In the fall of 2023, the Ghent Town Board began planning for a review and update of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The comprehensive plan establishes, among other things, the official land use policy of a community and presents goals and a vision for the future that guides official decision-making. The comprehensive plan includes a thorough analysis of current data showing land development trends and issues, demographics, community resources, and public needs for things such as transportation, recreation, housing, among other things. Often, hot-topic issues, such as cannabis, solar, climate and affordable housing are addressed within a comprehensive plan.
Shortly after the Town Board agreed to begin the review, they appointed the Planning Board Chairman Geoff French and Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Lew Streeter as Co-Chairs of the Comprehensive Planning Review Committee (CPRC), with Dan Barufaldi, Town Councilman, as a Committee member and Town Board liaison. After posting openings for the committee, the three appointees interviewed numerous Ghent residents and made recommendations to the Town Board for appointments. The Town Board appointed a total of seven members and two co-Chairs.
Once fully formed the CPRC began meeting in early 2024, and interviewed Planning Consultants who would help guide the project and provide subject matter expertise. Nan Stolzenburg of Community Planning and Environmental Associates was selected. Co-chair Geoff French: “Nan’s experience working with the Town on the previous Comprehensive Plan, as well as her work with our various Zoning Review Committees made her an obvious choice. Her experience and breadth of knowledge will help us create a plan that reflects where Ghent is headed in the coming years.”
The CPRC laid out an outline of the project, which will include significant data analysis, consultations with stakeholders in the community and experts in several areas of interest. Community engagement is critical to the process, and the Committee will gather community input through a survey, several educational events, several public hearings and by ensuring the public’s access to all committee members. Transparency in the process is achieved by making all meetings open to the public, and posting the Committee’s meeting schedules and work product on the Town website. It is anticipated that most of the officeholders in the Town’s government will also have input. The project is expected to last 12-18 months, and the outcome will be a revised Comprehensive Plan, presented to the Town Board for ratification.
Co-chair Lew Streeter: “This is a very beneficial undertaking for the Town and the public will have numerous opportunities for input. I’m hopeful we receive input from a broad cross-section of those living in Ghent.”
As the Comprehensive Plan has land use implications, it is common for a municipality to take the recommendations from the ratified Plan and incorporate them into the zoning code. An example would be if the Comprehensive Plan recommended solar installations have extensive screening to protect viewsheds, the Town Board would need to alter the zoning code to make these recommendations law, so the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals would have the tools to require better screening from developers.
The Town’s Comprehensive plan, as well as minutes and other documents can be viewed at townofghent.org. Sign up for email updates at townofghent.org/subscribe/