Cranberry Township’s strategic planning officer Kyle Beidler said early results from a suburban redevelopment study commissioned in 2021 provide options for keeping the township on a good economic path.

Beidler presented an update on the study at a Thursday, Oct. 5, meeting of township supervisors, demonstrating ways the township could get ahead of potential future issues. One of the main issues the township could avoid through planning, Beidler said, is keeping enough money available for growth initiatives while continuing to fund necessary maintenance and programs.

The advisory panel for the study was especially interested in the Dutilh corridor, Beidler said.

Walkability is another point of interest for younger Cranberry Township residents, with Beidler saying the study showed people would like more activities they can get to without driving.

“How do we create additional forms of transportation other than the automobile,” Beidler said. “You have a large captured audience within walking distance of retail uses.”

“As our community ages and more of our revenues go to existing or rising services, and the amount of assets and liabilities of the municipality are tied into maintaining those, that's the same time the community could become more and more vulnerable,” Beidler said. “There are strategies for making smart investments that really help guide private investment and reinvestment back into the community. So that's what this vision is all about.”

While supervisors haven’t had to act on any of the study’s findings yet, Supervisor Vice Chairman Bruce Hezlep said it gives the board a lot to think about in terms of planning.

Beidler said the next steps for township administrators would likely be getting input from residents on how officials should invest money and resources. Hearing from residents would be pivotal for planning, because the township’s population continues to grow.

“Starting now, what are those educational sessions that need to happen with residents, with other stakeholders in this community?” Beidler said. “It's better that we have a diversity of experiences.”

Beidler presented two options township supervisors could soon choose between. One is an active approach, where supervisors allocate resources and money early; the other is a “more passive role,“ where supervisors focus resources and attention on issues as they arise.

Township Manager Dan Santoro said the study has not yet yielded any proposals for supervisors to consider, but its results could be a road map for decisions “five, 10, 20 years” in the future.

The township received about $30,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, which funded a portion of the study. The township enlisted CZB, an urban planning department based in Bath, Maine, to flesh out the study.