The Greater Carlisle Project is bringing together people from the communities of the Greater Carlisle area to improve the quality of life for all our inhabitants by creating a sustainable, healthier, economically robust and culturally vibrant future. The project encompasses the boroughs of Carlisle, Mount Holly Springs and Newville and the townships of Dickinson, Middlesex, North Middleton, South Middleton, and West Pennsboro.
Ideas for creating a sustainable future were shared in a series of three meetings convened from November 2012 through March 2013 by Dickinson’s Center for Sustainability Education. The March meeting resulted in formation of an interim steering committee that met over the summer of 2013 to develop draft vision and mission statements, as well as goals and strategic plan for the coming year.
Kathleen Banski, Administrative Assistant, Center for Sustainability Education, Dickinson College
Carrie Breschi, Director, Carlisle Arts Learning Center
Matthew Candland, Manager, Carlisle Borough
Michelle Crowley, President, Greater Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce
Shireen Farr, Director of Tourism, Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau
Debra Figueroa, Assistant Manager, Carlisle Borough
Christopher Gulotta, Principal,The Gulotta Group
Jenn Halpin, Director, Dickinson College Organic Farm
Rev. Daniel Keyes, Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church
Neil Leary, Director, Center for Sustainability Education, Dickinson College
Lindsey Lyons, Assistant Director,Center for Sustainability Education, Dickinson College
Ross Morris, Owner, Carlisle Restaurants
Taleen Palmer, Board Member, Hope Station
Laura Portillo, Manager, Dickinson Township
Becca Raley, Executive Director, Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation
Stephanie Williams, Greenway & Open Space Coordinator, Cumberland County
Greater Carlisle Project Vision & Mission
Vision
The Greater Carlisle Project strives to improve the quality of life for all people in our communities by enhancing long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability. The project encompasses the boroughs of Carlisle, Mount Holly Springs and Newville and the townships of Dickinson, Middlesex, North Middleton, South Middleton, and West Pennsboro. Our vision of sustainability includes eight priority areas:
Community: We celebrate diverse communities that are welcoming, inclusive, just, safe and full of life.
Cultural Heritage, Arts & Recreation: We value our region’s rich heritage, vibrant small towns, rural landscapes and growing arts, cultural and recreational opportunities that meet the needs of our diverse residents and visitors.
Economic Development & Jobs: We create family sustaining jobs that enable a vibrant quality of life for all residents. We actively support our existing businesses and seek new opportunities for economic development.
Education: We treasure the quality and diversity of our educational institutions and support their collaboration with each other and with the wider community to promote and inspire continual learning and innovation.
Energy and Transportation: We embrace energy conservation, more efficient homes, buildings and vehicles, expanded transportation options and clean energy that advance environmental, social and economic sustainability goals.
Food and Farms: We champion our farmers’ success as stewards of our agricultural landscape who feed our communities with healthy, nutritious local food.
Green Spaces, Blue Waters, & Clear Skies: We live in a landscape that is rich in parks, green spaces, farms, hiking and biking trails, water trails and diverse wildlife. We are sustained by clean air, clean water, and resilient and healthy forests, wetlands and streams.
Housing, Health, & Human Services: We support good health, human dignity and quality, affordable housing as they relate to all aspects of physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Mission
The mission of The Greater Carlisle Project is to promote collaboration among people, organizations, businesses and local governments of our communities to realize our vision for environmental, social and economic sustainability. We will advance sustainability by:
• Connecting people and organizations in collaborative efforts,
• Convening educational forums to foster a shared culture of sustainability, and
• Advocating for initiatives that advance our vision.
Greater Carlisle Project Strategic Plan
Goals and Strategic Plan for The Greater Carlisle Project for 2013-2014
Goal 1: Obtain community endorsement for the vision, mission, goals and organizational structure of the project
- Convene representatives of the communities of the Greater Carlisle Area for a meeting in fall 2013 to discuss and endorse the vision, mission and first year goals.
- Form an interim Steering Group to guide and lead activities during the period fall 2013 through fall 2014.
- Research and discuss different models of organizational structure, governance and funding for a cross-jurisdictional, multi-sector community network.
- Explore grant and other funding opportunities to provide organizational and administrative support for The Greater Carlisle Project.
- Adopt a structure and governance model by fall 2014.
Goal 2: Connect people and organizations for collaborative projects.
- Create a database of information about organizations working on each of the eight priorities of the sustainability vision.
- Make the database publicly accessible and promote its use to facilitate collaborations among organizations on projects that advance the sustainability vision.
- Select one joint project, either an existing or new project that is being implemented or planned by other organizations, for which The Greater Carlisle Project can have an important value added.
- Engage in the selected project as a connector, convener and advocate.
Goal 3: Convene an educational event
- Identify a topic of significant interest to multiple members of The Greater Carlisle Project about which the community needs to be better informed.
- Organize a conference, workshop or other event that would educate the community about the topic.
Goal 4: Advocate for community participation in redevelopment in Carlisle
- Partner with the Borough of Carlisle to facilitate and organize ongoing community participation in the redevelopment of brownfield sites and related projects.
- Goals of this effort are to increase the participation of (i) residents of the neighborhoods most directly affected by redevelopment of the three brownfield sites, (ii) residents of the Borough of Carlisle and (iii) residents of surrounding townships and boroughs that would be affected by Carlisle Borough redevelopment activities.
Greater Carlisle Project Resources
Project Resources
The following information may be helpful to those involved in the Greater Carlisle Project meetings.
Oberlin Project Webpage
Oberlin Project Overview
Carlisle Comprehensive Plan
Summary of Planning Reports 2002-2012 (The Gulotta Group Presentation)
Evergreen Cooperatives Toolkit for Community Wealth Building
Comprehensive Plan for Cumberland County Executive Summary
A Sustainability Planning Guide for Healthy Communities
Comprehensive Plan for Cumberland County Full Document
Community Health Needs & Assessment for Five South Central Pennsylvania Counties Executive Summary
Cumberland County Health Rankings
Center for Active Design: Promoting Health Through Design
If you have information that should be shared or posted here, please contact Lindsey Lyons at lyonsli@dickinson.edu with files to be shared.
Carlisle West Side Neighbors 