Allegany County planning staff highlight Belfast comprehensive-plan award; appoint Bruce Campbell to comprehensive plan board

Allegany County planning staff on May 21 told the Planning and Economic Development Committee that the County and the Town of Belfast received the director's-choice award from the Western Upstate chapter of the American Planning Association for Belfast's comprehensive plan, and the committee approved an appointment to the comprehensive plan board.

Kier Durham, director of planning, said the award was presented at a session in Buffalo and described it as a director's-choice honor separate from the regular comprehensive-plan awards. "They felt that it's hard to compare a place like Belfast to the city of Niagara Falls, and they had this choice award, the director's choice award, which they don't generally give out," Durham said.

The committee also approved the appointment of Bruce Campbell of Houghton as an at-large member of the comprehensive plan board for a two-year term. Brenda (last name not specified) said the appointment request had been forwarded by Durham and asked whether the committee wanted to take action that day; the committee proceeded and the motion was approved with all members saying "Aye." The motion language presented at the meeting asked the committee to appoint Campbell to a two-year, at-large term; no amendment or conditions were recorded.

Durham and other committee members framed the award as recognition of the county's recent work helping small communities update and maintain comprehensive plans. "It also gives them a road map for laws that they may need to update or improve or create and, just to get general guidebook for their main streets and such," Durham said, describing why local comprehensive plans matter.

Committee members praised the planning staff's work on multiple local plans and noted that municipalities are expected to update comprehensive plans on a five-year cycle. The committee did not record any dissent on the Campbell appointment; the motion carried in voice vote. No additional funding or ordinance changes were associated with the appointment during the meeting.

The committee packet and Durham's presentation were said to be shared with members after the meeting; staff indicated the award materials had been forwarded and would be distributed to the committee.