Wanted: Undeveloped land to be preserved to retain rural quality of Westmoreland County.

The Westmoreland Land Trust, developed in December by the Westmoreland County Commission, was established to seek property owners who want to protect their land from further development in the future.

With help from local residents, a comprehensive plan was developed in 2004, the top priority being to balance rural land and housing plans or business increase.

"North Huntingdon has a very, very limited amount of open space in it," Chuck Durista, chairman of the trust said at a public meeting in the township last week.

"We understand the need for development, but the public has said there is some need to have open space."

North Huntingdon Township falls in what the trust calls a "development triangle," a portion of land where much of the county's developments are built and open space is increasingly limited.

The "triangle" runs across the western portion of the county, starting near New Kensington, making a point in Latrobe and making a direct angle to Monessen.

The township is one of the fastest growing communities in the county, according to Durista, along with Penn, Unity and Rostraver townships.

The triangle has become the primary focus for the group, according to Virginia Stump, an appraiser for Rural Development and council member for the trust.

"It is my opinion that people move to Westmoreland County because of its quality school districts and its bedroom communities," Stump said. "People like to have green space and some elbow room."

Property bought by the trust must be open to the public. However, previous owners may have stipulations regarding the land.

Examples of areas recently developed include the proposed Wal-Mart along Route 30, the Lincoln Hills housing plan on Barnes Lake Road, and the Kohl's/Kerber's Dairy site across from the proposed Wal-Mart along Route 30 where wetlands are found.

For more information regarding the land trust, information can be found at www.wcdpa.com/landtrust or by writing or visiting the headquarters at Westmoreland Land Trust, 218 Donohoe Road, Greensburg, PA 15601.