Bethlehem wants to keep its open spaces open or at least have the tools to make it easier for local landowners who do.
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the town board appointed the Citizen’s Advisory Committee on Conservation (CACC) as an advisory committee to the Department of Economic Development to develop a townwide open space plan.
During the town board meeting, a $25,000 contract was authorized with Behan Planning Associates of Saratoga Springs to assist town staff and CACC members in creating the planning initiative.
Supervisor Jack Cunningham said it is necessary to help people combat the economic pressures of development.
It’s a process for landowners to have the tools in place to help them preserve space,` Cunningham said. `It doesn’t work in all cases. We are simply trying to maintain some aesthetics in town.`
Cunningham said that the 11 CACC members consist of a `cross section` of residents, who would help develop the plan with the town’s economic development department.
`They’re going to use the CACC as a kind of sounding board to help them develop the plan,` said Cunningham.
One woman spoke at the town board meeting before the open space initiatives were voted on and said more farmers and landowners should be on the committee and involved in the process.
`We really need to show support for our farmers,` she told the board.
Cunningham responded in a later interview, saying, `We’ve got a good cross section there. I don’t necessarily see it that way.`
George Leveille, director of the Department of Economic Development, said CACC members represented `geographic diversity` around town. Its members include residents involved in agriculture as well as large landowners, Leveille said.
Leveille said the purpose of the advisory board would be to help map out an open space plan, which the town is creating itself. The Behan group will be strictly used in an advisory capacity, he said.
`They’ll be asking ‘What are our priorities?’ The idea is to really go out and start with a clean slate,` Leveille said of CACC. `We’re going to use John Behan himself as a mentor. Behan has a really good track record.`
Behan Associates has been involved in a long list of community planning projects around the Capital District including: the Hudson River Waterfront Strategy; Guilderland’s Comprehensive Plan; Halfmoon Town Center Plan; Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan; and Upper New Scotland-Krumkill Road Neighborhood Plan.
Behan’s has created open space and farmland implementations used in Ulster and Orange counties, the towns of Marbletown and Pittsford, and the cities of Syracuse and Saratoga Springs.
The initiative will kick off in March, according to Leveille, who said he expected it would take around a year and a half before the town board is presented with a plan to vote on.
Leveille estimated that the process involving Behan Associates and CACC should take between three and five months, and public hearings will be held on the findings and recommendations.
The town board will have final say on the plan, according to Cunningham.
Libby Liebschutz, who chairs CACC, said her advisory board is ready for the project and realizes its role in creating a townwide open space planning initiative is important.
`The diverse backgrounds of the CACC members will contribute to ensuring broad community participation in this process,` Liebschutz said in release. `The CACC will be working with the town to structure ways to get plenty of additional public input as we more forward.`
The members of CACC are Liebschutz; Michael DiPaolo; Jeff Freedman; Nancy Heinzen; John Mead; Valerie Newell; Ted Putney; Paul Sieloff; David Erik VanLuven; Michael Waldenmaier; Caleb Wista.
“
