Press release:
At the 2022 Upstate Chapter Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), the Genesee County 2050 Plan was awarded the excellence in comprehensive planning award. The award was presented by the Vice- President of the Upstate APA Chapter, Sean Maguire, to representatives of the Genesee 2050 planning team present including Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein, Planning Director Felipe Oltramari, Deputy Highway Superintendent Paul Osborn, Deputy Planning Director Erin Pence, and members of the consultant team including, Mike Kane and Jenny Mogavero of Prospect Hill Consulting, and Joy Kuebler and Eve Holberg of Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect.
Genesee 2050 offers a new perspective on comprehensive planning and includes a comprehensive plan update and recreation plan. The new plan is designed to be used as an online document and focuses less on an exhaustive inventory – which is always out of date by the time a comp plan is published anyhow – and more on what the county’s data indicators mean.
Genesee 2050 was developed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and so necessitated creative solutions to gather public input. An engagement process was designed that included safe in-person gatherings, online engagement, phone and in-person interviews and extensive public and stakeholder surveys.
Genesee 2050 is written for quick reference and ongoing implementation. There are no lists of recommendations. Instead, a smaller and more general set of recommendations focuses on preparing for the future based on what has been learned from the past in each of the 10 elements. There are a very select few overarching recommendations focusing on the process and this vision and three succinct goals.
The planning process continues in 2023 and is open to all residents, landowners, businesses, or anyone interested in Genesee County. Please visit: https://www.genesee2050.com/pages/get-involved to get involved. You can provide written input or be put on a notification list of any meeting or events related to the planning process. You can also join any of the 10 focus groups that will help chart the future of Genesee County. These are:
- Agriculture & Food
- Arts, Culture, Parks & Recreation
- Community Wellness
- Economic & Workforce Development
- Education & Government Administration 6. Housing Opportunities
- Land Use, Environment & Placemaking 8. Technology & Utilities
- Transportation & Mobility
- Safety, Security & Justice
