The New York
Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association (NYUAPA) is pleased to
announce that the Chautauqua County
Greenway Plan has been awarded the 2013 Planning Excellence Award for
Comprehensive Planning. The 2013 NYUAPA Chapter
Awards recognize outstanding work being done by planners, planning firms,
elected officials, and citizens to advance the science and art of urban and regional
planning in upstate New York. The award was presented at the NYUAPA’s annual
conference in Schenectady. Chautauqua County received this same award for its
Comprehensive Plan: Chautauqua 20/20
in 2011.
Summary of the Chautauqua County Greenway
Plan and why it is Special
Chautauqua
County’s rich system of four season greenways positively impacts the economies
of our communities. The recommendations proposed in the Greenway Plan, which
was a top recommendation in Chautauqua
20/20, creates a new enthusiasm for active living and healthy lifestyles;
promotes outdoor activities; improves our quality of life within Chautauqua
County; acts as a catalyst for economic development related to outdoor living;
and establishes Chautauqua County as a destination center for outdoor adventure
and lifelong learning opportunities.
This plan defines
steps for the community to take to:
- Formalize and maintain the rural outdoor lifestyle;
- Fulfill the desire to be a four season destination for active outdoor living; and,
- Capitalize on the positive economic impact that can be realized through providing goods and services that visitors to Chautauqua County desire.
One of the many objectives of
the Chautauqua County Greenway Plan was to develop a unique, concise,
easy-to-read, high quality plan developed within the constraints of a limited
budget. The Project Team, comprised of the Chautauqua County Department of
Planning & Economic Development, Pashek Associates, and other key
stakeholders, strove to not overburden the document with superfluous
information and facts. The crux of the plan is 162 pages in length, and the
team produced an attractive Executive Summary that is only 12 pages in length
(available upon request). The supporting documentation is available on a CD and
on the department website so that the plan can be reproduced at a reasonable
cost. The plan integrates a unique style, is enhanced with colorful pictures
taken locally, and incorporates modest graphics to convey its message.
Besides identifying and
proposing the development of recreational greenways using existing Rights-of
Way and natural corridors, the Plan also identifies towns based on their
potential to provide amenities to trail users. These "Trail Towns"
are ranked based on their ability to provide the goods and services needed by
Trail Users. The project team felt it was essential to identify ten (10) demonstration
projects that are to be the first projects pursued in the coming years (several
are currently being implemented). Enough description about each project is
provided so that it can be discussed and considered for implementation.
The Chautauqua County
Greenway Plan also utilizes a unique methodology for defining its natural
systems greenways by using natural, ecological and hydrologic infrastructure as
building blocks for determining high-value natural areas, and allows these
special areas to be ranked. This
information will help guide decision-makers towards or away from potential
projects based on the sensitivity of natural areas where they are being
proposed.
