AUBURN - City of Auburn residents had a chance to discuss what they would like the city to look like within the next five, 10 and 20 years Saturday morning. Approximately 25 people attended a comprehensive plan workshop, where they voted on and discussed images that were appealing to them and talked about key issues that need to be addressed in order to improve Auburn, including things that people liked and what should be changed.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
After breaking into smaller groups, George Homsy, left, an urban and regional planner for Saratoga Associates, is shown some pleasant and problem areas of Auburn. The team of planners ran the Auburn Comprehensive Workshop at Cayuga Community College to discuss Pioneering a Sustainable Future for the city.
After breaking into smaller groups, George Homsy, left, an urban and regional planner for Saratoga Associates, is shown some pleasant and problem areas of Auburn. The team of planners ran the Auburn Comprehensive Workshop at Cayuga Community College to discuss Pioneering a Sustainable Future for the city.
The discussion was led by consulting firm Saratoga Associates, the company hired by the city to help with the comprehensive plan.
“The best thing about this was seeing that something is being done,” said Denise Hardy, who came to the workshop with her husband, John. “They are trying to implement a change. That's very important to me.”
For Hardy, who grew up in New York City, it was helpful to see other people with similar ideas. She and her husband, who was born and raised in Auburn, moved to Auburn last December after spending the past 20 years living in New Jersey. The couple moved into the home where John grew up.
“We had the house completely renovated ... and I noticed one thing too, is when we did have the house worked on, a lot of the people in the neighborhood started doing little things around their houses, cutting grass, picking up, cleaning yards. That's something I wanted to suggest here,” she said. “Sometimes, just one family in a neighborhood can start doing a little bit of something and everybody else (will follow).”
Steve Lynch came to Saturday's meeting because Auburn “has many good things and great opportunities and we need to knit together all the good things,” he said. Lynch learned that there is a lot of support for downtown revitalization, riverfront development, housing opportunities and people who are positive about Auburn.
Hardy said that it's important to work not only on downtown but also the surrounding neighborhoods.
“When people start feeling good about where they live, then they'll start feeling better about the surrounding areas and the rest of the community,” she said. “You have to feel good about where you are first and once you're kind of there, then you can start focusing on the outskirts and beautification of the entire neighborhood.”
Lynch believes that an important part of this project is to focus on neighborhoods and ensuring that people feel comfortable knowing their property values will be enhanced, he said, and focusing on cultural opportunities. He hopes that “10 times as many people” come to Wednesday's meeting and participate.
Art Wenzel said he wishes that the city would “stop talking and start walking” when it comes to improving Auburn. Wenzel has lived in downtown Auburn for 25 years and has a vested interest in the community, he said.
“They've been doing feasibility studies year after year,” he said.
Rather than doing another study, the city needs to take action, he said. Wenzel believes that tourism and marketing is the key to revitalizing Auburn. His ideas include marketing the creation of a mini-Hollywood as well as Auburn's historical assets like Seward House, Harriet Tubman Home and Theodore Case, the creator of sound-on-film.
“We could be a mini-Hollywood here. I mean, Hollywood is what it is but is started right here, so let's rethink our marketing strategy,” he said.
Wenzel, along with other participants Saturday, said that a two to three year plan should be considered rather than a 10 to 20 year one.
“This change will happen even if it happens in gradual stages,” Hardy said. “We're not going to turn it around 100 percent in two years but even that it happens in stages and that there are definite plans between now and next year, something happens.”
Some of the short-term goals could include making the riverfront more user-friendly and creating bike lanes in the city, she said.
“Why is it going to take 10 to 20 years?” Wenzel asked. “Let's set some goals, some smaller-scale things ... Let's get busy.”
The discussion helped Saratoga Associates consultants understand what people want for Auburn and for the future, said urban and regional planner George Homsy.
“A plan requires public participation, it requires us understanding what the community wants,” he said.
After Wednesday's meeting, Saratoga Associates will put together a report based on the information they gathered from the community. The report will go to the Comprehensive Plan Committee and they will write the plan, Homsy said.
“Whether things will work in Auburn is up to the people that live (here),” he said. “The key is that the community embraces the plan.”
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
“The best thing about this was seeing that something is being done,” said Denise Hardy, who came to the workshop with her husband, John. “They are trying to implement a change. That's very important to me.”
For Hardy, who grew up in New York City, it was helpful to see other people with similar ideas. She and her husband, who was born and raised in Auburn, moved to Auburn last December after spending the past 20 years living in New Jersey. The couple moved into the home where John grew up.
“We had the house completely renovated ... and I noticed one thing too, is when we did have the house worked on, a lot of the people in the neighborhood started doing little things around their houses, cutting grass, picking up, cleaning yards. That's something I wanted to suggest here,” she said. “Sometimes, just one family in a neighborhood can start doing a little bit of something and everybody else (will follow).”
Steve Lynch came to Saturday's meeting because Auburn “has many good things and great opportunities and we need to knit together all the good things,” he said. Lynch learned that there is a lot of support for downtown revitalization, riverfront development, housing opportunities and people who are positive about Auburn.
Hardy said that it's important to work not only on downtown but also the surrounding neighborhoods.
“When people start feeling good about where they live, then they'll start feeling better about the surrounding areas and the rest of the community,” she said. “You have to feel good about where you are first and once you're kind of there, then you can start focusing on the outskirts and beautification of the entire neighborhood.”
Lynch believes that an important part of this project is to focus on neighborhoods and ensuring that people feel comfortable knowing their property values will be enhanced, he said, and focusing on cultural opportunities. He hopes that “10 times as many people” come to Wednesday's meeting and participate.
Art Wenzel said he wishes that the city would “stop talking and start walking” when it comes to improving Auburn. Wenzel has lived in downtown Auburn for 25 years and has a vested interest in the community, he said.
“They've been doing feasibility studies year after year,” he said.
Rather than doing another study, the city needs to take action, he said. Wenzel believes that tourism and marketing is the key to revitalizing Auburn. His ideas include marketing the creation of a mini-Hollywood as well as Auburn's historical assets like Seward House, Harriet Tubman Home and Theodore Case, the creator of sound-on-film.
“We could be a mini-Hollywood here. I mean, Hollywood is what it is but is started right here, so let's rethink our marketing strategy,” he said.
Wenzel, along with other participants Saturday, said that a two to three year plan should be considered rather than a 10 to 20 year one.
“This change will happen even if it happens in gradual stages,” Hardy said. “We're not going to turn it around 100 percent in two years but even that it happens in stages and that there are definite plans between now and next year, something happens.”
Some of the short-term goals could include making the riverfront more user-friendly and creating bike lanes in the city, she said.
“Why is it going to take 10 to 20 years?” Wenzel asked. “Let's set some goals, some smaller-scale things ... Let's get busy.”
The discussion helped Saratoga Associates consultants understand what people want for Auburn and for the future, said urban and regional planner George Homsy.
“A plan requires public participation, it requires us understanding what the community wants,” he said.
After Wednesday's meeting, Saratoga Associates will put together a report based on the information they gathered from the community. The report will go to the Comprehensive Plan Committee and they will write the plan, Homsy said.
“Whether things will work in Auburn is up to the people that live (here),” he said. “The key is that the community embraces the plan.”
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
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bud3 wrote on Nov 17, 2008 7:35 AM:
The restoration effort will be expensive, but will pay for itself over time, as this section of downtown on South Street, near the corner of Genesee, will become the focal point of our city's revitalization, not only with bricks and mortar, but in terms of our city's sense of pride.
The theater is without a doubt an architectural and historic landmark, locally and nationally. Anyone who knows about and studies theater architecture will tell you that this theater is very, very rare, in fact one of the greatest theaters in the country. The building is structurally sound. The interior needs to be restored and/or recreated, which can be done, despite what on the surface appears to be daunting.
In fact, my opinion is that many of the surrounding buildings should be encouraged to become part of what we might call the Schine's Theater District. Our arts council, the coming Musical Theater Festival, and various other arts and culture related groups should be based in this area. These groups should work in tandem, rather than compete, to create a truly unique and ecclectic downtown experience. The eventual financial impact will more than pay for investments that are made.
This Schine's Theater District will tie in with the rest of South Street's one-of-a-kind historic timeline, with its 19th century Tubman and Seward homes, turn of the century victorian homes, followed by post-depression/ pre WW2 downtown entertainment landmark.
We should all be thankful that several forward looking individuals have worked hard over the past 15 years to save the Schines. Indeed, the project has indeed moved much too slowly over more recent years, therefore again giving the community the sense that it can't be done. But now is the time to do what needs to be done.
The restored 1938 marquee and the fabulous vertical Auburn sign that once literally lit up downtown should shine brightly again. Imagine coming into town from the thruway on North Street, seeing that sight, and driving into a fabulous theater district, which will literally and figuratively declare a new era in Auburn's history!
Positive, creating thinking are needed, now. The Schine's is one of our greatest assets, it is time that we all recognize this fact and make this project happen.
I have great faith in the Arts Council's brand new executive director. Let's all give her encouragement to work with our city's leaders, community leaders, other arts and theater directors, and public opinion in general to refocus this very important effort! "
brew1234 wrote on Nov 16, 2008 8:52 PM: