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Letter — Clearing up confusion over town’s Comp Plan
We, members of the Steering Committee for the town of Chatham’s Comprehensive Plan, are writing this letter because there still is confusion about the Comprehensive Plan. Let us begin by saying the Town Board voted to adopt the plan at a regular meeting to a standing-room-only crowd in August 2009, after having held the required public meetings. Due to a procedural oversight, the vote adopting the plan had to be reconfirmed and this ministerial act was accomplished at a subsequent Town Board workshop. The process for developing the plan was non-partisan, community-based and was guided by a principal planner, certified by the nationally recognized American Institute of Certified Planners. Community residents volunteering in the process included people with a range of interests and backgrounds, including various party affiliations — Republican, Democrat and Independent. The community-based process was a conservative approach, designed to be inclusive of all residents’ interests and ideas and it addresses a broad range of issues that affect our community. New York state policy considers a comprehensive plan to be a critical tool to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of a town. A comprehensive plan is a town’s policy foundation and therefore, was rightfully developed in a democratic process that solicited broad community input.
Next, we would like to point out that a well-written comprehensive plan helps maintain property values and minimizes future tax increases. Farms, open space and commercial development generate more in tax revenues than they consume in services. The plan provides strategies to promote balanced development to enhance our tax base. It recommends proven growth management techniques so infrastructure and municipal services (highway, schools, fire and rescue) can keep pace with new development.
The plan takes a conservative approach to development. It places control on how our community will grow in the hands of the town officials and residents. Studies prove that communities with comprehensive plans maintain better property values and have a more stable tax base. The median property values in these communities are higher than communities with haphazard growth.
Also, our plan has many important strategies reflective of residents’ desires and wishes for the community. For example, the plan has strategies to ensure that housing remains affordable and provisions to help us stay here as we age. The plan has two entire sections devoted to strategies to maintain our rural character and farming heritage. The plan offers many strategies to protect our environmental and natural resources.
Additionally, it is important to note that New York state funding (e.g., Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds) is more readily available to towns with up-to-date plans that demonstrate Smart Growth principles. Almost all applications for state aid require a community to indicate whether it adopted a plan and when. New York state’s draft Energy Plan encourages local adoption of Smart Growth policies and strategies and supports the availability of state technical assistance and funding opportunities to local governments.
Finally, we take pride in the forward-thinking strategies in our recently adopted plan and we look forward to the next steps — implementation of these important strategies.
Mary Gail Biebel
Van Calhoun
Ira Marks
Jean Rohde
Randi Walker
Next, we would like to point out that a well-written comprehensive plan helps maintain property values and minimizes future tax increases. Farms, open space and commercial development generate more in tax revenues than they consume in services. The plan provides strategies to promote balanced development to enhance our tax base. It recommends proven growth management techniques so infrastructure and municipal services (highway, schools, fire and rescue) can keep pace with new development.
The plan takes a conservative approach to development. It places control on how our community will grow in the hands of the town officials and residents. Studies prove that communities with comprehensive plans maintain better property values and have a more stable tax base. The median property values in these communities are higher than communities with haphazard growth.
Also, our plan has many important strategies reflective of residents’ desires and wishes for the community. For example, the plan has strategies to ensure that housing remains affordable and provisions to help us stay here as we age. The plan has two entire sections devoted to strategies to maintain our rural character and farming heritage. The plan offers many strategies to protect our environmental and natural resources.
Additionally, it is important to note that New York state funding (e.g., Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds) is more readily available to towns with up-to-date plans that demonstrate Smart Growth principles. Almost all applications for state aid require a community to indicate whether it adopted a plan and when. New York state’s draft Energy Plan encourages local adoption of Smart Growth policies and strategies and supports the availability of state technical assistance and funding opportunities to local governments.
Finally, we take pride in the forward-thinking strategies in our recently adopted plan and we look forward to the next steps — implementation of these important strategies.
Mary Gail Biebel
Van Calhoun
Ira Marks
Jean Rohde
Randi Walker
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