HERKIMER, N.Y. (WUTR-TV) – Three years ago, the Village of Herkimer Planning Board
reflected on the future of their community. Now, it’s all mapped out in what’s called the Master Plan 2020. 

“So what we did was developed first of all a survey to ask people both business occupants and residents and so on what would they want if they looked at the year 20-20 and beyond,” said Brion Carroll, Chairman for the Village of Herkimer Planning Board.

More than two hundred people from the village answered the survey, many took interest in parks and recreation and residential living. Above all, one area stood out.

“One of the primary things we’re doing with the village is to manifest and focus on providing a retail center for Herkimer county because we currently generate about 60 percent of the revenue in retail for Herkimer county as a whole,” Carroll said. 

A procedure Carroll said doesn’t require cash–like most of the other ideas. Still, if the board were to need financial help, the proposal is already on the table. 

“Having a master plan that is signed off by the municipality and is actually being acted on by local agencies and individuals gives the state and federal government comfort that you actually know what you’re talking about and that you really mean it,” Carroll said. 

In the works right now, the board is mapping out three retail corridors in different sections of the village–
including places for dining, entertainment and shopping. After getting the blueprints down, marketing efforts come in.

“You leverage a lever to connect with retailers and service providers and say, ‘here’s what we have as the place you’ll come. this is what we believe is the vision of the future. you need to be a part of that,” Carroll said. 

Though the plans are moving forward, the question becomes, why is change needed? According to Carroll, it’s simple–this is part of the duties of the planning board. 

“We now have a site plan review law and we have a master plan so, we’ve got everything we need to be able to cook up something really good here,” Carroll said.