TOWN OF PITTSFORD
Comprehensive Plan | 2009 Update

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WORKSHOP | Preliminary Goals and Strategies

A public workshop to present draft goals and strategies for the 2009 Comprehensive Plan took place on March 30, 2009 at the Pittsford Community Library, from 7 to 9pm. The workshop followed a series of information-gathering public workshops that were held in January and February. The draft goals and strategies presented at the March workshop represent a synthesis of the public input received in January and February, both at the public workshops and via letters and emails submitted by town residents. The March workshop provided an important opportunity to check in with town residents on the direction of the plan. Feedback received will help to guide the development of the draft version of the 2009 Comprehensive Plan.

Meeting Synopsis
Approximately 75 individuals participated in the workshop. The workshop began with a summary presentation (link below) on the draft goals and strategies, which were organized under the following three topic areas:

1. Land Use and Zoning
2. Transportation
3. Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Sidewalks

Following the presentation, workshop participants were asked to provide feedback. In a number of cases, comments came in the form of questions, which provided an opportunity for dialogue and discussion, and the exploration of plan concepts in more detail. All comments received at the meeting were recorded on large notepads at the front of the room and have been incorporated into the running list of comprehensive plan comments that will be periodically updated throughout the course of this project (see "Record of Comments" below). While the public comments offered at the March workshop - and the discussion that in many cases followed - ranged across a wide variety of topics, several larger themes emerged, as summarized below:

1. Scope and Detail of the Comprehensive Plan
   A number of comments and questions focused on the level of detail that the comprehensive plan will include. In the discussion that followed, it was noted that comprehensive plans, by their very nature, are broad in scope and contain many ideas and concepts for a community and its residents to draw from in making future decisions about the town. The strength of a comprehensive plan rests in the broad vision and goals it sets forth for a community. Developing consensus around big picture concepts provides a solid foundation for the implementation stage that comes after adoption of the plan. The Pittsford "Greenprint" is an example of this approach. The 1995 Comprehensive Plan established consensus around the broad goal of protecting significant areas of open space and farmland in the town, with some preliminary ideas of how to achieve this goal. However, it was through the "Greenprint," an implementation project undertaken after adoption of the 1995 Comprehensive Plan, that the details of "how" were addressed, including an ongoing dialogue with town residents from the start of the project to the finish. In short, developing consensus for resource protection in the 1995 plan provided the solid foundation needed to carry the Greenprint through to fruition, the legacy of which are the rural vistas and working farms that grace the town today.

It was also noted at the workshop that the 2009 Comprehensive Plan will build on past town plans. For instance, the "50-50" zoning that emerged from the town's 1986 comprehensive plan, to protect open space resources in conjunction with development, continues to be utilized by the town today and is not proposed to be changed in the 2009 Comprehensive Plan.

2. Fiscal Responsibility
   A number of workshop participants supported the concept of fiscal responsibility in the comprehensive plan, particularly in light of the current downturn in the economy. Some participants worried that plan concepts and ideas would be costly to implement, particularly if they were undertaken immediately and across the board. In the discussion that followed, it was noted that inclusion of an idea or concept in a comprehensive plan does not commit a community to implement or financially support it. Moreover, in most communities, the implementation of a comprehensive plan is a process that unfolds over many years - during which time some plan ideas and concepts are pursued and potentially implemented, while others wait their turn (if they are pursued at all).

For concepts or ideas in a comprehensive plan that may potentially require a significant commitment of community resources, there is almost always an intermediate study undertaken after adoption of the comprehensive plan. For instance, in the course of the 2009 Comprehensive Plan process, it has become evident that some residents feel that more recreational resources and opportunities are needed in the town to meet growing demands. To address this public input, a draft strategy has been proposed for the 2009 Comprehensive Plan: "Develop a Park and Recreation Master Plan to identify and address the parks and recreational needs in the community." Such a study, undertaken after the adoption of the comprehensive plan, would enable the town and residents to better understand the parks and recreational needs of the community, and the relative costs and benefits of a range options to meet such needs. This knowledge, in turn, helps to inform the more detailed community conversation of how and if to move forward.

Several workshop participants also discussed the importance of understanding the cost-benefits of development itself, to inform future town decisions and policies. In the discussion that followed, it was noted that a draft strategy for the 2009 Comprehensive Plan is to update and revisit the fiscal impact model that was undertaken as part of the 1995 Comprehensive Plan, to better understand such dynamics.

Lastly, it was noted that the town has a long tradition of fiscal discipline going hand-in-hand with good planning - and that town tax rates have actually decreased every year for the past five years.

3. Partnerships
   The idea of town partnering with other entities on common goals was echoed by a number of workshop participants. This includes collaboration with the Village of Pittsford, with the school district, and with neighboring communities where shared interests align and a venue exists for pursuing them. The village-town partnership in particular was stressed, largely in terms of the important role that the village plays as a center of community life for the residents of the town.

Record of Comments
Comments received at this workshop were recorded and compiled according to the three topic areas noted above. These comments, along with all comments received at subsequent public meetings and comments submitted in writing and email, can be viewed by clicking the link.

Slideshow Presentation - 3.51 MB 

Meeting Handout - 727 KB
A handout summarizing the preliminary goals and strategies for the 2009 Comprehensive Plan was distributed to workshop participants. The 2-page handout can be viewed by clicking on the above link.

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