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| Rochester-Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rochester-Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council |
| Type | Regional planning agency |
| Founded | 1960s |
| Headquarters | Rochester, New York |
| Region served | Monroe County; Ontario County; Wayne County; Livingston County; Yates County; Seneca County; Ontario County |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Rochester-Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council is a metropolitan planning organization and regional coalition based in Rochester, New York, serving the Finger Lakes and Genesee Valley area. It coordinates policy, technical assistance, and strategic planning among municipalities, counties, and state agencies to address land use, transportation, economic development, and environmental protection across a multi-county region. The council frequently collaborates with federal and state entities to align local projects with programs administered by agencies in Albany and Washington, D.C.
The council was established during a period of regional coordination that paralleled initiatives by Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the New York State Legislature in the mid-20th century. Early efforts connected municipal planning offices in Rochester, New York, Monroe County, New York, and neighboring counties with statewide programs such as the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Cold War-era infrastructure priorities and postwar suburbanization influenced cooperation with entities like the Federal Highway Administration and the Economic Development Administration. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the council engaged with federal grant programs led by Environmental Protection Agency and HUD demonstration projects, then later aligned regional strategies with initiatives from the United States Department of Agriculture and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for watershed and agricultural planning.
The council's board has included elected officials from municipalities such as City of Rochester (New York), county executives from Ontario County, New York and Wayne County, New York, and representatives from towns like Pittsford, New York and Penfield, New York. It operates through committees that parallel structures used by the American Planning Association and coordinates with the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Fiscal oversight often involves audits consistent with standards from the Government Accountability Office and compliance with statutes under the New York State Legislature. Its staff of planners, economists, and environmental specialists liaise with academic partners including University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Cornell University extension programs, and collaborate with nonprofit partners such as Genesee Land Trust and Finger Lakes Land Trust.
The council provides comprehensive planning services including land use analysis, zoning assistance, and hazard mitigation planning that reflect methodologies from the American Society of Civil Engineers and guidance used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Technical assistance programs include grant writing support for projects eligible under Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery and regional plans that align with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's practices. The organization produces studies referencing datasets from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service to support municipal comprehensive plans, downtown revitalization projects tied to National Trust for Historic Preservation standards, and brownfield remediation initiatives consistent with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
Economic development work has connected local strategies to state programs like Empire State Development and federal programs administered by the Economic Development Administration. Initiatives have supported sectors prominent in the region, including high-tech manufacturing linked to Rochester Institute of Technology spin-offs, medical device companies associated with University of Rochester Medical Center, and viticulture tied to Finger Lakes AVA and regional wineries. The council has facilitated downtown revitalization efforts using principles from the National Main Street Center and coordinated workforce development partnerships with Monroe Community College and Finger Lakes Community College to align training with employers such as Kodak legacy firms, precision manufacturing suppliers, and agribusinesses.
Programs address watershed management for tributaries feeding Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes system, integrating best practices promoted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and research from Cornell University's agricultural and biological resources faculty. Land use planning supports conservation easements with partners like The Nature Conservancy and habitat protection coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The council has advised on agricultural land protection compatible with policies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and on open space planning informed by the Trust for Public Land and state parks entities such as New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The council participates in regional transportation planning consistent with federal standards promulgated by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. It assists localities in prioritizing projects for corridors such as Interstate 390, New York State Route 390, and connections to Greater Rochester International Airport infrastructure. Transit and multimodal planning engages stakeholders including Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority and freight partners serving the regional rail network tied to CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. The council has supported bicycle and pedestrian planning reflecting guidelines from the U.S. Department of Transportation and safety programs associated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Membership spans municipalities and counties across the Finger Lakes and Genesee Valley, including Monroe County, New York, Ontario County, New York, Wayne County, New York, Livingston County, New York, Yates County, New York, and Seneca County, New York. Partnerships extend to state agencies such as the New York State Department of Transportation and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency, academic institutions like University of Rochester and Cornell University, nonprofit organizations such as Genesee Land Trust and Finger Lakes Land Trust, and corporate stakeholders including area hospital systems and manufacturing firms rooted in regional histories with Eastman Kodak Company and other legacy employers. The council routinely engages county planning departments, municipal planning boards, chambers of commerce like the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and regional development corporations to coordinate cross-jurisdictional projects.