Sustainable Master Plan

Kick-Off of Sustainable Master Plan Process

From Imagination to Action: City Key Stakeholders Celebrate Kick-Off of Sustainable Master Plan Process

Imagine what the City of Newburgh will look like in 2040- then make this vision a reality. This is the task facing City officials and 180 key stakeholders from the community, and after extensive preparation, they are beginning the process that will lead to a Sustainable Master Plan for the City.

The first step in the process was to identify, engage and train community stakeholders. The stakeholders are a diverse core team of residents and community partners, including local businesses and institutions. With the assistance of Global Community Initiatives and Sustainable Hudson Valley, key stakeholders were trained in four workshops to facilitate focus groups and public forums on important community issues, gather and review input from the community, and build a final version of the Master Plan.

The first draft of the Sustainable Master Plan is expected to be ready by October of 2006 for the Council to review.

Recently, key stakeholders and City officials took a trip to Burlington, VT., to meet with the Mayor and citizens who developed a master plan through their "Legacy Project." The group toured the Burlington Land Trust, Burlington's Center for Community and Neighborhoods (C-CAN), City Arts, the Community Justice Center, and the Opportunities Credit Union providing capital and financial services to low-income Vermonters to support home-ownership, better jobs, furthering of education, and the building of small businesses, all results of Burlington's sustainable master plan process.

Ramona Burton, Director of the Orange County Community College Center for Youth Development, took five young people from the Center to Burlington.

"The trip left me with a lot of hope," Burton said. "That's how I feel about the whole sustainability process." Having the opportunity to see Burlington and be with the other stakeholders and the Burlington officials was "a wonderful opportunity," she said.

This approach to drafting a Sustainable Master Plan for the City of Newburgh is completely innovative, said City Manager Jean-Ann McGrane. "The Sustainable Master Planning process introduces a new approach that disregards the traditional management style of attacking individual problems as they arise. We are focusing on how to achieve positive outcomes, rather than overcoming negative problems."

At the end of this process there will be a community consensus of what the vision, goals, strategy, and progress indicators are for the City, she added. After prioritizing each vision and strategy, stakeholders will make a series of recommendations, and the finished product will be an action plan for the City's future.

"Over the years, the components of the Master Plan will be evaluated and adjusted as needed. But, future community leaders, and residents will know what the action plan is, so we can move forward together," McGrane commented. "Urban Renewal created a scar that lasted for years. This Master Plan is about restoring the City to the status it enjoyed in the 1950s while bringing it into the future as a model of community renaissance."

The kickoff of the Sustainable Master Plan process will be celebrated with "A Taste of Newburgh," on Saturday, Sept. 24, during "Last Saturday" events. Trolley rides will take you to local restaurants and a tent in Downing Park to sample the many cuisines the City has to offer, including fine home cooking from local churches.

"Launching the actual process with a celebration makes sense," said Mayor Nick Valentine. "Participants in the Master Planning process are excited about their task, and we want to celebrate their enthusiasm and commitment to moving the City in a whole new direction."

The stakeholders have broken into focus groups to identify specific issues that need to be addressed in the Master Plan. Stakeholders are issuing an invitation to other community members to join them in this process. If you would like to participate, call Elizabeth McKean at 742-8406 or Courtney Kain at 569-7342.