Keeping Community Central
Community engagement was central to the process. LaBella facilitated a variety of outreach efforts, including open houses, stakeholder interviews, and tours of the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. These efforts were complemented by digital outreach, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives shaped the plan.
Early activities focused on identifying community values and priorities through existing conditions analysis and other exercises, while later workshops concentrated on future land use, community vision, goals, strategies, and projects.
Thousands of comments were provided by open house participants that influenced the direction of the plan’s vision, goals, strategies, and transformational projects.
The scope of work for the update included:
- Identifying key issues and developing a Smart Growth vision statement supported by goals and strategies
- Preparing a community profile with demographic, housing, infrastructure, and economic data
- Analyzing opportunities for downtown revitalization, housing, transportation, utilities, parks, and resiliency
- Reviewing relevant City, County, and regional plans and policies to ensure alignment.
The resulting process was the basis for the Draft Plan, which was revised based on public and committee feedback and submitted to the City for final adoption.
LaBella assisted the City with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process and the formal adoption of the plan. Oversight was provided by a Steering Committee, which guided the process and reviewed drafts, while City officials and staff supported data gathering.
Ultimately, the new Comprehensive Plan Update will position Corning to strengthen its downtown and business districts, preserve neighborhood character while addressing housing needs, enhance infrastructure and transportation systems, expand parks and community services, safeguard natural and cultural resources, and support long-term economic growth and resiliency.
The resulting plan is a forward-looking, actionable roadmap that reflects Corning’s unique identity while charting a clear strategy for future development and investment.
An Award-Winning Project
City of Corning Comprehensive Plan Receives New York Planning Federation Award
In April 2026, the City of Corning was honored with the New York Planning Federation Comprehensive Plan Award at the 2026 Annual Conference in Cooperstown, New York.
The Comprehensive Plan Award is presented to a municipality or agency for an outstanding and/or innovative comprehensive plan or plan update adopted by the municipality’s legislative body within the past three years.
