Town of Masonville Delaware County, NY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN December 2008 Prepared by: Town of Masonville Comprehensive Plan Committee Town of Masonville Town Board DRAFT FOR REVIEW & DISCUSSION Town of Masonville, Delaware County, New York Comprehensive Plan - 2008 Foreword This Plan was prepared by the Town of Masonville Comprehensive Plan Committee. Funding for this project was made available through the New York State Department of State. Town of Masonville Comprehensive Plan Committee Craig Dumond - Town Supervisor George Denys - Committee Chair David Barnes Carol Bowker Curt Christensen Kendall Craig Betty Scott Steve Tiska Thomas J. Shepstone - Consultant Alan J. Sorensen - Consultant December 2008 Foreword i Town of Masonville, Delaware County, New York Comprehensive Plan - 2008 Table of Contents Foreword i Table of Contents ii 1.0 Introduction 1-1 2.0 Background Studies 2-1 2.1 Regional Location and History 2-1 2.2 Natural Features 2-3 2.3 Existing Land Use 2-7 2.4 Population and Economic Base 2-7 2.5 Housing 2-11 3.0 Goals and Objectives 3-1 4.0 Plans 4-1 4.1 Land Use 4-1 4.2 Community Facilities 4-4 4.3 Transportation 4-5 4.4 Economic Development 4-6 5.0 Appendices 5-1 A – Draft Site Plan Review Law B – Draft Right to Farm, Practice Forestry and Mine Law C – Draft Road Law D – Community Survey Results December 2008 Table of Contents ii Town of Masonville, Delaware County, New York Comprehensive Plan - 2008 • A very high 83% stated that regulating junk 1.0 Introduction vehicle storage was important. Some 78% felt the right to farm must be protected and 74-75% This Comprehensive Plan sets forth a combination said mining and forestry needed protection. of strategies to deal with the growth and future needs of the Town of Masonville. Needs are • Respondents indicated they supported or largely based upon a "Town of Masonville Plan- strongly supported adding, expanding or im- ning Survey" conducted in 2008. The survey was proving volunteer fire and ambulance services completed by some 303 taxpayers The detailed with their tax money. results are attached as Appendix D. • Ambulance and fire protection were the highest rated services by residents, followed by electric Question No. 1 service and State highway maintenance. Cellu- lar phone service, cable television and educa- How many years in total have you lived in the tion received the lowest ratings. Town of Masonville? • Respondents favored (66%) establishing a site 32 8.6% Less than 5 years plan review process. 47 12.7% 5 to 9 years 27 7.3% 10 to 14 years • Some 63% of respondents wanted to see a 33 8.9% 15 to 19 years farmers’ market established in Masonville. 46 12.4% 20 to 24 years 127 34.2% More than 25 years • Some 91% of respondents said it was important 59 15.9% 2nd-home resident or very important to see profitable farms and farmland preservation over the next 10-20 years. Some 82% wanted a “clean and green” environment and 76% wanted historical heri- The survey, completed by a mix of old, new and tage protected second-home residents (see Question No. 1 results tabulated above), indicated several things about • Respondents indicated they do not believe de- how Town of Masonville taxpayers perceive the velopment of tourism or second-homes is im- Town and the land development challenges and portant to the Town. opportunities it faces: • Other items identified as important include im- • The largest share (53%) of respondents felt the proved recreation facilities, higher quality de- Town hadn’t changed noticeably in its desir- velopment, a thriving timber industry, a more ability as a place to live. Some 26% thought it diversified business and economic base, more had become less desirable, but 11% said it had small-scale industrial jobs and more shopping. actually become more desirable. • Nearly 80% of residents thought it important to • A total of 47% of respondents said they were review conservation easements acquired by influenced to come to or stay in the area by its New York City. lack of development. The survey results taken as a whole suggest the • Some 42% of those surveyed said the costs of overall direction the Town needs to take to deal services and taxes were what they liked least with development and change. It needs some basic about the Town of Masonville, followed by local law protections to ensure the quality of devel- 21% who stated it was the school and health opment but without intruding significantly on the care facilities that concerned them and 21% property rights of its residents and landowners. Its who cited the impact of New York City regula- future is natural resource based, demanding protec- tions on the Town and its landowners. tion of both the industries and the resources. December 2008 Introduction Page 1-1 Town of Masonville, Delaware County, New York Comprehensive Plan - 2008 and trapping were the chief occupations, and pine 2.0 Background Studies boards were rafted to Philadelphia. Dairy farming reached its peak in the late 1800s and early 1900s 2.1 Regional Location and History but continues today. Logging remains an impor- tant industry. 2.1.1 Regional Setting An early history of Masonville can be found in The Town of Masonville is a triangular shaped Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York community which lies at a latitude of 42.242 de- State by J. H. French, LL.D. - 1860: grees North and a longitude of 75.377 degrees West in the northwestern part of Delaware MASONVILLE* - was formed from Sidney, April County. It has an elevation of 1,293 feet. and a 4, 1811. Its surface is a hilly upland, divided into total area of 54.3 square miles. The west town 2 ridges by the valley of Bennetts Creek, which line is the border of Chenango County. Mason- extends E. and W. through the N. part of the town. ville is bordered to the South by the Towns of De- These ridges are subdivided by numerous lateral posit and Tompkins, to the East by the Town of ravines, through which flow small brooks. The Walton and to the North by the Town of Sidney. highest summits are 600 to 1000 feet above the valleys and 1800 to 2000 feet above tide. The sur- The town center lies at the intersection of Route 8 face is stony, and the soil a shaly loam, difficult of and Route 206, very near Interstate 88. Large cultivation except in the valleys. Masonville (p.v.) acreage in the southern and western sections of is situated on Bennetts Creek, in the W. part of the the Town is state forest land, and Camp Brace town. Pop 234. The first settlement was com- (NYS Division of Youth) occupies considerable menced in 1795, on "Cookburns Gore," upon the acreage. Oquaga Creek State Park is a state park W. border of the town, by immigrants from at the border of Delaware County and Chenango Mass.** In 1797, the State Road from Cherry Val- County. The park is partially in the Town of Ma- ley to Jericho was opened through the town. The sonville and partly in the Town of Sanford. first religious services were conducted by Rev. Joel Chapin, in 1797. the first church (Bap.) was formed Dec. 7, 1811. There are 3 churches in town; Bap., Presb. and M.E. *Named from the Rev. John M. Mason, of N.Y., principal owner of the Evans Patent in this town. **Among the early settlers were Wm. and Aden Wait, Danl. Scranton, Enos Goodman, Justin Nash, Peres Moody and son Moses, Asa, Terry and Caleb Monson. The first birth was that of Sally, daughter of Daniel Wait, Aug. 10, 1797, and the first death was that of Wm. Wait, the same summer. Dr. Eli Emmons taught the first school; Simeon Wells kept the first inn; Fitch & Phelps 2.1.2 History the first store, in 1808; and Joseph Bicknell built the first saw and grist mill, in 1802. The Town of Masonville was chartered on April 4, 1811 when it was divided from the Town of A more detailed history of Masonville is de- Sidney. Masonville consists of the communities scribed in The History of Delaware County, W.W. of Artic, East Masonville, Ivanhoe, Masonville, Munsell 1797-1880: and Whitman. Settlement of Masonville had be- gun in the 1790s. The first grist and saw mill was On the formation of Delaware County in 1797 built in 1802. Between 1820 and 1850, lumbering Masonville was a part of Franklin, which had December 2008 Background Studies Page 2-1 Town of Masonville, Delaware County, New York Comprehensive Plan - 2008 been taken from Harpersfield in 1792. It remained against the settlers on the gore by the Bainbridge a part of Franklin till 1801, when Sidney, includ- heirs or claimants to recover possession, but for ing Masonville, was set off from Franklin. The some reason they were not prosecuted to trial; territory remained a part of Sidney till 1811, when and now the Martha Bradstreet heirs are bringing it was organized into a town and named Mason- suits against occupants, claiming the gore to be in ville, from the Rev. John M. Mason, who, in right Delaware County. of his wife, Ann, a descendant of General John Bradstreet, was owner of the greater part of the The State road from Cherry Valley to Jericho Evan's patent, which is in that town. (now Bainbridge and Afton) was opened in 1797, when settlers come and located along the road. Formerly there was a fine growth of splendid pine Among the earlier settlers were Adin and William trees, which were manufactured into boards, Wait, Daniel Scranton, Enos Goodman, Justin drawn to the Delaware and rafted to the Phila- Nash, Peres Moody and son Moses, Asa Terry, delphia market.