The Comprehensive Plan could wrap in the fall

Remember the Comprehensive Plan? It’s that lengthy document meant to provide a roadmap for government consistent with strengthening what residents love about the Island and abandoning those policies, laws and actions that threaten the way of life they cherish.

Despite the intent that it should be updated regularly, the current plan is likely gathering dust on a shelf in the Town Clerk’s office where it has sat since being adopted in 1994.

Updates since then have failed to be adopted and the current draft has been through a lot of trials and tribulations, including charges that it was being rushed and people weren’t being given time to review it so they could raise questions and suggest changes they might like to see.

Now months have passed and they finally have a timeline for actions.

Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen has made substantial advances, clarifying and incorporating views of many about what they like and dislike. Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams has been reviewing the draft page by page, making notes; she aims to provide both her markup and a clean copy online by the end of July. 

She plans to have a discussion at a work session, outlining specific issues she thinks need discussion among her colleagues.

She has asked Town Attorney Thomas Crouch to put together a request for proposals for a consultant to handle the SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) environmental study of the plan.

Tentatively, Ms. Brach-Williams is looking at public hearings on Sept. 21 at an evening Town Board meeting and Oct. 10, over the Columbus Day holiday weekend.

Because there are not connections for Zooming, the session at the Community Center or the school auditorium, the supervisor advises as many people as possible to stay home and access the hearings through virtual media. The hearings will be able to be Zoomed from the Town Board meeting room that can accommodate 80 to 90 people, she said.

Everyone will be able to make comments or ask questions whether they are in the meeting room or accessing the sessions virtually.

After the hearings are concluded, the Town Board will be able to decide if there are more open issues that require another public hearing.