Question 1

Q1.  Why isn’t the Town establishing a draft Comprehensive Plan before finishing the SEQRA Process?

Accepted Answer

No action can be taken by the Town on any Comprehensive Plan or Comprehensive Plan update without first starting and then finishing the SEQRA Process.  The Comprehensive Plan update process is being combined with the SEQRA process and these processes are happening concurrently.  Town Law allows for this and it is a proper approach to not only complete the update but also be in compliance with SEQRA. In this approach, environmental impacts will be evaluated during preparation of the Comprehensive Plan, rather than preparing a Plan first without consideration of the potential environmental impacts.

Question 2

Q2.  What is the role of the Town Professionals in this plan update process?

Accepted Answer

The Town continues to be served by its existing and experienced professionals in this Comprehensive Plan update process. M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying with Jaclyn Hakes, AICP and Laberge Group with Nicole Allen, AICP continue in a collaborative effort to provide planning recommendations.  Attorney Ben Gailey with extensive experience in the planning update process is working with our planning professionals to provide the Town legal advice. Coordination of the professionals is being done by the Town Attorney’s Office.

Question 3

Q3. How will the Town address questions and concerns by Town Residents and those seeking to build in the Town?

Accepted Answer

The Town’s website will be significantly updated by having M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (The Town’s designated engineers and planners) work to regularly post updated information on the Northeast Ramapo page and also to have  a place on the Northeast Ramapo page where all comments specific to the Northeast Ramapo effort can be provided.

Question 4

Q4.  What is the “inventory” referenced in the approved Scoping Outline?

Accepted Answer

As part of the Plan update process, an inventory of relevant Town wide information on existing  conditions is  being gathered as a baseline.  This will help to inform the Plan update and DGEIS.

Question 5

Q5.  Why isn’t the Town doing a Comprehensive Plan Update for the entire Town?

Accepted Answer

The Town is doing a Comprehensive Plan update for the entire Town.  The update process has and will continue to develop information on Town wide existing conditions.  In addition, although the current focus is on the Northeast Ramapo Corridor Area,   the SEQRA process will also study relevant potential impacts from development in that Corridor on areas outside of the Northeast Corridor.  Due to the unique reality of 12 Villages in our Town, which create distinct areas of the unincorporated Town, the Town is conducting a planning update by focusing initially on the Northeast Corridor and then proceeding to other areas of the Town. Our Planners have also advised that given the different physical characteristics of  the Town,  the Northeast Corridor is a logical area to start the Comprehensive Plan update.

Question 6

Q6.  What are the different parts of the Town’s planning update?

Accepted Answer

The Town as required by law is reviewing its Comprehensive Plan.  The last such Town wide review took place in 2004.  The Town is certainly due for that review.  As authorized by Town Law, this plan review update is taking place within the SEQRA process known as a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS).  The Town Board will also consider potential Code Amendments during this same process.

Question 7

Q7.  What happens when the Town finishes the plan update review for the Northeast Ramapo Corridor?

Accepted Answer

When the Town completes that review, the Town Board plans to continue the Comprehensive Plan update in the other areas of the Town.  After the Northeast Ramapo Corridor process is finished, the Town Professionals will be able evaluate the process results to better inform the process when studying other areas of the Town during this Comprehensive Plan update.

Question 8

Q8. How can Town consultants have undertaken studies and information collection for the Townwide Inventory of Existing Conditions before the Final Scope was issued for the Comprehensive Plan Update?

Accepted Answer

The Town and its professional consultants have been undertaking numerous preliminary steps to explore and advance amendments to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The information collected prior to issuance of the Final SEQRA Scope is information that would certainly be included in the DGEIS.  In addition, such information may be helpful in the preparation of a scoping document. These activities are typical and necessary for formulating an action that will be evaluated under SEQRA. 
The Draft Town wide Inventory of Existing Conditions utilizes known available and reasonably current secondary source information to generate basic existing conditions descriptions at the Town-wide level to update information provided prior Comprehensive Plan. The information collection is intended to help characterize and define potential planning opportunities and challenges. It aids understanding of issues and their relative magnitude. Moreover, the Inventory Report provides a baseline and a springboard for defining planning objectives and different possible strategies available for advancement within the Northeast Ramapo Corridor to achieve community goals.
Systematic collection of information is necessary to allow informed decisions to be made regarding the environmental impact of an action. This information gathering is an important preliminary tool for environmental analysis.
The Town consultants’ work remains an ongoing process and they will continue to gather additional information identified by the Final Scope in the Town’s efforts to advance the DGEIS, Draft Comprehensive Plan Amendments and any related zoning amendments to be considered.

Question 9

Q9. What is the “Townwide Existing Conditions” Report and can additional information not identified in the current draft be included at a later time?

Accepted Answer

The “Townwide Existing Conditions” Report is an overview and analysis of the Town’s existing conditions that our Planners have obtained from various readily available sources in the process of this Northeast Corridor Study (“Study”). Existing conditions have been developed from a variety of sources and existing documentation. Should information be missing from the report, residents or others can request the Town to included additional conditions and information in the report. The Town will review each request to determine appropriateness to include. This review and incorporation of Townwide Conditions is an on-going process until the document is adopted. Anyone recommending that new or different conditions be included in the Townwide Existing Conditions should provide that information via the “Comment” portion of the project webpage on the Town’s Website.

Question 10

Q10. What is the timeline for various steps in this Study process?

Accepted Answer

This is the most frequently asked question and the one which cannot be definitely answered at this time. The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process for the Study requires the Town to take a “hard look” at the information being evaluated. The Town needs to take that required “hard look” and some issues may require more time to evaluate than others. Also, as noted above in the prior question, new information that might be added to the Study will need to be given that requisite “hard look”. The Town will proceed as expeditiously and efficiently as the law allows, with the understanding that having a complete DGEIS, FGEIS and SEQRA Findings Statement is the goal for the Town.

Question 11

Q11. Shouldn’t the Town be looking at other portions of the Town even though this Study is just for the Northeast Corridor?

Accepted Answer

The “Townwide Existing Conditions” Report addresses the entire Town of Ramapo. In addition, the Town is currently evaluating other relevant parts of the Town that may have the potential to be impacted by the recommendations emerging for the Northeast Corridor Study. These areas outside the Town are incorporated, to the extent information is available and applicable, to understand potential impacts to the Northeast Corridor study area. For example, some intersections are being evaluated for potential impacts outside the Northeast Corridor study area.

Question 12

Q12. What about the activities in other Villages in the Town, shouldn’t the Town be looking at those building and other related activities?"

Accepted Answer

The Town Professionals actively examine all areas in the Town, including activities in the Villages, when considering projections and other matters that must be reviewed as part of the Study.

Question 13

Q13. Is the Town considering Fair Housing Act issues when doing the Study?

Accepted Answer

The Fair Housing Act is a law created to prevent discriminatory practices. The Town has supported and will continue to support the goals of the Fair Housing Act. As part of any project approval process, the Town will also require all applicants to certify that they will comply with all Federal, State and Local Fair Housing mandates.

Question 14

Q14. Why doesn’t the “Townwide Existing Condition Report” include an evaluation of potential impacts of growth in the Northeast Corridor?

Accepted Answer

The “Townwide Existing Conditions Report” is an overview and analysis of the Town’s existing conditions.  The purpose of the report is to document existing conditions and serve as a baseline for future planning efforts.  The Northeast Corridor DGEIS is intended to evaluate potential impacts as well as identify potential mitigation of those impacts.

Question 15

Q15. How is the Town coordinating its plans for the Northeast Corridor with neighboring municipalities?

Accepted Answer

Adjacent municipalities are considered “Involved Agencies” for SEQRA purposes. Through the SEQRA process, the Town has been and will continue to notify adjacent municipalities of the Northeast Corridor efforts and seek feedback as the law provides. In addition, there are several intersections outside of the Northeast Corridor that will be appropriately evaluated through the traffic impact study.

Question 16

Q16. Is the Striker Property considered public or non-public for planning purposes?

Accepted Answer

The Striker property, located at 98 Conklin Road, Pomona, NY 10970, is considered publicly owned for planning purposes.

Question 17

Q17. Does multiple family housing promote the goal of racial and economic justice in land use planning?

Accepted Answer

While Town Planning Professionals have so advised the Town in the Comprehensive Master Plan review, the link below to a recent New York Times article may provide a better understanding of this issue.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/opinion/biden-zoning-social-justice.html

Question 18

Q18. What is being considered for Town-owned properties referred to as Striker, Mowbray-Clark and 58A South Mountain Road?   Where can the public view any plans for these properties?"

Accepted Answer

No plans have been currently identified for these properties.

Question 19

Q19. When will documents be posted for public review?

Accepted Answer

The NRDP / DGEIS will be posted for public review once the Town Board has deemed the document adequate for commencing public review. There will be a formal public hearing and a public comment period following the public hearing in accordance with SEQR.

Question 20

Q20. What zoning changes are being considered for the Northeast Area?

Accepted Answer

Zoning changes being considered include:
- Flexible Overlay Planned Unit Development option for larger parcels
- New Mixed-Use District – Opp. Area A/B
- Neighborhood Service District (existing district) – Opp. Area C

Question 21

Q21. What are the consultants charged to consider, investigate and analyze?"

Accepted Answer

The professional team efforts are guided by the Final SEQR Scoping Document.

Question 22

Q22. In 2004, the NE part of Ramapo was declared an ecologically sensitive area that should be preserved as is. The town bought land in this area to preserve it as open space. Why has this been changed, as the aquifer and ecology hasn't changed and if anything, they are more threatened?"

Accepted Answer

The purpose of this effort is to update the 2004 Comprehensive Plan specific to the Northeast Corridor to reflect the current and future needs of the community. The focus of growth within proposed Opportunity Areas is intended to respect the character and environmental resources of the Northeast Corridor. The Final Scoping Document identifies various environmental resources to be evaluated in the GEIS. The Land Use Plan illustrated in the 2004 Comprehensive Plan identifies a variety of land use types in the Northeast Corridor including mixed use, low density residential, light industrial, laboratory-office, community business, parks/open space, conservation development, proposed open space and community services.

Question 23

Q23. The 2004 Comprehensive Plan said that future plans should be based on the guidelines within that plan. Further, it states that development areas should be around areas of major road access and other services in Monsey and Spring Valley.  Why then is the NE being considered, given that there are endangered species therein, and a sensitive aquifer and ecology which hasn't changed in 17 years?"

Accepted Answer

The 2004 Plan indicates the maximum interval for the Plan to be reviewed is 5 years to account for and adjust goals and objectives to meet community needs as they may change. The purpose of this effort is to update the 2004 Comprehensive Plan specific to the Northeast Corridor to reflect the current and future needs of the community.
The NRDP/GEIS is intended to support the 2004 Plan goal to:
“Promote a balanced pattern of land use that primarily encourages concentration of future development in areas with adequate infrastructure…to preserve the Town’s environmental and scenic resources, and provide a variety of…housing opportunities.” (2004 Comprehensive Plan page D-1)
The intent is to also provide a well-balanced mix of residential and business zones to encourage opportunities for employment, economic diversity, tax base, and goods and services for Town residents. (2004 Comprehensive Plan page D-11)

Question 24

Q24. Are the new Local Laws being proposed part of the DGEIS and may not be adopted until the SEQRA Findings Statement has been completed or at some other time?

Accepted Answer

The proposed  Local Laws are being considered as part of the DGEIS and overall SEQRA review process. The proposed local laws cannot be adopted until the SEQRA review process has been completed.

Question 25

Q25. Is the Town providing sufficient time for review of the DGEIS?

Accepted Answer

The Town is fully compliant with all SEQRA laws, rules and regulations on accepting public comment throughout the process. The Town is even going beyond the requirements of SEQRA regarding the length of the public comment period as well as the requirements for Public Hearings. For example, the Town Board intends to conduct a Public Hearing on the FGEIS even though that Public Hearing is not required by SEQRA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why isn’t the Town establishing a draft Comprehensive Plan before finishing the SEQRA Process?

Q2. What is the role of the Town Professionals in this plan update process?

Q3. How will the Town address questions and concerns by Town Residents and those seeking to build in the Town?

Q4. What is the “inventory” referenced in the approved Scoping Outline?

Q5. Why isn’t the Town doing a Comprehensive Plan Update for the entire Town?

Q6. What are the different parts of the Town’s planning update?

Q7. What happens when the Town finishes the plan update review for the Northeast Ramapo Corridor?