ANCRAM—The Town’s Comprehensive Plan Committee completed its work July 13 and will present the finished Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board at its July 16 meeting.                                 

  The plan is an 80-page document, and is supported by a separate 500-page volume of special studies and maps, organized into 7 appendices.

  The committee has worked on the plan since April 2007.
  Once the final version of the plan is presented, the Town Board will again have an opportunity to review it, conduct additional public hearings and adopt it, either as presented or with any modifications the board decides to make.
  Comprehensive Plan Committee Chair Art Bassin said in a press release that he did not think the board would make major changes.
  “The process we went through was based on extensive public participation and input during multiple workshops, via a survey, through one-on-one and small group conversations, and via the public hearings. This process was very well documented, and the written public record of our meetings and workshops is pretty clear on what the community said it wants,” said Mr. Bassin, adding that such plans are supposed to reflect what the community wants for the future, not what any individual or special interest group wants.
If the Town Board follows that logic, the plan will be adopted as is, with relatively minor changes. The committee has developed a solid plan for Ancram. The plan has benefited from broad-based and inclusive communications over the past few years, leading to a community-wide consensus, which is reflected in the document, Mr. Bassin said in the release.
  Following the adoption of the plan, the Town Board will appoint a zoning revisions committee to revise the town’s 35 year-old zoning and subdivision laws to align them with the new Comprehensive Plan.
  The plan was reviewed at public hearings in April and June, and went through 10 drafts over the past 6 months. The plan reflects the vision and goals of the majority of the community, and that there is widespread support for the plan’s primary recommendations, according to the release.
  The recommendations include: protecting open space, the environment and the town’s rural character; providing for more affordable housing; attracting businesses and jobs; and revitalizing the hamlets, especially the Ancram hamlet.
  While the committee has completed its work, members will be available to assist the Town Board during the adoption process.
  The Town’s Comprehensive Plan and supporting documents are available on the town web site (www.townofancram.org).  For more information contact Mr. Bassin at (518) 329-0921 or at .