TOWN OF WINDSOR DRAFT OF 2015 AMENDMENTS TO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN September 2006 Town of Windsor Comprehensive Plan September 2006 2015 Amendments Prepared by Town Board of the Town of Windsor Carolyn Price, Supervisor William McIntyre, Deputy Supervisor Timothy Bates Gary Hupman Lesa Hawk-Shuler Town of Windsor Planning Board Shelly Johnson Bennett, Chair Bruce Cameron Carleton Gordon Eve Neureuter Douglas Saunders Bridgette VanNorman Cheryl Sacco, Attorney for the Town of Windsor David Brown, Code Enforcement Officer Technical Assistance from Douglas Miller ii Town of Windsor Comprehensive Plan September 2006 Prepared under the direction of the Town of Windsor Planning Board Fran Stone, Chair Shelly Johnson Bennett Bruce Cameron Alan Colosi Bridgette VanNorman With assistance from: Broome County Planning and Economic Development Frank Evangelisti, Chief Planner Dona Mera For collating Comprehensive Plan Survey results This Comprehensive Plan has been prepared for consideration by the Town Board of the Town of Windsor Randy Williams, Supervisor LeWayne Colwell William Ellsworth Charlie Pierson Bert West iii Table of Contents INTRODUCTION......................................................................................1 Purpose..............................................................................................1 Plan Development................................................................................2 Content of the Comprehensive Plan........................................................4 TOWN OF WINDSOR HISTORY...................................................................5 TOWN OF WINDSOR DEMOGRAPHICS........................................................9 Population...........................................................................................9 Housing............................................................................................11 TOWN OF WINDSOR INSTITUTIONS.........................................................13 Government......................................................................................13 NY State........................................................................................13 County Government........................................................................13 Town Government...........................................................................13 Village Government.........................................................................13 Public Facilities................................................................................13 Public Safety......................................................................................14 Police............................................................................................14 Fire and Ambulance.........................................................................14 Education..........................................................................................15 Alumni Program..............................................................................18 Economy...........................................................................................21 Transportation....................................................................................23 Town, County and State Highways.....................................................23 Private Roads.................................................................................23 Bridges..........................................................................................24 Air Transportation............................................................................24 Public Transit..................................................................................24 Place of Work.....................................................................................24 Tourism/Recreation.............................................................................27 TOWN OF WINDSOR LAND USE...............................................................29 LAND USE LAWS................................................................................29 Building Permits and Site Plan Approvals............................................29 Agriculture........................................................................................30 Prime Farm Soils.............................................................................30 Agricultural Districts........................................................................31 Agriculture and Rural Character.........................................................32 Analysis............................................................................................32 East of Susquehanna River...............................................................32 West of Susquehanna River/North of Route 17.....................................33 iv Land Use Plan....................................................................................33 Hamlets/Lake Communities..................................................................34 TOWN OF WINDSOR ENVIRONMENT.........................................................35 Topography and Slope.........................................................................35 Soils.................................................................................................35 Water Resources................................................................................36 Floodplain......................................................................................37 Wetlands........................................................................................37 Forest Lands......................................................................................37 TOWN OF WINDSOR ORDINANCES/LOCAL LAWS........................................39 Land Use and Local Law Review............................................................39 Zoning Ordinance............................................................................39 Floodplain Management....................................................................40 Trailer Ordinance.............................................................................40 Junk Yard Law................................................................................41 Conclusion.........................................................................................41 TOWN OF WINDSOR GOALS/RECOMMENDATIONS......................................43 Goals and Objectives..........................................................................45 Overall Appearance.............................................................................45 Goal 1: Maintain a rural atmosphere..................................................45 Goal 2: Ensure residential properties and structures are well maintained. 46 Goal 3: Continue to provide for the appropriate development of new nonresidential structures and projects................................................47 Goal 4: Protect natural resources, specifically the Susquehanna River and forested lands.................................................................................47 Local Economy...................................................................................48 Goal 1: Identify businesses/industries that are desirable candidates for the Town of Windsor..............................................................................48 Goal 2: Promote the Town of Windsor as a location for commercial and light industrial development..............................................................48 Goal 3: Maintain the remaining agricultural economy............................50 Goal 4: Encourage new alternative agricultural endeavors.....................50 Goal 5: Encourage home-based businesses.........................................51 Goal 6: Encourage tourism and recreational enterprises........................51 Goal 7: Promote Windsor as a recreational and tourist area...................51 Goal 8: Support mining and timbering as viable industries in the Town....52 The Population...................................................................................52 Goal 1: Strengthen the sense of the Town as one community................52 Goal 2. Encourage youth activities creating opportunities for the youth as members of the community..............................................................53 Goal 3: Address needs of the aging and senior population.....................53 The Susquehanna River Corridor...........................................................54 v Goal 1: Promote protection of the Susquehanna River corridor and its tributaries......................................................................................54 Goal 2: Redefine floodplain and floodway areas along the corridor..........54 Goal 3: Discourage development adjacent to the river and tributary streams that would compromise the integrity of the water quality...........54 Recreational Facilities..........................................................................55 Goal 1: Promote existing recreational facilities including parks, trails and school facilities...............................................................................55 Goal 2: Protection of recreational opportunities along the Susquehanna River.............................................................................................55 Goal 3: Work with the private lake associations to protect the integrity of those lakes for recreational use by the residents..................................55