So, now that Allegheny County has a comprehensive plan what does it mean for my municipality? This page provides answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs).

A. How do Allegheny Places and local municipal plans relate to each other?

• Allegheny Places and municipal comprehensive plans are both planning documents that provide general guidance in regard to land use. Neither is legislative.
• County and local plans address many of the same elements, but at different levels of specificity.  Allegheny Places takes a broad view in order to plan for things important at the county level.  Municipal plans take a narrower view in order to address matters important to the municipality’s interests and responsibilities.
• Where the two views share a common vision is where the County and the municipality can cooperate.

B. What does consistency mean?

• The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) defines consistency as "an agreement or correspondence between matters being compared which denotes a reasonable rational, similar, connection or relationship".
• The County and the municipalities will decide together what is and is not consistent between Allegheny Places and local plans.
• The County’s goal is to work cooperatively with municipalities and gain acceptance of the basic principles of Allegheny Places.

C. What are the benefits of consistency between county and municipal plans?

• There is a greater likelihood that goals will be achieved when the County and municipalities work cooperatively.
• County assistance and funding will be targeted to projects and activities that are consistent with Allegheny Places.
• State agencies are directed to consider and rely on comprehensive plans when evaluating grants and permit applications for facilities and infrastructure.

D. Will Allegheny County assist municipalities with consistency?

• Municipalities may participate in a Cooperation, Cross-Acceptance and Consistency process.  See Chapt. 5, Figure 5.1 of Allegheny Places, and Article XI of the MPC.
• The County will perform consistency reviews as required by MPC §304 (see below) and by state agencies.
• The County will provide consistency checklists for evaluating municipal plans and ordinances, development projects, and grant and permit applications for consistency with Allegheny Places.

E. What is the "Cooperation, Cross-Acceptance and Consistency" (The 3Cs)?

• Members of councils of government (COGs), multi-municipal planning groups, or individual municipalities can request ACED to evaluate their comprehensive plans and land use ordinances for consistency with Allegheny Places.
• The consistency review will outline how the plan or ordinance is or is not generally consistent with Allegheny Places and suggest what actions would be necessary to achieve consistency.
• Municipalities may enter into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the County to document whatever agreement is reached and to outline the actions each party will take in regard to the agreement.

F. What if a municipality doesn’t want the County’s assistance?

• Participation in the "3C" process is voluntary.

MPC §304 Consistency Reviews

§304 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) requires that "following the adoption of a comprehensive plan by the county, any proposed action of the governing body of a municipality, its departments, agencies and appointed authorities within the county" must be submitted to Allegheny County Economic Development for its recommendations if the proposed action relates to:

• The location, opening, vacation, extension, widening, narrowing or enlargement of any street, public ground, pierhead or watercourse;
• The location, erection, demolition, removal or sale of any public structures located within the municipality;
• The adoption, amendment or repeal of any comprehensive plan, official map, subdivision or land development ordinance, zoning ordinance; or
• The construction, extension or abandonment of any water line, sewer line or sewage treatment facility.

The County must forward its recommendations to the municipal governing body within 45 days of the date of receipt of the application.

§304 reviews are similar to the advisory reviews that the County has been providing to its municipalities (except the City of Pittsburgh) for many years under MPC Articles III, V, VI, and VII.