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PLANNING INITIATIVES
Click the link below from the list of all recent and ongoing planning initiatives to jump to that location on this page:
In 2003 the City of Binghamton completed a city-wide Comprehensive Plan which was adopted by Binghamton City Council. The plan, created by the Saratoga Associates, covers a wide range of strategies for improving the social and economic well-being of the City of Binghamton. Included in the plan are detailed changes to the City's zoning and concepts for improving economic growth in the downtown district.
The Comprehensive Plan is provided online (pdf format). This plan is large and has been broken up into 16 smaller files that are available for download:
Comprehensive Plan:
Also, anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the Comprehensive Plan on Compact Disk may do so by contacting the City of Binghamton Planning Department. Copies can be obtained on a CD for a minimal fee. A hardcopy version of the plan is available for viewing at the Planning Department. Hardcopy versions of the Comprehensive Plan are not provided by the City of Binghamton. For details call: 607-772-7028.
The City of Binghamton has completed preparation of a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), which is a locally prepared, comprehensive land and water use plan for its natural, public, and developed waterfront resources. The Binghamton LWRP provides a comprehensive framework within which critical waterfront issues can be addressed and planned waterfront improvement projects can be pursued and implemented.
The City of Binghamton prepared its LWRP with assistance from the New York State Department of State and in accordance with the New York State Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways Act and the New York State Coastal Management Program.
The City of Binghamton LWRP is a comprehensive inland waterway management program that is based on the policies of the New York State Coastal Management Program. The Binghamton City Council adopted their LWRP on December 5, 2005. The Binghamton LWRP was then approved by the New York State Secretary of State on December 23, 2005. With State approval, the Binghamton LWRP will serve to coordinate State actions needed to achieve the City’s goals for it’s waterfront area.
The Binghamton LWRP refines and supplements the State Coastal Management Program by incorporating local needs and objectives. It contains seven sections and appendices.
The final LWRP document can be accessed here: NY State Division of Coastal Resources.
The Waterfront Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing projects within the boundaries of the LWRP. To find out more information on the Waterfront Advisory Committee click here.
In 2002 the North Side Communities of Shalom, the Department of Planning, Housing, and Community Development, and students and faculty from Cornell University and SUNY-ESF began a community engagement process to understand the strenghs and challenges of the North Side community. This Vision Plan seeks to educate us about the North Side now and in the future. It is a tool for advising the City of Binghamton about the issues we face, what we need, and what propoals to make for future change. The following vision was developed as part of the community engagement process.
The North Side of Binghamton will become a stronger community living in diversity, growing in unity, and sharing a common experience of safety, beauty, and opportunity. A plan for the North Side will affirm the lives and dignity of all people who live here, foster inter-generational relationships, celebrate diversity, and strengthen neighborhood unity.
The North Side CARES Vision Plan is provided online. (.pdf format) Due to the size of the file it has been divided into 2 smaller files.
North Side CARES Vision Plan
In 2007, with funds provided through the New York State Department of State Qualities Communities Initiative, the Planning Department engaged the Department of Geography at Binghamton University to provide consulting services for an East Side Revitalization Strategy. The consultants were to develop a revitalization strategy that included the following elements:
- Creation and inventory of existing conditions within and/or affecting the East Side, as well as an analysis of opportunities and constraints to revitalization.
- Establishment of a visions statement, goals, and objectives for revitalization of the neighborhood.
- Develop recommendations for implementation of goals and objectives.
In conjuction with the East Side Neighborhood Assembly, the folloiwng vision statement was developed, which guided the consultant's work.
The East Side of Binghamton is a safe, vital and attractive community that draws upon the history and diversity of its inhabitants to provide residents with access to a full range of goods and services.
The East Side Revitalization Strategy is provided online (pdf format). This plan is large and has been broken up into 13 smaller files that are available for download:
The City has entered into a partnership with South Side merchants, property owners & residents to create a municipal common area within the heart of the Southside Business District, a project made feasible by support from Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo.
The “South Side Commons” will provide residents, business patrons and visitors with interconnected pedestrian access to buildings, parking for cars & service vehicles, an outdoor green space and signage, banners and artwork that will reflect the vitality and creativity of the South Side.
Working in conjunction with the City, property owners would agree to enter an agreement to deed a portion of their land (existing parking or vacant land) to the City of Binghamton for the construction of a municipal parking area and community open space. The City, would work with a professional design firm to develop plans for the “Commons” based on public comment from businesses, residential tenants and feedback from the South Side Neighborhood Assembly.
Last Spring, the City hired Shumaker Consulting Engineering as design consultant for the project. Presently the Engineering Department is in the middle of developing design scope of services and fee negotiations with the design consultant. When this is done and design is underway, we anticipate design being completed within 4 to 5 months. The Engineering Department has committed to Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo that there will be a spring 2010 letting.
On February 2, 2010, the City in collaboration with the South Side West Neighborhood Assembly, hosted a public meeting to gather community input on the proposed project. Click here to read the press release for this meeting. The consultant will take the input from the community and incorporate them into two design alternatives. At the April 2010 South Side West Neighborhood Assembly meeting there will be a presentation on the two proposed alternatives.
Community Participation is an important element of the proposed South Side Commons project. Below please find minutes from Community Meetings held in 2007.
Also available for review is a map of project Location and Land Use add an ariel photo of the Project Location.
The Partnership for Change was a joint-initiative of the Mayor's Office and City Council, announced during the Mayor's 2008 State of the City Address, that aimed to address four of the most pressing issues of municipal finance - Personnel Costs, Sanitation, Sustainable Development and Smart Growth, and Housing and Homeownership. Each Commission included representation from the administration, City Council, city unions, and the community. The Commission on Sustainable Development and Smart Growth was asked to address the following issues:
- To research best practices in sustainable development and smart growth principles, compare with the City’s current code and make recommendations on improving municipal code for the following issues:
- Storm water management
- Landscaping requirements and parking lots
- Green building (construction and rehabilitation) for publicly-financed projects
- To review best practices on preservation of historic structures, adaptive reuse, and design consistency and to make recommendations to strengthen City Code, the role of CAUD, and Downtown Binghamton (Main Street organization)
- To make recommendations on a sustainable development plan for economic stimulation in the City, including marketing and funding opportunities to incentivize investment and compliance.
The Commission's final report and implementation matrix can be found here.
The Brownfield Opportunity Area Program is a collaboration between the New York State Division of Coastal Resources and Department of Environmental Conservation. The Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program is designed to assist communities in fostering redevelopment and returning underutilized land into productive and catalytic areas while restoring environmental quality. The purpose of the BOA program is to establish a community based revitalization plan and implementation strategy to achieve brownfield redevelopment.
The BOA program is composed of three steps:
- Step 1 - Pre-nomination Study
- Step 2 - Nomination
- Step 3 - Implementation Strategy.
A summary of the BOA program can be found here.
The City of Binghamton is currently involved in planning efforts for the First Ward Redevelopment Strategy (Step 1), North Chenango River Corridor Redevelopment Strategy (Step 2), and Brandywine Corridor Redevelopment. Please visit the City of Binghamton's Brownfields Development Initiative webpage for more information on the City's on-going efforts to clean and redevelop brownfield sites.
The need for better trails and bikeways was recognized several years ago and in December of 1999, the Binghamton Metropolitan Greenway Study was completed by the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study in cooperation with the City of Binghamton and other local governments. This study examined the potential for trail development along our river corridors and provided clear set of recommendations to local municipalities seeking creative ways to improve and expand access to the rivers and existing trails. Ultimately, there will be over 30 miles of trail along the rivers that will carefully tie into commercial centers, existing parks or regional points of interest.
The Greater Binghamton Greenway Plan is available for download here (.pdf file). (coming soon)
The Susquehanna Heritage Area Management Plan Amendment, completed in December of 2009, builds upon previous efforts that hve been developed and implemented sinec the Susquehanna Heritage Areawas recognized by the New York State legislature in 1982. The goal of the plan was to further identify, promote, and develop the historic, cultural, recreational, and natural resources of an expanded Susquehanna Heritage Area, encompassing Broome and Tioga Counties. The plan identifies strategies for the enhancement of unique cultural and natural resources in Broome and Tioga Counties and will guide the implementation of prgrams and projects to foster economic revitalization and enhance quality of life throughout the region.
Binghamton City Council approve the Susquehanna Heritage Area Management Plan Amendment and boundary expansion in July 2010. The document is available online (.pdf form).
The Rust to Green Hatch Project, a partnership between the City of Binghamton and Cornell University's Department of Landscape Architecture (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), is a three-year initiative to shift NY's rust belt cities toward sustainability. Binghamton and Utica are the first two cities selected by Cornell University as part of an ambitious, long-term project to identify, document, and facilitate trends and successes in redefining rust belt cities as potential green centers of vitality and livability.
Key goals of the project, identified by the City's PHCD, include:
- Capturing and better communicating the "green" success stories over the last few years (brownfield redevelopment, urban forestry and agriculture, green job training, deconstruction and waste diversion, green infrastructure, climate protection, etc)
- Connecting student-based research to ongoing neighborhood planning initiatives, including Brownfield Opportunity Area Planning Grants in the First Ward, North Side, and Brandywine Corridor
- Facilitate dialogue across sectors on importance of regional planning and visioning grounded in Smart Growth principles and Sustainable Development
Please visit the Rust to Green website for more information.
Webpage currently under development (8/9/10)
