The Planning Board sent the Draft Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board on Thursday night, voting 6-0 to send it forward.
Unlike the public hearing, the board didn't take public input this time, instead focusing on earlier comments. Apart from some minor language changes, the largest issue was a concern about the trail map. The board had previously removed lines for non-railroad trails from the map, then added them back later. Dave Weinstein and Joe LaQuatra brought up removing the trails, particularly the one through Ellis Hollow, but Tom Hatfield persuaded the board to keep the lines, but adding a large "For Discussion Only" sign to the map, as these trails are a long way from implementation. Even if a particular trail was considered especially important it could take a decade or more to bring them to completion.
A group of residents was there to push for more protection for the Dryden Lake area, and board members suggested afterward that this was something that needs to be addressed in the zoning implementation more than in the plan itself.
Moving forward, the steps ahead include the Town Board having a public hearing on the plan, doing a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), and then deciding to adopt, modify, reject, or ignore the plan. They can send it back to the Planning Board if they want more work done as well. If the Town Board adopts the plan, it will be considered a key town document for things like discussions with the state Department of Transportation, but implementation will require the town passing zoning laws which reflect the content of the plan.
It's taken years to get to this point, and it will probably be a few years before the plan takes effect. Of course, it could, like the 1968 plan, be published but never adopted or implemented.
Posted by simonstl at March 19, 2005 04:40 PM