A yearlong effort to develop a comprehensive plan that Scotia officials hope to leverage into public and private investments in order to spark new economic development is entering its final stages.
A draft of the Envision Scotia initiative is now available to review online, and residents are being asked to provide feedback on the plan that was assembled by a working group made up village officials, business leaders and residents. Community input was collected at several public meetings and during village events over the past 12 months.
Officials hope the plan is the key needed to unlock future economic development opportunities in Scotia at a time when the number of residents is in decline and village demographics are shifting.
The plan identifies key corridors and underutilized sites ripe for redevelopment throughout a large swath of the village, including its primary business district along Mohawk Avenue. Recommendations call for everything from simplifying zoning laws to bolstering and improving existing resources and features already found in the village.
Earlier this month, village lawmakers unanimously approved a resolution declaring Scotia a pro-housing community — a move that signifies the village’s commitment to bolstering its housing stock in the years to come.
Village officials are hosting a public meeting on April 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mohawk Taproom & Grill, 153 Mohawk Ave., in order to collect additional feedback before finalizing the Envision Scotia draft plan.
“The Envision Scotia Advisory Committee and I are excited to share the draft Envision Scotia plan with the community,” Mayor David Bucciferro said in a statement. “We believe the plan represents the first step in a bright future for the village. It would not be as comprehensive and impactful without all the community engagement we have received to this point. We welcome the community’s thoughts and ideas on the draft plan and look forward to working with everyone to bring this vision to life over the coming years.”
So what exactly is the Envision Scotia plan and what does it include? Here are five things to know.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
The Envision Scotia initiative began more than a year ago when the village was awarded a $200,000 New York Department of State grant for the Brownfield Opportunity Area program. The program, which has historically focused on sites in need of environmental remediation, has shifted to focus on underutilized, abandoned and vacant sites.
The village hired the engineering firm LaBella Associates to help draft the study and appointed a working group made up of elected officials, local business leaders and residents to guide the process.
Officials are hoping to attain a BOA designation from the state, which would give the village an advantage when applying for state grants that can be leveraged to attract private investment and spur economic development in the years to come.
The plan focuses on a 263-acre portion of the village, including its main business district along Mohawk Avenue and major corridors like Sacandaga Road and Ballston Avenue, otherwise known as state Route 50. The focus area includes 1,206 total parcels.
A group of stakeholders used information collected during several community meetings, public events and a village-wide survey over the past year to draft the 218-page plan that includes five main goals, identifies more than a dozen achievement strategies and provides guidance on how to make sure the plan is adhered to in the years to come.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS?
The Envision Scotia draft plan includes five goals:
- Encourage economic development and investment
- Maintain village character
- Improve connectivity
- Highlight community assets
- Support and enhance community services
“These goals informed the development of the plan’s recommendations, provided an organizing structure for recommendations to fall within, and established interest areas for the plan’s implementation,” the study reads.
Each goal includes a number of strategies for achievement that call for simplifying the village’s zoning code, increasing and improving mobility options in the village and improving existing services, including those for seniors and childcare, among other things.
A total of 16 strategies are identified in the plan, which includes reasons and steps the village should take to ensure the strategies are implemented.
STRATEGIC AND UNDERUTILIZED AREAS
The plan identifies 97 parcels throughout the study area considered to be vacant, abandoned or underutilized, representing a total of 129 acres — the equivalent of nearly half of the total study area.
Most of the properties are located along main transportation corridors, including Mohawk Avenue, according to the study.
“This is not surprising, given the commercial and auto-oriented nature of current and historical uses along these roadways,” the study says. “The presence of these properties on high visibility roadways can impact broader community perceptions and detract from the interior, residential areas of the village. Conversely, investment and development efforts focused on these areas will have the highest impact.”
Ten “strategic sites” were also identified “based on their potential to catalyze change and revitalization in the study area.” Seven of the sites are located along Mohawk Avenue. The remainder are spread out on Glen Avenue, Ballston Avenue and Sacandaga Road.
Redevelopment is already underway at some of the sites and the working group reached out to each property owner to inquire about future plans for each parcel.
“For each strategic site, current property owners were contacted to learn more about past use, current use, and future visions for the sites. In many cases, site development has been happening in parallel to the plan’s development,” the plan reads.
The strategic sites are:
- 302 Mohawk Ave.
- 240 Mohawk Ave.
- 256 Mohawk Ave.
- 217 Mohawk Ave.
- 125-131 Mohawk Ave.
- 114 Mohawk Ave. — 107 Ballston Ave.
- 37 Mohawk Ave.
- 1 Glen Ave.
- 270 Ballston Ave.
- 208 Sacandaga Road.
SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS
The Envision Scotia initiative comes at a time of change for the village.
Between 2011 and 2021, Scotia’s population decreased from 3,725 to 3,305 — a loss of 420 residents, or a 5.4%, according to the study, which relied on U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Still, the number of households in the village increased 3% between 2011 and 2021, growing from 3,169 to 3,265, but the average household size in Scotia fell by 8.7% during that same period from 2.42 to 2.21. That far outpaces a decline in average household size seen throughout Schenectady County during the same period, when the average household size dropped from 2.56 to 2.5, or 2.3%, according to the study.
That’s not the only change the village has seen in the decade between 2011 and 2021.
The median age of village residents has also decreased from 38.4 to 36.5. During that period, the number of individuals living in apartments grew by 73% from 299 to 527.
The shifting dynamics should be a key in future development plans, according to the study.
“Households in the Village are smaller than they have been historically. Examining the adequacy of the housing options that are available will be key,” the study reads.
NEXT STEPS
Achieving the goals laid out in the plan will require village-wide commitment, according to the study, which recommends creating committees to oversee the process and establishing systems to ensure that momentum is not lost during periods of transition.
The study also recommends the village engage with community-based organizations, including the Scotia Business Improvement District, as well as the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority, the county’s economic development arm.
Prioritizing what projects to move forward based on degree of difficulty, cost, timeframe to implement and community impact will also be key, according to the plan.
Village lawmakers have already taken steps to begin applying for state grants that can be used towards implementing the Envision Scotia initiative.
“The application process for these programs is intensive and the program is competitive, but the Village is well positioned to compete for these funds because of the planning and project development undertaken through the Envision Scotia process,” the plan reads.