NEW DATES DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS – SEE BELOW
The Comprehensive Plan Update Review Committee is collecting data and starting their community outreach by having meetings in the different town hamlets to discover the unique issues that exist in these specific hamlets.
The committee will also be doing a general public meeting at the Tri-Village Firehouse, at a later date, to address the needs of the rural communities as well.
(Note: They aren’t tossing out the current Comp Plan, just reviewing it to see what updates need to be made.)
See dates below and keep track of the committee’s road-trip tour, minutes, and link to current Comp Plan here.
The following notice is from the committee:
The Town of Chatham’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted in September of 2009, created from data obtained from a 2004 survey. Although there are many parts of the plan that remain relevant, there have been a number of significant changes in our community over the past 16 years. Regular updates are not only standard practice for Comprehensive Plans, but in Chatham’s case, is also overdue.
“The Plan was developed to cover a 15-year time period with an expectation that it will be reviewed and updated as necessary. However, it should be formally reviewed a minimum of every five to seven years to ensure that it remains a vital document to help guide Chatham in the future.”
Hence, a new Comprehensive Plan Update Review Committee (CPURC) has been formed to conduct public outreach, review, research, and suggest potential updates to the Town Board. The character of your hamlet and the community is the focus of the Comp Plan – a vision for the town. We are not writing zoning. We are not rewriting the entire Comp Plan. We are just reviewing it and recommending updates to the Town Board after a thorough analysis of all the data collected. The hamlet meetings are merely one step in the data-collection process, which will also include a town-wide survey.
In an effort to ensure an accurate and thorough data collection process, keeping in mind the following three questions:
1. What are the current conditions, features, and character of Chatham?
2. What does Chatham want for itself in the future?
3. What are the various ways Chatham can attain that desired future state?
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
The New York Planning Federation defines this nicely for us: “A comprehensive plan sets forth a community’s goals and recommended actions which will make the community a good place to live, work and visit. The plan outlines what needs to be done and how to do it in an orderly, well-thought-out fashion and that the needs of the community will be met.
“A comprehensive plan is NOT a static blueprint of how to get to some specific endpoint. It is a living document that provides continual guidance for the work of the community leaders and staff. Municipal decisions need to be weighed against the values and ideas set forth in the plan to ensure that the community is heading in the right direction.”
How can you help us and help yourself?
Whether you have read the current Comprehensive Plan or not, we encourage everyone to participate in open discussions on any thoughts you have on how we can improve our Comprehensive Plan, in general. This plan will have profound effects on our community. Please participate.
It’s important that we collect information on not only what citizens want to see for Chatham’s future but also what they would rather not want to see change. Our Committee is reaching out to obtain further information, including but not limited to the following areas:
- What has changed?
- What are old or unresolved issues or new issues?
- What are things you would like to protect and/or avoid?
- Is there a project(s) that would make Chatham life better?
| Resources on the Town of Chatham Website: https://www.chathamnewyork.us/ |
| Current Comprehensive Plan: https://www.chathamnewyork.us/document_center/Comprehensive%20Plan/Final-comp-plan.pdf |
| Source Water Protection Plan: https://www.chathamnewyork.us/Source%20Water%20Protection%20plan.pdf |
| Agriculture Protection Plan: https://www.chathamnewyork.us/FinalAgplan_v5_1009.pdf |
The follow are prompts for discussion but please share any opinions you have:
- Do you want to see businesses that personally serve the people in your hamlet (including home occupations)?
- Do you want to see businesses that are broader and serve larger than your hamlet?
- Do you want to consider architectural design guidelines for businesses?
- Would you like it to be part of the zoning or a suggested guideline?
- Do you want to consider architectural design guidelines for residential?
- Would you want your hamlet to obtain historical designation? (Tim to research)
- Do you want to explore possible water or sewer infrastructure, knowing that it would be an added expense to taxes and monthly bill?
- Do you want to see the minimum lot size changed in relationship to water availability?
- What kind of different housing choices do you want in your area – tiny houses, multi-family, etc.
- Would you be in favor of historic district designation?
- Where do you see the traffic problems most and is there a specific time of day it occurs?
- Rail trail concerns – parking, noise (North Chatham and Kinderhook Lake)
- Kinderhook Lake: noise, people using lake, water quality, parking, building height
Feel free to attend any CPURC meeting at the Town Hall (dates are on the calendar on the Town’s website) or email Councilperson Abi Mesick at amesick@chathamnewyork.us.
We deeply appreciate your participation in this process!
Abi Mesick, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Donna Staron, Dave Everett, Tim Mackerer, Jeff Cox, Lucinda Buckley
Please attend the CPURC hamlet meeting in your area!
SATURDAY, MARCH 7th:
North Chatham Firehouse, 653 Route 32, North Chatham
10am-12pm – North Chatham
1-3pm – Kinderhook Lake
SATURDAY, MAY 2nd:
Malden Bridge Community Center, 1087 Albany Turnpike, Malden Bridge
10am to 12pm – Malden Bridge, Rayville, Riders Mills
SATURDAY, MAY 9th:
East Chatham Fire Dept, 14 Frisbee St, East Chatham
10am to 12pm – East Chatham
SATURDAY, MAY 16th:
Tri-Village Firehouse, 111 Co Rd 13, Old Chatham
10am-12pm – Chatham Center
1-3pm – Old Chatham
SATURDAY, JUNE 6th:
The Society of New Concord Meeting House, 2689 County Rd 9, East Chatham
10am-12pm — New Concord
If you cannot attend the meetings, please feel free to contact the Comprehensive Plan Update Review Committee to voice your opinions.
