EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Olean, its community members, and the Task Force Committee (TFC), prepared the 2025-2045 Olean Comprehensive Development Plan to allow leadership to chart a fresh course for sustainable and economic growth. The City’s last Comprehensive Plan was developed 20 years ago in 2005, but the vision and goals identified are no longer fully reflective of the City’s desired development.
The planning process was community-driven and focused on the New York State identified Smart Growth Principles which target a mix of land uses, a range of housing opportunities and choices, creating a strong sense of place, well planned public spaces, availability of public transit, and walkable neighborhoods, amongst others.
The planning horizon for the City’s Comprehensive Development Plan is 20 years and it is the goal that in 2045, the City’s newly established vision is reality, and the goals are ready to be updated since many of the strategies and projects identified have been achieved.
Existing Conditions
The City is a major hub in its region and is the largest city within Cattaraugus County. Due to its size and regional setting, Olean is both an employment and commercial center for the rural areas surrounding the City throughout Cattaraugus County.
There are over 700 businesses within the City with over 13,000 employees. Major public and institutional employers within and in close proximity to the City of Olean include Cattaraugus County Government, Cattaraugus Allegany BOCES, Jamestown Community College, Olean General Hospital, St. Bonaventure University, City of Olean government, and the Olean City School District. Large private employers within the community include CUTCO Corporation, InTandem, and Cimolai-HY. Olean’s percentage of workers in Manufacturing is 8% higher (16%) total than the New York State percentage of 8%.
The City of Olean maintains 17 parks, as well as one stadium, a recreation, and a community center. The parks are dispersed through the City including residential neighborhoods, along the waterfront, and Olean’s downtown totaling over 130 acres. According to the Trust for Public Land, 73% of Olean residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. This is higher than the median city score of 55%.
The City contains robust historic resources including numerous designated historic and archeological resources on the National Register of Historic Places such as the Former Olean Public Library (Carnegie Library), Olean Armory, the Fannie E. Bartlett House, and Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. The City also contains two Historic Districts and two eligible Historic District.