Rochester & Wawarsing Begin Open Space Partnership

ROCHESTER AND WAWARSING BEGIN OPEN SPACE PARTNERSHIP
For Immediate Release:
August 2016
Contact:
Carl Chipman, Supervisor, Town of Rochester. (845) 626-3043
The Towns of Rochester and Wawarsing have begun work on a new partnership. Through a grant from the Hudson River Estuary Program of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the Towns have begun working together on their first natural heritage and open space plans. The focus of this project builds on natural heritage and open space inventories already completed for each Town. Over the next year, research, discussion and public input will be undertaken on how best to protect and connect the important ecological, cultural, scenic and recreational places and resources in the two Towns.
Supervisor Carl Chipman, who is leading this project, notes “I want to thank, in particular, Hank Alicandri and Laura Finestone, Chairs of our respective Wawarsing and Rochester Environmental Conservation Commissions, for pulling this partnership together and for helping secure the New York State grant. This is further evidence that we can and should work together at the local level.”
Work to be completed includes a review and audit of existing policies and codes in each Town, interviews with key individuals and interest groups, a series of public and stakeholder meetings, and research on best options for new or improved policies and code standards. Town officials and Commission staff will also be offered training in the use and application of Google Earth to aid conservation and planning efforts. This will all be bundled into the final Plans for each Town to review and attach to each towns comprehensive plan with recommendations on best next steps including model policy and code language.
This planning project is being overseen by a Project Team appointed by and representing both Towns. Official Team members, three each from Rochester and Wawarsing, include representatives of each Town’s Environmental Conservation Commission, Town Board, and citizens. The Towns have also contracted John Mickelson and David Church, AICP as professionals to assist. The Project Team has begun to meet monthly and has set meeting dates for early morning (7-8:00 a.m.), on the fourth Thursday of the month. Meetings are open to the public and are held at the Rochester Town Hall in Accord. Public information gathering meetings are being scheduled in both Towns for October, and the public is invited to contact the Project Team if they have any questions or comments, or if they would like to request a presentation or interview.
For more information, please contact Supervisor Chipman at: (845) 626-3043