The City of New Rochelle’s Department of Development has issued an “RFP” to prepare an update 1995 Comprehensive Plan!
I have just receive by e-mail notice of a release posted on The City of New Rochelle’s web site it says that The City of New Rochelle’s Department of Development has issued an “RFP” Request for Proposal to prepare an update to The City of New Rochelle’s Comprehensive Plan, the current plan was last updated in 1995 The city seeks to update that plan and also coordinate that effort with The City’s efforts to also update its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). The information for the RFP is below:
RFP-NR-5040 Update of Comprehensive Plan
Status: Open
Bid Category: Current Bids & RFPs
Publication Date/Time: November 06, 2014, 04:00 PM
Closing Date/Time: December 09, 2014, 03:00 PM
http://www.newrochelleny.com/Bids.aspx?bidID=254
The City of New Rochelle is interested in receiving proposals from professional and experienced planning consultants (Consultant) to prepare an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which was last updated in 1995 and to coordinate that effort with the City’s efforts to also update its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). Particular attention will be paid to the development of metrics and projected benefit values to track the success of sustainability elements within the Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, the selected Consultant will prepare amendments to the City’s Zoning Code to implement the sustainability elements of the updated Comprehensive Plan. As part of its efforts under this project, the selected Consultant will be required to prepare a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for both the updated Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments.
The RFQ will be available at Related Documents:
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Specification # 5040
UPDATE OF THE CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND
AMENDMENT OF ZONING CODE
http://www.newrochelleny.com/DocumentCenter/View/3868
“New Rochelle loves History” New Rochelle it seems that here in New Rochelle History Repeats itself. This cannot be allowed. It is time for The City of New Rochelle to create some updates for the history books. Stop blaming the administrations of the past for mistakes made over the last twenty years. This future vision/plan for New Rochelle must be something all of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Community can be proud of.
I am all for an updated plan. However, it is what is done with the updated Comprehensive Plan that is important. Like all tools and plans, they must be used and followed. We can’t buy a model/plan and then put the model/city together without those directions. No freewheeling or winging it! History shows us over the last twenty years that information is not properly used and the people are miss-informed or kept in the dark all together. History has shown us where these same old methods get us, empty store fronts and housing for students and section 8.
There are some differences in place now, we now have our new Development Commissioner Luiz C. Aragon and there have been several changes in staff. These changes need to continue throughout all of City Hall and The City Council for New Rochelle to be reborn. I have met with Development Commissioner Luiz C. Aragon and look forward to seeing what he can do for the future of New Rochelle. He cannot do it alone.
We cannot do as New Rochelle has done with the last Comprehensive Plan, Pay for it with tax payer dollars, then let it sit on the shelf in City Hall for almost twenty years and not use it or refer to it. Both, The Mayor and City Manager were active in roles with The City of New Rochelle back when the original plan was done. Mayor Noam Bramson served for ten years on the New Rochelle City Council beginning in 1995 as a representative of the Fifth City District until he became Mayor in 2006 to the present. City Manager Strome served as Acting City Manager in March 2002. On November 12, 2002, The City Council unanimously approved his appointment as City Manager. He was Deputy City Manager from 1995. Prior to that, he served as Director of Emergency Services from 1989 through 1992, and then became Assistant City Manager / City Coordinator.
We can’t waste this opportunity as in the past, I would like to see council put on the agenda a policy or plan to insure the any new plan is reviewed and updated every year. Until the new plan is completed, the current plan must be used and referenced during any planning sessions. Make it a standing role and responsibility of The City Council and The City Manager to keep the plan current and have it used through the planning sessions for the future of New Rochelle. This updated plan should be out forward as an on-going planning document for The City Council’s control and monitoring. Properly used it would be a baseline record and focus for all on-going Strategic and Operating Plans.
All of the planning in the world won’t work or succeed if we as a city don’t work together towards the same common goals established by the community and not just one person’s vision. If New Rochelle is going to grow and prosper, we as a city and community must stand up for what is right for all of New Rochelle. We cannot sit on the side lines and be critical. The Community, the entire community must take an active role in all future planning for a bigger, better and more inspired New Rochelle.
Let’s change things with “Common Sense for the Common Good”!