Comprehensive Plan
A comprehensive plan is a policy guide that sets forth directions for the future of a community. It is not a law or regulation. Rather, it is a blueprint to help guide the future. Like any blueprint, it is subject to change and revision with the passage of time and events.
The plan sets forth goals and implementation strategies to guide the physical development of the Town. Local officials daily undertake actions, enact regulations and approve development, all of which are likely to have long-term implications. To ensure that these daily decisions ultimately benefit the whole community, the decision making process should be undertaken within the context of a considered evaluation of the Town's objectives for future growth and its desired character. This Comprehensive Plan identifies community development policies and objectives of the Town of Greenwich.
Greenwich first published a Comprehensive Plan in 1971. The Town's first Comprehensive Plan was prepared under the direction of planner Joseph Ziepniewski, of the Environmental Consulting Group, Inc. The Comprehensive Plan of 1971 was developed after detailed analysis of historic background, geographic and physical factors, existing land use and agricultural studies, population studies, economic studies, transportation studies and an inventory of public facilities and utilities.
In 1989, the community revisited the plan, resulting in the creation of a Master Plan for future development. The approach used in developing the 1989 Master Plan differed from that used for the development of the 1971 Comprehensive Plan. Using much of the original data, the 1989 Master Plan concentrated on the key issues facing the community and presented suggestions for policy development to address these issues.
Today, in the early years of a new century, the people of the Town of Greenwich are taking a comprehensive look at the plans and policies for land use development. This plan refines the visions, goals and policies to reflect the changes that time has brought. This plan also refines the strategies necessary to create the Greenwich of tomorrow. This Comprehensive Plan makes use of all of the prior studies, data, analysis, and policy objectives of the previous plans. In addition it takes a careful look at development data, population and school projection forecasts, and makes use of digital data for analyzing land use and development patterns. Key stakeholders from the community helped early on in this process to identify the key challenges and opportunities that the Town of Greenwich faces.
A comprehensive plan typically includes a statement of goals, followed by a discussion of how to achieve those goals (i.e. implementation). Goals are the broadest expression of a community's desires. Goals give direction to the plan as a whole. Goals are long-term aspirations and are used to describe a vision of the Town in the future.
Besides providing a policy foundation, the Comprehensive Plan can be used as a tool to help obtain funding for a variety of projects. The Comprehensive Plan can also be used as a marketing tool to promote the assets of the village. The Comprehensive Plan also provides the foundation for any land use regulations the Town may adopt in the future.
The formulation of community goals is one of the most important products resulting from the development or revision of a Comprehensive Plan. The more explicit these goals are, the more likely it is that the plan will be understood. In addition to giving direction to the plan and to articulating the community's vision for its future, goals play several other important roles including defining and setting priorities and fostering understanding between diverse groups.
~ opening statement from the Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan Committee
Jeff Duxbury, Planning Board Chairman
William Tomkins, Planning Board Vice Chairman
Douglas Germain
Jim McClay
Annie Miller
Donald Morehouse
Steven Patrick
Morgan Snyder
Robert Stevens
Carl Thygesen
Kyle Vandewater
Michelle Wright
Melody Beecroft-Durgin, Secretary
Others who have been instrumental in the preparation of the report:
Cathy Barber, Former Greenwich Town Historian
Trisha Dolton, Greenwich Town Historian
Suzanne Fulmer, Greenwich Central School District
Celinda Holleran, Washington County Planning Office
Diane Kelley, Deputy Village Clerk, Village of Greenwich
Elaine Kelly, Town Clerk
National Weather Service Forecast Office, Albany, New York
Patricia Perkins, Village Clerk, Village of Greenwich
Scott Fitscher, District Conservationist, US Soil and Water Conservation District, Greenwich, New York
Marge Wilbur, Clerk to the Supervisor, Town of Greenwich
Don Wilbur, Greenwich Town Supervisor
And especially the citizens of the Town of Greenwich for their interest and input
