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Town of Blooming Grove Comprehensiveplan

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Town of Blooming Grove Comprehensiveplan TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Prepared for: The Town of Blooming Grove Prepared by: December 27, 2005 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Town Board Charles J. Bohan, Town Supervisor Gerard F. Strommer, Deputy Supervisor Frederick S. Horn, Town Councilman Brandon L. Nielsen, Town Councilman Joseph E. Zippilli, Town Councilman Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Tom Beasley Matt Carmody Tom Corl Alec K. Galli, AIA Ed Gannon Ron Jurain JoAnne Kelly Frank McCue Ted Rahon Charlie Rodstrom AKRF, Inc. Graham Trelstad, AICP, Director of Planning Michael Marrella, AICP, Planner/Urban Designer Richard Klusek, Planner/Geographic Information Systems Jeanine Tucker, Graphic Designer Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 1-1 A. Introduction 1-1 B. Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan 1-1 C. Relationship with Other Jurisdictions’ Policies 1-2 2. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VISION 2-1 A. Introduction 2-1 B. The Town’s Vision 2-1 3. NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY 3-1 A. Introduction 3-1 B. Inventory of Natural Resources 3-1 Topography and Slopes 3-1 Water and Wetlands 3-3 Soils 3-4 Flora and Fauna 3-5 4. HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES 4-1 A. Introduction 4-1 B. Narrative History of Town 4-1 5. DEMOGRAPHICS AND POPULATION 5-1 A. Introduction 5-1 B. Inventory of Demographic Information 5-1 General Population Statistics 5-1 Economic Characteristics and Employment 5-5 6. LAND USE AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER 6-1 A. Introduction 6-1 B. Inventory of Land Uses and Housing 6-1 Community Character 6-1 Existing Land Use Pattern 6-2 Analysis of Existing Land Use 6-2 Expected Growth 6-4 Housing Characteristics 6-5 Housing Needs 6-6 7. TRANSPORTATION 7-1 A. Introduction 7-1 B. Inventory 7-1 Street Network 7-1 Public Transportation System 7-5 Non-Motorized Travel 7-5 TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 Table of Contents 8. UTILITIES 8-1 A. Introduction 8-1 B. Inventory of Utility Services 8-1 Water Services 8-1 Wastewater Services 8-2 9. COMMUNITY FACILITIES 9-1 A. Introduction 9-1 B. Inventory of Community Facilities and Services 9-1 Schools 9-1 Fire Facilities 9-3 Police Services 9-4 Health Care Services and Facilities 9-4 Town Hall and Other Public Buildings, Facilities 9-4 10. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 10-1 A. Introduction 10-1 B. Goals and Objectives 10-1 Natural Resources 10-1 Historic and Cultural Resources 10-1 Demographics and Population 10-1 Land Use 10-2 Transportation 10-2 Utilities 10-3 Community Facilities 10-4 11. IMPLEMENTATION 11-1 A. Introduction 11-1 B. Implementation Actions 11-1 Natural Resources 11-1 Historic and Cultural Resources 11-2 Population Growth and Housing 11-2 Land Use and Community Character 11-3 Transportation 11-8 Utilities 11-11 Community Facilities 11-12 APPENDIX A A-1 A. Inventory of Historic, archaeological and Cultural Sites A-1 Cemeteries and burial Grounds A-4 Cultural Resources A-4 Archaeological Resources A-4 Cemeteries and burial Grounds A-5 B. Nearby Historic, Archaeological and Cultural Sites A-5 Attractions Located Outside of the Town A-5 2 Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES All Figures Are Located at the End of Each Chapter 3-1 Topography 3-2 Waterbodies and Waterways 3-3 Wetlands 3-4 Floodplains 3-5 Soils 3-6 Areas of Biological Significance 6-1 Existing Land Use 6-2 Unprotected Open Space 6-3 Protected Open Space 7-1 Road Hierarchy 7-2 By-Pass studies 7-3 Traffic Problem Areas 8-1 Water Supply Districts 9-1 School District Boundaries 11-1 Rural Residential District Development 11-2 Rural Crossroads II Development 11-3 Proposed Zoning 11-4 Scenic Roadways 11-5 Scenic Viewsheds 11-6 Proposed Route 208 Realignment 11-7 Collector Road Design 11-8 Local Roads, Low Density Design 11-9 Local Roads, Mid-Density Design 3 C H A P T E R I Introduction • Charles J. Bohan, Town Supervisor • Frederick S. Horn, Town Councilman • Brandon L. Nielsen, Town Councilman • Gerard F. Strommer, Town Councilman • Tom Beasley • Matt Carmody • Tom Corl • Alec K. Galli, AIA • Ron Jurain • JoAnne Kelly • Frank McCue • Ted Rahon • Charlie Rodstrom Graham Trelstad, AICP, Technical Director, and Michael Marrella, Planner/Urban Designer, of the firm of AKRF, Inc., assisted in the preparation of the Comprehensive A. INTRODUCTION Plan. This Comprehensive Plan has been prepared for the Town of Blooming Grove to reflect changes to the B. PURPOSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN community’s vision and changing demographic and A Comprehensive plan serves as a general guide for land development trends since adoption of the Town’s the future physical and socioeconomic development 1994 Comprehensive Plan. This Comprehensive Plan of a municipality. It is intended as a well-considered, was prepared pursuant to Section 272-a of New York reasonable, long-range and comprehensive State Town Law and supercedes all data, analysis, development policy statement. The plan provides policy, and recommendations made in the 1994 guidance for the day-to-day administrative policies of Comprehensive Plan. This Comprehensive Plan is also the municipal government and related agencies with considered a “Master Plan.” respect to planning and zoning. In August 2003, a Comprehensive Plan Steering The adoption of the revised Comprehensive Plan for Committee was formed including members of the the Town of Blooming Grove documents the Town’s Town Board, Planning Board, and interested citizens. land use policy objectives, reflects a comprehensive The Committee met monthly to discuss topics and goal to guide the development of the Town, and issues related to the update of the Comprehensive ultimately provides the optimum living environment Plan, including community demographics, visioning, for all its residents. The Plan is intended to make the land use, housing, open space, parks and recreation, wisest use of the Town’s resources, while protecting transportation, utilities, community facilities, historic the environment and preserving the Town’s rich resources, and natural resources. All meetings were history and natural beauty. The Plan provides a scheduled and notified as public meetings and frame of reference for the Town planning and zoning members of the public were invited to attend. In activities so that it develops in an economically, January 2004, a public information workshop was aesthetically, and environmentally sensitive manner. held to discuss the initial findings with the public. The Comprehensive Plan provides the cornerstone The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee of the Town’s planning process and the framework comprises the following members: for both long-range and day-to-day policy decision- TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1-1 Chapter 1 This Comprehensive Plan is a vision for how the Town of Blooming Grove will grow and develop over the next decade or more. This Plan updates the 1994 Comprehensive Plan, and should be revisited and updated within five to ten years. The Comprehensive Plan should be a “living” document, and every year the Town Board should review the Plan and develop a specific set of goals and actions for the year, noting which goals have been met, and examining those which have not. This annual review should result in a strategic implementation plan for the upcoming year. making. It has been prepared to reflect the increased development pressure experienced within the Town over the past three decades, especially in environmentally sensitive areas. From a planning perspective, there is little difference between a “master plan” and a “comprehensive plan.” Either term describes a document that describes a community’s vision for land development, natural resources, transportation systems, and community facilities among other issues. “Comprehensive plan” is defined in the New York State Town Law Section 272-a.2(a) as “the materials, written and/or graphic, including but not limited to maps, charts, studies, resolutions, reports and other descriptive material that C. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER identify the goals, objectives, principles, guidelines, JURISDICTIONS’ POLICIES policies, standards, devices and instruments for the immediate and long-range protection, enhancement, VILLAGE OF WASHINGTONVILLE AND growth, and development of the town located outside the limits of any incorporated village or city.” This NEIGHBORING TOWNS Comprehensive Plan is prepared under the authority Though located within the Town of Blooming Grove, of Town Law Section 272-a. the Village of Washingtonville is a separate local government entity. However, this Plan acknowledges All land regulations (zoning, subdivision, natural that the implementation of recommendations of resource protection) must be “in accordance with this plan may affect the Village of Washingtonville. a comprehensive plan” (Town Law Section 263). Similarly, implementing the recommendations Consequently, the policies articulated in this plan contained within the Town of Blooming Grove’s serve as the basis for future revisions of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan may affect surrounding Towns, land use regulations. In addition, the law requires including Hamptonburgh, New Windsor, Cornwall, that capital projects of other government agencies Woodbury, Chester and Goshen. The Town of on land included in the adopted comprehensive plan Blooming Grove seeks to be a good neighbor and must take the Plan into consideration. As a result, ensure that future development within the Town this Plan not only helps the Town of Blooming Grove does not overburden neighboring municipalities. develop its own programs, but it enables the Town The Town has developed its Comprehensive Plan to help shape the capital programs of other units of with that goal in mind. government acting within its borders. 1-2 Introduction Portions of the Town of Blooming Grove are identified by the County as Priority Growth Areas, defined as general areas of preference for future development of infrastructure and services. These areas include the land west of the Schunnemunk Ridge and east of Route 94.
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