The city of Fulton has finished preparing a proposed new comprehensive plan for the city, which is a document that establishes a vision for community development and how to accomplish it.
The plan lists a range of potential objectives and how to achieve them – like improving economic development by creating a fund to support small business projects and creating more job training programs. But much of the plan focuses on community enhancement, which would entail efforts to improve the appearance of the city and create more activities for residents.
Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels said improving quality of life begins with investing in neighborhoods.
"In everything we do, we have to think about safety, security, beautification, and pride,” Michaels said. “That's the quality of life – we have a responsibility to the community for that. So, in our initiatives what we are looking at is how do we take small steps to have large impact."
For example, the plan calls for finishing the city walking trails and cutting down some trees and other vegetation to provide access and views of the Oswego River. Long-term, the document suggests implementing a capital plan to fund neighborhood infrastructure improvements growing homeownership rates with incentive programs, such as offering down payment assistance and possibly building a downtown library and cultural learning complex.
Michaels said the key to developing this plan was building it to align with the city's other major efforts: implementing the $10 million the city got from New York state for downtown investments and the program to provide better access to Fulton's waterfront areas.
“The work we do along our waterways or the work we do in the downtown revitalization zone or the work we do city-wide will all speak to that same vision,” Michaels said. “That’s what is exciting – there’s a cohesiveness that will shine through.”
The proposed comprehensive plan is now before the city council and the public for consideration.
