The second and final public meeting in Rochester on the Cleaner, Greener Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 28 at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, 657 East Avenue, Rochester. The public is invited to attend.
A Coalition, which includes representatives from the nine counties in the region, the City of Rochester, local municipalities, the Genesee Regional Transportation Council and the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, has been meeting since August and are in the final stages of developing a Regional Sustainability Plan that will be submitted to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for consideration. This study is part of Governor Cuomo’s Cleaner Greener Communities Program. Ten regions across the state have been invited to submit plans and are competing for a portion of $90 million in funding to implement specific projects identified in their plans. The Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Planning Consortium must submit the most comprehensive plan possible to secure a portion of this funding for the nine County Genesee-Finger Lakes Region.
The Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan will outline tangible methods to improve the long-term sustainability of the region’s natural resources. Viable strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, coupled with recommendations on specific energy improvements, renewable energy sources, water and waste management initiatives, transportation and land use, agricultural improvements, housing and economic development will be included. The plan also makes recommendations on ways local stakeholders can collaborate to achieve realistic goals, sets milestones for key projects, and identifies completion dates for all actions recommended in the plan.
“This public meeting will really be a great opportunity for the public to review and comment on draft strategies while also providing new ones, and talk one-on-one with the consultant team before the Sustainability Plan is fully drafted,” explains David Zorn, Executive Director of the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council and spokesperson for the Consortium.
The upcoming Public Meeting on the Sustainability Plan will be held “Open House Style.” This means people can come any time between 5 and 7 p.m. and stay as long as they like within that timeframe. There will be no formal presentation at this meeting. Instead participants can review a series of boards that will be on display throughout the meeting room. These boards explain the draft goals and the current strategies under consideration for submission to New York State. Attendees can then discuss the content with consultant team members who will be on hand to answer questions and document their input. The public is encouraged to voice its opinions on the topics under discussion and to provide new insights and ideas whenever possible.
For information on the Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan please contact David Zorn at G/FLRPC, 585-454-0190 x14 or dave.zorn@gflrpc.org or visit the Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan website at www.sustainable-fingerlakes.org.
For further information on the Cleaner Greener Communities program, please contact Lindsay Robbins at NYSERDA, 212-971-5342 ext. 3008 or lrr@nyserda.org.
