MAIN TOWN, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) — The time has come for the Broome County Industrial Development Authority to begin the public bidding process for the Broome Technology Park plan.
Last Wednesday, the agency announced that it had been selected by DEC as the lead agency to conduct the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process. With this, the agency says it is now ready to begin a collaborative, multi-step process to explore the parameters of the project.
The agency says the park will create new jobs and a larger tax base, attract newcomers to our region and provide decades of economic sustainability. SEQR includes a number of studies on the potential environmental impacts of development, including water, air, soil, traffic and noise.
Stacey Duncan, the agency's executive director, said the SEQR process will occur in parallel with the park's engineering and design efforts. Duncan said architecture and engineering firms have already been selected and the next step is to begin scheduling public vision sessions.
“Here are some ideas, some concepts, what do you like? What don't you like? What do you expect to see as part of this overall development? So our The plan was always to invite the community to help come up with what the plan would ultimately look like,” Duncan said.
Duncan said this will be a thoughtful and considered process that will likely take a year. Meanwhile, the agency has launched a dedicated website, BroomeTechPark.com, with answers to frequently asked questions and more.
The City of Maine, which opposes the project, had also applied to become SEQR's lead agency. Many Maine residents have expressed concerns about potential traffic, noise, and changes to the area's rural character.