More than 100 residents came out to voice their opinions and concerns Wednesday about development of 1,571 acres along the stretch of state Route 18 known as North Hermitage Road in Hermitage.

The land extends from East State Street north to the South Pymatuning Township line and from North Keel Ridge Road west to Dutch Lane. A traffic and land-usage study of the area is being coordinated by Hermitage officials and Mercer County Regional Planning Commission.

The study, set in motion by PennDOT, will determine the potential effects of widening North Hermitage Road in that area.

"The road isn’t yet built, but here we have the opportunity to attempt to plan ahead and look at the impact it’s going to have," said Dennis Puko, executive director of Mercer County Regional Planning Commission.

Forty-three percent of the land is vacant, 23 percent is residential, 14 percent is commercial, 11 percent is public or semi-public and the rest used for other purposes.

"The bottom line is that this study is all about improved quality of life," said Brian Funkhouser of the consulting, planning and engineering firm Gannett Fleming of Harrisburg, which is participating in the study.

Quality of life was residents’ prime concern during small-group discussions that followed Funkhouser’s overview. While some felt the plan should include businesses, which could provide high-quality jobs, others were concerned about the effect on residential subdivisions within the area.

Aileen Magnotto, whose family owns the Shop ‘n Save supermarket in Hermitage, spoke out against "big boxes" or super discount department stores, which she said can negatively affect local businesses. "I’d like to see local businesses expand. I’d like to see the flavor of Hermitage as a small-town community continue on Route 18," she said.

Rita Ferringer, a North Keel Ridge Road resident who owns Best Real Estate at Dutch Lane and Highland Road, was concerned about problems the wider highway will present for those who like to walk or ride bicycles in the area.

"We’ve got a new stadium, the Rodney White Park, and our schools," she said, "and we want our kids to be able to use them safely, to connect with them. You’ll have kids walking along a five-lane highway. That isn’t safe."

Along with others, she favors pedestrian and bicycle pathways, and suggested pedestrian bridges over the highway near Hickory High School.

Wednesday night’s meeting in Artman Elementary School was the first of a number of meetings intended to help planners understand the ideas and concerns of the community. Earlier Wednesday, planners held workshops with Hermitage Middle School students to learn their views about the future of the area. They will also conduct focus group meetings with owners of businesses within the study area, school district officials and elected officials.

The traffic and land-usage study is expected to last six months. An appointed board will design several plans for the corridor.

From those, the board will come up with a preferred plan for the corridor and submit it to city commissioners in March or April.