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Alternative Futures |
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Change: Spine Alternative |
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The 'Spine Alternative' recognizes the interdependencies of Monroe County with the metropolitan New York-Philadelphia areas and, to an increasing degree, the new employment centers in the suburbs of New Jersey. The most efficient strategy to accommodate the County's anticipated growth, promote tourism, and protect the natural landscape is to concentrate new development in the corridor between Mount Pocono and Stroudsburg, and maintain the rural character of the rest. A key decision is increased dependence on high speed rail transportation. The 'Spine Alternative Landscape Design' utilizes Conservation Plans 'A' and 'B' and also hopes to draw development away from the sensitive areas by making it much more attractive to locate in the central corridor between Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono. |
The 'Spine Alternative Infrastructure Design' facilitates the proposed direction for development which is based on the new I-80 rail alignment &emdash;with station stops at Tobyhanna, Mt. Pocono, Bartonsville, and East Stroudsburg. Route 611 would be improvedto serve this more intensely developed urban corridor. It upgrades sewered areas in Pocono and Stroud Townships and proposes a new main truck sewer linking the two systems. Sewered areas will be zoned as high density residential with Mixed-Use allowed along the principal State and County Roads. The development of existing incomplete subdivisions throughout the county will be encouraged. The 'Spine Alternative Landscape Impacts' map shows the impacts associated with this land use possiblity. |