44°
NEW CASTLE, N.Y. Westchester County may be lending a hand in the update of New Castles master plan, said Town Planner Sabrina Charney Hull.
As part of its Westchester 2025: Plan Together initiative, the countys Department of Planning has developed a new tool for municipalities developing their local plans. This tool includes development of base studies, assembling maps, charts, figures and analysis.
I was going to utilize in-house staff to help update the base studies of the 1989 Town Development Plan, Hull said. It is my expectation that with the Countys assistance, we can update these base studies in a much more expedited fashion.
The tool, called Comprehensive Plans Base Studies Assistance Program, was developed by the county in partnership with the Village of Rye Brook. According to the program, the county will provide already-collected data and base studies to municipalities, which would instead have to collect the data on its own.
Having the County develop and deliver such base studies for a municipality can significantly reduce the cost and of plan preparation and help sharpen the focus of where planning efforts need to be directed, the program reads. The municipality can take the base studies and move right into plan development with or without the assistance of consultants who can draw on this data base rather than spend months or years creating it themselves.
In order to receive the help, Hull said, the County needs a commitment that New Castle would move the base studies forward by drafting Town Board resolution, creating a budget line that can provide funding for the post-base studies plan work and provide evidence of a grant to pay for the development of a master plan.
I see no problem providing the County with evidence of all three, Hull said.
Hull hopes to present projects scope of work, the projects budget, a grant application plan and a draft resolution to the Town Board during Tuesday nights work session.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Chappaqua and receive free news updates.
