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Town of Poughkeepsie 1 Overocker Road 845-485-3600 Phone Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845-485-3701Fax Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 Time: 5:00 PM Location: Town Hall – 1 Overocker Road Purpose: Comprehensive Plan Committee Meeting #14 Comprehensive Plan Review Committee Attendance: Bill Carlos, Ann Shershin, Yvonne Laube, Carl Whitehead, James Challey, Daniel Salvatore, Jeffrey Renihan, David Silver, Maribeth Rubenstein (absent) Consultant Attendance: Bonnie Franson, Adriana Beltrani, Shachi Pandey Town Staff Attendance: Mike Welti, Kristen Taylor Members of the Public Attendance: None present
AGENDA ITEM NOTES TASK Welcome and Agenda Review Mr. Carlos and Mr. Welti called the meeting to order. N/A
Committee Business
Ms. Franson introduced new consultant attendees, Adriana Beltrani and Shachi Pandey. She explained that the consultant team has been working on getting data for the existing conditions report, including submitting a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to both Metro North and Amtrak to get ridership data for the Poughkeepsie Train Station, but Amtrak informed NP&V that there is a fee. It was agreed that Metro North is more important and will likely not come with a cost. Ms. Laube mentioned that Dutchess Outreach or Dutchess Tourism may already have some train data; NP&V will look into this. It was also mentioned that the Colleges may have data on visitors.
Contact Dutchess Outreach and Dutchess County Tourism for Train data
Recap of Town Tour
Ms. Franson asked the committee if they had any feedback about the field visit and expressed that she felt everyone learned something new about the community. Mr. Challey said that he had never been so far into the IBM development and hadn’t realized how much excess parking there was. Ms. Shershin and other committee members commented on the size of the Town, and Ms. Franson agreed, it’s both large in area and population. Discussion about “Vassar Dollars” where Vassar students can spend $200 on food at restaurants off-campus which is a benefit to the local economy.
Town of Poughkeepsie October 23, 2019
www.townofpoughkeepsie.com Page 2 of 4
Discussion about IBM and the preparation of a campus plan. The Comprehensive Plan should be sensitive about this plan, perhaps the CPRC can invite representatives to discuss the campus plan at a CPRC meeting. IBM could be a partner if they are willing. The CPRC discussed the iPark 84 precedent at the old East Fishkill IBM site, but the scenario in Poughkeepsie is different because IBM does not appear to want to sell the campus and is still operating various business functions here. The CPRC sees a great deal of potential at this site, particularly because the surrounding infrastructure including roadways was constructed to support a fully occupied campus and has the capacity to handle far more traffic than at present - there is capacity both in terms of space and infrastructure to handle additional growth. Ms. Franson noted that the mix of uses may be different, as East Fishkill’s former IBM site has direct access to I-84, a major truck route. Ms. Franson discussed that part of the Comprehensive Plan could recommend methods to facilitate reuse of the site such as preparing a GEIS for its potential buildout or participating in the Build Now-NY program through the Empire State Development program. This program helps communities to prepare “shovel ready” sites for economic development. Other incentives for development might include provisions for expedited site plan review for the re-use of buildings or conducting facility studies or other studies that need to be accomplished before a developer can determine what a viable project might entail. It was mentioned that conducting a GEIS for major priority sites in advance may be a good way to start off. Ms. Laube asked if Ron Hicks or someone at the Economic Development Council may have any ideas. Mr. Welti offered to reach out. Mr. Welti also mentioned the Town of Colonie, which completed a study and GEIS for an area plan and mitigation fees were used to provide infrastructure. The Brownfield Opportunity Area program was also discussed as a method for obtaining funding to clean and reuse brownfield sites for development, though funding can be inconsistent and the process is not always expedient. Ms. Pandey mentioned the DRI program funding is prevalent at this time. Mr. Welti mentioned that Dutchess County is pursuing brownfield funds to conduct a brownfield analysis for the Schatz site – Dutchess County is the lead as the site includes land within the Town and City.
Reach out to IBM on status report and to gauge interest in engaging with CPRC See: http://ipark84.com/ See the Build Now program: https://esd.ny.gov/build-now-ny-program See the Colonie website: http://www.coloniepedd.org/geis See resolution: http://dutchessny.gov/ConCalAtt/2/2019163.pdf
Review of Community
Ms. Franson explained the intent of the Community Outreach Plan, to lay out the outreach process which
CPRC members to provide contact
Town of Poughkeepsie October 23, 2019
www.townofpoughkeepsie.com Page 3 of 4
Outreach Plan includes a survey, public workshops and public hearings. It is important to communicate the process, and the stakeholder list will help to create a network of people that the CPRC can contact to get the word out about Comprehensive Plan related events and activities. Ms. Franson also explained that having two workshops for one topic, maybe one in the north part of Town and one to the south, and at different times, may be more accommodating to busy schedules. Mr. Renihan mentioned that the 2007 plan had meetings at all the local fire houses which seemed to work out really well. He offered the use of the New Hamburg fire department for upcoming workshops. Ms. Pandey introduced the idea of creating a logo or a marketing campaign to grab people’s attention. Other ideas from CPRC members and consultants included snacks, raffle tickets or door prizes, hosting an event or finding a sponsor such as the local radio station. BOCES has a culinary program and could provide refreshments.
persons to include on the list. NP&V will compile into a single stakeholder list to be used for email blasts, etc.
Discuss Public Workshops
Some members are concerned that there hasn’t been much follow up since the last meeting, they don’t want to lose people’s interest. Having a workshop in November may be difficult if the CPRC wants to present information to the community, as the consultants have not completed the existing conditions research. The CPRC generally agreed that the existing conditions should be farther along before having a workshop, but it was agreed that the consultants should prepare a short survey and facilitate a table at the upcoming Holiday Festival/ Eggnog Crawl on December 7th. This will engage the public in some preliminary questions and remind them that the Comprehensive Plan Update process is still ongoing. The next set of public workshops – focused on Vision and Goals – will be held off until early next year to allow additional time for preparation and for the committee and consultants to develop a strategy for encouraging greater turnout at the workshops. When asking about defining neighborhoods for purposes of some of the workstations at a workshop, it was determined that maps could zoom in on areas of the Town, but boundaries are not as important as ensuring the entire Town is captured, and residents can identify their neighborhoods on a map.
Consultants to prepare materials for the Eggnog Crawl and send to the CPRC in November for feedback
Next Steps
NP&V will share a dropbox link with today’s meeting materials. This will be where meeting materials and resources are stored
Meetings will be 2 hours going forward, from 5pm to 7pm.
NP&V will have a booth at the 12/7 Holiday Festival/Eggnog Crawl from 11 AM to 4 PM
Town of Poughkeepsie October 23, 2019
www.townofpoughkeepsie.com Page 4 of 4
Thank you,
Michael A. Welti Michael A. Welti, AICP Director of Municipal Development The Town of Poughkeepsie gratefully acknowledges the State of New York for providing funding support for the preparation of its Comprehensive Plan. The opinions, results, findings and/or interpretations of data contained herein are solely those of the Town of Poughkeepsie and do not necessarily represent the
opinions, interpretation or policy of the State of New York.
NP&V will prepare materials for December 7th Saturday event and continue to work on the existing conditions report.
NP&V will send the CPRC materials prior to every meeting going forward.
CPRC members will review the meeting materials in detail, particularly the stakeholder list, and respond with comments before the next meeting.
Because of the holiday schedule, the next meeting will be held on December 11, 2019, at 5pm.
sharing information about the comprehensive plan update. This event will take place on the Vassar Alumnae Lawn. The next CPRC meeting will be held on Wednesday, 12/11 at 5 PM.
Public Comment No members of the public present. N/A
Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 6:30 PM.
The next CPRC meeting will be held on Wednesday, 12/11 at 5 PM.
Town of Poughkeepsie Comprehensive Plan Review Committee (CPRC)
Committee Meeting #14 Wednesday, October 23, 2019 @ 5:00 PM
Town Hall Meeting Room Agenda
I. Welcome and Agenda Review
II. Committee Business a. Consultant Procurement:
Project scope refined and authorized at the 10/2 Town Board Meeting
III. Recap Town Tour with NP&V with whole CPRC
IV. Review Community Outreach Plan
V. Update on Inventory and Analysis
VI. Discuss and Set Public Workshop Date(s) for Vision/Goals/Objectives Workshop(s) VII. Next Steps
a. Next CPRC Meeting Date: Perhaps skip November and have one more committee meeting this year – December 11th?
VIII. Public Comment
IX. Adjournment
Comprehensive Plan Review webpage: http://townofpoughkeepsie.com/planning/cprc/index.html Committee email address: [email protected]
This project has been funded, in part, by the Climate
Smart Community Grant Program, Title 15 of the
Environmental Protection Fund through the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation; and
by a grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway.
TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
DRAFT PUBLIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PLAN
10-23-19
This project has been funded, in part, by the Climate Smart Community Grant Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Protection Fund through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and by a
grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway.
2
The following Public Outreach and Engagement Plan1 (“POEP”) provides a detailed description of the
participatory planning process and meetings that will be used to encourage participation by the public
and stakeholders in the preparation of a plan update to the Town of Poughkeepsie 2007 Comprehensive
Plan, which will also include a Sustainability Element as part of its goal to become a Certified Climate
Smart Community. The Town of Poughkeepsie is a large, unincorporated area located in Dutchess
County, NY, and encompasses approximately 8 miles of the Hudson River shoreline. Given the size of the
community both in terms of its geography and number of residents, the POEP must include effective
methods to solicit public comment from a wide audience on the plan update.
The overarching goal is to provide the Town with a Plan Update that will guide its future growth for the
next 10 to 20 years as a resilient, vibrant and sustainable community realizing its full economic potential,
and balancing economic development with open/green space preservation. The Town of Poughkeepsie
has in place already a robust participation framework to guide development of the Plan Update, and
that framework is described and incorporated into this Outreach and Engagement Plan. The below
describes that framework, as well as the public participation process going forward.
A. Background of the Outreach Process to Date
The Town of Poughkeepsie is updating its 2007 Comprehensive Plan to identify, and be consistent with,
a Town-wide Vision and updated goals of the community in 2019. The Town of Poughkeepsie created a
Comprehensive Plan Review Committee (CPRC) to oversee the process. The CPRC consists of 9
members, including members of the Town Board, Planning Board, ZBA, Historic Preservation
Commission, Recreation Committee and citizen members. The CPRC is assisted by the Poughkeepsie
Department of Planning staff which facilitate meetings and assist in ensuring the CPRC has the
information and resources necessary for its deliberations.
1. Town Website
The Town of Poughkeepsie has dedicated a webpage to provide the public with access to meeting
minutes and various map and document products that have been and are being prepared as part of the
comprehensive planning process. The website is accessed here:
https://www.townofpoughkeepsie.com/planning/cprc/index.html
2. CPRC Meetings
The Town of Poughkeepsie Comprehensive Plan Review Committee (CPRC) has been meeting for more
than a year as part of the update process. The CPRC has solicited significant input and interviewed
numerous stakeholders in the community, including members of the local fire districts, School District
Superintendents, various Town government department heads, and others as set forth in the meeting
notes that are available on the Town Comprehensive Plan Review webpage.
1 Also referred to as “community engagement plan” in the Work Plan for the Climate Smart Communities Program.
3
CPRC Meetings
2018 CPRC Meeting Dates 4-25-18 6-27-18 7-25-18 8-22-18 10-24-18 11-28-18
2019 CPRC Meeting Dates 1-23-19 2-27-19 3-27-19 4-24-19 5-22-19 6-26-19 7-31-19 9-25-19 (Kickoff Meeting with Planning Consultant)
3. CPRC Preliminary Workshops
In addition to the above CPRC meetings, the CPRC held a series of workshops throughout the Town to
gauge how residents and stakeholders perceive existing strengths and weaknesses within the Town.
These workshops were held on September 26, 2018, October 9, 2018, and October 11, 2019, and asked
participants two basic questions2:
What do you like about living or working in the Town of Poughkeepsie; What is working, and
what should be protected or enhanced?
What problems/concerns should be addressed through the Plan? What can be done to improve
life in the Town of Poughkeepsie?
In summary, residents and stakeholders appreciate that certain areas within the Town are walkable, and
that the Town has many cultural assets such as historic sites and colleges which offer activities and
programming for residents and their families. Participants also noted the importance of the farmland
and open space within the community, and events such as farmers markets that bring fresh local food
into the community.
Participants were concerned about the future of development within the Town. Residents and
stakeholders want to see the vacant and underutilized buildings and properties scattered throughout
Town be redeveloped before development occurs on open spaces or “greenfield” land. Preservation of
existing open spaces and historic resources are important to the character of the community and
participants voiced this at the workshops. In addition, aligning the Town job and housing market with
economic market demand and ensuring the Town is headed toward a sustainable future are important
concerns of workshop participants.
4. Consultant Selection
Subsequent to the above CPRC workshops, the Town of Poughkeepsie CPRC received funding to
complete the Comprehensive Plan Update with Sustainability Elements through the Climate Smart
Community Grant Program and from the Hudson River Valley Greenway. The Comprehensive Plan
Update will consider how to balance the three “Es” of sustainability: Environment, Economy and Equity,
and will importantly engage with the Town of Poughkeepsie residents and stakeholders to solicit input
on ways to achieve this balance. In September 2019, the Town of Poughkeepsie Town Board approved
2 https://www.townofpoughkeepsie.com/planning/cprc/index.html
4
the CPRC’s selection of Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC, to further assist the CPRC in its functions, oversee
the public participation process on behalf of the CPRC, and to prepare the Plan Update. This Public
Outreach and Engagement Plan specifically addresses the public participation efforts to solicit additional
input, develop the Plan Update, and the role that NP&V will play in overseeing and facilitating public
outreach.
B. Public Outreach and Community Engagement Plan
The following summarizes the approach that will be utilized in order to engage the public and
stakeholders during the comprehensive planning process.
1. Town Website
The Town of Poughkeepsie will continue to dedicate a webpage to provide the public with access to
meeting minutes and various map and document products that have been and are being prepared as
part of the comprehensive planning process – the webpage will be operational for the length of the
comprehensive planning process. The website shall be accessed here:
https://www.townofpoughkeepsie.com/planning/cprc/index.html
Sustainability Links
In order to begin to educate the public about sustainability before the workshops, NP&V will provide the
Town with a series of links to resources regarding sustainability, sustainable practices and greenway
planning. These will be added to the CPRC webpage in the beginning of the process. Links could include
but are not limited to: the U.S. EPA Sustainability website (https://www.epa.gov/sustainability); the NY
Climate Smart Communities page (https://climatesmart.ny.gov/): the Dutchess County Compact
(https://hudsongreenway.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/05/dutchess-compact-2004-2014.pdf;
The NYSDEC Renewable Energy page (https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/40899.html); and other useful
links.
2. CPRC Meetings
As stated previously, the CPRC is made up of nine members appointed by the Poughkeepsie Town
Board. The CPRC will continue to meet approximately once a month during the duration of the process
on their regularly scheduled 4th Wednesday of each month at 5 pm. Each meeting includes an agenda
which shall be posted on the Town website in advance of each meeting.
Consistent with New York State Law, the CPRC meetings are open to the public, and the CPRC allows
public comment at the beginning or end of every meeting. In addition, the Planning Department Staff
and Planning Consultant will be present at meetings to assist in facilitating the meeting agenda.
The role of the CPRC is to act as the primary decision-making body for the Comprehensive Plan Update
and to provide direction to the research and outcomes of the document. The CPRC, in coordination with
the Planning Department Staff and Planning Consultant, will advise on preferred public engagement
techniques, workshop dates and locations that are best suited for the public and stakeholders. The CPRC
will also assist in preparing a list of stakeholders that will be contacted during the public outreach and
engagement process.
5
It is anticipated that the plan will be drafted by May 2020 and that the Town Board will adopt the Plan in
October 2020.
The CPRC and Planning Consultant have programmed nine (9) committee meetings (in addition to a
Kickoff meeting) prior to recommending the draft Plan to the Town Board. The below outlines tentative
dates and meeting topics:
September 24, 2019
Kick-off meeting for introductions, review of the work plan and schedule.
October 25, 2019
Review of draft Community Outreach Plan and preparation for visioning workshops.
November 27, 2019 (Likely to be rescheduled)
Review of existing conditions, preparation for visioning workshops.
December 25, 2019 (Likely to be rescheduled)
Review visioning workshop outcomes, discuss vision, goals and objectives.
January 22, 2020
Expand discussion to recommendations for the Plan; Prepare for sustainability workshops
February 25, 2020
Continue recommendations discussion and preparation for sustainability workshops
March 25, 2020
Discuss sustainability workshop findings; review drafted plan sections
April 29, 2020
Review draft plan sections.
May 27, 2020
Final review of draft plan, prepare for CPRC public hearing to Town Board and Public.
It is expected that the CPRC will execute the following outreach initiatives:
Online Survey
Two public workshops focused on visioning
Two public workshops focused on sustainability and plan concepts
Two public hearings to solicit public comment on the draft Plan.
In addition, the CPRC will identify and engage stakeholders through direct and indirect outreach such as
through personal telephone calls and emails, and through indirect media outreach. Potential
participants will be identified and a contact list maintained during the project: private businesses and
business associations, residents and home owner organizations, neighborhood associations, educational
facilities and organizations, transportation agencies, religious organizations, civic and non-profit
organizations, social clubs, environmental groups, cultural & higher educational institutions, community
groups, and governmental agencies and departments. For a full list of stakeholders, please see Appendix
A.
3. Email Blasts and Notice Postings
Working with the CPRC and Planning Department Staff, NP&V will create a list of contact persons with
email addresses that will receive notification of the online survey, public workshops, public meetings
6
and hearings, it is anticipated that these contact persons will then forward these notifications to their
networks.
Flyers with workshop dates and QR codes linked to online resources will also be posted at strategic
locations throughout the Town, with those locations determined in consultation with the CPRC.
4. Online Survey
The CPRC will oversee the creation of an online survey which will be administered to Town residents and
stakeholders. The online survey is intended to expand the public’s access to the comprehensive
planning process and provide its input electronically. The online survey is especially geared toward
those members of the public which may find it difficult to attend public meetings as a result of
employment and/or other commitments. A survey can be accessed 24 hours, 7 days a week, and
provides flexibility in providing responses. The CPRC will work with the Planning Consultant and
Planning Department Staff to develop the survey:
Demographics. Questions will likely include broad demographic questions to get a snapshot of
the respondents, where they live, how long they have lived in the Town, etc.
Questions. The CPRC will determine the types of questions to ask and will seek input on those
planning issues that the CPRC believes requires public input.
Survey availability. The survey will be made available at the Town Comprehensive Plan Review
webpage. It may also be shared through flyers or informational cards with QR code links, and at
public workshops.
Notice of survey. The CPRC will determine the method of advertising the survey’s availability
and timeframe for responses. The CPRC will consider methods to maximize notification
including posting flyers and notices with agencies and at locations including but not limited to:
o Posting notice in the Poughkeepsie Journal
o Posting notice on a Town-sponsored Facebook page, if available
o An email blast to key organizations
o Posting flyers at key community facilities, the New Hamburg train station, the library,
and other locations through the Town.
o Other methods of advertising
Results. The results of the survey will be summarized and posted on the Town website.
5. Public Workshops
Four (4) public workshops will be held open to the general public and will target participation by a wide
cross-section of the community. There will be a minimum of four (4) public workshops encompassing
two (2) general topics: Town Vision and Goals, and Sustainability and Plan Concepts.
Advanced Publicity
Workshops will be publicized in advance to the Town of Poughkeepsie community through press
releases, announcements, individual mailings and email blasts. Identified stakeholders (Appendix A) will
receive direct invitation by email-blast. Notice about the workshops will be posted on the
Comprehensive Plan Update Committee website. Flyers with workshop dates and QR codes linking to
online resources will also be posted at strategic locations throughout the Town. Reminders will be
emailed to all stakeholders approximately one week prior to the workshop.
7
Workshop Format
Each workshop will begin with an introduction to the Comprehensive Plan Update process, including
project updates and other background information necessary to create context for the workshop. Public
input will then be gathered through a variety of methods such as facilitated discussions, breakout
sessions on specific topics, dot voting and comment boards. Handouts will be prepared for each
workshop which outlines the agenda, and questions to consider in preparation for discussion. Future
meeting dates and times will be advertised as well.
Attendance lists will be maintained, and the consultant team will prepare written notes to capture the
essential findings and summarize the participants input. Photographs and presentation materials will
also be used as part of the workshop record. All notes and summary findings will be posted on the
Comprehensive Plan Review webpage.
Workshop 1 and 2 – A Vision for the Town of Poughkeepsie
Workshop 1 and 2 will have the same format and topics, but will be held at two different locations to
ensure accessibility for Town residents and stakeholders. The workshops will be arranged so that a
series of workstations are made available for participants to circulate around the room and provide their
input at each workstation. The benefit of this arrangement is that participants can provide direct input
at each workstation, and no one person can monopolize discussions. In addition, workstations tend to
be less intimidating to those persons who may be reserved and hesitant to provide their input.
Session 1: Location, Date, Time
Session 2: Location, Date, Time
The following workstations will be set-up to solicit public comment.
Workshop 3 and 4 - Sustainability in the Town of Poughkeepsie
Workshop 2 will focus on sustainability and climate change. The CPRC and consultant team will begin by
updating the public on how the Comprehensive Plan process relates to sustainability, and present
baseline conditions on sustainability to the Town such as existing initiatives in the Town to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and mapping areas within the Town susceptible to flooding. The CPRC will
introduce planning concepts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the public will be engaged to
prioritize opportunities for issues covering both mitigation and adaptation such as improving energy
efficiency, incorporating green infrastructure, and encouraging smart growth practices to reduce
community greenhouse gas emissions.
Session 1: Location, Date, Time
Session 2: Location, Date, Time
6. Public Hearing on Draft Comprehensive Plan Update
As required by Section 272-a of the New York State Town Law, when a comprehensive plan is overseen
by a Committee, the Committee is required to hold a public hearing on the draft Plan. Consistent with
NYS Town Law, the CPRC will hold a public hearing to present the draft Comprehensive Plan Update and
solicit public comment. Notes of the public comments will be made available on the Comprehensive
Plan Review webpage.
8
7. Public Hearing on Draft Comprehensive Plan Update
As required by Section 272-a of the New York State Town Law, subsequent to the draft Comprehensive
Plan Update being forward by the CPRC to the Town Board for its consideration, the Town Board shall
hold a public hearing on the draft Plan at which time members of the public may comment on the
document. A stenographer will be present to record any public comments made at the Town Board
public hearing, in order for the Town Board to assess the comments and make any revisions to the
Comprehensive Plan Update it determines is required.
9
APPENDIX A
TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholder/Organization Contact Person Contact Info
Educational Institutions & Large Employers
Vassar College
Marist College
Dutchess Community College
Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital
IBM
School Districts
Spackenkill School District
Hyde Park School District
Arlington School District
Poughkeepsie School District
After School Programs
Religious Groups & Local Nonprofits
Town Committees
Conservation Advisory Council
Historic Preservation Committee
Recreation Committee
Town Services
Water Department
Sewer Department
Building Department
Highway Department
Regional Stakeholders
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Dutchess County Planning Department
Riverkeeper
Hudson River Estuary Program