ESSEX — Over 80 residents gathered in the College for Every Student meeting room to participate in the second workshop for the Town of Essex’s current process of updating its Comprehensive Plan with community input.
The update is being guided by LaBella Associates, with funding from a New York State Department of State Smart Growth Comprehensive Planning Grant. The plan will address various aspects of the town’s future, including land use, development and community goals.
“This is a workshop, not a meeting. Now we have the opportunity to implement plans for the next 15 to 20 years,” said Essex Town Supervisor Ken Hughes, addressing those in attendance. “Essex has a small tax base. I cannot ask you to pay (for everything). We need to find state and non-profit funding. The first question they ask is, ‘How does it improve your lives and align with your comprehensive plan?’”
It was emphasized that a comprehensive plan serves to establish guidelines for the future growth of a community.
“All of us love and call Essex home,” co-committee chair Kristin Kimball said. “With a Department of State $70,000 grant we hired LaBella. They do not tell us what to do. We tell LaBella. It’s like the process of writing a book. At this point it’s like a first draft; it’s imperfect.”
Co-chair Steven Englehart added, “We have seven stakeholder groups. We received over300 responses to our community survey.”
LaBella Project Manager Jamie Konkowski detailed the process.
“We want to capture what you want as residents of Essex,” Konkowski said.
It was indicated that the process involves community engagement, analysis of existing conditions and the development of future goals and strategies. In addition, the plan will provide updates to the Town’s Zoning Ordinance.
The plan will focus on the following key areas smart growth; waterfront revitalization, agriculture and open space; housing; tourism; climate change; and historical preservation.
Smart growth principles involve sustainable and efficient development. Among the specifics, the plan will address housing needs, including attracting new families and young professionals.
The updated plan will build upon previous waterfront planning efforts, including the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
Protecting and encouraging agriculture, preserving open fields and maintaining open space are key priorities. The plan will focus on making the community resilient to the impacts of climate change, particularly flooding.
The key principle of the comprehensive plan is it will be utilized by the community leaders to establish policies and make decisions concerning physical development.
The requirements of the plan include: it should be comprehensive, long range and general while focusing on physical development; it should relate physical design proposals to community goals and economic policies; it should be a policy instrument first, and then used as a technical instrument.
Once the feedback is collected it will be analyzed, a draft Comprehensive Plan will be prepared and presented at a public hearing. The committee will then refer the plan to the Town Board. The adoption process will include referring it to the Essex County Planning Board and Adirondack Park Agency. There will then be a town public hearing followed by a final plan and adoption.
For residents who missed the workshop or those wishing to provide additional input they have until Aug. 18. For additional information, go to essexnewyork.com/comprehensive-plan.