It was a scramble to find extra folding chairs as more than 200 residents of Stanford flowed into the gymnasium of Cold Spring Early Learning Center this week to share their thoughts on the long-term future of the town.
The public meeting, hosted on July 31 by Supervisor Wendy Burton and members of the Town Board, was just the latest step towards what, it is hoped, will be Stanford’s first update of its Comprehensive Plan in more than 40 years.
“The list of citizens who bent their minds and energy to the task of creating a roadmap for our small town’s future is long and bipartisan,” Burton said as she opened the meeting. “The sweat equity spent has been mind-boggling.”
Throughout New York state, Comprehensive Plans serve as non-binding but deeply detailed vision statements about if, and how, individual municipalities choose to evolve. While not strictly mandatory, the plans are strongly encouraged by Albany as the best way to ensure that local zoning decisions are shaped not by the politics of the moment, but the abiding goals of the community.
New York’s towns, villages and cities are all recommended to update their Comprehensive Plans every 10 years. But the process, which can be both numbingly bureaucratic and deeply emotional, often takes longer.
Stanford’s last Comprehensive Plan, Burton noted, was completed in 1980. Three decades would pass before town representatives began working on an update. Even after a draft was prepared in 2012, it would take another decade of public meetings and brainstorming before the current draft plan was ready to be reviewed by Dutchess County planners and circulated to local residents.
The current draft contains substantial revisions to the 2012 document, including the removal of a proposal for a central wastewater system, which had been resoundingly voted down by town residents. There are additions, too, including incentives for agricultural businesses and enhanced opportunities for historic preservation.
Before opening the floor to public comments, Burton reminded the audience that the goal of the plan was to preserve the rural character of Stanford while ensuring “that our elders and our children [can] afford to continue to live here” by advancing affordable housing options and economic vitality. Burton said that while the final Comprehensive Plan was unlikely to please everyone, the goal of the public discussion was to find consensus wherever possible.
More than 30 residents signed up to speak, with comments limited to no more than five minutes apiece. The speakers represented a large swathe of the community: the owner of a gas station, a farmer whose family has worked the land for eight generations, the wife of a long-serving fireman, and a new resident who said they moved to Stanford from Rhinebeck in search of peace and quiet.
Some voiced support of the plan. Others had pointed, emotional criticism. Either way, the audience loudly applauded every participant as they returned to their seats.
The first person to step up to the microphone was Bill Harklerode, who will be running against Burton for the position of supervisor in elections this November. Harklerode said he was unhappy with the plan, citing what he called “excessive environmental regulations” and expensive residential lots outpricing young families. Burton defended the plan until the disgruntled crowd intervened, saying, “We want to speak!” and “You came to hear us!”
Over the course of nearly three hours, many audience members voiced common concerns, including the focus on new high-density residential growth within the Stanfordville hamlet, tax issues surrounding conservation easement, and the protection of commercial businesses run from private homes. Speakers also defended development rights for farmers, smaller lot sizes in residential subdivisions, and the effect of ridgeline and scenic viewshed protection on property values.
After all on the list had spoken, Burton said the Town Board will hold workshops addressing some of the the most contentious issues, in addition to holding more public meetings. She expressed hope the plan would be approved by the fall, but said she didn’t want to rush the process.
“It’s clear we still have work to do,” she told the crowd. “But our meeting tonight has been really encouraging.”