SMART GROWTH for SE Orange County

Illustrating SMART GROWTH for SE Orange County Southeast Orange County Land Use Study Edward A. Diana Sponsored by the County of Orange and the Orange County Executive County Department of Planning Acknowledgements This project has been made possible with funds The Southeast Orange County Land John Karl, Village of Monroe from the County of Orange and the Orange Use Workshop, convened in September 2006, Patrick Kennedy, Orange County Depart County Department of Planning. This report was made possible with the support and assistance ment of Public Works was prepared by Regional Plan Association of a number of partners. Special thanks go to the Charles Lee, Orange County Department (RPA). RPA wishes to thank the Orange County Orange County Citizens Foundation for hosting the of Public Works Department of Planning staff for their assistance event, the Orange County Planning Department for Sandy Leonard, Town of Monroe as well as the members of the Southeast Orange helping to staff the event, as well as the speakers and Dennis Lindsay, Town of Woodbury County Traffic Task Force for their dedication professional participants for dedicating their time Ralph Maffei, Town of Blooming Grove and guidance throughout the process. and expertise to the workshop: Peter Martin, Town of Monroe Chris McKenna, Times Herald Record Patrick Condon, Spencer McLaughlin, Orange County Project Staff James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Legislator Livable Environments, University of Ramesh Mehta, NYS Thruway Authority Robert D. Yaro, President British Columbia Diane Miletti, Orange County Department Robert Lane, Director of Design Program Harry Dodson, of Planning & Development David M. Kooris, Senior Planner, was the Principal, Dodson Associates Kathy Murphy, Orange County Department principal author of this report with Peter Flinker, of Planning & Development additional input from project staff and Principal, Dodson Associates Nancy Proyect, Orange County Citizens partners. Professor John Nolon, Foundation Jennifer Cox, Senior Planner Counsel, Land Use Law Center, Pace Kate Schmidt, Orange County Department Dan Starobin, Assistant Planner University School of Law of Planning & Development Joel Russell, George Sewitt, Town of Woodbury Principal, Joel Russell Associates Don Steinmetz, Palisades Interstate Park SEOC Task Force Graham Trelstad, Commission Vice President, AKRF Stuart Turner, Stuart Turner & Associates The success of this project to date rests entirely Stephen Welle, Village of Harriman on the active participation and engagement of The following are members of the SEOC Task Force Jay Wilkins, Village of Monroe the Southeast Orange County Traffic Task Force. and SEOC Community who dedicated time, energy, Blaine Yatabe, Orange County Department Its members have shown dedication and resolve and expertise through participation at the September of Planning & Development throughout the process to improving the quality Land Use Workshop. Their participation was invalu- of life in their region. The following municipali- able in their conveyance of local knowledge to the ties, agencies, and organizations participate in the visiting experts: SEOC Task Force: Michael Amo, Orange County Legislator Town of Blooming Grove and Chair of SEOC Task Force Town of Monroe Cliff Berchtold, Monroe-Woodbury School Town of Woodbury District Village of Harriman Charles Bohan, Town of Blooming Grove Village of Kiryas Joel Fred Budde, Orange County Department of Village of Monroe Planning & Development Village of Washingtonville John Burke, Town of Woodbury David Church, Orange County Department of Orange County Department of Planning Planning & Development Metro-North Railroad Sheila Conroy, Town of Woodbury NYSDOT Region 8 John Czamanske, Orange County Department New York State Thruway Authority of Planning & Development Orange County Citizens Foundation Edward Diana, Orange County Executive Monroe-Woodbury School District William Donahue, Metro-North Railroad Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Roxanne Donnery, Orange County New York State Police Legislator This report was designed by David M. Kooris, Office of the Honorable Sue Kelly, Member, Christine Falzone, Coach USA Senior Planner for Regional Design U.S. House of Representatives (R-NY) Ari Felberman, Village of Kiryas Joel Charlie Finnerty, Town of Monroe Planning Questions can be directed to David Kooris or Board Robert Lane of Regional Plan Association. A Frank Fornario, Orange County Legislator copy of this report can be found on RPA’s web- Ron Jurian, Town of Blooming Grove site: www.rpa.org Contents Executive Summary 2 Why is a Land Use Study Necessary? 4 The Southeast Orange County Traffic Task Force 4 Tackling Transportation through Land Use 5 The Planning Process 5 The Study Area 6 Business As Usual 7 A New Vision for Southeast Orange County 10 Developing a “Smart Growth” Alternative 13 Green Infrastructure 14 Grey Infrastructure 16 Growth Management 18 Placemaking in a Sprawling Landscape 20 Village & Hamlet Infill 21 Central Valley 21 Monroe Village 21 Village Extension 22 Washingtonville 22 Kiryas Joel 22 Opportunities for New Village-Scale Centers 23 Harriman Station Area 23 Blooming Grove Rural Crossroads 24 Conservation Subdivisions 25 Southwest Monroe 25 Implementation Tools 26 Regional Scale 26 Municipal Scale 27 Site Level 30 Reference Materials 32 Executive Summary The towns and villages of Southeast One potential future adheres to the status quo: little alternative to the automobile and few Orange County are at a crossroads in the Business As Usual. Under existing major routes. This has resulted in increasing planning for their future. The land use zoning, the dominant development types will travel times and frustration while reducing and transportation decisions made today continue to be automobile-dependent single- air quality. The predominance of a single will affect the residents of this region for family homes and big box and strip commercial home type coupled with rising demand in decades to come and impact the lives of establishments. They would be spread inef- the Metropolitan Area have led to declin- future generations. ficiently across the landscape. Over the past ing affordability for the existing population. several decades these developments have led to Monotonous and disconnected develop- congestion on the region’s roads since there is ment is threatening to blanket the landscape and starve the region of its rural character. But there is another way: the Smart Smart Growth Alternative Growth alternative. In the fall of 2006, a group of urban planning, landscape architec- ture, urban design, and land use law profes- sionals worked with the Southeast Orange County Traffic Task Force to illustrate this alternative and determine the implementation tools most appropriate to achieve it. Business As Usual 2 This vision for the region’s future balances ment in the study area should be organized growth management strategy for Southeast ecological protection and landscape preser- around, and in relation to, this network of green Orange County must be paired with trans- vation with community development and infrastructure. portation investments including sidewalks, placemaking to determine the most appro- bike lanes, transit improvements, and limited priate locations for development within the One must then determine where growth is most road enhancements to ensure that future study area. appropriate. Crisscrossing the natural landscape development is accommodated by a variety are several grey infrastructure systems that will of mobility options and not purely reliant on One must first determine where not to grow. provide the supporting framework for future de- the automobile. Residential development The process begins with an assessment of the velopment. The road network, sewer and water will take a variety of forms, offering the full region’s natural framework. Ecologically systems, and other utilities constitute genera- range of options to every resident of the sensitive and aesthetically valuable features tions of investment in infrastructure that should region. Open space will be preserved and were identified for protection from poten- inform the spatial distribution of future land uses stitched together to form a network of trails tially harmful development. These features to best take advantage of these investments. and parks connecting the region’s ridgelines make up the region’s green infrastructure, and river valleys. In choosing the Smart supplying economically valuable services for By overlaying the green infrastructure and grey Growth alternative, future development in stormwater management and flood preven- infrastructure a pattern emerges, identifying the Southeast Orange County will contribute tion while providing the foundation for the most appropriate locations across the landscape to the region’s quality of life rather than region’s quality of life. All future develop- for both development and preservation. This detracting from it. Green Infrastructure + Grey Infrastructure = Growth Management 3 Why is a Land Use Study Necessary? Orange County is facing unprecedented develop- tan core. As the lower Hudson Valley has become the doorstep of Southeast Orange County. As ment pressure, and the Southeastern portion of urbanized up to the southern foothills of the New the most recent developments have shown, this the county will be the test bed for managing this York Highlands, these mountains and parklands has the potential to severely jeopardize the rural growth. Acknowledging

Load more