Monroe County has released a draft of its first new comprehensive plan in four decades and is seeking feedback from residents.
"Plan Forward: A Comprehensive Plan for Monroe County" presents a long-term vision for the county around investment and development. County Executive Adam Bello made the plan development a key element of his 2019 campaign for the office and has repeatedly called it a "roadmap" for the county.
"It is critically important. If you don't have a plan, where are you going, right?" Bello said. "You have to have a guidepost, and Monroe County hasn't had a comprehensive master plan since before I was born."
The old plan, he added, referenced industries that don't exist in Monroe County anymore, and he said an update was long overdue.
Work on the plan began in 2021, with more than 50 pop-up public engagement meetings along with focus group and steering committee meetings. The draft includes recommendations around growth, land use, infrastructure, the environment, housing and transportation.
Bello said that in addition to guiding decision-making, the plan will also help county officials as they try to secure money and other resources from the state and federal governments.
"Doing so in context of a larger plan of how those projects and how that funding fits in is important," Bello said. "That helps tell your story, it helps you when you're advocating for funding, and it also helps you identify what those projects are."
The county has scheduled two sessions for community members to learn about the plan and provide feedback. The first is an in-person meeting at 6 p.m. June 3 at Monroe Community College's Brighton campus. The second is a virtual session at noon on June 10.
Registration information and other details are available on the county's website.
