t h the residential land use pattern for play areas and passive recreation

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I

!3 I

TABLE 11-16 DALLAS BOROUGH

‘INVENTORY OF RECREATION FACILITIES

NAME OF FACILITY OWNERSHIP SIZE AND LOCATION STATUS FAC I L IT1 ES CONDITION ACCESS ACRES COMMENTS

Dallas Borough Publ i c She1 ter Good Good 2.75 Voll eyball /badminton, Municipal Park Basketball Court shuffleboard courts Burndale and Luzerne Avenue Tennis Courts ( 2 ) apparatus

P1 ay f i el d

P ing Pong Tables

(2) , playground

B i centenni a1 Park Publ i c Benches ( 5 ) Good Good .67 Bike Rack Climbing Apparatus

Dallas Elem. School Publ i c C1 ub Good Good 1.98 Huntsville Road Stage/Audi tori um

Basketball Court

Playground Gym

Gate o f Heaven Quasi-Pub1 i c C1 ub Good Good 3.67 Elementary School Bas ketball Courts ( 2 ) Machell Avenue P 1 ay f i e 1 d

P1 ayground Not l ighted

Crown Imperial Bowling Private C1 ub Route 415 BowJ i ng A1 1 eys

Pool Tables Games

Highland Acres Private R id ing Stables Eq ues t r i an Center Machell Avenue

Good Good 6.00

Good Fair 4.29

SOURCE: Appendix t o the Recreation, Park and Open Space, Historic Preservation, and Tourism Report of Luzerne County, Luzerne County Planning Commission, 1974.

PROGRAM L i t t l e League

Teeners Program

Boy Scouts I cn Iu I

Summer Program

Adaptive Phys. Ed.

G i r l Scouts

Jun io r Footba l l

LOCATION AND SPONSORSHIP

Da l las Borough L i t tl e League Organizat ion Commerci a1 Sp.

T A B L E 11-17 D A L L A S BOROUGH

INVENTORY OF RECREATION PROGRAMS

D a l l as Borough Teen B. Inc . Commerci a1 Sp.

D a l l as Borough B.S. o f America

Da l l as Borough Munic ipa l Park Burndale & Luzerne Ave. Borough Sponsored

Elementary Schools Da l las Area School D i s t r i c t

SEASON Sunnier

Summer

Year Round

Summer Fa1 1

Summer

TIME OF DAY

Af ternoon & Evening

Eveni ng


Morning & Af ternoon


AGE PROGRAM GROUPS DURATION SERVED

2 Months 9-12

2 Months 13-16

Year 8-20 Round

3 Months 6-19

6 Weeks 6-12

A C T I V I T I E S

Basebal l

Baseball

Physical A c t i v i t i e s , A r t s & C ra f t s , Ed. Act . , T r i p s & Camping, C i v i c & Socia l Services

A r t s & C ra f t s , Ping Pong, Shuf f 1 e Board, Marbles , Etc.

Phys . Ed. I n s t r u c t o r

D a l l as Borough Year Af ternoon & Year 7-1 7 Same as Boy Scouts G.S. o f America Round Evening Round

D a l l as Borough Commerci a1 Sp.

Summer Af ternoon & 3 Months 8-13 Foo tba l l Fa1 1 Evening

SOURCE: Appendix t o the Recreat ion, Park and Open Space, H i s t o r i c Preservat ion, and Tourism Report o f Luzerne County, Luzerne County Planning Comiss ion , 1974.

and therefore, the r igid application o f standards i s undesirable. fac tor a lso precludes the use of t o t l o t s or playlots throughout the Borough.

This

Based on the above standards, the Borough presently requires 4.5 acres of neighborhood playground f a c i l i t i e s . in Table 11-16, the Borough Municipal Park f u l f i l l s more t h a n half of t h i s requirement. Because of i t s location i n the north central portion of the Borough, the southern portion of the comunity i s outside o f i t s 1 / 2 mile service. The recreational f a c i l i t i e s located a t the Dallas Elementary School and Gate o f Heaven Elementary School do provide for the community t o the south. However, the level o f recreational f a c i l i - t i e s available a t e i the r of these f a c i l i t i e s is not equivalent t o the Municipal Park. Baseball and sof tbal l f i e lds are found just outside the Borough in Dallas Township a t two locations; t ha t i s , a t the elementary school and junior and senior high school.

According t o the inventory

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Dallas Borough i s a member of the Dallas School Dis t r ic t which includes Dallas, Franklin, and Kingston Townships. The school d i s t r i c t t o t a l s about 52.8 square miles and i s comprised of seven school f a c i l i - t i e s ( f ive elementary, one junior, and one senior h i g h school).

Located within the Borough i s the Dallas Elementary School which serves grades K-4. The s t ruc ture contains seven classrooms with a to ta l capacity of 240 students. Enrollment dur ing the 1979-1980 school year i s 186 students. The Dallas Elementary School i s a neighborhood school and f u l f i l l s the needs of the Borough's residents. About 70 percent of the students are able t o walk t o school. Because there are no sidewalks w i t h i n the Borough, the remaining 30 percent, the younger age groups,

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a r e transported by buses. vided f o r the Borough's students who a t tend the intermediate, j un io r and senior h i g h school f a c i l i t i e s located outs ide the Borough i n Dallas Township.

Bus t ransportat ion f o r grades 5-12 i s pro-

Table 11-18 summarizes school enrollment trends over the period 1976-1980 and a l so shows the capacity of each of the District's f a c i l i - t ies . According t o the trends, enrollment has been declining recently. This decline is believed t o be due t o the declining b i r t h r a t e w h i c h is presently both a local and nationwide trend.

Improved t ransportat ion linkage t o Wilkes-Barre via the completion of the Cross Valley Expressway (Trucksville-Pringle Section) could result i n substantial res ident ia l growth i n the Borough. Luzerne County Planning Commission project ions estimate 220 new households i n the Borough by 2000. Presently, the Dallas Borough Elementary School has room f o r 54 additional students, while the School District as a whole has room for 1,013 additional students.

According t o the 1970 census data, nearly 8 percent o f the Borough's population was i n the 5-9 year old age group. Assuming this trend continues, the following numbers of students i n grade K-4 f o r 1980, 1990 and the year 2000 have been determined from the population projections.

PROJECTED STUDENT PROJECTION - YEAR POPULATION K- 4

1980 1990 2000

2 , 760 3,035 3 , 260

201 0 3,450 2020 3,590

221 243 261 276 287

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SCHOOL

TABLE 11-18 DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT ENROLLMENT TRENDS

1976 - 1980

SCHOOL YEAR 1978-1 979 1979-1 980* CAPACITY 1976-1977 1977-1 978

Elementary Dall as Borough Elementary (K-4) 223 142 184 186 240 Dallas Township Elementary (K-4) 467 480 51 7 483 580

I Dall as Intermediate (5&6) 5 56 488 480 548 600

Trucksvi 11 e (K-4) 21 2 21 7 21 0 168 240

Westmorel and (K-4) 404 396 332 339 700

cn UI I

Junior High 960 - 850 780 1,000

Senior High

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

780 - 766 742 899

3,602 - 3,339 3,246 4,259

* Includes three (3) learning d i sab i l i t y classes (37 students) and one handicapped c lass (9 students).

SOURCE: Dallas School District.

According t o this method, i t appears t h a t the Dallas Elementary School capacity of 240 students will be adequate u n t i l a t l e a s t 1990. T h e Gate of Heaven Roman Catholic School located w i t h i n the Borough will probably accommodate a portion of the projected student population for grades 1-4. Presently, (1979-1980 school yea r ) , there a re 330 students i n grades 1-8 enrolled i n th is f a c i l i t y which has 16 classrooms and an estimated capacity of 400 students. T h u s , the Dallas Elementary School f a c i l i t y should have adequate capacity u n t i l a t l ea s t the year 2000.

LIBRARY FACILITIES

The Back Mountain Memorial Library located on Main S t r ee t i n Dallas Borough serves the following nine municipalities i n the Back Mountain Area: Harvey's Lake and Dallas Boroughs and the Townships o f Dallas, Franklin, Jackson, Kingston, Lake, Lehman and Ross. Presently, the l ib rary contains 40,000 plus volumes which are housed i n two structures which are 90-100 years old. serves approximately 30,200 persons. donations and the money raised by periodic auctions sponsored by the 1 i brary.

I t i s estimated tha t the l ibrary The 1 i brary i s supported by

Considering the projected service area population of 40,700 persons and the present volume per capita r a t i o of 1.32, the l ib rary should contain 53,724 volumes i n the year 2000*. These volumes would require about 6,700 l ineal f e e t of shelving and an estimated 5,400 square f ee t of to ta l f loor space f o r storage. Total l ib rary f loor space required would be about 13,000 sq f t . space and miscellaneous space (heating, cooling, stairways, rest rooms,

T h i s includes reader space, s t a f f work

* Public Library Association, Interim Standards for Small Publ i c Libraries: Services, Chicago: The Association, 1962.

Guidelines Toward Achieving the Goals o f Publ i c Library

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e t c . ) . f ee t or about 1/4 of the required area according to the guidelines. exis t ing f a c i l i t y has no room fo r expansion.

The existing f a c i l i t y has a f l oo r space area of 3,276 square The

In considering a future location for a new f a c i l i t y , access ib i l i ty t o the service population is of major importance. A location in the Borough's business d i s t r i c t or close to this d i s t r i c t would be ideal.

SEWER FACILITIES

As shown on Plate 11-5, the most densely populated portions of Dallas Borough, located i n the Toby Creek Watershed, a re sewered by the Dallas Area Municipal Authority System. be serviced adequately by the exis t ing system. t i a l f o r res ident ia l development i n the near future e x i s t s , such as the High1 and Boulevard Area, have a1 so been provided service.

Existing development appears to Areas where the poten-

Of major concern i n the future i s the e f f ec t t h a t continued use o f on-lot sewage disposal systems, increased number of dwellings and the so i l charac te r i s t ics i n the western portion of the Borough will have on the Rul i son Evans Reservoir ' s (formerly Huntsvi 1 l e Reservoir) water qual i ty . This reservoir i s a potable water supply f o r the c i t y of Wilkes-Barre and the western portion of the Borough is par t o f i t s drainage basin. An examination of the exis t ing land use map shows t h a t the area presently serviced by sewers has n o t been f u l l y developed and , therefore, i t i s logical t h a t this area of the Borough will develop before the Rulison Evans Reservoir drainage basin area. A new development i n the vicini ty of Luzerne and Burndale Avenues is presently under construction and wi l l contain approximately 20 s ing le family residences. The Highland Avenue area presently contains about 25 homes and could accommodate about 2-3 times this number i n the future.

..

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The improved accessibi l i ty of the Borough to the more densely populated areas i n the Wyoming Valley as a resu l t of the completion o f the Cross Valley Expressway, Trucksvi l le-Pringle Section and anticipated connection with the other sections of the Expressway i s expected to increase the demand for residential acreage. Section i s scheduled for 1983. section t o the remaining portion of the Expressway is presently not known.

Completion of the Pringle The date of the connection of this

WATER FACILITIES

The Dallas Water Company owned by the Eastern Gas and Water In- vestment Company, is the largest system in the Back Mountain Area. 1970, i t was estimated t h a t the system served 4,310 people i n the Borough and in limited areas of Dallas Township surrounding the Borough.

In

Water for the system i s obtained from nine wells and i s chlori- nated. (mg) serve partly a s distribution storage. ranging from 10 inches t o 1 inch in diameter. water dis t r ibut ion mains i n Dallas Borough are shown on Plate 11-6.

E i g h t storage tanks w i t h a total capacity of 0.75 million gallons .. The system contains mains

The location of the major

In 1970, i t was estimated t h a t the average daily water requirement f o r the system was 0.43 million g a l l o n s per day (mgd) and the maximum daily demand was 0.75 mgd. The estimated safe yield o f the wells was over 1.0 mgd, which was adequate a t that time*. Based on 100 gallons per c a p i t a per day consumption and the previous maximum daily demand of 0.75 mgd, the system has adequate capacity t o serve an additional 1,430

* Master Plan f o r Water Supply and Waste Water Management i n Luzerne County, Pennsylvania; Volume I1 Water Planning. January 31, 1973, Gilbert Associates, Inc., Reading, Pennsylvania.

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D i L L A S

I r I

SEWER LINE AND SERVICE AREA

....................

..................... .................. ............ ..... ............

.....................

-- MAW-SEWERS-

-1 EXISTING SERVICE AREA

I I LEGEND

- -- - DALLAS BOROUGH


SERVICE AREA - 1985

E l SERVICE AREA - 1995

wj SERVICE AREA - 2000

Source: Dallas Area Municipal Authority Sowce. Luzerne County Planning Commission

PLATE 11-5

I -7 1

D i L L A S r WATER LINES AND

SERVICE AREA

~

I I

I

I

LEGEND

U

- -- -----'-WATER-LINES---

r] EXISTING SERVICE

m y FUTURE SERVICE - 1985

E i FUTURE SERVICE - 1995

1-4 FUTURE SERVICE - 2000

. _ _ - - DALLAS B m O U G H


_I- - . ....

Source: Dallas Area Municipal Authority

PLATE 11-6

equivalent population. Dallas Township could deplete the system's excess capacity before 1985 or 1990 and thus, necessi ta te increasing the amount of safe y ie ld

Continued growth i n both Dallas Borough and

supply

FIRE AND AMBULANCE PROTECTION

The Dallas Fire and Ambulance Inc. is located a t the Borough Building, Main Street, Dallas. t i o n supported by volunteers and donat ions . approximately 70 w i t h a l l functions performed by trained volunteers.

The organization i s a pr ivate corpora- Total membership is

The Borough has three f i r e trucks. They are:

1. 1953 American LaFrance 750 gpm pumper w i t h a 500 gallon tank capacity.

2. 1968 American LaFrance 750 gpm pumper w i t h a 1,000 gal lon tank capacity.

3. 1977 American LaFrance 1,000 gpm pumper w i t h a 750 gallon tank capacity.

In addition t o the above, the company operates a 1979 Yankee Van Type Ambulance. The company serves a l l of Dallas Borough and 85 percent of Dallas Township. approximately 8 t o 10 minutes maximum, while the coverage o f Dallas Township i s approximately 10 t o 12 minutes maxlrnum.

Response time f o r c a l l s within the Borough i s

The Dallas Fire and Ambulance, Inc. a s s i s t s and is ass i s ted by the Kunkle, Shavertown, following volunteer companies when necessary:

Lehman, Trucksville, Franklin Township and Idetown. Each o f the above on the average have three pieces of f i r e f i g h t i n g equipment and their own ambulance.

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Approximately 75 percent of the Borough has f i r e hydrant coverage , while the remaining 25 percent i s dependent upon coverage by tanker.

The company is centrally located i n the Borough Building on Main Street . government, s t r e e t maintenance, and police, and i s , therefore, overcrowded and i n f a i r condition.

This building, however, houses other functions such as Borough

DALLAS BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMEYT

The Dallas Borough Police Department covers a l l of Dallas Borough and ass i s t s and i s assisted by the Dallas and Kingston Township Depart- ments. i s staffed by 4 fu l l time and 7 part time patrolmen. police ca l l s are handled i n the office. Dallas Township radio dispatcher 'takes ca l l s for the Borough from the i r police off ice located on Route 309 i n the Township . the Township for this service. cruiser.

The off ice i s located i n the Borough Building on Main Street and When manned,

When men are on patrol , the

The Borough pays The Borough owns and operates one police

According t o police o f f i c i a l s , there is a deficiency of manpower due t o the f a c t t h a t oftentimes the part time help are not able t o work when necessary and assistance i s then sought from the Dallas Township Police Department.

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CHAPTER I 1 1 BUSINESS DISTRICT PLAN

Dal as Borough's Business Dis t r ic t i s located along Pennsylvania Routes 4 5/118 and 309, major transportation routes through the community. The image tha t i t presents every day to t ravelers passing through i s the basis fo r their opin ion of the t o t a l community. reason, i t i s important fo r the d i s t r i c t t o present the most pleasing and orderly appearance possible so tha t the area may be a pleasant and profitable place t o shop and conduct business.

For this

The Dallas Borough Business Dis t r ic t consist of three different business ac t iv i ty areas. The f i r s t area i s Dallas Center which consists of the older g roup ing o f structures located on both sides o f Main St ree t south of Route 415. T h i s area contains the oldest s t ructures i n the community and has been his tor ical ly the hub of ac t iv i ty . Pennsylvania Route 415, a major transportation route w i t h heavy volumes of t r a f f i c , separates Dallas Center from the second business ac t iv i ty area, the support d i s t r i c t which i s located north of Pennsylvania Route 415. t h i r d area i s the highway commercial d i s t r i c t which includes a l l the commercial establishments above and below the Dallas Center and the

The

support d i s t r i c t on Route 415. s t re tches along the highway and i s n o t safely accessible t o pedestrians.

This area, as the name implies,

DALLAS BOROUGH RETAIL TRADE AREA

The commercial and service establishments found i n Dallas Borough provide for a wide range o f consumer needs. together provide a range of service bet ter than a typical neighborhood

These establishments

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shopping center, b u t not as comprehensive as those provided by a large regional shopping center. T h e nearby commercial and service establishments located in the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Area are the major competitors for the Greater Back Mountain Area r e t a i l trade.

An approximation of the Dallas Borough r e t a i l trade area was made based on travel time and distance from Dallas, and the location of other competitive re ta i l centers. Figure 111-1 shows the location of major and minor re ta i l trade centers and the approximate area considered to be the Borough's r e t a i l trade area. The l ine representing the r e t a i l trade area was derived by connecting the outer points of the area over which i t was estimated that the Dallas Eorough business establishments exer- c i s e the dominating r e t a i l trade influence. shows the major l imits or breakpoints of this influence.

A glance a t the map clearly

W i t h increased demand fo r goods and service i n the Back Mountain Area as a resul t of the projected future increase i n population, addi- t ional r e t a i l trade businesses will be s ta r ted and the resul tant diversi- f ica t ion of the types of goods and service available may increase the r e t a i l trade area of the Borough.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN THE BOROUGH

A checklist of the commercial and service functions by type tha t a re found i n each o f these areas i s shown i n Table 111-1. The table shows t h a t most of the Borough's commercial functions are found i n the s u p p o r t and highway commercial areas. On the other hand, the CBD i n addition to having several commercial establishments, does contain many of the Borough's service functions such as the Borough bui.lding and garage, f i r e and pol ice department, Dall as Area Municipal Authority , bank, l ibrary, newspaper, and drugstore. While only a minor center of commercial ac t iv i ty , the CBD i s a center o f many basic community services and f a c i l i t i e s .

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DALLAS BOROUGH RETAIL TRADE AREA

A

LEGEND

DALLAS BOROUGH RE1 TRADE AREA

POSSIBLE FUTURE EXPANSION OF RETAIL TRADE AREA STATE ROUTES

U.S. ROUTES

INTERSTATE ROUTES

'All

FIGURE 111-1

T A B L E 111-1 COMMERCIAL AND S E R V I C E FUNCTIONS RY TYPE

LOCATED I N DALLAS BOROUGH

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT CB D SUP PORT H I GHWAY

CORE AREA D I STRICT COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL RETAIL F U N C T I O N S

Food Stores Eating and D r i n k i n g Places X General Merchandise Apparel and Accessories Home Furnishing & Appliances X Automotive Sales Gas Service S t a t i o n s Hardware, Lumber, B u i l d i n g Materials

X X X

Drug Stores Bicycle Shop Hobby and Craft Shop Jewelers

SERVICE F U N C T I O N S

Banking , S&L , F i nance Agency Real Estate Insurance Barber Shop Beauty Shop Cable TV Radio and TV ReDair Shoe Repair Laundry C 1 eaners Hotels & Motels Post Office Government Pol ice Fire Uti 1 i t i e s Professional Serv Newspaper

ces-Doctors, Dent

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X X X X

X X X X X

X X X X

X X X

X X X X X X X X X

X X

X

X X X X

X st

X X X X

X

EXISTING CONDITIONS

II

T h e focus of this portion of the plan i s Dallas Center, the h is tor ic h u b of the community. expressed by Borough o f f i c i a l s . town or commercial areas across the country. A facade of commercial b u i l d i n g s stand side by side along Main S t ree t punctuated occasionally by walks between structures leading t o rear entrances, or by a l o t cleared fo r parking.

Concern for the appearance of this area has been The area i s typical o f other old down-

APPEARANCE

A n analysis of the s tore f r o n t facades i n Dallas Center was performed by the consultant us ing black and white photography. The appearance of this area revealed the fronts and rears of many of the b u i l d i n g s located on the eas t side o f Main St ree t are deteriorated and i n need of rehabili tation. sound.

The west s ide of Main S t ree t appears t o be relat ively

PARkTNG

I

Parking f a c i l i t i e s i n Dallas Center a re ra ther limited. The l o t located t o the rear of Fino's and the United Penn Bank provides p a r k i n g for about 46 vehicles. The vacant l o t on the eas t s ide of Main Street between the barber shop and the restaurant provides parking fo r a small number of vehicles. r i d i n g the Luzerne County Transportation Authority buses use the bank l o t and reduce the number of spaces available for business patrons. Other parking areas i n the Borough include the ACME Market l o t , the Corner Restaurant l o t and the area t o the rear of the Arc0 service s t a t i o n . t rue o f the parking provided by the post office.

As mentioned i n the previous section, persons

The majority of this parking is for business patrons as i s

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- . . . . . - . .

The limited ava i l ab i l i t y of off-street parking encourages parking along Main Street and other s t r e e t s in Dallas Center. This street parking adds t o street congestion, b u t on the other hand, benefits r e t a i l establishments which have parking available i n f ron t of their stores. t o work who park i n Dallas may be using s t reet parking and thus, i n some cases, occupying spaces i n f ron t of r e t a i l establishments.

Persons r i d i n g the Luzerne County Transportation Authority bus

An increase i n population for Dallas Borough and the Greater Back Mountain Community Area has been projected f o r the future. This growth wil l create the need f o r additional parking as more people will come t o the Central Business Di s t r i c t for commerical and service functions. This growth will increase the number of persons who drive t o Dal l a s and park their cars i n the Borough and ride the bus into the Wyoming Valley. Should the cost of gasoline rise s igni f icant ly i n the near future , more parking may be required t o accommodate additional "Park and Ride" commuters and car poolers. should be near the shopping area i n order t o promote commercial trade and encourage commuter shopp ing a t the end of the day.

The location of the parking f a c i l i t i e s

Idea l i s t ica l ly , the Borough could u t i l i z e a Park and Ride l o t f o r

In the long run, this should Luzerne County Transportation Authority commuters and also develop additional parking fo r business patrons. have the a f f ec t of increasing bo th Dallas Center business and ridership on the Luzerne County Transportation Authority. Control of street parking, especially on Main Street via a time limit should be attempted i f not already done i n order t o make i t possible fo r more people t o park near s to re fronts.

TRAFFIC CIRCULATION

The intersection of Main Street and Memorial Highway i s awkward i n t h a t f i ve streets converge and there a re many d i f fe ren t t r a f f i c movements possible. This intersection was dea l t w i t h i n more detai l i n the previous chapter under the Transportation and Thoroughfare section.

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i I I ' I I I I I I

A circulation problem related t o t h i s intersection involves the access t o the United Penn Bank parking l o t . i n g the l o t in the vicini ty of the intersection of Machell Avenue and Memorial Highway has d i f f icu l ty a t peak t r a f f i c hours. customers approaching the bank's drive-in windows from Memorial Highway sometimes overflow or backup onto Main S t ree t .

Traff ic entering and leav-

Also, bank

BUSINESS DISTRICT PLAN

A sketch of the proposed improvements t o each of the s tore front facades along the east side of Main S t ree t i s i l l u s t r a t ed in Plate 111-1.

The proposed actions needed t o achieve these resu l t s will require Public support will be needed t o bo th public and private involvement.

provide improvements in the s t r ee t s and sidewalk areas while private action and cooperation between property owners will be needed t o upgrade the buildings. Public action would include the following:

1. P l a n t i n g of two s t r e e t t rees ( 2 - 2-1/2 inch diameter one on each side of the entrance t o the proposed park ( t o be discussed next).

2. Improving and main ta in ing sidewalks and curbs.

3 . Provision and maintenance of s t r e e t furni ture such as trash containers and decorative features.

PRIVATE liWROVEMENTS

trunks) ng l o t

benches,

The proposed contribution by merchants and property owners incl udes attention t o repainting and cleaning of building facades and signs, removal of unnecessary elements such as unneeded hanging signs, l ighting brackets and wires, and reorganization of s tore fronts when necessary t o provide continuity f o r several stores in the same s t ructure and across adjacent buildings. The actions would be voluntary and the desired

-81 -

resu l t would be to improve the visual appearance of the s t r e e t by making i t more orderly and a t t rac t ive . themselves deter iorate and need to be refurbished, and since a s tore owner i s normal ly conscious of his bui 1 di ng I s appearance , the opportunity for repainting and repair comes periodically for every business building. business establishments i n the form o f tax breaks which will be discussed in Chapter V and the Appendix. s i g n types, l ight ing, l e t t e r s ty les and s tore f ront materials i s made w i t h o u t reference t o how neighboring buildings are designed or deco- rated. I f s tore owners are made aware of a desire by a l l the owners t o improve i n accordance w i t h a p l a n t h a t a l l will follow, the chances are excellent that the plan will be carried o u t without coercion over a period of time as each owner repaints, replaces signs and redecorates for new tenants, as he would do naturally w i t h or without a plan. active and enthusiastic support of the Chamber of Commerce will be necessary t o s t a r t the program moving and t o provide leadership as i t develops. commitment t o the program by maintaining the sidewalks and other s t r e e t elements will go a long way t o encourage the s tore owners t o ac t t o further the plan.

Since s tore fronts and the buildings

In addition t o t h i s , added incentive can be given t o the

Usually the selection of colors,

The

The cooperation of the Borough will also be needed. I t s

Proposed improvements t o the stores on the eas t s ide of Main Street are indicated on the drawing t i t l e d "Facade Study" (Plate 111-1). Specifically the improvements to private property can be grouped as follows:

1 . Upgrading wa l l s , trim and architectural de ta i l s by cleaning, repainting, repairing deterioration and removing surface c l u t t e r , such as o l d or redundant signs, l ighting brackets or wires.

2. Improving s tore fronts by reorganizing the elements, p r o v i d i n g continuity across s tore f ronts and between buildings and upgrading 1 i g h t i ng and entranceways.

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i

3. Refurbishing signs by repainting, selection of le t te r ing from a family of alphabets, relighting from w i t h i n the s i g n or from a hidden source, and rehanging signs to improve continuity w i t h neighboring signs.

Where walls are brick or stone they should be cleaned and repainted. Painted masonry, plaster or stucco surfaces should be brushed down t o remove scale and dir t and repainted. de t a i l s should be repainted also. important. Two groups of colors should be selected - one for walls and other surfaces to be neutralized and the second fo r surfaces t o be made prominent, such as store f ronts , window and door trim to be emphasized and sign le t ter ing or backgrounds.

Wood trim and architectural The colors used i n repainting are

The intended colors are l i s t e d on Plate 111-1. Ten neutral o r "f ie ld" colors are suggested as well as ten h i g h v i s i b i l i t y or "accent" colors. owner. as well as black and white. The accent colors would be vibrant reds, oranges, blues, greens and yellows. sidewalls and upper f loor f ront walls as well as second f loor trim i f i t should be played down. trim, architectural de t a i l s , entrances and sign le t te r ing .

They may be used i n any combination tha t suits the building The f i e ld colors would include neutral greys, browns, and greens

The f i e l d colors could be used for

The accent colors should h i g h l i g h t s tore f ront

When several s tores share the same building they should r e l a t e t o one another by having a common window head height and s i g n boards tha t a re of equal height. awning or screen can unify the facade. Doorways should be recessed so they do n o t swing o u t over the sidewalk and entrances to second f loors off the s t r e e t should be visually d i s t inc t from entrances to the s tores . Upper f loor premises should be neutralized so as to emphasize the s tore f ronts below. adjacent s tore fronts by u s i n g a common height of signs above the sidewalk.

When this relationship is d i f f i c u l t to achieve, an

Where possible continuity should be carried across

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Signs should be secured f l a t t o the f ront of a building between the head of f i r s t floor windows and the s i l l s of windows on the second f loor or the t o p of the parapet wall if a one story building. should be p a i d t o l e t t e r s ty les , to color of backgrounds and l e t t e r s and t o l i g h t i n g . easi ly read, ye t provide some continuity among themselves and of fer a variety to f i t most tas tes . and some open; some san se r i f and others w i t h " feet ." Upper and lower case of each alphabet could be used, increasing variety. be contrasting - b r i g h t or dark l e t t e r s on a neutral l i gh t background or l i g h t or b r i g h t l e t t e r s on a neutral d a r k background.

Attention

Perhaps nine l e t t e r s tyles should be selected that are

There should be some sol id s tyles of l e t t e r s

Colors should

While signs should be mounted f l a t on the wall, awnings and marquees should be permitted also, and the opportunity exis ts on the lower edges o f the ends or fronts of these for s tore names. use only i n warm weather, are removed i n cold weather, provide shade from h o t sun and are retractable on a metal frame. nently mounted on a building, are made of materials tha t can withstand a l l weather and provide protection from rain and snow as well as s u n . B o t h awnings and marquees can provide a unifying element across the fronts of buildings housing several stores behind dissimilar s tore f ronts and be a colorful element i n the streetscape. lighted from w i t h i n require a thickness of perhaps a foot to accommodate the l ighting elements, the ends of those signs could also bear a s tore name .

Awnings are normally i n

Marquees are perma-

Since signs

S i g n l i g h t i n g should be from behind, above or below the sign. L i g h t i n g from behind will shine through a translucent panel, emphasizing the l e t t e r s , o r the panel can be opaque and the l e t t e r s translucent. I f l i g h t i n g i s from above o r below the sign, i t should be fluorescent and mounted on the s i g n panel, washing l i g h t across the face of the sign. Such lighting can be so unobtrusive t h a t the source of the l ighting is hardly vis ible except from direct ly below.

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ADDITIONAL PARKING FACILITIES

An increase i n population fo r Dallas Borough and the Greater Back Mountain Community Area has been projected fo r the future . T h i s growth wil l create the need fo r additional parking as more people will come t o the business d i s t r i c t f o r commercial and service functions. This growth i n the Back Mountain Area may increase the number of persons who drive t o Dallas and park t h e i r cars i n the Borough and ride the bus in to the Wyoming Valley. Should the cost o f gasoline r i s e s ign i f icant ly i n the near future, more parking may be required to accommodate additional "park and ride" commuters and car poolers. f a c i l i t y s h o u l d be near Dallas Center i n order t o promote commercial trade and encourage commuter shopping a t the end o f the day.

The location of the parking

Vacant land located i n the area bounded by Main S t r ee t , Memorial Highway, and Mill S t ree t would be close to the major business establishments and also t o the Transportation Authority Bus Stops and could provide parking for a t l e a s t 30 cars.

T h i s l o t would help t o reduce the pressure f o r parking i n the bank l o t which i s intended f o r patrons and would also make use of the vacant land between the barber shop and restaurant and the land on the corner of Memorial Highway and Mill S t ree t . Figure 111-2 shows the proposed parking plan. area i s as follows:

A preliminary cost estimate fo r developing a l o t i n this

Acquisition o f Property $ 50,000

S i te Preparation, Paving, Curb ing , Line Painting 20 , 000

TOTAL $ 70,000

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The preparation of this map was financed in part through a planning grant lrom the D e partment of Community Affairs under the provisions 01 Act 16A approved May 31, 1978. as administered by the Bureau of Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs.

20' 0' 20' 40'

SCALE

PROPOSED PARKING PLAN :DALLAS BOROUGH BUSINESS DISTRICT PREPARED BY THE CHESTER ENGINEERS AND MALCOLM STRACHAN, PLANNING CONSULTANT APRIL 25, 1979

FIGURE 111-2

The lot would provide free public parking and would be owned, developed, and maintained by the Borough. Maintenance costs would be minimal and would include snow removal and periodic surface repair. Business establishments may be willing to share the maintenance costs with the Borough.

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CHAPTER I V COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

This chapter presents the Comprehensive Plan, the purpose of which i s t o help g u i d e the physical development of Dallas Borough d u r i n g the next 20-year period. The plan i s a synthesis of the Land Use Plan, Environmental Preservation Plan, Community Fac i l i t i e s and U t i l i t i e s Plan, and the Transportation and Thoroughfare Plan.

As is true of any plan, the Comprehensive Plan and i t s separate elements should be a f l ex ib l e document, responsive t o change overtime. Periodically, Borough Council and the Planning Commission should review and update the Plan so t h a t the community's resources a re u t i l i zed in an e f f i c i e n t manner.

LAND USE PLAN

The Land Use Plan, presented i n P la te IV-1, draws heavily upon the exis t ing land use arrangement and other factors such as topography and the existence of u t i l i t i e s . The land use categories shown on the Com- prehensive Plan Map a re as follows:

1.

2.

3 .

4.

Residential: low density, s ingle family.

Multi-Family Residential: single family, low t o h i g h density mu1 ti-family.

Commercial: includes both CBD commercial and highway commer- c i a l .

Industrial: t ransfer and storage.

manufacturing and non-manufacturing such as

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5.

6.

7 .

8.

Public/Semi-Public: includes schools, churches, colleges, cemeteries, parks, municipal, county and s t a t e f a c i l i t i e s .

Transportation, Communication, and Uti l i t i e s (TUC) : disposal plants, water reservoirs, treatment plants, gas or e l ec t r i c u t i l i t i e s , etc.

includes

Agriculture: mercial t ree growing, e tc .

includes lands i n agriculture, orchards, com-

Conservation/Wooded: stream valleys and floodplains which should not be developed.

includes steep slopes, wooded areas,

FUTURE LAND USE AREAS

The Comprehensive Plan Map (Plate IV-1) shows the year 2000 configu- ration of the above land use categories. of these uses as shown i n Table IV-1. mates of the amount of acreage available fo r each land use, n o t the amount of total land t o be developed by the year 2000.

The estimated acreage of each These land use figures are e s t i -

The area designated as single family residential by the Comprehen-

Based on the Luzerne s ive Plan Map would not be completely developed by the year 2000 assum-. i n g the addition of the estimated 220 residences. County Planning Commission Assessment maps, the estimated number of l o t s presently vacant i n the area planned for s ingle family residential is about 350. The major areas where s ignif icant single family residential development may occur and an estimate of the l o t s available is summar- ized below. Additonal new development west of the present residential area i s also expected t o occur.

AREA LOTS AVAILABLE

1. Highland Boulevard Area 68 2.

Orchard Drive 25 3. Maple Avenue 35

Hickory Road, Powder Horn Drive and

4. Pineview St ree t 25

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": &;* - RESIDENTIAL-MULTI-FAMILY

HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL-CBD

E d . I . INDUSTRIAL

PUBLICISEMI-PUBLIC

DALLAS BOROUGH LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSY LVANlA

_- - - -_ - ---____I_ ___ __ _ _ _ - - - - -I_ _ _ _ _ . _I - _ - THE CHE%?ETENQlNEEnS - -- E . ' . . . . . TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATION,

source Lulerne Counly Planning cornmlsslon AND UTILITIES

AGRICULTURE

CONSERVATlONlWOODED PLATE IV-1 mj

I BIKE PATH-PROPOSED

R SUMMER RECREATION-PROPOSED

@ TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS

LAND USE

TABLE I V - 1 LAND USE PLAN ACREAGE

DALLAS BOROUGH YEAR 2000

Residential - Single Family Residential - Multi-Family Commercial Industrial Transportation, Communication, and

Public and Semi-public Agriculture Conservation/Wooded

Utilities (TUC)

Water TOTAL TOTAL

DEVELOPED ACRES (Subtotal ) AREA OF BOROUGH

1 Does not total 100% due t o rounding.

ESTIMATED ACREAGE NUMBER PERCENT OF TOTAL

360.00 23.4 85.00 5.5 75.00 4.9 17.45 1.1

75.00 4.9 29.40 1.9 125.00 8.1 706.95 46.0 62.20 4.0

45.0 1,536 99.8 691.85

1

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AREA LOTS AVAILABLE

5. Sou th of Huntsville S t ree t 6. Maplewood Avenue and Red Ledge Road

63 36

7 . Susquehanna Avenue, Center Hill Road and Lackawanna Avenue 21

77 8. Miscellaneous, scattered throughout area - TOTAL 350

Additional highway commercial development expected t o occur will be along Memorial Highway and Pennsylvania Route 309.

The amount of land in the Transportation Communication and Uti l i - t i e s ( T C U ) category is expected to increase as a r e su l t of the paving of new local s t r ee t s due t o residential development.

No signif icant change i n the amount of land i n industrial and public and semi-public uses i s projected.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION PLAN

The Land Use Plan shows 46 percent of the Borough t o be i n the Conservation/Wooded category. use i s the Huntsville Reservoir watershed which occupies the western p o r t i o n of the Borough. municipalities in the Wyoming Valley, development i n the watershed or nearby area should be discouraged. In addition other wooded areas i n the Borough not presently developed should be conserved as an open space amenity for the residents. The cemeteries, located in the eastern por- t ion of the Borough, shou ld be considered as conservation areas. Other undeveloped steep slope areas and stream valleys such as Toby Creek should remain undeveloped, in order t o minimize future problems a t t r i - butable t o development o f unsuitable te r ra in . permitted in the flood hazard zone areas of the streams and water bodies i n the Borough.

Accounting for the major portion of this

Because the reservoir i s a source of water fo r

No development should be

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I s

1 I 1

m

Z O N I N G A N A L Y S I S

P

The Borough's zoning ordinance was adopted on February 20, 1973, nearly eight years pr ior t o the publication of t h i s comprehensive p l a n . The analysis of existing land - use and o f the various factors t h a t will a f fec t the future use of land has resulted i n a land use plan fo r Dallas Borough which i s the key element of the planning process. pr ia te t h a t the existing zoning d i s t r i c t map be reviewed a g a i n s t the land use plan and recommendations made f o r amendments to the map as necessary. s ignif icant deviations, one from the other , may be d i f f i c u l t fo r the Borough to ju s t i fy if the zoning map is challenged i n court. t ion , the text of the ordinance has been reviewed and a c r i t ique i s bound into the rear of this document as Appendix A.

I t i s appro-

The land use plan should be the basis fo r the zoning map and

I n addi-

I t should be kept i n mind t h a t the land use plan i s the most logical arrangement fo r the year 2000 as projected in 1980, while the present zoning map was developed without the benefit of a formal projec- t ion of growth and change. A comparison of the land use plan and the zon ing map should be amended wholesale t o accommodate the land use p l a n . Instead, as developer pressure builds and zoning d i s t r i c t changes are requested, the land use plan should be consulted to determine whether a request should be approved or whether the developer should be encouraged t o consider other locations in the Borough more appropriate fo r what he contemplates.

The following spec i f ic changes are recommended t o the zon ing map, t o be accomplished over a 20-year period, in order to make the map compatible with the land use plan (see Plate IV-2). Developer in te res t should determine the order i n which these changes occur. A cr i t ique o f the Zoning Ordinance text i s found i n the appendix of this plan. c r i t ique discusses the specif ic portions of each of the a r t i c l e s i n the zon ing ordi nance which could be improved or corrected.

The

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1. C-1 Conservation Dis t r ic t - Portions of the C - 1 Dis t r ic t i n the Toby Creek drainage basin west o f the present large R-1 Dis t r ic t should eventually be rezoned R - 1 , as public sewer and water l ines are extended. toward the Huntsville Reservoir should be avoided until nearly a l l available land i n the r e s t of the R-1 zoned d i s t r i c t s has been developed. Such extension of R-1 will involve construction of sewer pump s ta t ions and force mains and careful attention to surface water drainage. I t i s a l s o recommended t h a t the Toby Creek Valley south from below the town center, including the steep valley sides and the portions of the stream where i t direct ly abuts Route 415 be rezoned C-1 t o preserve the f r ag i l e environment from encroachment. The two cemeteries should also be rezoned C-1 fo r protection.

The extension of the R-1 d i s t r i c t into the area draining

2. R-1 Single and Two-Family Residence Dis t r ic t - The future extension of the R-1 District westward i n t o C-1 is described above. I t i s also recommended t h a t the Main S t ree t area south of the town center, now zoned 8-2 Business, be rezoned R-1 because of the predominantly steep slopes on bo th sides of the s t r e e t and present residential charac- t e r of the development. I t should be remembered tha t a great many small l o t s remain t o be developed i n the R-1 d i s t r i c t and most o f these should be used before the R-1 Dis t r ic t is expanded.

3. R-2 Apartment Residence Dis t r ic t - A t present only a large, already developed, t r a c t in the southeast corner o f the Borough i s zoned R-2. The consensus of Borough o f f i c i a l s seems t o be t h a t the remainder o f the residential areas should be reserved for one and two family buildings. t i e s becomes i r r e s i s t i b l e , areas w i t h i n the present R-1 zone tha t could best support apartment development are those that abut the col lector s t r ee t s leading t o the town center and are closest to the center. The rationale i s t ha t higher density development acts as a buffer between commercial and single family home areas and by placing apartments next

If the pressure from developers for more apartment opportuni-

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DkLL A S n I

I

-3-

c-1

A C-1

ZONING DISTRICTS 2000

LEGEND DALLAS BOROUGH LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA C-l CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

R-1

R-2 APARTMENT RESIDENCE DISTRICT

T h C "lr"drn,,On "1 lhld ma" WdS llnanced I"

,),1,, oart lncht ,n,"$,qn "I a communliy p,a"","g gem, A I I ~ U S 1,om under ,ne De the

,a5 ~ ) r ~ r w o n s .lilminislcrEd or Act by 16A the dpvoveO Bs8eav May 01 Planning 1 1 1970 a SINGLE & TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

N

- - - S C I L L 1 N EEL1 -~~ -94- -NEIGHBORHOOD -BUSINESS & SHOPPING ~ CENTER- -. ~- THE CHESTER ENQINEERS E / . / . . . . , v;,;. . :.,; , : ,,, , , ;. #;.yC*' .,,, ,,,,,, , C B-2 HIGHWAY SERVICE BUSINESS DISTRICT

M-1 INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT Source ~ u i e r n e Courily Planning Cornrnisslon

PLATE IV-2

t o the business d i s t r i c t , t r a f f i c generated by the apartment residents will n o t have to traverse the single family home neighborhoods to reach the main highways. On t h i s basis the best areas for expansion of the R- 2 d i s t r i c t s would be along Center Hi l l , machell, and Huntsville Avenues t o the west of the town center and Lake Avenue t o the eas t , par t icular ly larger parcels of land t h a t a b u t these s t r e e t s . I t i s very l ikely t h a t within any areas rezoned from R-1 to R-2 the majority of development will remain single or two-family dwellings because of the existing pattern of small l o t s t h r o u g h o u t the older residential areas of the Borough, and the maximum permitted height of two and a h a l f s tor ies . Incidentally, the best means for preserving the large older homes i n the Borough near the town center, i s to allow the i r conversion to several dwelling units, consistent with the s ize of the lo t s they occupy, as would be permitted i n an R-2 d i s t r i c t .

4. 9-1 Neighborhood Business and Shopping Center Dis t r ic t - The B-1 Dis t r ic t currently includes only tha t portion of the Borough's business section on the eas t side of Routes 309 and 415 i n the southeast corner of the Borough extending up Route 309 on both sides of i t s short length before i t enters Dallas Township. All the remainder of the highway frontage and town center, as well as Main S t ree t south of the center, i s zoned B-2, Highway Service Commercial. This arrangement seems inappropriate considering the way the commercial areas have historical ly developed. The B-1 Neighborhood Business Dis t r ic t should be the t o w n center on e i the r side of Route 415 from Machell t o below Mill Street , extending short distances up Lake, Church and Main S t ree ts . The r e s t o f the commercially zones areas, except the properties fronting Main Street below Huntsville Avenue which should be I?-1 and the Toby Creek Valley and cemeteries which should be C-1 , are more appropriately zoned B-2, Highway Service Business Dis t r ic t . I t would appear that the present l i s t s of permitted and special uses for each commercial zoning c lass i f ica t ion would neatly f i t this proposed rearrangement of commer- c ia l d i s t r i c t s .

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5. B-2 Highway Service Business Dis t r ic t - Changes recommended fo r this d i s t r i c t a re discussed under B-1 above.

6. M-1 Industrial Dis t r ic t - 140 changes i n this d i s t r i c t are proposed.

The suggestions for improving the tex t o f the Ordinance are intended t o cal l at tention to inconsistencies, potential problems arising from application of the ordinance regulations, and compl iance w i t h recent requirements of the State Planning Code. l o t permitted f o r s ingle family development i n the R-1 zone d i s t r i c t when public sewer and water service i s lacking i s 20,000 square fee t . Considering the poor quali ty o f so i l s t h r o u g h o u t the Borough a minimum area of one acre should be adopted wherever public sewer access i s n o t ava i 1 able.

For example, the minimum size

Mobile home park standards are described i n the tex t b u t are n o t permitted by r i g h t or special use i n any zone d i s t r i c t . mobile homes a re permitted only i n mobile home parks, so effect ively mobile homes are now prohibited i n the Borough. Several a l ternat ive solutions t o this dilemma should be considered. Mobile home parks could be allowed as a special use i n e i ther the C-1 or B-2 d i s t r i c t s . If the C-1 was selected, the parks would be removed from the single family home areas and large t r ac t s could be acquired b u t t r a f f i c would f i l t e r t h r o u g h the resident ia l d i s t r i c t s , and sewage and storm water disposal would have t o be carefully handled. dential d i s t r i c t s would be protected and sewage and storm water disposal would be no real problem b u t only small parcels of l a n d would be available and the parks would be visually prominent from the highways. The B-2 al ternat ive would seem t o be the be t te r o f the two.

Individual

I f the B-2 was selected, the resi -

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I t i s suggested tha t the Borough adopt regulations in the zoning ordinance t o control highway access, parking l o t layout, storm drainage, landscaping, and s i t e preparation i n the commercial and industrial d i s t r i c t s . Also, similar requirements should be considered f o r multiple family developments, establishing standards f o r access , spacing between buildings, storm drainage, landscaping, s i t e preparation and home owner associations i f condominium sales are being considered.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Good schools, parks, and p u b l i c services are expected as a basic p a r t of a community's environment. f a c i l i t i e s i s an important aspect o f an area ' s des i rab i l i ty as a place t o l ive. were described i n Chapter I1 and evaluated as t o t he i r adequacy.

Maintenance of sound community

Each of the community f a c i l i t i e s discussed i n this section

RECREATION FACILITIES

The Borough needs a neighborhood recreation f a c i l i t y i n the southern portion o f the community.

This deficiency could be accommodated by improving the available f a c i l i t i e s a t the Dallas Elementary School on Huntsville Road. Opera- t ion of a public summer recreation program similar t o that offered a t the Dallas Borough Municipal Park should be considered.

BIKE PATH

A proposed route for a bike path through the Borough i s shown on the Comprehensive Plan Map. bike p a t h could help l i n k together areas where people l ive , work and

play. through the increased use of bicycles throughout the Borough.

In a d d i t i o n t o i t s recreational value, the

Automobile congestion could be reduced and energy conserved The

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suggested route intentionally avoids, as much as possible, those areas which experience heavy vehicular t r a f f i c . Access to Dallas Center has been provided through the u t i l i za t ion of back s t r ee t s . be a paved path a t l ea s t 5 f ee t wide w i t h 8 fee t being desirable. Except for the 2,800 foot p o r t i o n of the path on Reservoir Road the proposed p a t h i s already paved. accomplished u s i n g pavement markings and signs.

The route should

Designation of the route could be

Assistance should be sought from the League of American Irlheelman, the National Organization of Bicyclists i n the detailed planning of the b i keway .

The provision of bike racks a t s t ra teg ic locations in Dallas Center, the Municipal Park, etc. would help promote bicycle usage.

EDUCATION FACILITIES

Based on the information presented i n Chapter 11, i t was shown that the Dallas Elementary School Faci l i ty should have adequate capacity until a t l eas t the year 2000.

LIBRARY FACILITIES

The Back Mountain Memorial Library is presently i n need of a d d i - tional space. require about 13,000 square f e e t of space by the year 2000.

I t was estimated i n Chapter I1 that the Library would

A new l ibrary f a c i l i t y t o be located a t the present location is recommended. The area presently occupied by the l ibrary i s about 57,800 sq f t or 1.3 acres. Using an estimated building cost of $50.00/sq f t , a new 13,000 sq f t f a c i l i t y would cost about $650,000. $55,000 for design and engineering and $12,000 for demolition b r i n g s the total cost of the new library to $717,000.

An additional

This cost includes masonry,

-1 04-

roofing, f loor covering, painting, plumbing, heating, vent i la t ing, a i r conditioning, mechanical, and e lectr ical costs , b u t does not include demolition of the existing buildings or s i te preparation work.

Other l ib rar ies available t o the Borough's residents include the Hoyt Public Library i n Kingston Borough, the l ibrary f a c i l i t y of Misrecordia College, and the l ib rar ies available i n the Dallas Area School Distr ic t . t i e s a r e usually only available to a par t icular age group a t specified times d u r i n g school hours. available resources, the hours could be expanded and the services made

W i t h the exception of the Hoyt Library, these f a c i l i -

In order to more effectively use these

available to a wider segment of the population. T h r o u g h such techniques as a comprehensive indexing system, inter1 ibrary book loans, cooperative reading involvement programs, e tc . , a bet ter u t i l i z a t i o n of the a rea ' s total l ibrary resources could be achieved.

FIRE, AMBULANCE, POLICE AND BOROUGH OFFICE FACILITY

The present s t ructure , housing a l l o f the above i s lacking i n space and i s badly i n need of repair . housing the Dall as F i r e and Ambul ance Company, Pol ice Department, Borough Government, Magistrate's Office, Social Meeting Room and St ree t Maintenance Department be b u i l t on the present s i t e .

I t is recommended t h a t a new f a c i l i t y

The present s i t e measures about 90 f e e t wide by 325 f e e t deep, a to ta l area of about 29,250 sq f t or .67 acres. Municipal Center Plan, by S m i t h , Miller and Associates, Inc., the new f a c i l i t y would contain a to ta l of 17,000 sq ft. each of the functions housed i s as follows:

Based on the 1976 Dallas

The approximate area o f

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AREA IN SQUARE FEET Borough Garage and Mechanical Equipment Storage 5,100 Fire and Ambulance Department 3,500 Magistrate Office and Hearing Room 1,500 Borough Office, Council Chambers and Caucus Room 1,800 Social Meeting Room, Kitchen, two offices 3,500 Heating, Air Conditioning , Corridors , Restrooms, and

Miscellaneous Space 1,600 TOTAL 17,000

Using a f igure of $50 a square foot f o r construction the estimated cos t of this 17,000 square foot f a c i l i t y would be as follows.

1. Demo1 i t ion $ 18,000 2 . Building Construction

17,000 sq f t @ $50/sq f t 3. Design and Engineering

8% of Line 2 TOTAL

850,000

68,000 $936 , 000

Please note this does no t include the cos t of s i t e preparation. There would a l so be additional costs associated w i t h the provision of space to house each of the functions temporarily d u r i n g the construction phase.

An al ternative proposal would be t o implement the or iginal plans f o r the Dallas Municipal Center as drawn up i n 1976. This plan included a l ib rary f a c i l i t y w i t h nearly 9,000 square f e e t of f l oo r space which would be adequate. The w i d t h of this s t ruc ture requires the acquisition of the property which i s adjacent t o and south of the Borough property. The estimated cost of this s t ruc ture i n 1976 was $2-1/4 million dol lars . I t i s not known what this figure included, however, u s i n g a 10 percent per anum inf la t ion r a t e this s t ruc ture would be estimated a t about $3- 1/4 million today. I t i s assumed t h a t this estimate does not include the cost of acquiring the additional property tha t i s needed.

-1 06-

I

SEWER FACILITIES

i I The present sewer f a c i l i t i e s i n Dallas Borough are adequate.

has been estimated t h a t s ignif icant development pressure i n the Borough should not occur prior to 1985. Aft r t h i s date, residential development may move into the Rulison Evans Reservoir's drainage b a s i n and i f not sewered, could cause serious env ronmental problem in the future (see Plate 11-5).

I t

Because the Powder Horn Drive Area has recently experienced some development, i t appears to be a l ikely candidate for future sewer service expansion. this area for a portion of the residences. systems usually lose the i r operational efficiency and must be maintained. Conversion to conventional sewer service is recommended.

A community sand mound system i s presently employed in Over the long run, these

The provision of sewers i n this area would require the use of a pump s ta t ion a t the lowest point i n the drainage area and the construc- t ion of a force main t o transport the sewage over the drainage divide i n t o the gravity l ines located i n the eastern portion o f the Borough.

WATER FACILITIES

As is t rue of sewer f a c i l i t i e s the Borough appears t o be well equipped w i t h water f a c i l i t i e s . ' The provision of water to the Powder Horn Drive Area by developer is recommended (see Plate 11-6).

In 1970 the maximum daily water demand of the system was . 7 5 mg. In 1973 th is was projected to increase to 1.45 mg by 1980 as a resu l t of continued growth i n Dallas Borough and Dallas Township.* T h u s i t i s recommended tha t there be additional improvements made i n the distribu- t i o n system.

*Master Plan f o r Water Supply and Waste Water Management i n Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Volume I1 Water Planning., January 31, 1973, Gilbert Associates, Inc., Reading Pennsylvania.

I t i s also recommended t h a t whenever possible, the transmission and dis t r ibut ion mains be upgraded to meet the standards of the Gradlng Schedule for Municipal Fire Protection as p u b l i s h e d by the Insurance Services Office. This schedule suggests t h a t i n residential areas water mains have a minimum s i ze o f 6 inches for short lengths and 8 inches fo r longer runs, new construction, dead ends, and where a poor gridiron pattern exis ts . 12 inch maximum mains on principal s t r ee t s and fo r a l l long l ines .

Commerical areas should have 8 inch m i n i m u m mains and

TRANSPORTATION A N D THOROUGHFARE PLAN

The PennDOT s t r e e t dimension s tandards presented i n Chapter I1 were applied t o each o f the s t r e e t c lass i f icat ions i n the Borough revealing the following deficiencies which should be corrected.

LOCAL STREETS

@ Widen Water Street from 1 2 f ee t t o 16 or 18 f e e t and provide a cul-de-sac a t the end o f the s t r e e t .

@ The portion of S p r i n g Street between Lehman and Pinecrest Lane (al ley) should be closed due to the severe d i p a t the intersection o f Lehman and Spring. could be provided i n the vicini ty o f Spr ing Street and Pine- c re s t Lane and the paving on S p r i n g S t ree t between Pinecrest Lane and Lehman Avenue could be removed and replaced w i t h grass and plantings.

A t u r n around or cul-de-sac

0 Sidewalks should be provided on Huntsville Road from the Dallas Elementary School t o Davenport Avenue i n order t o minimize the safety hazard of students who must walk on the road i n going to and from school.

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COLLECTORS

‘ I I

6 I

8 Increase the paving width of Machell Avenue from 18 f e e t t o 20 f e e t from Olde Orchard t o the Equestrian Center.

INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS

Proposed improvements t o minimize problems a t the two key inter- sections i n the Borough are presented i n this section.

8 Intersection of Main S t ree t and Memorial Highway (Figure I V -

1 ) .

1 . Widen pavement on Lake S t r ee t a t monument to accommodate a r i g h t turn lane.

Widen Church Street pavement a t the intersection w i t h Memorial Highway in order t o provide fo r a r i g h t t u r n storage 1 ane.

Widen Memorial Highway pavement i n f ront of the p o s t o f f ice to accommodate a separate r i g h t hand t u r n i n g lane.

Make the post off ice entrance one way from Church Street into the p o s t off ice lo t . Provide an additional two way access point t o the l o t on Foster Street .

Provide two l e f t turn storage lanes on Memorial Highway northbound. bank p a r k i n g l o t . entrance in to Machell Avenue.

2.

3.

4.

5. The f i r s t would be for the entrance i n t o the

The second lane would be fo r the

6. During peak t r a f f i c hours, 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM, p r o h i b i t on s t r e e t parking on the eas t side of Main Street .

# Intersection of Memorial Highway (PA 415) and PA 309 (Figure IV-2). si gnal s .

These improvements assume the ins ta l la t ion of t r a f f i c

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=,&@ a - m m - - - - - - - -- - e

DALLAS SHOPPING AREA TRAFFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

INTERSECTION OF PA ROUTES 309 & 415

LEGEND - Proposed Edge of Pavement ------ -'-.-*-*- - Direction of Traffic Flow

Access Proposed To Be Closed Proposed Edge of Traffic Lanes * Proposed Traffic Signal

The preparation 01 this map was tlnancrd ,n parl lhrough a planning grant lrom the De Parlmenl 01 Community Allairs under the provisions 01 Act 16A approved M a 31. 1970. a5 administered by Ihe Bureau 01 Planning. Pennsylvania Allaim Department 01 Community

I

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I

FIGURE IV-2

1 .

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Close access t o both highways a t the indicated locations.

Provide dual l e f t turn storage lanes a t the intersection of Memorial Highway and PA 309 by widen pavement. T h i s should help a l lev ia te the problem of cars stacking up and blocking the access and egress t o the Dallas Shopping Center.

Move the access and egress point from the Shopping Center onto PA 309, northward along 309.

Combine the access and egress point t o Perkins Pancakes and the Medical Center.

Widen pavement on Memorial Highway i n f ront of Dallas Shopping Center t o provide fo r a l e f t turn storage lane.

Widen southbound lane of PA 309 to provide l e f t turn storage 1 anes . Provide additional turn storage lanes along both highways as shown on map.

Provide curbing i n the Dallas Shopping Center i n order t o minimize i r regular and hazardous movements.

STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

Dur ing periods of h i g h flow, Toby Creek has risen over i t s banks and flooded the backyards of residences fronting on Foster Street . Large volumes of runoff entering from the unnamed t r ibu tary which enters Toby Creek from the n o r t h just downstream from these properties is believed t o be the cause of the problem. Toby Creek then flows beneath the Agway Building and then crosses under PA Route 415 and flows southward.

I n order t o solve th i s problem i t i s recommended tha t a t ransfer channel be constructed a t a specified elevation along the eas t side of PA 415 connecting Toby Creek t o i t s e l f just south of the post office. T h i s channel would diver t excess flow away from the problem area d u r i n g peak runoff events.

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COMPREHENSIVE VASTER PLAN DALLAS BOROUGH


CHAPTER V FISCAL STUDY

This chapter presents an analysis of Dallas Borough's p a s t budg- etary trends and projects these trends forward t o provide a basis for understanding how the effectuation of the Comprehensive Plan can be achieved financially. All major recommendations i n the Comprehensive Plan considered Capi ta l Improvements are compiled and existing methods for financing them are presented.

A t the time of the w r i t i n g of th i s plan cutbacks i n some of the federal funding sources a re perceived. hamper the Borough's future e f fo r t s to implement certain elements of the plan. today are not accurate for s ignif icant ly long periods of time.

These changes may seriously

Because of the present s t a t e of the economy, cost estimates made

FINANCIAL TRENDS

Borough financial reports over the three year period 1976 t o 1978 were examined t o determine the Borough's spending and revenue patterns. Table V - 1 summarizes the Borough's General Fund receipts and expenditures by major categories. From th i s data, trend l ine projections were made fo r 1980 through 1986.

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TABLE V - 1 SUMPIARY OF GENERAL FUND RECE I PTS AND EXPEND I TURES

1976-1978

CATEGORY

BALANCE - January 1

Real Es ta te and Per Cap i ta Tax Earned Income Tax Real Es ta te T rans fe r Tax Licenses and Permits Fines, F o r f e i t s and Costs I n t e r e s t Rents Departmen t a 1 Ea r n i ngs Grants and G i f t s Miscel laneous Revenue Rece ip ts

TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTAL RECE 1 PTS AND OPEN1 NG BALANCE

GOVERNMENTAL EXPENDITURES Adnii n i s t r a t i on Tax C o l l e c t i o n s Borough B u i l d i n g s Pol i c e P r o t e c t i o n F i r e P r o t e c t i o n B u i l d i n g , Regulat ion, P lann ing and Zoning Highways

L i b r a r y Recreat ion Insurance Miscel laneous Governmental T rans fers t o Other Funds

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

TOTAL EXPENDITURES AND BALANCE

NON-REVENUE RECEIPTS

S t ree ts , Roads and Br idges S t r e e t L i g h t i ng

BALANCE-END OF YEAR

DOLLARS

$ 41,054.53

55,073.95 70,210.80 11,813.01

2,704.00 1,364.50 1,438.84 3,900.00 3,268.50

21,434.37

3,816.56

175,024.53 21 6,079.06

12,360.12 4,548.19 9,432.53

65,389.77 2,560.87

691.70

35,845.05 12,802.18

100.00 7,802.84 9,999.00

10,240.87

171,791.12 44,287.94

21 6 , 079.06

---

---

1976 % OF TOTAL

31.5 40.1

6.7 1.5

.8

.8 2.2 1.9

12.2

2.2

100.0

7.2 2.6 5.5

38.1 1.5

.4

20.9 7.4

.1 4.5 5.8 6 .0

100.0

DOLLARS

$ 44,287.93

57,341.47 80,034.87 13,430.64 2,783.00 4,009.42 2 , 382.98 3,045.00 3,298.46

51,085.30 955.29

649.00

21 9,015.43 263,303.36

8,876.93 4,616.78 5,678.25

62,976.84 759.98

1,005.48

55,580.1 3 14,246.86

100.00 6,089.99

13,090.00 12,461.07

185,482.31 77,821.05

263 , 303.36

---

1977 % OF TOTAL

26.2 36.5 6.1 1.3 1.8 1.1 1.4 1.5

23.3 .4

. 3

100.0

4.8 2 . 5 3.1

34.0 .4 . 5

30.0 7.7

.1 3.3 7.1 6.7

100.0

1978

DOLLARS

$ 77,821.05

56,496.1 7 83,832.33 12,389.57

4,065.00 7,370.25 3,114.92 2,980.00 2,902.78

23,825.76 1,014,93

1,213.30

199,205.01 277,026.06

9,644.72 5,018.29 3,941.65

63,012.66 746.81 955.30

47,576.14 14,656.23

100.00 6,964.1 1

16 , 183.00 14,829.20 3,748.70

187,376.81 89,649.25

277,026.00

% OF TOTAL

28.4 42.1

6.2 2.0 3.7 1.6 1 . 5 1.4

12.0 . 5

. 6

100.0

5.2 2 . 7 2 .1

33.6 .4 . 5

25.4 7.8

.1 3.7 8.6 7.9 2.0

100.0

SOURCE: Annual A u d i t and F i n a n c i a l Report f o r D a l l a s Borough, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania - 1976, 1977, 1978.

m r n m m r n u m m m m r n ~ ~ ~ , - m m r m m m

REVENUES

Table V-1 shows tha t the largest source of revenue for the Borough I n 1976 taxes accounted during the three year period was t a x receipts.

for nearly 78 percent of the total income. increased over the three year period, the dol lar amount accounted for about the same proportion of total receipts i n 1978.

While revenue from taxes

CASH BALANCE

These monies are n o t an actual revenue source b u t the cash balance t h a t i s carried forward from one f i sca l year t o another. d u r i n g the three year period has carried forward increasingly larger amounts of money. a t the end o f 1978 the balance was $89,649.

The Borough

I n 1976, the cash balance as of January 1 was $41,055

EXPENDITURES

The actual cost of performing and providing Borough services is covered by general fund expenditures.

In 1978 police expenditures accounted f o r approximately 33.6 percent of the to t a l . percent of the to ta l . two-thirds of the Borough's expenditures i n 1978. dis t r ibut ion of other expenditures for the period 1976-1978.

Highway expenditures accounted for abou t 33.2 These two items together accounted for nearly

Table V - 1 shows the

RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS

An examination of Figure V-1 , showing Borough receipts and expenditures for the period.1976-1978, reveals t ha t there has never been a period of de f i c i t spending. expenditures have remained bel ow the receipts .

Over th i s three year period the Borough's

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I t was determined t h a t the average y e a r l y i n c r e a s e i n expend i tu re s

P ro jec t ions f o r the per iod 1980 t o 1986 over the per iod 1976-1978 was about 3.0 percent while r e c e i p t s i nc reased on the average by 4.6 percent . were made using these percentage inc reases on a per anum b a s i s ( s e e Table V-2).

TABLE V-2 PROJECTED RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES

YEAR

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986

PROJECTED RECEIPTS

217,953 229,979 240,558 251,624 263,199 275,306 287,970

PRO J ECTED EXPENDITURES

198,788 204,752 21 0,894 217,221 223,138 230,450 237,364

DIFFERENCE SURPLUS (+) - DEFICIT ( - )

+19,165 +25 , 227 +29,664 +34,403 +30,461 +44,856 +50,600

The p r o j e c t i o n s show a con t inua t ion of the p a s t t r end where receipts have exceeded expendi tures t o the y e a r 1982. The Borough w i l l be repaving streets i n 1982 and this will i n c r e a s e highway expendi tures s i g n i f i c a n t l y , thus negat ing the p ro jec t ed s u r p l u s .

From the p a s t t r e n d s and future p r o j e c t i o n s shown i t appears t h a t the Borough has a sound budget and has h i s t o r i c a l l y met i t s f i n a n c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s i n the p a s t . repaving needs the Borough may have t o i n c r e a s e i t s revenues through a t a x i n c r e a s e i n the near future.

In o rde r t o meet i t s future s t ree t

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i B

OUTSTANDING INDEBTEDNESS AND DEBT LIMITATIONS

The Borough's borrowing capac i ty and p resen t deb t a r e key f a c t o r s i n understanding the amount of funds t h a t a r e a v a i l a b l e through borrowing i n o rde r t o f inance recommended c a p i t a l improvements.

EXISTING DEBT

According t o the 1978 f i nanci a1 s t a t emen t , Dall as Borough p resen t ly has no outs tanding debts .

DEBT LLVIT

The Local Government U n i t Debt Act a s amended by Act 1978-52 es tab- lishes the nonelec tora l deb t limit f o r t h i r d c l a s s boroughs as 250 pe rcen t of their average t o t a l revenue over the p a s t three y e a r s . Calcu la t ion of the Borough's nonelec tora l debt limit i s p resen ted below i n Table V-3:

TABLE V-3 CALCULATION OF DEBT LIMIT

YEAR REVENUES - 1976 $1 49,774 1977 167,281 1978 174.166

TOTAL $491,221*

Average-Total I 3 = $163,740 Debt L i m i t ($163,740 x 2.5) $409,350

* Less Grants and Gif ts- in-Aid.

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The above calculation i s an approximation of the Borough's nonelectoral debt l imit . From this total must be subtracted the net nonelectoral debt which should be calculated with the assistance o f expert legal advice. The difference between the nonelectoral debt l imit and the net nonelectoral debt i s the Borough's nonelectoral borrowing capacity. Using the above simplified calculations, the Borough's nonelectoral borrowing capacity is estimated to be $409,000.

.

I n cases where i t i s necessary for the Borough to incur a debt greater t h a n the nonelectoral borrowing capacity this debt must be approved by the electors. There i s no l imi t on the electoral debt.

OTHER METHODS OF FINANCING

A number of other financing opt ions are open t o municipalities i n Pennsylvania. which they are sui table for i s discussed below.

A summary of these methods and the types of projects

PAY-AS-YOU-GO

T h i s type of financing should be used for recurring capital improvements. Usually the l ea s t expensive method of do ing this is by financing o u t of current appropriations by se t t ing aside a po r t ion of the municipal funds each year fo r the specified capital improvements. Most capital improvements based on a pay-as-you-go program will be supported by e i ther general tax revenue, or by special taxes raised fo r a specific public works purpose. I n general special tax levies can be used fo r shade t ree care, l ighting of s t r ee t s and public places, permanent s t r e e t improvements, f i r e engines and apparatus, f i re house, municipal building or l ibrary ( w i t h favorable vote by the electorate) .

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I Two k i n d s of funds can be established to accumulate money for public works and capital expenditures. The f i r s t i s the special f u n d which can be financed through gif ts , donations, sa le or lease of municipal property, or through special tax levies as outlined above. Boroughs may levy and co l lec t annually, a special tax i n addition to the general real es ta te tax, not t o exceed two ( 2 ) mills t o be used for the construction of municipal b u i l d i n g s only. T h i s additional millage is permitted only by referendum and i s temporary. The second type of f u n d that can be established is the capital reserve fund which i s generally s tar ted us ing money transferred from the General Fund. Proceeds from sale or lease of property, or from any other general purpose source can be used. Capital Reserve Funds should be placed i n approved in te res t bearing accounts or investments t o increase the purchasing power of the f u n d

prov Service charges and special assessments are two other means of d i n g certain public works functions. These are applicable when i t

is possible t o identify tha t portion of the population of the municipal i ty which real ize the benefits of a specif ic service. inst i tut ions such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and churches should contribute t o the costs of the service provided. services provided o u t of tax revenues, the charges collected from tax- exempt ins t i tu t ions should tend t o lower the costs for the average house holder.

Tax exempt

When compared w i t h

REVOLVING FUNDS

This is a combination of pay-as-you-go and deferred payment financing. A revolving fund represents a pool of money s e t aside fo r permanent improvements or extensions of s t r e e t s , sidewalks, water mains and/or sewer systems. tax levy or through a general obligation bond issue. When the revolving f u n d i s used for a par t icular project, a schedule of repayment should be

The f u n d may be established e i ther by a special

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drawn up and payments p u t back into the fund . f u n d , the money i n the revolving f u n d should be invested i n an approved manner so that in te res t will benefit the municipality.

As i n a capital reserve

MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY

A municipal authority is a governmental u n i t which can independ- ently ra i se money for specified projects and not be res t r ic ted by the legal l imits placed on municipal borrowing. producing projects th rough the issue of bonds and are supported by the revenues generated by the completed project.

Authorities finance revenue i STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING

The most sought a f t e r source of project funding is through s t a t e or federal funding sources. being used by Dallas Borough are State Highway Aid f u n d s , Federal Revenue Shar ing f u n d s , and Community Development Block Grant funds.

Three sources of governmental funds presently

SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Prior t o developing a six year capital improvements program the proposed projects were subjectively ranked based on the i r re la t ive urgency. pletion based on the following time periods:

The projects were also assigned a future time frame fo r com-

0 Short Range 1 980- 1983 0 Medium Range 1983- 1986 0 Long Range After 1986

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PRIORITY RANKTNG

T h e following i s the suggested p r i o r i t y ranking o f each of the major projects contained i n the Comprehensive Plan.

PRIORITY

1 2 3 4

5

6 7

PROJECT

Store Front Facade Improvements Dallas Center Parking Lot Toby Creek Transfer Channel I n t e r s ec t i on Improvements Memor i a 1

Highway and Main Street Intersect ion Improvements Memori a 1

Highway and Pennsylvania Route 309 New Borough B u i 1 d i n g New L i brary B u i 1 d i n g

TIMING

Shor t Range Short Range Short Range

Short Range

Short Range Medium Range Long Range

8 Additional Summer Recreation Program a t Dallas Elementary School Medium Range

9 S t r e e t Projects Short Range

10 Bike Path Medium Range

SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVWNTS PLAN

The s i x year capi ta l improvements plan f o r Dallas Borough i s presented i n Table V-4. a r e presented below:

Additional comments about some of the projects

@ Store Front Facade Improvements - The Borough should strongly consider the use of Local Economic Revi ta l izat ion Tax Assistance (LERTA) a s an incentive t o the property owners involved i n the project . LERTA allows t a x i n g a u t h o r i t i e s t o exempt improvements t o business property i f such property is located i n a deter iorated area. i n f orma t i on.

See the Appendix f o r more

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TABLE V-4 S I X YEAR CAP I T A L IMPROVEMENTS PLAN

I

ro rv I

A

PROJECT BOROUGH POSS I BLE

COST SHARE METHODS OF F I NANC I PIG RESPONSIBLE AGENCY _- 1. S tore F r o n t Facade Improvements Small Business A d m i n i s t r a t i o n P r i v a t e Businesses TBD’ None

502 loans2

2. D a l l a s Center Park ing L o t Community Development Funds Borough $ 70,000 A l l

3. I n t e r s e c t i o n Improvements Memorial Highway Budget and PennDOT Borough and PennDOT 27,000 P a r t i a l Sa f e ty Imp r o vemen t Program o r New I n c e n t i v e s Program

4. I n t e r s e c t i o n Improvements Memorial Highway Budget and PennDOT Borough and PennDOT 61,000 P a r t i a l Sa fe ty Improvement Program

Highway and Main S t r e e t

Highway and Pennsylvania Route 309 o r New I n c e n t i v e s Program

5. Da l l as Mun ic ipa l Center

6. New L i b r a r y

Farmers Home A d m i n i s t r a t i o n Borough Loan3 (FmHA)

936,000 A l l

Farmers Home A d m i n i s t r a t i o n N i ne Muni c i p a l i ti es 71 7,000 P a r t i a 1 Loan3 served by t h e

L i b r a r y

7. A d d i t i o n a l Summer Recreat ion Opera t ing Budget Program a t Da l l as Elementary School

Borough 7,500 A l l

8. S t r e e t P r o j e c t s Highway Budget Borough TBD A1 1

9. B i ke Path Sec t i on 141 o f t h e 1978 Borough Federal A i d Highway A c t

10. Toby Creek T rans fe r Channel Cornun i t y Development Funds, Borough FmHA, Cornun i ty F a c i l i t i e s Grant/Loan Program

TBD P a r t i a l

P a r t i a l TBD

1

2 TBD - t o be determined.

Small Business Admin i s t ra t i on , Sec t i on 502 Local Development Company Program, o f fe rs long- te rm l o w - i n t e r e s t loans t o merchants f o r business expansion, s t o r e f r o n t renovat ion , i n t e r i o r modern iza t ion , purchase of s t o r e b u i l d i n g s , e t c .

For r u r a l areas and towns o f up t o 10,000 people. avai 1 ab1 e.

3 Low i n t e r e s t loans (5%) f o r a maximum term o f 40 years a r e

w

0 Intersection Improvements and S t r e e t Projects - The Borough may want t o consider implementing these projects , especially the s t r e e t p ro jec ts , i n conjunction w i t h normal street pavement maintenance and resurfacing.

0 Dallas Municipal Center - A $936,000, 40-year loan, a t 5 percent i n t e re s t would require an annual payment of $54,550. amount i s more than the Borough presently receives in real e s t a t e taxes a year. the Borough's nonelectoral borrowing capacity of $409,000.

This

Also a loan of this magnitude exceeds

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APPENDIX A

CRITIQUE OF EXISTING ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT

i

Article 3

CRITIQUE OF EXISTING ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT

Article 2

2.05 - Excavations: A grading p lan , drainage plan and erosion and sedimentatfon control p lan should be required as a condition of issuing a permit. enclosing fence, particularly if steep slopes or standing water i s involved. removing spilled materials from adjacent roads.

The excavation should be protected by an

Excavator should be responsible for

2.06 - Non-Conforming Uses: Criteria should be established t o determine what constitutes discontinuance o f a non-conforming use. Some official should be designated for determining when a non-conforming structure has been damaged 60 percent and hence cannot be replaced. make this judgment, the Ordinance could be amended t o allow any damaged or destroyed structure t o be rebuilt on i t s original foundations. A record of non-conforming uses should be kept by the Zoning Officer. record.

Alternatively, t o avoid having t o

The Sta te Code requires such a

3.022 - Interpretation of Boundaries: The zoning officer should determine zoning district boundaries t h a t are no t clear, with appeal from his decision t o the Zoning Hearing Board.

Article 4

4.06 - Industrial Districts: Is the Borough prepared t o enforce the performance standards in the event a developer fa i ls t o comply a f t e r his industry i s in operation?

Article 5

R-1 District - Mlnimum l o t size when public sewage dlsposal and/or water supply are lacking seems low. A minimum o f three quarters of an acre would be better if soil absorption I s good.

R-2 District - For a " h i g h density multiple dwelling project,'' what is the minimum s j t e size, and under w h a t conditions would the Zoning Hearing Board reduce the l o t area per unit from 3,500 t o 3,000 square feet?

A- 1

Article 6

6.02

6.0422

6.04431

6.08

6.10

6.11

6.12

6.141

6.142

6.16

6.18

6.20

- Animal Hosp i t a l : Animal holding pens should be i n an enclosed structure. No d i sposa l of animals on the premises should be permi t ted .

The maximum size of a s i g n i n the i n d u s t r i a l d i s t r i c t is t o o lenient, pe rmi t t i ng an 800 square f o o t sign on a p rope r ty w i t h 200 feet o f f ron tage . One times the f ron tage , r a t h e r than f o u r times would be suff ic ient .

- S i z e of Signs:

- Maximum Height o f Signs:

- Drive-In Threa t r e s :

Signs mounted on r o o f s or above the

Space should be r equ i r ed on .the proper ty

eave l ine of a bu i ld ing should be avoided.

t o a l low c a r s t o l ine up approaching the t icke t booth.

- Home Occupations: Are barber o r beauty shops, o r re ta i l s a l e s o f any kind allowed as home occupat ions? Also, m i n i m u m o f f - s t reet parking should be ind ica t ed .

- Hospi ta l s : I t i s no t c l e a r whether hospi ta l s t r e a t i n g persons w i t h contagious d i s e a s e s o r o t h e r s o c i a l l y unacceptable con- d i t i o n s a r e n o t a l lowed, o r allowed only i f the proper ty size exceeds 15 a c r e s .

- J u n k Yards:

- Off-street Loading:

I t may be d i f f i c u l t t o apply the Ordinance r e t r o a c t i v e l y t o e x i s t i n g j u n k ya rds .

I t should be made c l e a r t h a t the o f f - s t reet loading a r e a s are not w i t h i n an a r e a des igna ted f o r parking o r access t o parking.

- Off S t r e e t Parking: Two parking spaces should be r equ i r ed f o r each one family dwell ing o r each dwel l ing i n a two-family bu i ld ing . room plus more spaces f o r bar o r r e s t a u r a n t .

4.0635.

Motels should provide one space f o r each s l eep ing

- S o l i d Waste Disposal Areas: T h i s use is p r o h i b i t e d by Sec t ion

- Swimming Pools : Is i t intended t h a t pools t h a t a r e assembled on the ground s u r f a c e and capable of being dismantled be excluded from this s e c t i o n ?

- Mobile Home Parks: The Ordinance does n o t i n d i c a t e where mobile home parks may be permitted. home parks should be contained i n the Borough's Subdiv is ion Regulat ions.

Regula t ions on mobile

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6.21 - Accessory Structures: Is i t intended t h a t accessory structures are n o t t o be permitted i n the B-1 zone d i s t r i c t and t h a t no height Ilmit for such structures should apply in the C-1 d i s t r i c t ?

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8.311 - Public Notlce: Provisions should be included t o require the posting of the area to be rezoned, advertising the hearing. The notices should s t a t e where and when copies o f the proposed amendment will be available prior t o the hearing for public view.

8.314 - Decisions o f the Board: Testimony taken a t a heardng should be stenographically recorded. The Board must hold a hearing within 60 days of the applicant 's request for a hearing, or the decision will favor the appl icant unless he agrees t o an extension.

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9.51 3 and 9.514 - Fees fo r Appeals and Zone Changes: low. aga ins t which the Borough would draw in meeting i t s expenses i n connection w i t h the hearing. returned to the applicant, or he would be bil led for excess costs .

These fees seem Perhaps the appl icant could make a deposit o f $100

Any money l e f t over would be

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10.22 - Action of Planning Commission on Amendments: Borough Council must give the Commission 30 days i n which to review an amendment proposed by Council and make recomnendations.

submitted to the County Planning Commission a t l eas t 30 days before the hearing for review and comment.

10.23 - Public Hearing by Council: A proposed amendment should be

10.24 - Action o f Dallas Borough Council : Council must ac t on an amendment proposal not l a t e r t h a n 90 days a f t e r the conclusion o f the hearing.

I t would be desirable t o add a section t o the Ordinance regulating commercial development, particularly such concerns as access from the highway, parking layout, storm water management, landscaping, trash removal , appearance of b u i l d i n g s , etc .

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Similar regulations t o govern mu1 t iple dwelling projects involving several or many buildings should be written for use in the R-[2 zone district . Spacing between buildings, requirements for a home owners association i f condominiums are contemplated, and storm water management would be addressed. These regulations could be either in the zoning ordinance or contained in a separate planned residential development ordinance.

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APPENDIX B

LOCAL ECONOMIC R I V I T A L I Z A T I O N T A X ASS I STANCE

LOCAL ECONOMIC R E V I T A L I Z A T I O N T A X ASSISTANCE

LERTA

LERTA was established by the State Legislature i n December 1977 t o allow taxing au thor i t ies t o exempt improvements t o business property i f such property is located i n a deteriorated area.

WHY DO WE NEED LERTA?

A major deterrent t o improving deteriorated business property has been t h a t improvements r e s u l t i n higher property value and, therefore, r e s u l t i n higher local property taxes. courage business property owners from making improvements i n bl ighted areas.

The higher taxes often dis-

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Any c i t y , county, borough, incorporated town, township, i n s t i t u - t ional d i s t r i c t , o r school d i s t r i c t h a v i n g the authori ty t o levy real property taxes can pa r t i c ipa t e i n this program.

WHAT I S THE ROLE OF THE MUNICIPALITY?

Municipalities a re authorized t o a f f i x the boundaries of the deter iorated area o r areas. pub1 i c hearing t o determine the deteriorated area boundaries. c r i t e r i a as unsafe, unsanitary, and overcrowded b u i l d i n g s ; vacant over- grown and unsightly l o t s of ground; h i g h incidence of unemployment, a h i g h incidence of crime and delinquency; and other indicators of social and poverty conditions.

The municipality sha l l hold a t l e a s t one Such

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WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A TAX EXEMPTION?

Improvements e l ig ib l e f o r exemption include repair , construction o r reconstruction, including a1 terations and additions, having the effect of rehabi l i ta t ing a deteriorated property so t h a t i t becomes habitable or a t t a ins a higher s tandard of safety, health, economic use or amenity, o r i s brought in to compliance w i t h laws, ordinances o r regulations governing such standards, deemed an improvement.

Ordinary upkeep and maintenance shal l n o t be

WHAT I S THE LOCAL TAX AUTHORITY PROCEDURE?

The local tax authority may provide for an exemption on the assessment a t t r ibu tab le t o the actual cos t of the improvements, o r u p t o any maximum cost uniformly established by the municipal governing body. Such maximum costs shall uniformly apply t o a l l e l i g ib l e deteriorated property within the local taxing authority jur i sd ic t ion .

The local tax authority shal l es tabl ish an exemption schedule, not t o exceed 10 years; and shal l specify the portion of improvements t o be exempted each year.

Each local tax authority should adopt an exemption request form on which e l ig ib le persons can apply for a tax exemption.

WHAT I S THE ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMRCE?

The Department of Commerce's role i s advisory i n nature, p r o v i d i n g technical assistance t o municipali t ies and taxing authori t ies .

For more information contact Bureau of Management Services, Depart- ment of commerce, 6-36 South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 171 20, telephone (71 7)-783-1790.

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