TOWN OF BRUNSWICK RENSSELAER COUNTY, NEW YORK Historical photos courtesy of the Brunswick Historical Society DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN August, 2013 TOWN OF BRUNSWICK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FINAL DRAFT AUGUST, 2013 © 2013 Laberge Group 4 Computer Drive West Albany, New York 12205 Laberge Group Project Number 2011092 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee Frank Brenenstuhl Tracey Broderick Gordon Christian Mark Cipperly Michael Czornyj Margaret Doyle Kenneth Herrington Tom Meyer Russell Oster Andrew Ross Ryan Silva James Tkacik Matthew Wade Chuck Watson Town Board Philip H. Herrington, Supervisor Patrick E. Poleto Sam Salvi James Sullivan Daniel Casale Funding Agency This report was funded in part by a grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway Council Consultant TOWN OF BRUNSWICK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. I I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 What is a Comprehensive Plan? ....................................................................................................... 1 Why is a Comprehensive Plan Update Necessary? ........................................................................... 1 How Will the Plan Be Implemented? ................................................................................................ 3 II. COMMUNITY VISION, GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................... 4 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Goals & Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 4 Community Identity, History and Recreation ....................................................................................... 6 Natural and Agricultural Resources ...................................................................................................... 8 Housing ............................................................................................................................................... 10 Transportation .................................................................................................................................... 11 Municipal Services and Infrastructure ............................................................................................... 13 Business Retention and Expansion ..................................................................................................... 15 Local Land Use Regulations ................................................................................................................ 17 Conceptual Future Land Use Plan ................................................................................................... 19 III. COMMUNITY PROFILE ...................................................................................................... 25 Regional Location & Characteristics ............................................................................................... 25 Existing Land Use ........................................................................................................................... 26 Existing Zoning ............................................................................................................................... 29 Zoning Districts ................................................................................................................................... 29 Demographic Profile ...................................................................................................................... 30 Population .......................................................................................................................................... 30 Age ...................................................................................................................................................... 31 Household Income ............................................................................................................................. 32 Educational Attainment ..................................................................................................................... 33 TOWN OF BRUNSWICK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Housing Resources ......................................................................................................................... 33 Housing Type and Age ........................................................................................................................ 34 Housing Value ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Occupancy & Tenure .......................................................................................................................... 35 Building Activity .................................................................................................................................. 36 Transportation Network ................................................................................................................ 38 Roads & Traffic Conditions ................................................................................................................. 38 Public Transit Options ........................................................................................................................ 40 Economic Profile ............................................................................................................................ 41 Employment ....................................................................................................................................... 41 Community Facilities, Programs & Resources ................................................................................. 44 Public Water & Sewer Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 44 Stormwater Management .................................................................................................................. 45 Emergency Services ............................................................................................................................ 46 School Districts ................................................................................................................................... 47 Recreational Facilities & Programs ..................................................................................................... 51 Historical Resources ........................................................................................................................... 54 Natural Resources & Environmental Features ................................................................................ 56 Lakes & Streams ................................................................................................................................. 56 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................................ 57 Floodplains ......................................................................................................................................... 58 Topography ........................................................................................................................................ 59 The Rensselaer Plateau ...................................................................................................................... 59 Wildlife and Habitats .......................................................................................................................... 60 Soil Characteristics ............................................................................................................................. 61 Agriculture ..................................................................................................................................... 63 Farmland Soils .................................................................................................................................... 63 Agricultural Districts ........................................................................................................................... 65 TOWN OF BRUNSWICK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Rensselaer Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan ...................................................................... 66 Local Farming ..................................................................................................................................... 66 Retail Sales and Consumer Spending Patterns ................................................................................ 68 Spending Habits .................................................................................................................................. 68 Retail Sales, Leakage & Market Capture ............................................................................................ 70 Community Tapestry .......................................................................................................................... 73 IV. COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROCESS ..................................................................................