The New Rochelle Department of Development recently launched an economic development branding and marketing initiative for the City of New Rochelle. North Star Destination Strategies an industry leader in community branding.
I am told this will not be just like EnvisioNR, we will see.
I received the following information from The Development Department:
Subject: New Event City of New Rochelle Branding Outreach
http://www.newrochelleny.com/Calendar.aspx?EID=1849
The New Rochelle Department of Development recently launched an exciting economic development branding and marketing initiative for the City of New Rochelle. But we need your help to define New Rochelle’s “marketing brand!”
For this venture, we have engaged North Star Destination Strategies, the industry leader in community branding known throughout the United States for its ability to generate positive community growth. The firm will be in New Rochelle on September 9, 2014 to introduce themselves, discuss the branding process and update the community on ways they can get involved. All are invited to attend this public education and outreach session:
Topic: New Rochelle Branding Public Education & Outreach Session
Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
Place: New Rochelle City Hall, City Council Chambers (auditorium), 515 North Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10801
Come on out and see what our tax dollars are being spent on. Be a part of the solution, not the problem! Remember, New Rochelle Loves History!
And this branding project cost how much?
So how much will this poorly thought out branding project cost us? Who’s brilliant idea was this (can I guess)? And what happened to the last “marketing” idea we paid for, that we got no results from, “EnvisioNR”? How much did that cost?
With all the failing infrastructure here in New Rochelle, with an Armory that belongs to the people of this City that has trees growing up from the toilets, with a public works commissioner who is already practicing his excuses as to why the snow can’t be removed from secondary streets three to four days after a six inch snowfall because the trucks are broken, we need to waste money on a “branding” study? We still have potholes that are unfilled from last winter. We keep raising fees and carving charges out of our real estate taxes to stay within the tax mandate, & we choose to waste money on a branding project. How about releasing the results of the last effort, before launching into a new waste of time. Whose crony friend got this money from this study?
What ever became of EnvisioNR?
I wrote to the Development Commissioner and City Spokesperson asking them whether there was any report of work product that resulted from EnvisioNR.
Somehow EnvisioNR was supposed to be the basis for the City’s new Comprehensive Plan although there was just prior to that a GreeNR plan that would have seemed to serve the same purpose.
“These guidelines, along with professional and public input, will help New Rochelle determine the direction of its future development and will be clearly outlined in the 2020 Comprehensive Plan – EnvisioNR.”
I searched the City web site for the 2020 Comprehensive Plan and EnvisioNR but came up empty/
This is the main Page for EnvisioNR.
Beginning in early 2012, New Rochelle began the important process of updating the city’s comprehensive plan. As a process that welcomes the public’s input and ideas, we hope you will take the time to read about the comprehensive planning process, the future of New Rochelle and the many opportunities for public involvement. Check back regularly for updates as the process moves forward!
Interactive Website Launched for Comp Plan Process
To further encourage public input in the creation of the City’s new Comprehensive Plan, the Department of Development has launched an interactive, online forum website http://www.EnvisioNR.com.
The EnvisioNR site, run through a platform called MindMixer, features discussion forums to submit ideas, opinions and suggestions on specific questions as they relate to the comprehensive plan’s six focus areas:
– Economic Development
– Land Use + Zoning
– Mobility + Infrastructure
– Neighborhoods + Housing
– Open Space + Community Resources
– Urban Design + Preservation
The initial set of topics on the EnvisioNR forum focuses on Neighborhoods + Housing. Additional topics on other focus areas will be posted in the weeks and months ahead, allowing participants to revisit the site and give new feedback. All responses will be collected by the EnvisioNR team and reviewed for the next step in the planning process- the creation of recommendations for the city’s future.
To get started, visit http://www.EnvisioNR.com and sign up by clicking the purple “Sign Up Here!” box. Signing up is necessary to participate. By clicking on any of the listed questions, participants will be able to submit their own answers, support other participants’ answers, and vote on the best ideas.
This is the initial notification page for EnvisioNR
Both pages list http://www.envisionr.com
A WHOIS look up of who owns that domain does not disclose ownership:
http://www.envisionr.com points to http://www.mindmixer.com
That site does not seem to have any information about new Rochelle.
In the search results for “EnvisioNR” I did come across this resolution from 2012:
There is a requirement that Comprehensive Plans have community input and this resolution was for the purpose of funding that input.