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Putnam Valley's Comprehensive Master Plan Available for Public Scrutiny Prior to September 20 Public Hearing
by Edward Paul Greiff
On Thursday, September 20, 2007 starting at 6pm there will be a Public Hearing at the Putnam Valley High School Performing Arts Center to update the public and obtain feedback on the final draft of Putnam Valley's proposed Comprehensive Master Plan. This document is presented in two parts: the Plan, which is 65 pages long and its Appendix. It is currently available only as a reference document at Town Hall and the Library, but it can be downloaded from the Town's website.
As the process for planning for the Town's future unfolds one must consider that there are three Comprehensive related documents being worked on at the same time. And although they can be reviewed as the various documents become ready for public scrutiny, according to Town Attorney David Gordon the Town Board's legal obligation regarding the Comprehensive Master Plan is that they must legally first approve the SEQRA review before they can approve the Comprehensive Master Plan. And both of these must be approved before the Town adopts changed Zoning Laws.
In the Comprehensive Master Plan's Executive Summary Chazin Engineering and the Master Plan Committee summarize the results of their survey that was sent to 4,609 households, of which over 22 percent responded. This is a significant statistical percentage to validate the results.
The Executive Summary states that the following major findings of the survey had a 60 percent agreement by the respondents and therefore can be used as a guide for the Town to consider how best to allocate resources and take actions to meet the needs of its residents. The majority of respondents to the survey:
- Like living in a rural town with open spaces and proximity to lakes, rivers and wildlife.
- Are very unhappy with what are perceived as high taxes and in particular school taxes.
- Believe that Putnam Valley has had too much residential growth in the last ten years.
- Believe that Putnam Valley needs more commercial development.
- Believe that Putnam Valley needs to protect more open space.
- Are satisfied with Putnam Valley's public safety services (fire, police and rescue).
- Believe that Putnam Valley's roads are adequately maintained.
- Support increasing required lot sizes as a way of discouraging additional residential development.
- Like their proximity to urban resources such as in Westchester County and New York City.
- Do not support a public transportation shuttle.
- Do support a Historic Preservation Law.
The first Master Plan was adopted in 1965. The recommendations made in the second Master Plan in 1990 were not implemented until the Town adopted a new Zoning Code in March of 1995. The 1990 Master Plan still governs today. The Master Plan of 2007 is an attempt to take a fresh comprehensive look at the issues related to the Town's continued growth and development.
"Adopting and implementing the Comprehensive Plan by the Town Board should be viewed as an important but initial step in a much longer process. Implementing the key recommendations in the plan will continue over the next several months and years," states Chazin and the Comprehensive Committee in the Plan.
The Master Plan calls for the establishment of a "Monitoring for Progress" dialogue between the Town Board and the other official boards and committees to address implementation issues. The frequency of these joint meetings should be adjusted as appropriate at the Town Board's discretion. And finally the last implementation recommendation is that within five to seven years the Comprehensive Plan as a whole should be updated.
Chazin planners Mike Welti (Project Manager) and Jan Johannessen, and the Comprehensive Committee; Karin Greenfield-Sanders (Chair), Ross Keating, Irvine Flinn, David Spittal, Thomas Carano, Eugene T. Yetter Jr., Priscilla Keresey, and Samuel Davis, along with attorneys William Zutt and David Gordon have worked very hard to make sure every "T" is crossed and every "I" is dotted. Now it is up to the public to get involved and start the implementation process by voicing their support for the plan or expressing specific objections that need to be overcome.
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