Share Your Vision for the Richfield NY Forward Area!
Overview
The Town of Richfield is the recipient of a $4.5 million grant award from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council (MVREDC) through the second round of the NY Forward program. Building on the momentum of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), the NY Forward program is intended to support more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller communities with a focus on hamlets, villages and neighborhood-scale commercial centers. The program provides these smaller communities with planning and implementation support needed to attract more businesses, residents and visitors while also providing a higher quality of life for all residents.
Planning Process
Richfield NY Forward planning process will be grounded in and propelled by the collective community vision, and culminate in the Strategic Investment Plan. Throughout the planning process, interested and impacted parties - including residents, business owners, civic organizations, Town staff, anchor institutions, and the general public - are invited to attend Local Planning Committee (LPC) meetings and public workshops to learn about the process and its intended outcomes; to pose questions; to comment on the findings, goals, and recommendations; and to contribute project ideas.
1
Public Engagement
Public engagement will occur throughout the entire NY Forward planning process to ensure community needs, opportunities and challenges are identified, to determine potential projects, and to ensure NY Forward revitalization efforts are supported.
2
Downtown Profile + Assessment
The downtown profile and assessment will provide a clear, concise and compelling narrative that articulates the story of the region and downtown area, and describes the future of the area and region. This section will provide a data-driven basis for projects recommended for NY Forward funding.
3
Community Vision, Goals + Revitalization Strategies
Informed by the NY Forward application and community input, the LPC will develop a vision statement with corresponding goals and revitalization strategies to guide decision-making about future development and investment in the NY Forward area.
4
Project Development
NY Forward projects will be identified through an open call for project proposals. The consultant team will work closely with project sponsors to develop project profiles. The final slate of projects are intended to have positive and transformative impacts on the NY Forward community, and will be a mix of public, non-profit, and privately sponsored projects.
5
Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) Compilation
The SIP will describe the unique challenges and opportunities for revitalization of the NY Forward area, present the community’s vision for the future of the area, and propose transformative projects that may be realized with an investment of NY Forward funds. Once complete, the State will review Richfield’s SIP and select which projects will receive NY Forward funding.
Richfield NY Forward Boundary
The Town of Richfield’s NY Forward boundary is centered on the Village of Richfield Springs and the intersection of US Route 20 and NY Route 167. Richfield’s NY Forward Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) will examine the unique challenges and opportunities for the revitalization of downtown Richfield, present the community’s vision for the future of the NY Forward area, and propose transformative projects that may be realized with the investment of NY Forward funding.
Local Planning Committee (LPC)
While the New York State Department of State will oversee the Richfield NY Forward process with support from a consultant team led by Laberge Group, the Local Planning Committee (LPC) will be responsible for meeting regularly with the consultant team and representing the public throughout the process. The LPC is comprised of NYS Department of State approved members, including a diverse group of community leaders and stakeholders. The LPC is tasked with overseeing the development of the SIP, which will identify a slate of projects ready for implementation. The LPC will also be responsible for sharing information about the NY Forward with their networks and communities. Members of the LPC play an important role in ensuring that the plan is grounded in the values and aspirations of the community.
All LPC meetings are open to the public and provide opportunity for public comment.
Members of the Richfield LPC include:
Co-Chair Larry Frigault, Town of Richfield Supervisor
Co-Chair Carolyn Lewis, Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, Bassett Medical Center’s Director of Legislative Affairs and Grants
Angella Lynch
Chris Corrigan
Chuck Furner
Dan Sullivan
Dawn Seamon
Jeanne Grampp
Jim Jordan
Leo Mackin
Madilyn Hutchinson
Marie Guerra
Rick Spencer
Draft Vision
During the NY Forward application process, the Town of Richfield engaged community members to develop a vision for Downtown. The Strategic Investment Plan will build on its NY Forward application, including the preliminary vision for revitalization.
The Town of Richfield strives to create a thriving, livable and sustainable community around our rural heritage. Our community grew from agriculture and the sulphur springs. We want to protect and preserve our chief natural aesthetic, and cultural resources while creating a vibrant, walkable downtown, expanding our agricultural legacy, and investing in our healthy recreational assets as they are cornerstones of our community.
Draft Goals
The planning process will aim to develop actionable goals and strategies, and identify a portfolio of transformative projects that will support Richfield’s vision for downtown revitalization. Draft goals will be presented below. Join your neighbors at Public Meeting #1 to help develop these goals for your community!