Growth Management Program
In 1993, the County Board of Commissioners adopted the Growth Management element of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The Growth Management Program initiated under the Growth Management element in 1993--and reinforced through an Update in 1997--consists of the establishment of Growth Areas, both Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) and Village Growth Areas (VGAs), to guide and manage growth in and around Lancaster City, and the County’s boroughs and villages, while simultaneously preserving and protecting natural resources, including the rich and expansive agricultural land in the outlying areas of Lancaster County.
Under Lancaster’s Growth Management Program, 13 UGAs and 26 VGAs have been established since 1993. Of the 60 municipalities in the County, 50 are participating in a UGA or VGA. Through their planning efforts, these municipalities have drawn a distinction between areas appropriate for growth in the County and areas that should be maintained as open space and farmland. This distinction is the centerpiece of Lancaster County’s Growth Management Program, fostering the preservation of natural resources and agricultural lands, while also promoting the redevelopment of the City and boroughs and the sustainability of small towns and villages. However, even with the designation of Growth Areas, development activity continues outside of Growth Areas, including large lot development in rural areas (a trend evidenced by data found in the County’s Growth Tracking Reports (PDF)).
The recent amendment to the Growth Management Element, entitled Balance, includes both an Urban Growth Area Strategy and a Rural Strategy, a new component for strengthening the County's agricultural and rural areas and economy. Balance builds on the previous Growth Management Element and establishes a framework for future land use and development in the County looking 25 years into the future. Balance identifies an Urban Growth Area Strategy - areas appropriate for urban growth and reinvestment, a Rural Strategy - areas that should be maintained in agriculture, natural resources, and similar uses, and an Implementation Strategy - tools to shape growth to achieve desired land use patterns.
