Comprehensive Plan Review Committee resumes meetings

AMENIA — Having paused in 2024 its schedule of meetings and its work to update the town’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan, the committee charged with the task resumed with an organizational meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, making progress toward acquiring professional planning assistance.

Re-elected by the committee to serve as chairman was Bill Flood, and Nina Peek was re-elected to serve as vice-chairman. Vicky Doyle was re-elected to serve as secretary.

The importance of achieving community engagement with the process came under discussion as the committee considered support services offered by Pace University’s Land Use Law Center. That program was established in 1993 to assist communities with land use planning needs.

The committee consensus was to agree to contact Jessica Bacher, Executive Director of the Pace program and Tiffany Zezula, Deputy Director, inviting them to join the next meeting either in person or remotely, to explore how their law center might assist with the work of the committee.

One potential means of support discussed by the committee would be to assist with community conversations, gathering information on community vision, goals and objectives.

Committee member Ken Topolsky spoke of the need for a community-wide approach, so all town boards and committees could understand their roles as participants in the plan’s objectives.

“It doesn’t matter what we do if the town does not understand [the plan’s] use,” Topolsky said.

Topolsky reported on his attendance at a December land use planning event hosted by Dutchess County officials. Comprehensive plans should incorporate ideas for increased accessibility and inspire action and results, organizing around specific issues and a phased approach to progress.

A plan should be forward-looking, not dwelling on historical perspective, and written for a short attention span, presenting perhaps four large issue ideas.

Committee member Nina Peek noted that the committee has received grant funding to proceed with its work, gathering public comment, and arriving at an actionable plan, perhaps supported by the advice of Pace consultants.

Committee member Michael Peek agreed that community engagement is the right way to begin.

“We have a good starting point,” Michael Peek said.

“Our population is vastly different today,” Nina Peek observed, reflecting upon the town’s situation in 2009 when the last revisions were made.

Topolsky spoke of working toward his vision of there being “One Amenia,” uniting various geographic and demographic constituencies.

No date was set for the next meeting that will depend upon the availability of the Pace Law Center representatives to participate.