GREENBURGH CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL SUPPORTS PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MORE INPUT IN LAND USE DECISIONS AND MAKES CONSTRUTIVE SUGGESTIONS ON IMPLEMENTATION I am very pleased that the Greenburgh Conservation Advisory Council endorsed a recommendation that I made last year - to provide neighborhoods with more input on land use issues. Providing those most impacted by traffic and quality of life with a greater voice in the decision making process- especially at the early stages of an applicants review, will encourage residents to feel better about the process. I will ask the Greenburgh Town Board to review the recommendations and will also ask local civic associations for their input. These local advisory committees will provide developers with a better appreciation of community concerns very early in the process and will also encourage community/town/developer dialogue early on.
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1. The communities could be the 8 communities identified in the Comprehensive Plan “visioning” process: Donald Park/Jackson Avenue; Edgemont; Hartsdale East; Secor Ridge Road; Fairview; East Irvington; Knollwood; and North Elmsford. Eight would seem to be a manageable number of land use advisory committees, and would have some basis in how communities have previously been considered by the Town for land use planning purposes.
2. The land use advisory committees members would be appointed by the Town Board. Members of the Town Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or Conservation Advisory Council would not be eligible (since the concept is to get residents involved who are not otherwise involved in the land use process).
3. Each major development project would be submitted to the relevant land use advisory committee(s) prior to any staff recommendation being issued and prior to submission to the relevant approving board(s). If more than one community is involved in a major project, the relevant committees would function as one joint joint committee.
5. The land use advisory committees may request the applicant to furnish it with relevant information, data and projections which the committee reasonably requires in order to make an informed recommendation. Following the completion of such submission, a land use advisory committee would make a recommendation on the project within X days, or such additional time as the committee and applicant agree.
7. Recommendations of the local land use advisory committees would be for (i) approval of the project, (ii) approval of the project with conditions, or (iii) rejection of the project. But, the recommendations of the land use advisory committees would not be binding on the ultimate approving board(s). However, if the relevant approving board rejects or modifies the recommendation of a land use advisory committee it must do so by the vote a majority of that board plus one, except that conditions may be added upon the vote of a majority of the board.