The Department of Enviromental Resources' late February deadline for a sewage facilities plan update is coming too fast for Centre Region Planning Commission member Peter Everett.

The State College representative to the commission said at Thursday's meeting he is concerned that the planned extension of sewers might encourage growth in the Centre Region not recommended by the commission's Comprehensive Plan guiding future development, due out this summer.

"My concern is that we have a rational plan for regional growth," Everett said. "Five months before (the release of the Comprehensive Plan), we'll have an official document on the books that says, 'here's where the sewers go.' Sewers determine land use."

Planner Robert Crumm said the DER had already extended the submission deadline for the Act 537 plan by two months and would probably not allow a second extension.

Planning Director Robert Bini said the sewage plan update, which must be revised at five-year intervals, could be revised when the Comprehensive Plan is completed.

A draft of the plan, which will be sent to Centre Region municipalities for review, will, at Everett's request, define four shaded areas on a map accompanying the report as "problem areas" for future study.

Those areas -- near Houserville Road, near Linden Hall, at Matternville and at Corl Acres --were originally described in the report prepared by Gannett Fleming Environmental Engineers as "future sewer service areas."

Everett said he was concerned that the designation might encourage development in those spots and later force the commission to install sewers.

Bini said the DER requested some action plan for those areas in the update because of existing development. Several sites within the shaded Matternville and Houserville Road areas require urgent action because of problems with septic tank runoff, he said.

Other sewage treatment recommendations outlined in the Gannett Fleming plan include:

-- Upgrading of the Puddintown Interceptor operated by the College-Harris Joint Authority and the Struble Interceptor operated by the Patton-Ferguson Joint Authority.

-- Continued efforts to expand capacity of the University Area Joint Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant. Depending on allowed effluent nitrogen recommendations, capacity after current expansion will increase to either five or six million gallons per day, according to the report. Plant usage is expected to increase to five million gallons per day by 1996 and six million gallons daily by 2006, the report stated.

-- Development of two satellite treatment plants at Waddle and Filmore to serve Patton and Halfmoon townships.

-- Expansion of sewer service to most region areas which have experienced problems with on-lot septic systems.

The commission also discussed and fielded questions concerning growth areas to be featured in the Comprehensive Plan, a revision of a 1976 plan.

Bini said one of the plan's goals is to "provide sufficient land for anticipated future development and sufficient expansion of public services with the least harm to the physical environment and to public resources."

Bini mentioned three areas of growth which have been added to the existing growth area from the 1976 plan: the University's proposed research park near the Route 322 bypass (Mt. Nittany Expressway), Cato Farms in Ferguson Township and the Meadows in Harris Township.

Regional planners are beginning to seek feedback from municipalities concerning the pattern growth should take -- compact growth emanating from State College or nodes of growth surrounding smaller sites such as the Nittany Mall, Bini said.

Planning Commission Chairman Paul Weener described efforts to limit growth as a "leaky sieve," noting that earlier commissions had not expected the rate of growth that had already taken place outside the planned growth area outlined in 1976.

Everett said the commission "will try to put as many teeth into the Comprehensive Plan as we can," working with municipalities in the Centre Region to create uniform zoning policies designed to manage growth.

"If we don't, it's a wasted exercise," Everett said.