From the Connellsville Daily Courier
By Marilyn Forbes
For many years, Donegal has been known as the area you drive through to get somewhere else.
"People drive through Donegal not to Donegal," Jim Segedy said. "What is it that you can do to get people to come into Donegal."
Segedy, director of community planning for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, addressed a group of community leaders and Donegal residents who gathered for their second meeting of the Donegal Community Design Workshop.
Showing a PowerPoint presentation that focused on several proposed ideas that would enhance Donegal Borough and Donegal Township, Segedy outlined design options and creative formatting for development of the area.
The first meeting was last December when attendees discussed what they would like to bring to the area. They focused on Route 31 from the turnpike interchange to the Route 711 turn-off -- the location now referred to as the corridor. Plans are to someday include both esthetic and economic change that could bring more interest to the Donegal area itself.
"This is a special place," Segedy said of the ideas presented at the forum. "Now it's time to sit down and find out what is workable. We have the ideas, now it's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work."
The planning is part of the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiatives, a project of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Called the "gateway to the Laurel Highlands," the Donegal area is the center of a hub of numerous tourist attractions, from Ohiopyle State Park to Ligonier, and the new direction would bring more attention to the town itself.
"We're working on what is referred to as 'coattail tourism," Segedy said. "Donegal is not a tourist destination. You go through here to get to other places. This is the hub, and it's not only the gateway, but also the heart of the Laurel Highlands."
The ideas presented at the forum will not only attract tourists but will create ways to help the local economy.
"We want to work on what we can do to make the community around here a sustainable place," said Brad Clemenson, PEC director of communications.
Proposed ideas include a park-and-ride area for local commuters, a community garden, a visitors or community center, new and more attractive signage, and overall corridor landscape enhancement to create a more pleasing appearance.
Long-term goals include the addition of roadway landscaping to Donegal Borough, bike trails along Route 31, and parklets.
The group will decide in more detail which direction to pursue and what projects to accomplish. Once the details are in place, grants and funding will be sought to bring the dream of Donegal to fruition.
"What we need now is specifics," Segedy said. "We are at the level that we need detail. There is money to do all these projects if you, as a community, decide that you want to do it. These are all fundable, doable and very viable projects. You just need to decide and agree what it is that you want to do."
"We hope that this will be the beginning of a good plan for us," said Sara Harkcom, Mountain Laurel Chamber of Commerce board president. "This could be something good for both the residents here and the visitors. We're excited and looking forward to what this could bring the area."