SUNBURY — A niche, a theme, a style, a destination centerpiece. City residents putting their heads together say this is what Sunbury needs.
Nine groups, with 85 members all together, arrived at this consensus in meetings that energized work toward a new comprehensive plan.
"A destination business might be a micro-brewery," said Ryan Unger, a young professional who lives downtown, above a store on Market Street. Unger hosted one of the citizen "visioning" meetings held late last month.
The city's special focus could utilize its offerings as a recreational hub, Unger said, or its rich history, or its proximity to a unique spot on the Susquehanna River — the confluence of two branches.
Those in his group, ages 25 to 31, started by considering what they like about Sunbury and came up with its history, sense of community and its diversity — home of people of many faiths and ethnic backgrounds, Unger said.
"These are things to build upon," he said, "in trying to find a centerpiece for downtown."
"You can't just say 'Recruit specialty shops,'" he said. "What is your niche? Who do you want to recruit?"
Larry Welfer, of Catawissa Avenue, hosted one of the groups of older, long-time residents. He said three things emerged as important: maintaining a safe community by a variety of means, including supporting the police force; maintaining the quality of the city's housing with strict code enforcement; and encouraging education, particularly the development of a community college.
Former City Councilman John Shipman said the group of 11 he hosted "in their 30s to 70s," thought the city's problems are not insurmountable.
"They" he said, "were cautiously optimistic."
The citizen meetings were organized by SEDA-Council of Governments, the agency charged with shepherding Sunbury through the 18-month comprehensive plan process.
All ideas considered
The citizen meetings help insure the new plan becomes "everyone's plans, not just the plans of a few individuals," said Tom Grbenick, SEDA-COG's community resource director.
There will be a call for more citizen input, Shipman said.
The process is six months along and is expected to turn out a new plan for Sunbury by next summer.
Mayor Dave Persing has already said he's not big on plans, but recognizes that a fresh comprehensive plan attracts more state and federal grant money. Sticking to a 1986 plan is a sure way to get turned down for those, he has said.
Some of the ideas coming out are on target, Persing said Thursday.
"We need an identity," Persing said. "Not the identity we had in the 1950s and '60s."
Welfer, who has lived in Sunbury since 1969, said none of the people at his gathering thought Sunbury would return to the days of old, where people would park downtown and all businesses would be open, but it could be remade into a community all enjoy.
"Change can be embraced," he said. "It's a matter of how we do it."
Project to cost $80K
The new comprehensive plan will cost $80,000, according to the city. Sunbury pays 50 percent and the rest is picked up by a state Land Use Planning and Technical Assistance grants.
Grbenick said the plan will establish goals and strategies in six categories: land use, housing, transportation, economic development, facilities and services, and the environment.
SEDA-COG is preparing a full report on the findings or surveys of each participant in the visioning sessions and the ensuing discussions.
"While topics gravitated toward common perceptions and realities," Grbenick said, "those topics provide grist for shaping the city's future vision."
It will inevitably involve some form of encouraging people to invest in the community, but that isn't as easy as people think, Persing said. "It's not just filling empty buildings," he said. The effort needs cohesion.
"People can roll their eyes at yet another plan," Unger said. "But I'm glad we're looking forward."
In the words of American poet Carl Sandburg, Grbenick is fond of saying, "Nothing happens unless first a dream."
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