The city of Rochester might have an indoor, year-round farmers market coming its way. But then again, it might not. Rochester might be in line for 1,500 to 2,000 brand new residential housing units. But again, maybe not. Office, commercial, residential--the city of Rochester has its pick of the litter. But the city has decided it best not to rush into any big new developments just yet.
Area developers and construction companies have been waiting on bated breath as the city has decided to take a step back from developing the seven to eight of its remaining big sites to consider just what it is that will benefit Rochester the most. And not solely in an economic sense, but taking into account quality of life issues, as well.
It's called the Sustainable Rochester tool, and its results were debuted Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Royal Park Hotel at 7 p.m.
The city's planning department tapped planning firm McKenna Associates to develop Sustainable Rochester, which takes into account a range of datasets that have been fashioned into an informative matrix, helping the city decide just which development projects to approve.
While a new farmers market or mixed-use development might seem exciting at first blush, Nik Banda, Rochester's Economic & Community Development Director and Deputy City Manager, says that each potential development could significantly alter the city and its quality of life.
There are no more roads to be built, he says, so how much more traffic can the city accommodate. Same goes with sewers and other questions of infrastructure. The information gleaned from Sustainable Rochester will help city planners inform their decisions. Development will occur, it's just a matter of what kind.
"Development can mean change, and change is hard for some people to accept. This is about finding a balance," says Banda. "Not everyone is going to be happy, but we do our best."
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