Plan – 2013 Comprehensive Development Plan For the Town of Niskayuna, New York TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations Page 2 Introduction Page 4 Acknowledgements Page 10 The Plan Neighborhood Narratives Page 12 Issue Areas Transportation Page 21 Recreational Facilities and Open Space Preservation Page 35 Public Facilities and Utilities Page 59 Economic Development Page 73 Land Use Page 86 Historical and Cultural Preservation Page 119 Appendix List of Tables Page 126 References Page 126 Safe Routes Map Page 127 1 | Page ABBREVIATIONS ADD Average Daily Demands ARB Architectural Review Board BID Business Improvement District CDTA Capital District Transportation Authority CDTC Capital District Transportation Committee CDRPC Capital District Regional Planning Commission CIP Capital Improvements Plant DEC Department of Environmental Conservation Dept. Department e.g. as an example GIS Geographic Information System GE General Electric I/I Inflow & Infiltration JCC Jewish Community Center KAPL Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory LIP Landowner Incentive Program MGD Millions Gallon per Day MHBHT Mohawk Hudson Bike-Hike Trail MS4s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems NCSD Niskayuna Central School District NYS New York State NYSDEC New York State Department of Environmental Conservation OPWDD Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities psi Pounds per Square Inch PUD Planned Unit Development Rt. Route SEQR State Environmental Quality Review TCOD Town Center Overlay District TDR Transfer Development Rights TSR Troy Schenectady Road USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service WTP Water Treatment Plant WWTP Waste Water Treatment Plant ZBA Zoning Board of Appeals 2 | Page Plan 2013 Overview 3 | Page INTRODUCTION This Comprehensive Plan provides a roadmap that sets out broad goals and objectives for the immediate and future preservation of valued community characteristics, while allowing for the enhancement of smart and sustainable growth. This is accomplished by maintaining an appropriate balance between residential and commercial needs. The intent of the Comprehensive Plan is that it will serve as a long range guide for the Town's development and preservation policies that affect land use decisions and community growth patterns over the next ten years. As the Town Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and professional staff of the Town are confronted with questions of land development, this Plan provides the contextual and technical foundation to guide the outcome of both the incremental and intentional effects of their decisions. Finally, the Comprehensive Plan represents a snapshot of the Town at a particular time and should not be viewed as a static, but rather as a dynamic, policy instrument to be modified as needed to reflect changing conditions. Niskayuna and the greater Capital District have undergone considerable changes over the past 10 to 20 years and early in the planning process the Committee felt it was important to purposely depart from Plan 2003, rather than update it: essentially starting, at least initially, with a fresh sheet of paper. Although the current Plan represents a departure from Plan 2003, it maintains an appropriate level of continuity with earlier comprehensive plans (see Table 1), relying on historic town wide land use and development patterns as its foundation. In addition, recognizing that Niskayuna is a diverse community, committee members examined the Town with both a local neighborhood and a townwide view when identifying community strengths and needs. Throughout the planning process, the committee worked to insure that goals, objectives, recommendations, and implementation tasks, made herein, reflect Niskayuna's diverse attributes. The Town of Niskayuna is a suburban community located in the easterly portion of Schenectady County adjacent to the City of Schenectady. There are several reasons why the 21,781 residents chose to make Niskayuna their home. One reason often stated is the reputation of the Niskayuna School District. The 2010 census shows that about 34% percent of the households in Niskayuna have children under 18, while 66% do not. This statistic suggests there are other, equally important factors that make Niskayuna an attractive place to live. This supposition is supported by a recent survey conducted by the Comprehensive Plan Committee, which revealed several Town characteristics or ‘livability factors’ that convince people to pay a premium to live in the Town (Niskayuna has among the highest property values in the Capital District). Some of the livability factors cited in the survey include the Town's: parks, open spaces and natural areas, walking and bike paths, traditional tree lined neighborhoods, historic areas, and easily accessible and diverse shopping areas. In particular, residents cited Niskayuna's ‘Main Street’ retail areas located on upper Union Street and in the Town Center Overlay District (Nott Street and Balltown Road). Residents also appreciate the level of services and the variety of recreation options offered by the Town. Finally, Town residents benefit from the regional road network which allows them to 4 | Page conveniently take advantage of cultural, recreational and employment opportunities throughout the Capital District. The Comprehensive Plan strives to preserve and build-on these 'livability factors' that give Niskayuna its identity. Preservation of community character not only has wide support from residents, its preservation makes economic sense, as 'quality of life' is one of the things that most employers are looking for when relocating a business operation. The Plan also recognizes that as Niskayuna reaches full build-out, development pressures on the remaining undeveloped land parcels will likely intensify and it is likely that the Town's previous growth patterns will change. With this view in mind, the Plan attempts to position Niskayuna to take advantage of future opportunities as they arise by encouraging beneficial growth patterns that strengthen the Town's character and build its economic base. More specifically, the Comprehensive Plan sets out to: • Encourage housing development of various types, sizes, and costs to meet the needs of people at various stages of the life cycle, income, age levels, and household compositions. New development should not compromise the integrity of the surrounding neighborhoods. Moreover, to insure that the viability of Niskayuna's traditional neighborhoods is maintained, encourage exterior maintenance, renovations, and/or additions, to existing housing stock that are congruent with and appropriately scaled to fit the existing house style and age. Such actions should harmonize with the surrounding streetscape and maintain the neighborhood's cohesive character. • Ensure an adequate open space and recreation system composed of publicly accessible active and passive opportunities is established, and that it accommodates the future needs of Niskayuna residents. Enable Niskayuna to build on its existing system by positioning the Town to take advantage of open space opportunities as they arise; thereby, enabling the Town to realize the long term goals and objectives of an open space and recreation plan. Ensure that Niskayuna's open space recreation plan recognizes the important role open space plays in the character of individual neighborhoods and the Town identity. • Ensure that Niskayuna's current transportation system which includes streets, roads, sidewalks, and multiuse path facilities is safe and provides convenient circulation around the Town. Future additions and improvements to the transportation system should provide a balance of connectivity options that reflect the increasing importance of pedestrian and bike transportation modes. In addition, future transportation system improvements should minimize impacts to existing neighborhoods. • Preserve and maintain the valuable historic, cultural, architectural, and archaeological heritage of Niskayuna for the benefit of present and future residents. 5 | Page • Strengthen Niskayuna's waterfront connection with the Mohawk River by developing strategies and policies that build on and complement Niskayuna's historic relationship with the barge canal, provide appropriate recreation, residential, and business opportunities. • Maintain and strengthen Niskayuna's existing diverse commercial and retail economic area's such that they complement one another and maintain Niskayuna's fiscal base. Preserve and strengthen the 'Main Street' character of the Upper Union and Town Center Overlay Districts by encouraging attractive, compact, pedestrian friendly, retail areas that are convenient for Town residents. Promote economic opportunities for residents by recognizing that technology is changing the nature of home based businesses. Protect residential neighborhoods from commercial, industrial, and office encroachment. • Encourage the Town to promote Climate Smart development strategies. To accomplish these goals the Comprehensive Plan is divided into 7 sections, these include: • Neighborhood Narratives • Transportation • Recreational Facilities and Open Space Preservation • Public Facilities • Economic Development • Land Use • Historical and Cultural Preservation These sections establish the framework for the formulation of goals, objectives and implementation tasks found in the Plan. Goals are broad policy statements for future Town development. Objectives are more refined, designed to address specific issues. Implementation tasks are just that -- specific actions intended