Earlier this month, CRP students in the spring 2021 Land Use & Environmental Planning Field Workshop taught by Associate Professor of Practice George Frantz presented their work on the Seneca-Keuka Watershed 9-Element Plan to stakeholders. The workshop conducted analysis and proposed development recommendations for the watershed region, which overlaps 44 adjacent municipalities.
Emile Bensedrine (B.S. URS ’22) and Jessica Geary (M.R.P. ’21) attended the stakeholder meeting as student presenters. They felt their discussion led to productive conversations for opportunities to improve provisional services across all the stakeholders involved in the 9-Element Plan.
“I thought the assessment of the Seneca-Keuka watershed land-use regulations presentation was well received and found many stakeholders were interested in knowing when our final report will come out. Our informative discussion set the context for dialogue in the proceeding presentations of which stakeholders frequently referenced our work,” Geary shared.
Students hope that their findings and analysis of the land use jurisdictions among the various municipalities spawn further regional dialogue between the different communities. “We hope this project will be a catalyst to unite the respective watershed municipalities and promote regional dialogue that will allow for more uniform land-use regulations to protect our beautiful Finger Lakes now and in the future,” Geary concluded.
In addition to their analysis, students also presented potential development trends in the watershed region encompassing 25 years of analysis. Their findings concluded with recommendations to expand upon their winery and tourism industries, new residential development, and agricultural growth.
The 9-Element Plan is funded by the New York State Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation, which is being overseen by the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.