by Susan Williams, President/CEO

While many of us may put off a planning process, it is comforting to know that there are expert planners in our midst. The Venango County Regional Planning Commission staff spend their days making certain that the processes for ongoing change and growth in our communities are well thought out and executed.

With a staff of six, under the leadership of Hilary Buchanan, there are a variety of areas that the Commission assists with, including grant administration, transportation, land use planning, housing, blight remediation, and much, much more. While the process of planning may take extra time on the front end, the benefits far outweigh any downside.

The process of planning is meant to alleviate potential problems that could be detrimental to others, to the environment and to overall costs of doing business, for our municipalities and businesses. Many of their services offered by the Commission also serve community members and their families.

It would be impossible to detail all of the programs and services offered, but over the next few months, this new series in the VenangoWorks newsletter will focus on some of the most valuable and often unrecognized opportunities available through our County planning office.

As an introduction, a common role filled by this office is to provide information you may need when making changes on your property. They can answer most questions about zoning and permits or will direct you to the appropriate municipality to resolve any issues.

You can access contact information and more information about their services on their website at co.venango.pa.us/452/Planning-Commission.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s October 2023 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.