Blueprint binghamton : Comprehensive Plan

 

City of Binghamton To Announce Release Of Draft Comprehensive Plan
Plans Are Result Of Extensive 18-Month Community Outreach Effort

(CITY of BINGHAMTON, N.Y.) The City of Binghamton will announce the release of its draft Comprehensive Plan and Main/Court Street Corridor Plan on Monday, March 24 at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall’s 2nd Floor Art Gallery. Mayor Richard C. David will join members of City Council to announce the release. The plans are the result of an extensive 18-month community outreach effort known as Blueprint Binghamton: Forward Together.

“It’s important to raise awareness for public input in this process,” said Mayor David. “It’s important that residents voice their opinions and ideas about this plan, which will be a guiding blueprint for the growth and development of our community for years to come.”

A Comprehensive Plan is a state-mandated document that describes municipal policies and actions related to land use, neighborhoods, transportation, infrastructure, economic development and quality of life. The City’s last Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2003.

The 2014 Comprehensive Plan is divided into seven mini-plans, including: Economic Development, Housing, Transportation, Infrastructure, Environment & Open Space, Land Use & Zoning and Community Building. Each mini-plan includes an analysis of existing conditions and summary of key issues, an overview of community input, a series of goals and objectives that relate to the overall vision of the plan and strategy recommendations and action steps to guide implementation.

The Main/Court Street Corridor Plan is a revamped zoning code for the 1.7 mile Main Street-Court Street corridor, excluding the downtown district. The new zoning code is “form-based,” focusing less on land use and density and more on size, form and placement of buildings and parking.

The proposed Code encourages mixed use development and walkability while significantly streamlining the approval process. Upon adoption of the Code, property owners and developers with find a clear, accessible set of zoning requirements.

Blueprint Binghamton was one of several initiatives funded by a $486,058 grant from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a federal collaboration between the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation.

The following public meetings are scheduled to collect and discuss comments on the plans:

· Monday, May 5th 6:30PM – Planning Commission Public Hearing – City Council Chambers
· Wednesday, May 7th 6:30PM – City Council Public Hearing 1 – City Council Chambers
· Monday, May 12th 5:00PM – Joint City Council & Planning Commission Session 1 – Broome County Public Library, Decker Room
· Wednesday, May 14th 5:00PM – Joint City Council & Planning Commission Session 2 – Broome County Public Library, Decker Room
· Wednesday, June 18th 6:30PM – City Council Public Hearing 2 – City Council Chambers

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This summer: Murals in Binghamton

A perfect storm is gathering and all the elements are aligning for what may be one of the most intriguing and exciting summers that Binghamton has ever seen.

For several years, a group of local people of all ages, who call themselves the DPA (Department of Public Art) have been planning for the time when all the forces are right, and it appears that the time is this spring and summer.

On a parallel plane, a group of students at Binghamton University have also been planning to create dynamic and exciting art for the public. These two groups will converge on the 26th of March at 7pm at the Cooperative Gallery to share and plan for this exciting time.

ManOne, a graffiti and mural artist is coming to Binghamton University campus on March 25th the old Union Hall to talk about how he helped transform downtown LA with his art. The Department of Public Art has asked that he join in the meeting on the 26th share their common goal.

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WANTED: Gardeners not Prisoners

 

There are more full time prisoners in America than full time farmers according to Bill McKibben in his latest book, Oil and Honey. I want to help change that. The farmer and writer, Masanobu Fukuoka best explains why. “Farming is the cultivation of better human beings.”
‘Better’ to me means being more compassionate, productive and healthy. ‘Better’ to me means not being a financial burden to society. ‘Better’ to me means being more integrated into a community capable of sustaining itself in times of economic and/or environmental crisis.
Following is a proposed community action project designed to address this concern. Specific project decisions will be made by consensus and in compliance with Broome County Corrections Administration requirements.

County Jail Gardening Project

In a time when people with college degrees struggle to get gainful employment, it is obvious how difficult it must be for an applicant with a conviction in their record to get a job. This, in addition to the fact that our nation’s incarceration rate often leads the world, disturbs me a lot. Great human resources are lost as too many unlucky men and women are being both economically and socially disadvantaged by the current system. This project is designed to reduce this waste of human capital by building mutually beneficial relationships between non incarcerated and incarcerated members toward a more resilient community.
Our project’s mission is to build human resources through gardening activities that join incarcerated with non incarcerated community members. Beautification, job training and growing community resilience are the goals of the project.
If you’re a gardener or want to learn how to garden and are interested in social justice community action at the Broome County Corrections Facility, please get back me at 607 797 9126. After preliminary application and I.D. checks are done, a four hour security orientation session (sometime in May or early June) is required. If you want to help build community in a new and sustainable way, this project is for you.

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Man One: Mural Arts in Binghamton TUES & WED!!

On March 25 AND 26th, ManOne will be in Binghamton to engage with the Binghamton and BU Communities about public art. He has just agreed to speak at a community meeting sponsored by the Dept. of Public Art on Wednesday March 26th (gather at 6:30 program at 7 pm) at the Cooperative Gallery 213 State St. Binghamton.

BU’s GEN10, whose mission is to lead innovation and creativity in our city, to change mindsets, and transform culture, is flying an urban artist from LA, Man One, into Binghamton to visit and interact with people in the community. Man One transformed downtown L.A. with the power of art, and now he wants to do the same in Binghamton!

Along with a number of other highly involved community members and organizations we will be hosting a speaking event where he will share his story and offer guidance on how to make Binghamton a better place to live, work, and enjoy. The Tuesday March 25th event will be held at 7pm in Old Union Hall on the Binghamton University Campus.

This is part of a bigger plan to put on a downtown Binghamton Mural Festival in May, with Man One as the catalyst for change. This will involve all segments of the community and the meetings he will have with residents will inform the murals we can create. For more information contact binghamtonbridge@ gmail.com.

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City council votes ‘Aye’ for Public Art Advisory Board, Mayor David approves

After multiple public hearings and vocal support from the Binghamton community, City Council has voted in favor of the Public Art Advisory Board.

On Wednesday, March 5th, during City Council’s Business Meeting, Proposed Local Law 14-1 was unanimously co-sponsored and passed, establishing a Public Art Advisory Board. Councilman Motsavage introduced it to the council, stating that although they would like to clarify parts of the legislation later through amendments, such as the residency requirement for appointed members, this was something that should be passed now to get efforts started.

In the next coming months we should see the Mayor begin requesting letters of interest from the public. Mayor David will be responsible for five appointments onto the board, three of which must be professionals in the field of visual arts, graphic design, or architecture. Anyone may submit a letter of interest for a position in the board. More details to come.

Update: The Department of Public Art (DPA) is planning on hosting an event around the efforts and visions of local groups to promote public art in the City on Wednesday, March 26th at 7pm at the Cooperative Gallery 213 on State Street, Binghamton. This is a great opportunity to stay involved in the local arts and share your vision with other interested members of the community! Contact binghamtonbridgeATgmailDOTcom for more details.

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Hancock 17 Drone War Crimes Resisters

 

from imc-Rochester
Hancock 17 Drone War Crimes Resisters to Continue
The first day of the trial of the Hancock 17 Drone War Crime Resisters began Friday, January 3 to a packed courtroom of over 75 supporters.and ended just after midnight early Saturday morning, January 4. The trial continues Monday, January 6 at 5 pm at the Town of Dewitt Court, 5400 Butternut Drive, East Syracuse, NY.

The first day included powerful opening statements for the group by Ed Kinane and Clare Grady, which began with a moment of silence for people killed by drone attacks. Ed powerfully stated that the defense was the convergence of two paths – the paths of legalism and of justice and conscience – and that the activists came not to break laws, but to uphold International Law.

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Photography Contest Winners Announced

Judges Kirk and Lesli Van Zandbergen were so impressed with the entries to the Bob Johnston Photography Competition that they found it hard to choose. So they awarded a Best of Show, 4 Judge’s Choice, and 19 Honorable Mentions. The winning photo is “Long Way Down” by Bill Baburchak. The two Judge’s Choice awards in Black & White go to “Notes on Hard Times” (pictured) by Nancy Basmann and “Southern Belle” by Sandra Kirker. Judge’s Choice awards in Color Photography go to “Tree of Life” by Mike Ricciardi and “Caught It” by Barry Biddle.

The Bob Johnston Photography Competition runs from January 3th to January 18th, 2014 when the People’s Choice Award will be announced at the Closing Reception. Visitors to the Show will be able to vote for their favorite photo among the 110 entries. Forty seven photographers entered this competition, “which is a sign of how many quality photographers there are in the area,” according to William Bay, of the Two Rivers Photo Club which is co-sponsoring the event with the Cooperative Gallery 213 State St in Binghamton.
The Honorable Mention Awards go to the following photos: “Awakening” by Fred Schum; “In the Eyes of Storm” by Scott Michael Anderson; “All Alone” by John Mullen; “Peaceful Bird” by Jeanne Van Buren; “Rooftops of Prague” by John Rehak; “Death of an Oak Leaf” by Dan Harendza; “Anxiety’s Sunrise” by Scott M. Anderson; “Stairwell of the Press Building” by Bill Bay; “Flaming Hair” by Karissa Salton; “In the Garden” by Mary Lou Shapinas; “Clarity” by Troy Townsend; “Golden” by Sandra Kirker; “White Birch Dreams” by John Mullen; “Untitled” by John Fabiano; “Hip Hop Man” by Nancy Basmann; “Park at Your Own Risk” by Debra Rockefeller; “The Gatekeeper” by Pete Kofira; “Eye of the Beholder” by Bernice Lewis; “The Wonder of the Sea” Fr. Jim Dutko.

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Computer Pioneer Honored by Tech Works

 

Today, the Center for Technology & Innovation honors Robert B. Garner, IBM Almaden Research Center, and Donald P. Seraphim, IBM Fellow, retired, as recipients of the inaugural 2013 F. V. “Fritz” Johnson Leadership Award for their work to demonstrate a mid-20th c. IBM Endicott computer system in action to TechWorks! visitors. See the IBM 1440 team’s progress at http://ctandi.org/ibm%201440.html
See attachment for more info.
With 2014 just hours away, many of us will be making resolutions to enrich our lives and legacies in the coming year. With your help, TechWorks! visitors of all ages will experience innovation in action – past, present, and future.

The Center is the only institution actively preserving upstate New York high tech advances in avionics, computing, energy, flight simulation, and vehicles – technologies that changed the way the world does business and won the race to the moon. Without your help, these advances will become at best a footnote in history. With your help, they can inspire future generations of inventors and entrepreneurs. All gifts will be recognized in the TechWorks! dynamic donor wall – a terrific way to honor your colleagues, your parents, and your own efforts to make better, safer, smarter world.

For a tax-deductible gift that leverages a 200% match from New York State and qualifies for the IBM and other corporate Matching Grant programs, you can

make a secure on-line donation at http://ctandi.org/donate.html or
send a check to the Center for Technology & Innovation, 321 Water Street, Binghamton, NY 13901.
Thank you for your consideration and very best wishes for the New Year,
Susan Sherwood, Executive Director & Roger Westgate, Board President

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