Although the Evans City of yonder — aided by the oil boon in the early 20th century — won't make a return anytime soon, that won't stop its residents from working to rejuvenate the borough.

With more than 50 attendees, a May 5 meeting featured residents discussing what they like about Evans City, what they dislike and what they'd want to see the borough have more of.

Ben Levenger of Downtown Redevelopment Services, a contractor that aids municipalities with planning their futures, said that while there are largely two camps in Evans City — those calling for a recovery of the borough's past successes and those looking to improve things in new ways for the future — their ultimate desires aren't that different.

“They really do have the same ideas in mind,” Levenger said. “It's just how they get to their end goal that differs.”

Ultimately, the feedback residents provided at that meeting — ranging from whether residents feel safe while walking to what amenities they'd want to see — will end up forming the basis of the borough's comprehensive plan, its first in two and a half decades.

To identify the issues on which Evans City should focus, Levenger said, it's first important to know what the borough has in terms of assets and detriments.“One of the biggest assets the community has is its people,” he said. “People are caring and compassionate, and that contributes to the quality of life that people are looking for.”Moreover, the residents have power to take advantage of the borough's new focus on community redevelopment.“The community does have a full complement of organizations and truly invested individuals who want to improve their community for the betterment of others,” Levenger said. “I think it's important that, moving forward, everyone has their voices heard, No. 1, and has the ability to make their mark on their community.”Beyond the people, too, the residents identified EDCO Park as one of the community's greatest assets. Levenger expanded upon that and said Evans City has a plethora of resources such as that.“I think the borough has a bunch of natural resources that are not tapped into yet,” he said. “The swimming pool is nice, but very few people (outside Evans City) know about it.”To be sure, there are negative aspects within the borough. At the May 5 meeting, a handful of participants identified “Negative Nancys” as something the borough doesn't need more of. But councilwoman Diana Zoelle said the identification of that as a detriment is actually positive.“I think that people are becoming more aware of the fact that negativity does not serve us well; in fact, it doesn't serve us at all,” Zoelle said. “If we're going to accomplish anything here in Evans City, we are going to have to turn that around and become more enthusiastic about what each of us can do.”To the extent those espousing negativity have a point, Levenger said, borough officials shouldn't simply disregard their concerns because they come from people who want to point out problems and not solutions.“I have no problem saying that, out of the public comments and the surveys, it was brought out that there is a need for the borough council to listen to the public and not just hear the public; to truly empathize, understand, get to their level and work with them,” Levenger said. “That's not abnormal” for a borough council.

Zoelle said the comprehensive plan will be the borough's first since 1996, even as several communities surrounding the borough have decennial plans. The impetus for Evans City's renewed interest in a comprehensive plan, Zoelle said, is council's focus on revitalizing its downtown.“I realized none of that was going to happen unless we had a plan,” Zoelle said.So the plan, a draft of which Levenger will send to council either Friday or Monday, will focus on what the borough can do to achieve some broad goals. Residents who might want to see more specifics might be disappointed, Levenger said, but the overarching comprehensive plan builds a foundation for future specifics.“The comprehensive plan is presenting the framework for what the community needs and is desirable in the near future,” Levenger said. “This is the precursor for development work in a town. Typically, the way it works is, your community has a series of guidance documents, the most broad or general of which is your comprehensive plan or community master plan.”From there, he explained, a community will develop more specific documents such as zoning ordinances or building codes to more clearly implement the broad ideals documented in the comprehensive plan.Fans of specific details and instant gratification alike will be disappointed by the comprehensive plan, both Levenger and Zoelle said. But that's not a reason to give up. The comprehensive plan, they both said, will give a foundation for the future work improvement within the borough.“All of these things take time,” Levenger said. “If you have questions, reach out to your borough council member, reach out to the council president and get on their list. Make sure you're updated and know what's going on.”