The Cameron County Dark Sky Park Master Site Plan represents the revitalization of a reclaimed landfill near Emporium, PA. A grant has been awarded to the Lumber Heritage Region and Cameron County for enhancing public access to the site. The master site planning process includes research, public input, and analysis that leads to a plan illustrating the size, type and location of physical improvements and management needs for Cameron County’s Dark Sky Park. Cameron County Dark Sky Park Master Site Plan PROJECT OVERVIEW The Cameron County Dark Sky Park Master Site Plan represents the revitalization of a reclaimed landfill not far from Emporium, Pennsylvania. A grant for developing planning strategies for county-owned land has been awarded to the Lumber Heritage Region and Cameron County for enhancing public access to the site. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has granted permission for limited development of the property, with minor stipulations aimed to protect and maintain the integrity of the underlying landfill. This project is expected to serve Cameron County residents for nature-based recreation and education, and as a draw for eco-tourism, attracting night-sky and wildlife-viewing enthusiasts to the region. Consideration is being given to pursuing an International Dark Sky Place certification from the DarkSky International. Currently, the nearby Cherry Springs State Park holds the only Dark Sky Place certificate in Pennsylvania. This project is sponsored by the Lumber Heritage Region (LHR) and Cameron County, funded in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program and the Heritage Areas Program under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. MASTER SITE PLAN The master site planning process includes research, public input, and analysis that leads to a plan illustrating the size, type and location of physical improvements and management needs for Cameron County’s Dark Sky Park. As part of this process Cameron County has formed a Dark Sky Committee to help gather public input and establish priorities for specific improvements that are needed to support the use of site for dark sky viewing and education as well as compatible daytime uses. Three public meetings are anticipated. The tentative schedule is noted in the "file cabinet” where information will be added about each step in the planning process as they proceed. The purpose of this web page is to provide easy access to resources, presentations, meeting notes, draft and final reports utilized in the conduct of study. Do you have a suggestion or idea? Send an email to the planning team: (click here ) Meeting is now from 6:00 to 7:30 pm SCHEDULE AND FILE CABINET : (CLICK RED LINKS TO DOWNLOAD FILES BELOW) Initial Field Work/Site Research: April/May 2024 Dark Sky Committee Meeting #1 April 9 2024 Public Meeting #1 June 6, 2024 What are the overall goals for the Dark Sky Park? How should the Dark Sky Park be utilized? What are compatible daytime activities? What are the issues and concerns that need to be addressed? Public Meeting Information Cameron County Dark Sky Park Location Display Boards Handout Slide Presentation Dark Sky Committee Meeting #2 August 2024 Review options and alternatives Dark Sky Committee Meeting #3 September 2024 Discuss management and phasing considerations Public Meeting #2 November 14th 2024 6:00 - 7:30 pm Cameron County Camber of Commerce (NEW LOCATION) 24 W 4th St Emporium, PA 15834 Review draft master site plan and provide input on priorities for implementation Slide Presentation Display Boards Media Release Handout Dark Sky Committee Meeting #4 December 2024 Review plan and finalize phasing and implementation recommendations Public Meeting/Cameron County Commissioners/Lumber Heritage Region Board April 2025 Plan approval and all final revisions PRESENTATION , to be provided MASTER SITE PLAN , to be provided

Meet the Team Jim Klein Owner, Principal, Landscape Architect, ASLA Mr. Klein, with forty-five years of experience in the field, is well known for his extensive expertise in planning and design of all kinds of “long and skinny places” including river corridors, byways, heritage areas, touring routes, greenways, and trails. Jim served as the lead landscape architect for Virginia’s Route 50 Traffic Calming Project—a fifteen year national demonstration project for rural traffic calming. Mr. Klein's greenway and trail planning and design efforts including the design of the northern section of the Anacostia River Trail in Washington DC and Maryland suburbs, the Capital Crescent and the Metropolitan Branch Trails in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, MD, the East Peoria Riverfront Trails Plan, and the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, a prime destination on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Municipal scale active transportation planning experience includes the Peoria Heights Active Transportation Plan, Bowie Trails Master Plan, and Brookeville’s Active Transportation Comprehensive Plan amendment, Mr. Klein has graduate and professional degrees in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Vermont. Elisabeth Lardner Owner, Principal, Landscape Architect, Planner, AICP Elisabeth Lardner has been practicing landscape architecture, planning, and urban design for forty-five years. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Urban Design department with the honor of distinction, and the University of Oregon’s Landscape Architecture department. Ms. Lardner is highly skilled at working with community groups and other stakeholders to establish long-term partnerships in support of the implementation and management of public spaces. Ms. Lardner led the firm’s work on the award-winning master plan for Hindman, Kentucky, which started as a community-based development plan and resulted in implementation of 41 million dollars in investments in community infrastructure, open space enhancements, and transportation improvements over a ten-year period. Ms. Lardner is well known for Lardner/Klein’s park and recreation work including trail development projects in highly sensitive natural areas and cultural sites. Ms. Lardner is completing trail projects for the Idaho Nature Conservancy at the Silver Creek Preserve and for Baltimore County at Oregon Ridge Park. Rebecca Sibinga MLA, MArch, Landscape Architectural Designer Rebecca graduated from University of Pennsylvania with Masters degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and is preparing for licensure while working with L/KLA. Rebecca embraces multidisciplinary systems thinking: how does it all work, and what elements are vital for it to work for its users better? Rebecca has worked on public landscape projects at L/KLA, including concept designs for Oregon Ridge Park’s master planning process, trail assessment, and park master plans for Hopkins Quarry in Port Deposit, MD. She has managed and developed GIS data for sites ranging from parks to corridor scales; conducted and documented field reconnaissance; prepared concept plans, AutoCAD Civil 3D drawings, renderings, maps, and graphics for many of L/KLA's recent projects. Contact Us info@lardnerklein.com phone (703) 739-0972 fax (703) 739-0973 120 N Alfred St # 100, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA Home About Projects

Urban/Community Design Communities where we work attest to our ability to understand and convey the values they hold dear. We understand how development controls can be shaped to result in creative, sustainable, and resilient environments that may be transformed over time incrementally. Working together, L/KLA identifies the spirit of the place and frames it with the community's vision to develop plans and places that can be financed, implemented and cared for by the community, often with limited access to funding sources. We have written design guidelines and standards for urban, suburban and commercial corridors; for management of rural and culturally rich landscapes; for off-road bike trails and wild lands; and for homeowners' associations and single properties. Most all of the firm’s work incorporates a lively and rich public engagement process, resulting in a product that belongs to the community and is not a 'style sheet' plopped in place. City of Fairfax Old Town Streetscape Plan & Main Street Streetscape Design Alexandria Open Space Master Plan 2017 Updated Implementation Strategy Maple Avenue Commerical Code Update - Vienna, VA New Road Corridor Master Plan Watkins Regional Park Master Park Development Plan - PG County, MD OTHER PROJECTS Community Resiliency Planning The following projects reflect our work with traditional maritime communities seeking to preserve their working waterfronts while at the same time adapting to rapidly changing conditions associated with climate change, sea-level rise, and the maritime industry. Bellevue Village Master Plan Tilghman Village Master Plan Rock Hall Waterfront Master Plan Oxford Working Waterfront Strategic Plan Urban and Community Design Vienna's Maple Avenue Commercial Code Update, Vienna, VA Town of Chincoteague Community Revitalization Plan and Design Services Urban Landscape + Forestry Plan, Town of Culpeper, VA City as a Park Parks Master Plan, City of Charlottesville, VA St. Mary's College Pedestrian Safety Plan, Historic St. Mary's City, MD Community Development Initiative Master Plan and Site Development, City of Hindman/Knott County, KY Rural Villages Study, M-NCPPC, Prince George's County, MD Public Participation and Involvement Simsbury Center Design Charrette and Concept Plan Chincoteague Revitalization Plan Neighborhoods and Community Associations Cardinal Forest Homeowners Association River Bluffs Community Entrance Penderbrook Master Plan Streetscape/Community Entrances/Commercial Corridors Route 50 Traffic Calming, Town of Middleburg Kings Highway Gills Neck Master Plan, Lewes, DE Village of Midlothian, VA Village of Ettrick, VA, Community Appearance Manual and Highway Beautification Plan Lexington/Rockbridge County Entrance Corridor Study, VA Sandston Commercial Corridor Laskin Road Corridor Ivy Road Design Study Route 1 Corridor Study Merrifield Streetscape Design Manual, Fairfax County, VA Flight 93 National Memorial Travel Corridor Study Maryland Historic National Road Corridor Partnership Plan Update

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All-ages Playground Pedestrian Circulation Historic & Vernacular Style Community Engagement Place- making & Master Plans Active Recreation Resiliance & Water Trails & Connections

Beaverdam Reservoir Trail Assessment Loudoun County, VA L/KLA and Robert Fina prepared an assessment and recommendations for the establishment of a sustainable perimeter trail and related linkages around Beaverdam Reservoir. The analysis includes: A summary of existing conditions gathered from existing and readily available GIS data Discussion of trail design considerations and potential treatments for existing trails as well as realignments of existing trails as flagged in the field Confirmation of planned structures (armored stream crossings, bottomless culverts, small bridges (less than 12’) and large bridges) Recommendations for engineered trail surfaces (crushed stone/stone dust, soil stabilizers such as resin-based polymers, permeable asphalt pavement systems) and realignment projects needed to establish a more sustainable trail around the perimeter of Beaverdam Reservoir Realignments shift the trail to achieve better crossing points in the bottomland areas, avoid fall line alignment and trail grades greater than 5% Alignments that take better advantage of landform and views to the water to create a more immersive natural experience and address the desire lines of users in a more sustainable manner

City of Bowie Trails Master Plan Update Bowie, MD The City of Bowie, Maryland is blessed with many small segments of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, but they lack an identifiable network with a strong community image. The City of Bowie’s 2016 Sustainability Plan targeted two specific goals for improving the City’s walkability and expanding existing trails for biking, hiking and family walks into a safe interconnected network. The City funded an update to the Trails Master Plan to address these goals and to set new priorities for future capital improvement projects to help achieve the goals. Updating the City Trails Master Plan presented an opportunity to address current issues and the needs of the trail system’s users. The Trails Plan Update was conducted over an eight-month process that included a community survey and two trails planning workshops that formed the basis for the draft plan. The resulting document includes the network goals and priorities, gap analysis, alternatives evaluation, trail network recommendations and trail design recommendations, as well as guidance on implementation and funding. The plan was approved in September of 2019.

Port Tobacco Courthouse Preliminary Design Charles County, Maryland L/KLA worked with Charles County, the Town of Port Tobacco (population 15) and key stakeholders to prepare a preliminary design that expands the capacity of the site to accommodate visitors while respecting the rights and privacy of individual property owners. The preliminary design addressed the following key program elements: Historical context of the village, once a bustling port along the Tobacco River and now a site rich in archaeological resources Expanding parking capacity utilizing permeable and/or turf pavers while avoiding archaeological sites Developing a village interpretive walk to tell the story of the once bustling town utilizing the original footprints of former building sites and historic photographs A landscape plan that captures the historic character of the town and hits heritage as a once bustling port Developing a signage plan for a family of five sign types (entry, orientation, wayside exhibits, historic markers, and regulatory signs Developing new sanitary facilities that do not rely on existing septic tank drainfields (architecturally appropriate portable facilities or composting toilet) A phasing plan that illustrates how the projects can be build out over time

Bull Run Occoquan Trail Fairfax County, VA L/KLA is serving as the prime contractor leading a multi-disciplined team for the development of a trail inventory, assessment, and final design recommendations to address ongoing maintenance and sustainability issues funded through the federal Recreational Trails Program (NOVA Parks). The project consists of the realignment of approximately nine thousand five hundred linear feet of new natural surface single track trail with an optimal width of 4’ with a 3’ minimum where tree preservation or side slope constraints need to be addressed. The trail is designated for multiple uses where permitted. Mountain bicycle use is prohibited north of Old Yates Ford Road. Equestrian use is permitted. The expected finished condition is “Trail Class 3 (Developed)” in the US ForestService Trail Class matrix and “More Difficult (Blue Square)” in the IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System. The analysis included: A summary of existing conditions gathered from existing and readily available GIS data An assessment of trail design considerations and potential treatments and structures for each head slope, v-shaped channel and perennial stream crossing for use in confirming the preliminary design alignment as flagged in the field and a preliminary opinion of probable cost (order of magnitude) • The development of final design and construction drawings for the proposed trail alignment

Cultural Heritage Tourism Heritage tourism is the business and practice of attracting and accommodating visitors to a place or area based especially on the unique or special aspects of that locale’s history, landscape (including trail systems), and culture. Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects (L/KLA) has been helping communities from Connecticut to California in their efforts to preserve, promote, and protect the cultural and natural resources of an area and enhance the travel experience as a means of establishing a nature-based or heritage-based tourism destination We often hear 'we just want to keep our farms, wooded hillsides and small towns just the way they are today.' But keeping a place 'just the way it is today' requires more hard work than accepting change and business as usual. Heritage and nature-based tourism help these communities to preserve what is important while sharing their heritage with those that care most about it. Heritage travelers are interested in history, and experiencing places that are unique, memorable and that cannot be easily replicated. L/KLA has helped communities conserve and enhance the special qualities and develop place-based travel experiences by managing a community or region’s heritage travel infrastructure – its scenic roads, parkways, greenways, trails and heritage corridors and touring routes. Many of these plans focused on leveraging the cultural and heritage resources within a corridor or region, encouraging links and joint marketing efforts between communities and sites to extend the visitor's stay, filling hotel rooms and selling more meals. More than just moving through a community, L/KLA helps communities to share their places and stories—encouraging people to get out of their cars, learn about a community and its stories, linger along its main street, and uncover the hidden beauty and history of an area. L/KLA helps a community or region organize its stories so that they can be told in an engaging and entertaining way– leaving more to be experienced on the next visit. California Historic Route 66 New Jersey Bayshore Heritage Byway Livability Plan for Utah's Scenic Byways Port Tobacco National Historic Site Illinois River Road Corridor Management Plan Update OTHER PROJECTS Management Plans Illinois River Road Corridor Management Plan Update Great Smoky Mountains National Park Newfound Gap Road Corridor Plan Lewes Historic Byway Corridor Management Plan California Historic Route 66 Corridor Management Plan from Needles to Barstow Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail CMP , Maryland, DC and Virginia Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor Management Plan, Monticello to Gettysburg , Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania Walton Road Historic Byway, Tennessee Michener's Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, Maryland's Eastern Shore Maryland Historic National Road Corridor Partnership Plan Update Delaware River Valley Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan , Pennsylvania Religious Freedom Byway Management Plan, Maryland Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan, Delaware Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Management Plan Consultant, New Jersey Brandywine Valley Byway Landscape Plans, Delaware Millstone Valley Scenic Byway, New Jersey Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan, Maryland Blue Crab Byway Corridor Management Services, Maryland Route 2 Byway, New York Monongahela Scenic Byway Corridor Management Services, West Virginia Palisades Interstate Parkway Corridor Management Plan, New York Route 7 Corridor, Connecticut Salisbury Scenic Byway, Connecticut Route 169 CMP, Connecticut Roxbury Scenic Corridor, Connecticut Sharon Scenic Corridor, Connecticut Collinsville Scenic Byway, Connecticut Savannah River Scenic Byway, South Carolina Lincoln Highway Management Action Plan, Pennsylvania Strategic Plans and Program Assistance Enhancing Bicycling and Walking on Maryland's Byways and Main Streets Oil Region National Heritage Area Sustainability Plan, Pennsylvania Utah Scenic Byways Strategic Livability Plan Maryland Scenic Byway Program Strategic Plan, MD SHA New Jersey Scenic Byway Program Strategic Plan, NJDOT Connecticut Scenic Roads Corridor Management Study Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Program Cultural and Historic Landscapes Rural Villages, M-NCPPC, Prince George's County, MD Flight 93 National Memorial Travel Corridor Study, Somerset County, PA Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville Battlefield Preservation Plan Consultant, Virginia Maryland Historic National Road Model Design Guidelines George Washington Birthplace General Management Planning Services, Virginia Appomattox National Historic Site General Management Planning Services, Virginia Sharon Green Preservation Strategies Laurel Hill's Lindsay and Physician's House Places Barstow Route 66 Specific Plan, California (underway) Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Management Plan, Alexandria, VA (in progress) Kings Highway Design Guideline, Princeton, NJ (in progress) Master Interpretive Plan Rappahannock Station I and II, Fauquier County, VA Historic Dove Bank ADA Accessible Trail Vienna Town Green, Virginia Hindman/Knott County Community Development Initiative--Using our Heritage to Build Tomorrow's Community, Kentucky Washington Heritage Trail Signage and Wayfinding Plan Chincoteague Waterfront Park Fredericksburg Riverside Park Master Plan, Virginia Fredericksburg Waysides, Virginia Main Street Gettysburg Alumni Park, Pennsylvania Apppomattox River Heritage Trail, Virginia New River Gorge - Nuttleburg Historic Site Preservation and Access

Illinois River Road Corridor Management Plan Update Ottawa to Havana, Illinois The effort helped various partners and stakeholders associated with the Illinois River Road to update their management plan and to reorganize their efforts to bring together like-minded partners into a new umbrella organization as part of the process. The updated CMP identified common priorities for the organization and its partners. Recommendations provide the rationale, implementation steps and potential sources of funding for each action. Getting outdoors, reaching various age groups and demographics, tying byway activities to the health and livbility quality of the Illinois River Valley are all endorsements for the activities the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway is promoting in the region. People powered activities are an untapped reservoir of activities to support in future byway efforts. Tying any proposed improvements, linkages or promotions to health care programs targeting the 25-44 year old demographic may also open a potential funding avenue. Beyond the health incentives, getting people out and on or near the water will do much to dispel the stereotype of the river and to communicate the positive changes that have occurred over the past thirty years in the Illinois River basin. No longer a place to avoid, it is a great natural resource for canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and even swimming as demonstrated by the recent Bradley University triathlon where the swim segment took place in the river. Getting visitors and residents ‘to the river’ is a key focus of the byway. River access needs specifics – support river infrastructure for canoe trails, e.g. shuttling/outfitters – blue trails. This system will also give access to new stories (river landings, early history of settlement) that can be interpreted. New and improved mapping, noting water access points such as those found in Peoria, East Peoria, potential access points such as at the Bass Pro property along the backwater (top right), the access point to the easily paddled loop such as at the USFWS Chautauqua site or between Henry and Lacon (2nd from bottom at right) will make it easier for visitors to get to the river and to build on nature tourism opportunities. Similarly, there are minor and major improvements that can be made to enhance the bicycle ‘friendliness’ of the byway and local communities. Maintaining a route for nonevent oriented riders is as important as sponsoring and supporting organized rides.

Route 50 Traffic Calming Aldie, Middleburg Upperville, VA L/KLA served as the landscape architect on a multi-disciplined team that prepared conceptual, preliminary and final engineering plans for traffic calming measures along twenty miles of U.S. Route 50 in Virginia. The award-winning conceptual plan resulted in a $13.8 million federal demonstration grant for rural traffic calming. Traffic calming measures have been designed to increase highway safety by reducing speeding and aggressive driving through roadway design that naturally encourages motorists to drive at slower and safer speeds, while at the same time maintaining the character defining features of each of the town’s historic context. The project began in 1995 with a community-designed traffic calming conceptual plan prepared with the assistance of Ian Lockwood, an international expert in traffic calming. The award-winning plan resulted in a $13.8 million federal demonstration grant for rural traffic calming. The design includes: • Entryway treatments for Upperville, Middleburg, and Aldie • Special warning strips approaching the entrances to villages and towns • In-town measures including raised intersections, valley gutters, and the use of different pavers to narrow the look and feel of the road • Rural intersection treatments to protect left turning traffic • Changes to in-town horizontal alignment deflect the path of vehicles Construction in Upperville was completed in 2008 (above and right) and in Aldie in 2012. Roundabouts at Gilbert’s Corner (top left) were constructed in 2009 as part of a separate design build contract (by others). L/KLA continued its fifteen year effort as the landscape architect on a multi-disciplined team, led by HW Lochner that prepared conceptual, preliminary and final engineering plans for traffic calming measures along twenty miles of U.S. Route 50 in Virginia. The award-winning conceptual plan resulted in a $13.8 million federal demonstration grant for rural traffic calming. In Middleburg, L/KLA worked with the Town, its streetscape committee, and VDOT to incorporate the federally funded traffic calming measures into an ongoing streetscape renovation, completed in 2016. L/KLA was responsible for developing design concepts to ensure the project fit within MIddleburg’s historic context, including preliminary and final design plans for: • Curb extensions incorporated into eight intersections within the historic downtown • Working with the Town to select historically appropriate materials including vehicular clay pavers for crosswalks and matching existing brick pavers for the sidewalk areas • Installing new and expanding existing tree wells and incorporate soil cells, where appropriate to expand the root zone • Detailed design to carefully match existing conditions along the construction limits for the project • Worked with VDOT staff to develop special provisions for specialized project details not utilized on previous VDOT projects including soil cells and vehicular clay pavers Click here to read the Route 50 Traffic Calming Design Memorandum (February 2003)