Think big, start small, but do something.
That's the advice Joe Czajka, a consultant with the research group Pattern for Progress, gave Wednesday to the folks who attended an informal brainstorming session about the revitalization of the Village of Brewster.
The Newburgh-based non-profit aims to promote growth and vitality in the area. The Village contract calls for the organization to study several components of Village life: "adaptive reuse" of Garden Street School, community development, neighborhood blight and transit-oriented development. Researchers will use Wednesday's conversations when producing future reports, said Czajka, who serves as vice president of research and policy.
More than 25 people—from business and property owners to elected officials to residents—were present for the discussion. It lasted about two hours, during which time Czajka and his colleague, consultant Barbara "Charlie" Murphy, asked the group to participate in a number of exercises.
"We want you to start dreaming out loud tonight," Murphy said near the start of the session.
Pattern's goal, she told Patch, is to come up with an action plan and a related implementation program for Village revitalization, which is an "incremental process." She and Czajka used nearby examples, including the revivals of places like Beacon and Cold Spring over the years, to remind attendees that change doesn't happen overnight.
The first task Czajka and Murphy put before the group was this:
Describe the Village of Brewster in a single word.
Creative, divided, historic, unfriendly and underestimated were just some of the responses.
What's the first word that comes to your mind when you think of Brewster? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, and don't forget to stay with Patch for more on this story. Updates will follow.
Jack and Jill - POOL HALL
I own a house and I am raising my children in the Village of Brewster. My children play on the sidewalk in front of my house. My neighborhood is not scary or sad or poor and most importantly, it is not “pathetic.” I know my neighbors by name on three streets in any direction. Last night’s meeting was important because folks came out that are interested in making the Village better. There are steps being taken to improve the Village like new uniform signage in front of local businesses; new sidewalks and lights in 2014, many new businesses that are here and soon coming; many building improvements as a result of the Blight Study………………….I welcome any resident to come to a Village meeting to hear about the positive momentum we now have. Bring your thoughts and ideas. I recognize that we still have a long way to go, but instead of inciting the negative, which helps no one, perhaps some optimism, vision and creativity could go a long way. Tom Boissonnault
convienent
THE HUB THE HEART OF THE HARLEM VALLEY