SNOW SHOE — This week the Centre County Board of Commissioners greenlit several initiatives aimed at bolstering the economic development of the Snow Shoe community.

These measures encompass support for the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Association, Mountain Top Medical Center and the forthcoming construction of a new Dollar General Market.

The commissioners unanimously approved the renewal of the Centre County Sheriff’s Department’s contract with the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails. The contract permits the sheriff’s office to enforce motor vehicle laws on the organization’s over 40 miles of approved trails and roadways.

“It really helps us a lot on our trail to have their presence for people who feel more comfortable that the trail is patrolled by an official presence,” said President of the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Trilby Mayes.

The contract allows police deputies to enforce rules including that users must have valid license registration and liability insurance and that ATV riders wear helmets and possess a valid yearly SSRTA registration sticker. Sampel clarified that officers are encouraged to inform and educate those in violation as opposed to fining them as to not discourage trail usage.

The contract stipulates that the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails agrees to reimburse the County for said services and will be billed based on the deputies’ hourly rates plus mileage at $0.58/mile. The contract will last for the period of March 26, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2027.

The Snow Shoe Rails to Trails represents one of the largest user groups in the entire county with approximately 4,000 members according to Mayes.

“It’s a good place to come, and it’s family friendly. They come, they ride miles and miles of trails and they are all well kept and maintained by the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails, so I think it’s a benefit for the local economy and local community,” said Sheriff Bryan Sampsel.

Sampsel noted that long holiday weekends, like Labor Day and Memorial Day, bring people from several neighboring states to the Snow Shoe area for its miles of ATV trails.

“We don’t have much in Snow Shoe anymore. We don’t have a grocery store, we don’t have a bank and we don’t have a hardware store, so at least if we can keep the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails bringing in people, maybe those things will start to come our way also,” said Mayes.

At the meeting, consent was given to the planned development of a Dollar General along Route 144 beside Rees’ Truck Stop and across the road from the existing Family Dollar.

“It seems like this will be a welcome development for the folks who live there, in terms of bringing some type of groceries in, even if not necessarily as much of the fresh food they may need,” said Commissioner Amber Concepcion who raised the concern that residents lack appropriate access to fresh produce.

Subdivision and Land Development Planner Christopher Schnure, who presented the memorandum of understanding to the Board of Commissioners, shared the development is of a Dollar General Market, which will offer fresh foods. The memorandum is part of an agreement by the developers to reimburse Snow Shoe township for engineering inspections and approvals of their respective projects. The Centre County Planning Commission is responsible for final approval of the project.

Commissioners also approved a letter of support for the Mountop Area Medical Centre. The facility, which is applying for appropriation funding to secure medical equipment and furniture, hopes that improvements will help in the recruitment of a permanent medical provider.

“They hope by enhancing the interior of the medical center that it will support a provider returning to the community,” said a representative of the medical center. Penn State’s College of Medicine currently operates the LION Mobile Clinic twice a month in Snow Shoe, which uses a student-led free clinic model to increase access to medical care for under-resourced communities in Pennsylvania.

“This is a really critical need,” said Commissioner Amber Concepcion who joined her colleagues in voting to approve the letter of support for grant funding.