Geneva seeks input for comprehensive plan

The City of Geneva comprehensive plan steering committee seeks residents, non-residents who work in the City, and business stakeholders’ input through a survey available online and hard copy now through October 13th. The community’s valuable feedback will help the committee’s efforts in developing the 2016 Comprehensive Master Plan for the City of Geneva. “A crucial component of this effort is the Geneva community’s input into the planning process. We ask for everyone’s help in spreading the word about the survey and the upcoming community meeting this fall,” said Sage Gerling, Director of the Office of Neighborhood Initiatives.The completion deadline for the questionnaire is October 13th. You can go to this website to link to the survey: http://cityofgeneva.questionpro.com to complete the survey online. Hard copies of the survey will also be available at the Geneva Housing Authority Main Office (41 Lewis St.), Courtyard Apartments Office (10 Goodman St.), Elmcrest Apartments (99 Lewis St.), Lyceum Heights (150 Lyceum St.), City Hall (47 Castle St.), GNRC (430 Exchange St.), Public Library (244 Main St.), and YMCA (399 William St.) The survey will be available in English and Spanish. If you need assistance reading the survey, please come to the GNRC for staff members to help you take the survey. Residents are encouraged to save the date of November 12, 2015 in order to participate in the City of Geneva Comprehensive Plan, process during a community meeting which will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Sons of Italy at 31 Prospect Ave.The presentation portion will contain on overview of comprehensive planning process, including: what is a comprehensive plan and how might we might incorporate sustainable and smart growth principles; a snapshot of existing conditions and analysis of the community; sharing results from the community survey and asking for comments from the attendees.The comprehensive planning process will determine the City’s goals and priorities for land use and community development. The goal of this meeting is to share the community analysis done by the consultants to obtain feedback. The plan is still in its initial stages of development, and the committee is seeking feedback on the analysis done so far.The City’s comprehensive plan is part of Governor Cuomo’s Cleaner, Greener Communities program, a major statewide initiative encouraging communities to incorporate sustainability goals and principles into local decision-making, and then form partnerships to transform markets that lead to the reduction of emissions and the generation of economic benefits. The program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), also empowers communities to take action, providing technical resources and decision-making tools on land use, housing, transportation, energy, economic development and environmental practices, resulting in more vibrant and prosperous New York.The last comprehensive plan was completed in 1997, and a new plan is being created to reflect modern planning initiatives. The total cost of the project is $90,000, with $50,000 in support from NYSERDA, $10,000 from the LDC, $10,000 from the IDA, and $20,000 from the City.