CAN CANTON'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BE A LIFESAVER?

UPDATED:  10:00 AM

VIDEOS

Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II

Is Comprehensive Plan

Canton's Last Opportunity?

Ward 8 Councilman Edmond Mack
The Prospects for Plan Success

 Canton Citizen Dan Fonte
How did the Gervasi Vinyard Session Go? 
 

Tuesday night was the "kick-off" for the City of Canton's information gathering as one aspect of putting together a comprehensive plan to - in the opinion of The Stark County Political Report - to get the Hall of Fame City off life support.

The map of the city in today's lead graphic (restructured somewhat by the SCPR to emphasize the $15,398 "average sale price" of properties in large parts of the city) was put together by CZB, LLC, the consulting firm hired by Canton in the spring to bring the plan to fruition.

Readers should refresh themselves on the underlying discussion of whether or not Canton should hire CZB, LLC at this SCPR blog LINK.

Canton did hire CZB and Community Building Partnership of Stark County (as a local player) to get the planning process up and running.

For access to the Comprehensive Plan website, here is a LINK to access it.

With much of Canton's residential real properties selling at $15, 398 on average and with Canton being on the brink of being rated as an "extreme poverty city," the SCPR thinks that the city is on life support with barely a heartbeat detectible.

Such is the assessment of the SCPR notwithstanding the announcement this past week of the projected completion of the conversion of the former Onesto Hotel into downtown living space and the projected development of the Pro Football Hall of Fame complex into what is being called: Hall of Fame Village.

The Report asked Canton mayor William J. Healy, II at the conclusion of Tuesday's first meeting whether or not the Canton Comprehensive Plan was "a last opportunity" for Canton to revive itself.



Notwithstanding his answer to the contrary,  The Report is convinced that Canton is at a crisis point insofar as its future is concerned.

One of Stark County's most capable citizens in terms of having the ability to critique plans is former Local 94, Plumbers and Pipefitters business manager Dan Fonte.

The Report knows Fonte to be a no-nonsense assessor of whatever topic he engages in who, like the SCPR, does not care who he p*sses off in his appraisal of public figure personalities and of public entities.

The Report thinks that the chances of success of Canton's Comprehensive Plan would be greatly enhanced if the city administration, city council and CZB and Community Builders of Stark County would embrace Fonte as a main player in the construction of and the implementation of the plan.

He has spent a lifetime advocating for the working class men and women of Stark County.

Here is Fonte's candid appraisal of the Gervasi Vineyard presentation.



The SCPR applauds the Healy administration and Canton City Council for conceiving and going forward with the plan.

Now it is up to Cantonians to take advantage of what The Report thinks may well be Canton's "last gasp" to attain a healthy heatbeat or to become a "dead - beyond revival" city for the foreseeable future.

Last night a meeting was held at the Canton Garden Center.

It was undoubtedly not happenstance that the first meeting took place at the Gervasi Vineyard complex which is located in Canton's most "well-heeled" locale (that is to say:  Ward 8) which is represented by Democrat Edmond Mack.

About 75 attended.

Here are Mack's post-meeting remarks to the SCPR.



Here is the rest of the schedule that Cantonians can and SHOULD participate in.

 

One has to wonder what kind of participation Councilpersons Greg Hawk, Thomas West, Jim Griffin, Chris Smith and Kevin Fisher will be able to generate when their areas inasmuch of their wards are among Canton's most depressed.

The SCPR will be tracking the evolvement and implementation of the resulting plan.

All in the continuing effort by The Report to have Stark County's politicians be accountable for their decisions.