A frequent concern expressed about the Watertown city government — one voiced time and again on this page — has been its lack of long-term planning.
Officials have often allowed important projects to fall by the wayside.
It took several years, for example, for them to finally agree to make the improvements needed to the Watertown Municipal Arena. They repeatedly put off the work because “now” was never a good time to spend that kind of money.
And that’s the problem with not developing a long-range strategy. Projects can’t be prioritized because there is no tangible vision of what assets exist, what’s needed to move the community forward and what’s required to accomplish stated goals.
Renovating the arena undoubtedly cost the city far more than it should have due to long delay in starting the work.
Watertown is one of eight cities across the state that has not yet completed a comprehensive plan.
Fortunately, that may change. During a June 12 meeting, members of the City Council informally agreed to have one done to map out a strategy for the next three decades.
Representatives of the Planning Department gave a presentation that evening on why it’s important for the city to have a comprehensive plan. City planner Geoffrey T. Urda offered an excellent example of a comprehensive plan: “A long-range policy document that guides the location, design, density rate and type of development within a community over a 20- or 30-year time frame.”
He said the plan would help guide the city on economic development, transportation, planning and housing. It shows where officials want to lead the city over the next several decades.
Planning and Community Development Director Michael A. Lumbis said such a document would be at least 200 pages long and cost about $200,000 to prepare. It will take between 12 and 18 months to complete.
Councilman Mark C. Walczyk said the projected costs concerned him. He also wondered if the Planning Department could complete the work itself.
Yes, the potential price tag of $200,000 isn’t cheap. And Mr. Lumbis said that the city must hire a consultant to assist with the work.
The more important issue, though, is what it costs the city every year to not have a comprehensive plan.
What opportunities are lost because officials can’t refer to such a document when deciding where to allocate city resources?
It’s essential that the city begin the process of creating a comprehensive plan. It will list what the city has, where it should go and how to get there.
Such plans also are often cited in grant applications; they carry weight in deciding how to allocate grant funds. We commend representatives of the Planning Department for pursuing this project.
Councilman Cody J. Horbacz said, “I think it’s long overdue.” We wholeheartedly agree with his assessment.