Troy’s first central planning document since the 1960s is now headed to the city council for consideration. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard has an update on the Comprehensive Plan.
Troy has not adopted a new Comprehensive Plan since 1962.
Most recently, a draft of the proposal was workshopped with local neighborhoods. On Thursday night, the city’s planning commission approved changes to the plan brought forward by residents across the Collar City.
The edits include everything from a final spellcheck to a revised vision statement and neighborhood projects. Steve Strichman the Troy’s Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development…
“A lot of the changes from the neighborhoods have already been incorporated into it and printed, so yeah, this was more fine-toothed. But you can always find something else and there are always opportunities that arise and say last-minute ‘we need to put that in,’” said Strichman.
Work on the plan began under former Mayor Lou Rosamilia and continued under the administration of Mayor Patrick Madden, who took office in January 2016.
After a first draft of the Comprehensive Plan was completed earlier this year, City Council President Carmella Mantello, a Republican, called for a second round of neighborhood meetings.
“For the most part, what I’m seeing, the Comprehensive Plan really took our recommendations to take a step back, bring it more into the neighborhoods, focus more on the waterfront, focus more on connecting the neighborhoods with the waterfront, with the main gateways, and I am pleased to see that,” said Mantello.
The city council will consider the plan next month. Mantello said she would call for a public hearing on the latest draft.
Mayor Madden, a Democrat, said he likes the way the plan considers expanding the city’s revitalized downtown into surrounding neighborhoods. Like Mantello, he was also pleased by the draft’s greater focus on access to the Hudson River.
“We have seven and a half miles of riverfrontage in Troy and we take advantage of very little of that, so this plan includes a number of efforts to open up river access in various neighborhoods from North Troy right down through South Troy. Those are important as well,” said Madden.
Once the Comprehensive Plan is approved, in addition to advising future projects, it will be critical to a rewrite of the city’s zoning, says Strichman.
“The zoning ordinance in Troy needs some major reworks to it. And that is based on the Comprehensive Plan. So that is why it us ultimately so important, so that we can rework the zoning ordinance. And the other item is that the Comprehensive Plan…helps us apply for funding,” said Strichman.
For more information visit: http://www.realizetroy.com/abouttheproject/
