About the Update

Town of Pittsford Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee

Arguably the most important part of any planning process is having a clear vision statement that sets a direction for moving forward. As part of this effort, the Vision Statement and Goals from the 2009 Comprehensive Plan Update will be refined and updated to reflect the vision for the community in 2014 and beyond.

Understanding the composition of the Town’s population, age characteristics, educational background and other basic demographic information is useful in developing future planning policies. A summary of Town demographic characteristics will be developed and compared to nearby communities, as well as Monroe County and New York State.

To forecast the potential future demand for development within the Town, as well as to ensure policies are developed that support economic sustainability, an economic analysis focusing on the retail, office and industrial market sectors will be completed.

Using data provided by the Town, current land use and zoning maps will be developed and evaluated. This information will be used to help develop the Future Land Use Plan and identify those strategies necessary to for implementation.

The 2012 Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be used as a guide to identify significant open spaces, parks and recreational facilities within the Town, which will be identified on an Open Space, Parks, and Recreational Map. Existing trails and linkages will also be noted. Any notable gaps or deficiencies will be identified.

Existing roadway and pedestrian networks will be reviewed and information regarding identified deficiencies, planned capital projects and public transportation will be obtained. existing Town sewer and water infrastructure will also be evaluated and used to develop policies that support the Town’s objectives regarding economic development, future land use and neighborhood enhancement projects.

Existing housing characteristics will be reviewed so as to help develop policies to maintain and improve housing availability and variety. The housing analysis will also address the topic of “aging in place,” noting opportunities for diversification of housing types to allow residents to stay in the Town, even as their housing needs change over time.

The location of natural features such as water bodies (Erie Canal), creeks, floodplains, and undeveloped open space are important in defining appropriate future land use and infrastructure policies. This inventory will aid in the identification of potential impacts to, and preferred conservation of natural features when considering policies and the future land use plan.

The purpose of the future land use plan is to provide both text and map-based descriptions as to how development should occur throughout the Town. Density, massing and design standards recommendations will also be provided.

The Implementation Framework provides a series of strategies and actions necessary to meet the vision and goals for the Town of Pittsford. The framework will prioritize each strategy and include additional information such as responsible parties, preliminary cost estimates and potential funding mechanisms. A matrix of all high priority strategies will be provided in a worksheet format that will allow the Town Board, Planning Board and staff to track the first five years of implementation success.