The perspective of the community was critical to this planning effort. The Plan Forward project team engaged with Monroe County residents to understand county-wide issues, concerns, values, and assets. 
Pop-up Meetings
Pop-up meetings were held throughout the Plan Forward project, during which members of the project team
informed the community about the planning effort while soliciting feedback about plan topics and community concerns. Over 30 pop ups were held around the County in 2021 & 2022, including at the Rochester Public Market, The Genesee Country Village & Museum Holiday Market, and the Lilac Festival.
Public Workshops
Two public workshops were held in 2022 to provide opportunities for the public to engage with the project team and participate in activities with the goal of soliciting information to inform the recommendations made in this plan.
Focus Groups
Two rounds of focus groups targeted municipalities as well as topic-specific stakeholder groups withing the County. The purpose of the municipal focus groups was to understand the concerns, needs, and opportunities of Monroe County’s diverse municipalities to identify areas of potential collaboration, support, resource sharing, or facilitation.
The stakeholder focus groups occurred in 2021 during the earlier stages of plan development to inform the existing conditions analysis. The stakeholder focus groups help the project team develop a deeper understanding of issues, opportunities, and potential strategies associated with each of the plan topics.
Steering Committee
The Plan Forward Steering Committee was comprised of a group of individuals representing diverse backgrounds and important organizations within the County. The primary purposes of the Committee were to advise the planning department and consulting team; communicate to constituents, neighbors, and community about the plan; inform the planning process by providing first-hand knowledge of current issues, challenges, and opportunities; and to review draft documents and provide critical feedback.
Past Events
Engagement Events
Chili Founder's Day Picnic
Sunday Oct. 1, 2022
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Hilton Apple Festival
Oct 1-2, 2022
Hilton, NY
Monroe County Family Coalition (MCFC) Pop Up
Back to School Bash!
Sunday, August 27
1039 N. Greece Road, Rochester, NY
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International Plaza Market Pop Up
Annual Mascots Back to School Bash!
Sunday, August 21
International Plaza, 828 N Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14605, USA
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Brockport Art Festival Pop Up
Saturday, August 13
Look for us at the Department of Health's Mobile Health Clinic
Brockport, NY
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Irondequoit Farmer's Market Pop Up
Thursday, August 11
1290 Titus Avenue, Irondequoit
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Jordan Health Front Porch Festival Pop Up
Saturday, August 6
82 Holland St, Rochester, NY 14605, United States
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Seneca Park Zoo Brew Pop Up
Friday, July 22nd
Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester, NY
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Fairport Farmer's Market Pop Up
Saturday, July 16
Fairport, NY, United States
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Reconnect Rochester Street Film - Life on Wheels Pop Up
Thursday, June 16
The Little Theatre, Rochester, NY
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Plan Forward Public Open House - June 29, 2022
Wednesday, June 29 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at Olmsted Lodge at Highland Park, 171 Reservoir Ave, Rochester, NY 14620.
This will be a joint public meeting and open house for Plan Forward and the Countywide Active Transportation Plan. Information on both County efforts will be shared and we will be collecting your feedback about each of these efforts.
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Liliac Festival - Art in the Park
Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, 2022
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Lois S. Wolk Jewish Community Center of Rochester
Members of the outreach team attended TYKES Theatre to engage with residents attending the Last Stop on Market Street on April 10th.
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Plan Forward Open House
Wednesday, March 30 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Roger Robach Community Center at Lake Ontario Beach Park, 180 Beach Road, Rochester, NY
What makes Monroe County a great place to live? What kinds of businesses, services, opportunities and infrastructure would you like to see more of here? Will your children want to live here? What should Monroe County look like for future generations?
These are among the questions Monroe County Executive Adam Bello invites the community to consider during an upcoming Plan Forward comprehensive plan community open house. Gathering public input is the first phase of the Plan Forward initiative, which will create the first Comprehensive Plan developed for Monroe County in more than four decades. The Department of Planning and Development is hosting an open house from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 at the Roger Robach Community Center at Ontario Beach Park, 180 Beach Road, Rochester, NY. The meeting will be an open house format, residents are encouraged to drop in to learn about the project and chat with the Planning Team anytime between 6:00 and 7:30 pm.
Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) translators will be available.
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Plan Forward Virtual Public Meeting
Tuesday, March 1st 6-7:30 pm
What makes Monroe County a great place to live? What kinds of businesses, services, opportunities and infrastructure would you like to see more of here? Will your children want to live here? What should Monroe County look like for future generations?
These are among the questions Monroe County Executive Adam Bello invites the community to consider during upcoming Plan Forward comprehensive plan community workshops. Gathering public input is the first phase of the Plan Forward initiative, which will create the first Comprehensive Plan developed for Monroe County in more than four decades. The Department of Planning and Development is hosting a Virtual Public Workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 via Zoom. Additional in-person workshop dates will be announced soon.
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Mendon Ponds Park Winterfest
Sunday, January 9, 2022, 11a - 3pm
Stop by to learn about Monroe County's Comprehenisve Plan and Bicenntennial and fill out a Plan Forward comment card!
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Rochester Holiday Village
Sunday, December 5, 2021, 4 - 6pm
Stop by to Learn about Monroe County's Comprehenisve Plan and Bring Back Monroe and fill out a survey or comment card!
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Genesee Country Village Holiday Market Popup
Saturday, November 20, 2021, 10am - 3pm
If you are visiting the holiday market, stop by and see us! We will have a table with information about the comprehensive plan.
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Public Market Popup
Saturday, October 30, 2021, 8am - 3pm
