Residents of the Grove City area talked about historical roots and tried to look into the future Wednesday night.

The gathering was the first of four meetings sponsored by Wolf Creek-Slippery Rock Council of Governments. The session, intended to gather residents' input to help develop a joint comprehensive plan for Springfield, Liberty, Wolf Creek and Pine townships, drew about a dozen residents and officials.

Advocating development of a joint plan were planners Rick Grossman and Tom Graney Jr. of Graney, Grossman, Colosimo and Associates Inc., and Dennis Puko, executive director of Mercer County Regional Planning Commission.

"If you all pull together, there is a chance to determine where the whole area is going to grow and develop," Puko said. He added that state agencies look more favorably upon joint municipal plans when it comes to grants and environmental benefits can be achieved through joint planning.

Puko said that creating a joint municipal plan is not "consolidation in disguise. It's just the opposite. Municipalities maintain their individuality."