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02-02-09

Mayor Young announces start of Mount Vernon Comprehensive Plan Process
The City of Mount Vernon has been without a new Comprehensive Plan for Development since 1968. Mayor Clinton I. Young, Jr. has decided that it is time for the city to take control of its future and outline a path to smart development that will truly benefit our community. At a press conference on Monday, February 2nd, Mayor Young presented an introduction to the Comprehensive Plan process and how the city will be working with the community to achieve certain goals associated with the plan.

The mayor emphasized that this plan is not going to be a full makeover of the city, but rather it will serve as a guide for the city administration, citizens, and developers of what we want to see happen in our city.

"Mount Vernon has failed in the past to reach its full potential," said Mayor Young. "We are not unlike any other community. In fact, we have more even more advantages than most, we simply need to start capitalizing on the things that make our city great, like our diversity, our location, our manageable size, and our dedicated citizenry."

The Mayor unveiled what will be the driving administrative force in the Comprehensive Planning process, the Steering Committee. Members will be represented from the following groups:

·        Mayor's Office
·        Legislative Branch (City Council)
·        Business Community
·        Board of Education -School District
·        Land Use Boards
·        Planning & Community Development Commissioner
·        Building Commissioner
·        DPW Commissioner
·        City Agencies Representative
·        Mayor's Transition Team Planning Advisor

The Steering Committee will be meeting on a regular basis to discuss and plan the facilitation of the entire process and to ensure the completion of the plan by Summer 2010.

"Our Comprehensive Plan will not only provide a blueprint for future endeavors, but will allow us to maximize the potential of our existing facilities and green space," said City Council President Bill Randolph. "Having this plan in place will save time, money, and other resources for both the city and prospective developers."

Mayor Young emphasized that this planning endeavor is "one that is going to be shared with the entire community."

During the presentation, the mayor and staff handed out of surveys to members of the community. Planning & Community Development Commissioner Jeff Williams spoke about the important role that the community survey will play.

"Today, we begin a community wide listening process," said Commissioner Williams. "Through surveys and public forums, it is our intention to find out from the stakeholders of Mount Vernon how they currently view the city and hope to see it develop and prosper in the future. Our success in developing an effective comprehensive plan is directly related having all segments of the Mount Vernon Community working collectively towards the common goal of enhancing the best qualities of this robust and dynamic city."

This process will lead to the creation of stakeholder groups made up of people from every community in the city such as:

·        Youth Organizations
·        Seniors Organizations
·        Religious Organizations
·        Neighborhood Associations
·        Merchants
·        Business Community
·        Financial Community
·        Developers
·        Health / Social Service Providers
·        Public Service Providers/ Utilities
·        Library
·        Other Government Agencies
·        Neighboring Communities
·        CountyGovernment
·        Educational Organizations

Over the past year, the city has already been working with several entities in preparation for the launch of the Comprehensive Planning process. One of the entities that has been and will continue to be a great help is the Westchester County Department of Planning.

"Our Department and the County Planning Board congratulate Mayor Young on undertaking a new comprehensive plan for the City of Mount Vernon," said Westchester County Commissioner of Planning, Jerry Mulligan. "County and city planners have been working closely for several months to identify the important planning topics that can be addressed in the update which will set out a vision for the city's future through active participation of residents and business owners. Comprehensive city planning helps us at the county-level to plan infrastructure and to address regional issues through our Westchester 2025 initiative."

The Comprehensive Plan's theme of "Many Voices, One Mount Vernon" was evident throughout the mayor's presentation.

"The time is now," said Mayor Young. "We, together, are going to decide the future of Mount Vernon. This is your chance to have your voice heard."

Some of the things to expect in this planning process include, but are not limited to:

·        A Citywide assessment of physical and social planning options
·        The identification of model ordinances and community standards desired for the city
·        A review of current Zoning Ordinances
·        An evaluation of City's infrastructure (including parking) to accommodate build out of proposed zoning amendments
·        An evaluation of existing zoning as an adequate buffer/transition between current and proposed land uses
·        Conducting a citywide environmental review to approve a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS)
·        Enacting desired ordinances and standards enacted concurrently with the comprehensive planning process

Those who have ideas regarding any of these components should include them in the comments section of their survey or submit their ideas through the city's website, cmvny.com.

In addition to the surveys and stakeholder groups, Mayor Young announced the launch of a website, www.planmv.com, which will be totally dedicated to keeping the public informed about Mount Vernon's Comprehensive Plan. The site will be used to distribute surveys, announce community meeting schedules, and for hosting related documents.

A Comprehensive Plan hotline, (914) 665-2358, has also been created for those who don't have internet access to keep up to speed on the planning process.