Connellsville to hold meeting for comprehensive plan
Connellsville City officials are hosting an open house on Wednesday, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Murphy Hall in Connellsville to gather information from the community as they work to update the city’s next 10-year comprehensive plan.
Michael Edwards, executive director for the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, said the comprehensive plan is an official document that will set forth a long-range vision for the city as well as strategies to make that vision a reality.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity for attendees to identify assets, opportunities and challenges facing the city in relation to land use patterns, connectivity, economic development and community facilities such as parks and recreation,” he said.
Edwards added that a comprehensive plan serves as a guidebook for the next 10 years of the city’s growth.
“Another aspect of this plan is that it will be developed as an ‘implementable plan’-that is it will be more practical and can lead to desired development and community improvements,” he said. “Policy-driven action steps with timelines, responsible parties and possible sources of financing are developed.”
Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln said it is important that residents and businesses within the city come to the open house to add input to this planning process.
“We have a survey that we’re asking those who attend to fill out so that we can have some feedback on what direction the community would like to see us go towards,” he said.
Those who fill out the survey will have their name put in a raffle for a chance to win prizes.
“The last 10-year plan has expired and because of different financial issues, we weren’t able to accomplish all of the goals there, but the city is in a good place right now and once this new plan is developed, we’re going to do everything we can to stick to it and not get off course,” Lincoln said.
Edwards said this comprehensive plan has a couple of specialty focuses.
“There will be a bike/walk audit as well as a plan for the future use of the area of the city that was affected by the 2016 flooding that will have to remain as green/open space,” he said. “A section will also be on the continued economic development in the central business district as well as a housing market analysis.”
He agreed with Lincoln that community input and involvement is vital to the success of the plan.
“Citizens of the community can assist in the improvements that they desire to see, and when citizens are stakeholders it makes comprehensive plans stronger,” Edwards said. “Proposals made in the plan are more likely to be implemented, moving ideas forward.”
The cost to put the plan together is $120,000 and the funding was secured through the Appalachian Regional Commission Local Foods Local Places and R. K. Mellon Foundation.
“This is an important opportunity for citizens to get involved in planning the city’s future,” said Mayor Greg Lincoln. “We encourage everyone to attend and make their voices heard.”
More details are available on the project website, www.connellsvillecompplan.com.