Remaining rural while growing gracefully

The town of Pine Plains is inching closer to adopting a local law (No. 2 of 2010) that would update subdivision regulations in its still relatively new zoning laws. The town and its consultants have worked hard on the changes. They were drafted, in large measure, through a collaboration among the Town Board and the Planning Board, planning consultant Bonnie Franson and Attorney to the Town Warren Replansky.

A public hearing on the amendments was held last Thursday, May 22, giving the community a chance to speak out about any issues it may take with the revised regulations. No one from the public spoke, with the exception of Carvel Property Development attorney Jennifer Van Tuyl. The Carvel project clearly has a large stake in the adoption of the regulations and any amendments to the existing zoning. Van Tuyl even made some suggestions for improving the regulations that the Town Board will likely consider for the final draft of the proposed local law. There was also written input submitted to the board on the issue from the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development (DCDPD). Those comments will also be considered when tweaking the regulations before final adoption (see related story on Page A1).

The town has been working on these subdivision regulations for a while, and it’s taken its time and careful consideration to make sure they will work not only with the zoning laws, but also with the goals of the comprehensive plan. The basic objectives of the proposed regulations, as DCDPD Commissioner Kealy Salomon put it, “are to ensure consistency, to ensure the inclusion of regulations that protect the rural and scenic character of Pine Plains, to provide affordable housing and provide for conservation subdivisions.� There’s no denying those are some worthy goals. And they are realistic for the town, too, if it plans properly, just as it appears to be doing through the newly proposed subdivision regs. And it’s been moving steadily toward that objective. Last week the town even completed parts 1 and 2 of the Final Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF), which is part of the required State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process.

The town of Pine Plains has really done a superb job of staying on course here. It had a goal and stuck with it over time, regardless of any hurdles it had to clear. The result is as good as one could have hoped for — a well thought out set of subdivision regulations that will help the town grow in a healthy, sustainable and balanced way that won’t put its rural roots at risk. Kudos to all who worked so tirelessly on the regulations now and in the past and good luck to those who will work with them in the future — let’s hope the goals remain the same throughout — creating and maintaining a robust, vibrant, countryside community for those fortunate enough to live and work here.

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