The Erie County Department of Planning is seeking public comment on Erie County’s draft Cultural Heritage Plan, which will guide efforts to help preserve priority cultural and historic assets over the next five to seven years. The draft plan can be viewed online at https://www.eriecountypa.gov/cultural_heritage_plan.
A public meeting will be held Thursday, June 8, 2017, at 6 p.m. in the Admiral Room at Blasco Library, 160 E. Front Street.
The purpose of the meeting will be to solicit public feedback on the plan’s content and its proposed action plan for implementation. The meeting is free and open to the public, and will offer an opportunity to talk face-to-face with representatives from Erie County, Preservation Erie and consultants preparing the plan. Those interested in Erie County’s culture, history, historic preservation or community revitalization are encouraged to attend.
The Cultural Heritage Plan, which is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Erie Community Foundation, is expected to have real and lasting impacts on every community within Erie County. Its content will help community leaders, residents and organizations set priorities, coordinate efforts, increase capacities and identify ways that preservation practices can be bolstered for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and an improved quality of life.
The draft Cultural Heritage Plan, which builds on Preservation Erie’s 2014 project documenting 30,000 historic properties in Erie County, considered how cultural and historic assets can be used to improve the county’s economy and attract people to live, visit, work and invest in its communities. The plan sets forth goals and strategies focused on preserving, maintaining and enjoying these assets, which are a legacy of the county’s rich history. The draft plan further indicates that these benefits will be maximized in the communities where good choices are made about what to preserve, and how to preserve it.
Once adopted, the Cultural Heritage Plan will become an element of Erie County’s Comprehensive Plan. For those unable to attend the public meeting, comments on the draft plan may be submitted in writing to John McGranor, planning program administrator, at [email protected].