Roadmap for the Future: Albany's Comprehensive Plan Underway

Where are we going? Are we there yet? The City of Albany has engaged a planner and appointed a new board, all with the goal of creating a comprehensive plan for the city. The plan will take a long range view of the city's future, to figure out both where we are, and where we'd like to be in the next 20 years.

Slated for release in 2011, the comprehensive plan will be the first in the city's 400 year history.

Neighborhood Association members across the city are being invited to attend a series of January meetings so that residents can provide their input on the state of the city. At Monday night's West End Neighborhood Association meeting, John O'Grady, president, exhorted members to participate in the meetings. The city needs to hear from its constituents, he explained to the members who met at the West End Presbyterian Church.

The plan is an important document, which promises to have a long-lasting impact on Albany. It will serve as the city's guiding policy document, and "set a common direction for the city," says David Rouse, Principal with Wallace Roberts and Todd, a planning and design firm out of Philadelphia that was hired to consult on the process.

The firm will work with the city's Department of Planning and Development, as well as the city's recently created Comprehensive Planning Board. The 30-member comprehensive planning board is made up of city personnnel, business owners, and civic leaders who were appointed by the city's Common Council in September. According to the city website, the board will provide guidance for the plan and make a recommendation to the council for its adoption.

The process for creating the city's first comprehensive plan promises to be both thorough and thoughtful. "We're under way, and we're looking for the entire process to take between 15 and 18 months," Rouse explained. The comprehensive planning board will host group meetings, hold one on one interviews, and conduct massive surveys, all with the goal of soliciting input from the public. This week, Rouse and his colleagues kicked off the process by holding meetings with city stakeholders, including transportation agencies, neighborhood associations, and business improvement districts. During the meetings, attendees were asked about the city's strengths and challenges.

While it's still early in the process, the meetings have nevertheless revealed a number of concerns, Rouse says. Stakeholders voiced concerns about the high number of tax-exempt properties in the area, the perception problem with the city school district, and safety issues. However the meetings also revealed a long list of city assets, including walkable neighborhoods, a number of vibrant arts institutions, and a wealth of historic architecture.

In January, the city will hold another series of public meetings, this time aimed at city residents. "We want as many people to participate as possible," Rouse says. Residents will be asked what they like about living in the city and what they would like to see improved.

The idea is to capitalize on some of the city's assets and solve some of the problems that have been identified, Rouse says. The plan will serve as a starting point, and could help direct zoning changes, regulatory changes, and transportation infrastructure, he says. It could even make the city more eligible for grant funding: "Generally, if a community has a good plan in place, it puts them in a good position for competitive grants," Rouse says.

The meetings will be held on January 28, 29 and 30. Times and location will be announced soon.

Other meeting notes:

--Janet Parker, community liasion for the Albany Police Department, updated the audience on recent criminal activity in the area. There's been an upsurge in burglaries from cars, which will probably continue to rise as the holiday season approaches, she cautioned. She advised people to park in well-lit areas, don't leave valuables in plain sight, and always lock your car doors and roll up your windows. "I've seen larceny for things like change in a cupholder," she said.

--A public meeting will be held on December 3rd at 6:30pm in the Education Building of the St. Rose College, Carl Touhey Forum to discuss the selection of the new police chief. Residents will be asked to help choose criteria for the selection of this new post.