PLAN IMPEMENTATION

Based upon its review of the broad range of regulatory tools and incentive mechanisms that could be useful in private/public sector achievement of the Town's stated land use and development policies, as reflected in the Land Use Plan, the Master Plan Committee recommends that the Planning Board and Town Board give careful consideration to the following:

Use of a Broader Array of Land Use and Development Management Techniques.

In addition to the traditional package of controls (land subdivision regulations, zoning ordinance, building code and various "nuisance-related ordinances), the Town should integrate the following in its overall land use and development management program:

• Encouragement of the use of conservation easements and other less-than-fee interests in property

• Strict evaluation of all proposed land use and development activities under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (Article 8 ECL and Title 6 Part 617 NYCRR), including consideration of the adoption of a Town Environmental Quality Review Law with locally-defined Type 1 thresholds;

• Designation of critical environmental areas, e.g. the Saw Kill stream corridor, pursuant to Article 24 ECL, the State Freshwater Wetlands Act;

• Adoption of a Town Wetlands Law pursuant to Article 24 ECL, the State Freshwater Wetlands Act;

• Establishment of more-sensitive local standards for assessing development impacts as contrasted to universally-accepted engineering standards (e.g. the concept of "roadway capacity" or "level of service" at intersections);

• Adoption of a "Right-to-Farm" Law and encouragement of the maximum-permissible application of the Agricultural Districts Law to support continued agricultural activity within the Town;

• Establishment of a "local historic cultural sites register" and the adoption of an Historic Preservation Law (or use of similar techniques) to protect these irreplaceable resources;

• Establishment of appropriate guidelines for the protection and enhancement of designated scenic roads, corridors and vistas; and

• Encouragement and recognition of private sector efforts (e.g. stewardship of open space lands and property improvements to man-made resources) which occur outside the regulatory framework, including the work of the recently-created Winnakee Land Trust or that of Scenic Hudson, Inc.