WPCNR THE PLANNING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 18, 2004, Updated 5 P.M. E.S.T.: The 1997 Comprehensive Plan Review and Analysis was picked up by WPCNR at the Department of Planning Tuesday afternoon, and is available to all citizens of the city. The Review written by the Department of Planning and incorporating reports, analysis, opinions from city departments, interpreted and compiled under the supervision of the Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, is the long-awaited review of how the 1997 Comprehensive Plan is being executed.  WPCNR has also learned the Review has not been released to the Common Council.

It purports, (pending WPCNR analysis), how far the city has come, and purportedly gives a snapshot in time of where the city is at after seven years since the Comprehensive Plan was "accepted" by the city. At first glance the Introduction to the plan makes a point that the 1997 is only a "basic policy framework." The first impression of the report is that there is no Executive Summary.There is no Table of Contents. It is hard to read.  Sections have Overviews, with apparent recommendations, but it is tedious and slow going and the lack of an index makes it hard to cut to the chase.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. HABEL. Citizens interested in the city's report card on how they are doing following the 1997 Comprehensive Plan may pick up a copy at the Planning Department, while supplies last, for their home libraries. The number of the Planning Department is 422-1253. Photo by WPCNR News.

Though the WPCNR staff has not gotten into the dissection of the plan, one paragraph in the introduction makes a point of saying the Comprehensive Plan is not binding, which echoes Mr. Wood's comments of a few hours ago (see previous story). The Habel review does so in the following manner with this paragraph, Introduction-Page 2.

The Common Council did not adopt the Comprehensive Plan, instead it accepted and recognized the Plan as the "basic policy framework" within which policy decisions are made. General City Law Section 28-a makes adoption of a comprehensive plan permissive and not mandatory. The Comprehensive Plan does not, therefor, in itself, represent and adopted policy of the City, nor does it compel specific actions. It provides, however, as stated above, a "basic policy framework."