Community and Regional Planning Services

A comprehensive plan is a broad-based, multi-subject matter document that guides the development of the community over the next five to seven years. Although not mandated, New York municipal law provides guidance as to the composition of a plan.

Goals are developed, objectives are formulated, and initiatives are implemented for the following: community and economic development, recreation and the arts, housing, natural resources and the environment, agriculture, commercial and industrial facilities, infrastructure, historic and cultural facilities, transportation and institutional/governmental/educational facilities and health care and emergency services.

The primary benefit of developing a comprehensive plan is the dialogue that occurs among residents and local officials. During the plan development process, the public is engaged in an open discussion of their community including assessment of current issues and needs and exploration of effective initiatives to address the issues and fulfill identified needs.

Once the plan is developed and adopted, the document then serves as a credible resource to access state and federal grant programs and aid in securing funds that offset project cost and the burden on local resources. Lastly, the plan serves to aid local review boards as they perform their duties in evaluating development and land use proposals.

The primary means by which local communities manage the direction of development and the retention of valuable resources (open space, natural landscape and/or historic features) is through the zoning chapter of their municipal code. To effectively manage land use in a community, the municipal zoning law need not be onerous and overreaching.

An effective zoning law is one that closely reflects the goals of the residents, is concisely written and includes an efficient review and enforcement process. There are multiple options that may be applied in the development of district schedules, supplementary regulations, administrative procedures, and mapping of district boundaries. A skilled and experienced planner can guide the community through these options and draft a customized law that addresses residents needs while allowing for reasonable growth and sustainable prosperity.

In general, the optimal period for updating a comprehensive plan is five to seven years. The ever-changing nature of community development and the quick-paced evolution of technological change requires constant assessment of resident needs and adaptations of local land use codes (e.g., zoning, subdivision regulations, stormwater management planning and pollution prevention, wetland protection).

As an example, video rental businesses came and went in less than a generation. Local land use codes were just beginning to reflect their existence before technology changed and video rental became extinct. The same dynamic is occurring with land use planning and regulation of commercial-scale solar system energy systems, 5G cellular technology and electric vehicle charging stations.

With this quickening rate of change among uses of land, community redevelopment planning and land use management techniques need to keep pace so that land use outcomes match resident expectations.