Introduction 12-8-06
Introduction
I.INTRODUCTION
The Wappinger Comprehensive Plan is a document that reflects the hopes and
expectations of the people of Wappinger, with specific objectives and recommendations
about how to guide growth so as to preserve important environmental resources and
improve the quality of life of the residents, workers, and visitors in the community.
The New York State Legislature, in Town Law Section 272-a, finds that, “among the
most important powers and duties granted by the legislature to a town government is the
authority and responsibility to undertake town comprehensive planning and to regulate
land use for the purpose of protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare of its
citizens.” While a comprehensive plan is not in itself a law or a regulation, it sets the
stage for laws and regulations affecting a town’s development by examining current
conditions, existing regulations, and recommending regulatory changes. It helps to
ensure that land use controls are based upon a factual understanding of a community’s
needs.
ThisPlan recognizes that the Town of Wappinger is one of many municipalities guiding
development in southwest Dutchess County. Indeed, the Town has participated in two
rounds of inter-municipal planning and cooperation with neighboring communities, once
in 1962, and again in 1973. The regional position of the Town is highlighted in the next
section of this introductory chapter.
Thesectiontitled“Inventory and Analysis” explains the research that informs this plan
and refers toa separate, companion document that includes more extensive detail than the
Plan before you. Following that section is a summary of the major issues and
opportunities currently facing the Town.These items are explored more thoroughly in
the associated chapters in the body of the Plan. This is followed by the “Goals and
Objectives” section, which provides a list of all the major initiatives contained in each of
the chapters in one convenient location. These goals and objectives seek to address the
issues and opportunities that are before the Town.
Following these items is an explanation of the methods used to solicit a high level of
public involvement in identifying both issues and preferred solutions to planning
problems, from developing Town park facilities to improving traffic flow on the major
roads in Town. Finally, the section entitled “Implementation” explains how community
members and public leaders can make use of this Plan, which represents a compilation of
the best information available to date on how the Town can guide growth in a way that is
most beneficial to community members and to the environment as a whole.
Town of Wappinger Comprehensive Plan1
Introduction
Regional Perspective
The Town of Wappinger is located in the Hudson River Valley 55 miles north of New
York City in the southwest quadrant of Dutchess County. The area has experienced rapid
population growth over the last four decades, with approximately100,000 additional
residents in the County since 1960. Most of the development associated with this
population increase has occurred in the southwest portion of the County, in the Towns of
Fishkill, East Fishkill, Wappinger and Poughkeepsie, and in the Cities of Beacon and
Poughkeepsie. This growth has been possible because the structure of the regional
economy shifted from agriculture and small mills in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries to an integrated metropolitan economy with industries and large employers,
such as I.B.M., located throughout the suburban periphery, where land costs were lower
and transportation more convenient.
This Plan acknowledges the comprehensive plans of the Towns of Fishkill, East Fishkill,
LaGrange and Poughkeepsie; the Village of Wappingers Falls; the City of Beacon; and
the regional plans of Dutchess County and the Regional Plan Association for the New
York Metropolitan Area. As in this Plan,a review of the plans ofneighboring
municipalities finds that these communities are working towards accommodating the
demand for housing and other forms of development within a framework that seeks to
preserve the qualities that make these communities attractive: convenient transportation,
natural beauty, and community character.These plans generally seek to focus new
development in existing developed areas, encourage clustered development that protects
open space, and higher aesthetic standards for commercial development.
In particular, the Town of Wappinger seeks to work closely with the Village of
Wappingers Falls to improve the function and appearance of the Route 9 corridor. The
Town also anticipates working with neighboring municipalities for the purposes of
developing greenway corridors along the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek, and Sprout
Creek, protecting water quality near surface waters and aquifers, and meeting water
supply and sewage treatment needs through inter-municipal cooperation.
Inventory and Analysis
This Plan is based both on technical studies and the input of residents, committee
members, and Town officials. As a foundation for the planning effort, the consultants,
Frederick P. Clark Associates, studied the Town’sposition regarding its regional
position, land use, demographics, housing, environmental resources, transportation, and
other community services and facilities. These studies explored both the spatial and the
temporal components of these aspects of the Town. The results of this research are
presented in full in a report entitled Inventory and Analysis, which shall function as a
companion document to this Plan. The sections titled “Existing Conditions” within each
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chapter in this Plan are generally excerpts and summaries of the findings in the Inventory
and Analysis.
Issues and Opportunities
Environmental Resources
1.Scattered land development throughout the Town has fragmented habitat. If
effective regulatory action is taken, open space corridors can be preserved along
the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek and Sprout Creek.
2.Opportunities exist to improve the protection of ridgelines, steep slopes, streams
and wetlands through land use regulations and permitting procedures in the Town.
3.Relatively impermeable soils covering much of the Town often result in septic
unsuitability, less rainwater percolating into the ground, and more wetlands. Ten
percent of septic systems are failing or marginal, and these pollute surface water
and groundwater.
4.There is a relative mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste
water and the allowable density of dwelling units in the northeastern part of the
Town.
5.Roadway and parking lot design standards, such as street width, width of right-of-
ways, cul-de-sac turn-arounds, roadside drainage, and parking ratios all have an
impact on the amount of impervious surface in the Town. For instance,
unnecessarily wide street widths contribute to the creation of impervious surfaces
in neighborhood subdivisions, which reduces water quality.
6.Poorly managed earthwork and excavation sites pollute surface water with silt and
sediment. DEC Phase II stormwater regulations are in the process of
implementation in the Town. There is a need for strict enforcement of regulations.
7.Road salt and water softener salts are sources of water pollution in the Town.
Careful attention to the methods and materials used for de-icing roads and
encouraging the use of widely available improved technologies for water softening
and purification can substantially reduce the water quality impacts associated with
these uses of salt.
8.The Town is home to a number of threatened and endangered species, including
the Blanding’s Turtle, and plants such asBlazing Star, Rattlebox and Violet Wood
Sorrel.
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9.The Town is a member of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Compact, which
encourages inter-municipal cooperation and policies consistent with Greenway
principles, including natural and cultural resource protection, public access, and
environmental education. Membership gives the Town enhanced access to grants
that help implement Greenway principles.
Population and Housing
1.Housing costs have increased at a rate far greater than incomes.
2.There is a growing mismatch between the trend of smaller household sizes and the
large three-or-more bedroom homes that have been built and will be builtunder
current zoning.
Economic Base
1.The economic base of the Town is relatively small compared with the number of
employed persons residing in the Town and the number of homes in the Town.
2.This uneven distribution of jobs and housing results in secondary impacts of long
commuting times for employed residents and a higher proportion of property taxes
paid by the residential sector.
3.The high cost of housing in the Town has become a limiting factor on existing
local businesses and on potential new businesses.
4.Commercial, industrial, and office land uses currentlycompriseapproximately
500 acres of land in the Town Approximately 400 developable acres are zoned for
these uses and are currently undeveloped. Also, several existing commercial
properties offer opportunities for reuse and/or additional development.
5.There is a strong consensus in the Town that any future development of
commercial land uses should be well designed to fit in with the sites and should
preserve and promote positive neighborhood/district features, so that community
character is protected and enhanced. The Route 9 Corridor in particular is a high
priority, and is discussed further in the following chapter on Community
Appearance and Character.
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Community Appearance and Character
1.The existing pattern of development in the Town is primarily one of fragmented
low-density housing developments and strip commercial development along Route
9.
2.Other than the Village of Wappingers Falls, which regulates itself and its lands
separately from the Town, Wappinger does not have a town center.
3.The Old Route 9 area from Old Hopewell Road through Middlebush / Myers
Corners Road to U.S. Route 9, and the Hughsonville, Chelsea, New Hackensack,
Swartoutville and Myers Corners Hamlets are existing centers of activity that can
be enhanced and redesigned to promote community character in the Town.
4.Farm fields and forested lands, which provide natural resources and a rural or
semi-rural character to the Town, are threatened by the continued development of
housing, commercial, and institutional sites in the Town. Fields and forests also
help define the edges and shape the identities of settled areas.
5.The Wheeler Hill Historic District is the only protected historic feature in the
Town. Other important historic resources may be lost or degraded without
regulatory protection.
6.Billboards on Route 9D are inappropriate for the area, and detract from the
appearance of the roadway.
Transportation
1.There is a high level of traffic congestion on Route 9 during peak hours, especially
between Meyers Corners Road and New Hackensack Road.
2.Service roads designed to alleviate traffic congestion in this area have been
planned since 1974, but have not been implemented, due to the difficulty of
acquiring control of certain properties, physical constraints, fiscal constraints, and
the additional requirement of coordination between the Town and the Village of
Wappingers Falls, plus State and County authorities. The 2004 Survey shows that
there is public support for the condemnation of land to build new roads to improve
traffic within the Town.
3.The 2004 Survey shows that 84percent of Town residents support using local tax
dollars to fund roadway improvements to improve traffic flow (with 13 percent
neutral and only 3 percent opposed). When residents were asked to identify the
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single-most important investment the Town should make, this was the highest-
ranking item.
4.Traffic congestion on Route 9 induces drivers to seek alternate routes, resulting in
higher levels of traffic and higher speeds than areappropriate on local roads.
5.Moderate but increasing levels of congestion occur during peak hours on Myers
Corners Road by Ketcham High School, at the intersection of Old Hopewell Road
with Route 9D, at the intersections of the major east-west collector roads (New
Hackensack, Meyers Corners and Old Hopewell Roads) with Route 9 (particularly
westbound in the morning peak hours) and with All Angels Hill Road (County
Route 94).
6.Use of public transit has increased, but opportunities for travel by pedestrian,
bicycle, and public transit modes are limited and not fully integrated.
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
1.Water availability within the Town is constrained by a bedrock aquifer that is
diminishing in volume, and limited access to the sub-surface sand and gravel
aquifers associated with Sprout Creek and Wappinger Creek.Town wells have
the capacity to meet existing and future development within existing water
districts, but future service to additional districts would be limited to roughly 400
additional homes One-quarter of all residents that participated in the 2003 Water
and Sewer Survey reported some kind of supply problem regarding their
individual wells. The Town will need to access alternative water supplies in order
to meet future demands outside of existing service areas.
2.Nearly two-thirds of the Town have soils that provide severe limitations to septic
suitability, and most of the remainder provide moderate limitations. One in ten
households participating in the 2003 Water and Sewer Survey reported failing or
marginal septic systems, and most had systems that had been replaced at least
once.
Land Use
1.This land use plan includes changes designed to improve the function and
appearance of existing community centers, including the Hamlets of Chelsea,
Hughsonsville,New Hackensack, Swartoutville and Myers Corners, and the
proposed Old Route 9 District.
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2.The Obercreek area, which is north and west of Hughsonville Hamlet, is an
extraordinary public resource as a scenic and historic area. This area is also
important as it provides a historic rural context adjacent to the Wheeler Hill
Historic District. The area includes over 100 acres of open farmland, separated by
mature tree lines and stone walls. There are also over 100 acres of forest in the
area. The open farmland provides opportunities for continuing agricultural use of
the land, which is necessary to preserve the rural character of the area. The
farmland portions of the Obercreek area also help provide visual contrast to the
Hughsonville Hamlet, and help to maintain a clear visual edge of the hamlet.
These existing farmland and rural portions of the Obercreek area should be
protected in their present rural form to the greatest extent practicable. At the same
time,the portion of the Obercreek property in the vicinity of NYS Route 9D at the
southern end of the Hughsonville Hamlet offersanopportunity to reinforce the
hamlet with traditional Village-scale residential developmentand enhanced
vehicular circulation.Similarly,thereis an opportunity just south of the Village of
Wappingers Falls for a comprehensively planned higherdensity residential
neighborhood with substantial buffering for neighboring properties. The provision
of higher density housing inthesetwoareaswouldstrengthenexisting
communities while protecting more sensitive, rural areas from development
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pressures.
3.Currently, there is a mismatch between the capacity of the land to absorb waste
water and the allowable density of dwelling units in the northern part of the Town.
The Town can correct this mismatch by rezoning lands not currently within a
sewer district to lower densities, and by rezoning lands outside of areas planned
for sewer service to even lower densities.
4.Other areas recommended for a change to low-density residential are an area south
of McFarland Road and east of Route 9, and an area on Route 9D south of
Ketchamtown Road.
5.Other areas to be changed to high-density residential to make existing trailer parks
more conforming in terms of zoning includethreeareas in the Route 9 Corridor
(on Cooper Road, on Osborne Road, and on Route 9 and Smithtown Road)and
one area at the junction of Pye Lane and Montfort. An existing trailer park on
New Hackensack Road northeast of Lakeside Road is currently zoned RMF-3 but
the density of dwelling units on the site is approximately 4.7 units per acre. This
site should be changed to RMF-5 zoning to make the site more conforming.
6.The Route 9 Corridor consists of a patchwork of Highway Business, Highway
Office, and Highway Design zoning districts, and the northern section is partially
1
Text changes suggested by Alex Reese and Jennifer Van Tuyl.
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Introduction
under the control of the Village of Wappingers Falls. The Town should initiate a
discussion with the Village of Wappingers Falls with the goal of coming to a
consensus on the use of land in the northern section of the Route 9 Corridor. In
the southern section, the Town has an opportunity to create uniform standards
regarding setbacks, landscaping, and access to sites which could improve the
character and function of the Corridor.
Goals and Objectives
Environmental Resources
Goal:Encourage the preservation of environmentally significant features.
Objectives:
A.Establish and preserve open space corridors along Wappinger Creek,
Sprout Creek and the Hudson River, and improve access to these resources.
B.Regulate the development of floodplains, wetlands, stream corridors, steep
slopes and ridge lines to ensure minimal disruption of their environmental
functionsand scenic qualities.
C.Preserve the quality and quantity of the Town’s surface and groundwater
resources through land use regulation, monitoring, testing and promotion of
water-saving systems.
D.Protect surface water quality through regulation of stormwater runoff,
particularly during new construction, and through rigorous enforcement.
E.Develop a system of central utilities that will protect water resources by
reducing the number of failing septic systems.
F.Protect the Town’s biodiversity through protection of endangered species
and threatened plant and animal populations, as well as through control of
invasive species.
G.Educate stakeholders, contractors, public works employees, and the public
about local environmental issues and best practices.
H.Cooperate with adjoining and area municipalities to address regional
environmental issues, such as the Wappinger Creek Watershed Protection
Commission.
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Introduction
Population and Housing
Goal:Improve housing choice in the Town by encouraging a balance of housing
types and sizes that meet the needs of existing and future Wappinger
residents and employees.
Objectives:
A.Affordable / Workforce housing. Encourage a sufficient supply of homes
within economic reach of Town residents.
B.Accessory apartments.Continue to allow the development of accessory
apartments in appropriate conditions on single-family lots.
C.Variety of housing types.Requirethat certain percentages of large, new
developments be comprised of a variety of housing types (such as attached
single-family homes, duplexes and apartments) .
D.Development in existing centers.Encourage new higher density residential
development in existing centers that can be most economically served by
existing roads, utilities and community facilities. Any new higher density
residential development should occur in relation to existing centers.
E.Variety of architectural styles. Encourage a variety of architectural styles
(such as Colonial, Arts and Crafts, Modern/Contemporary, etc.) in new
single-family housing developments.
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Introduction
Economic Base
Goal:Encourage a balanced economy with diversified employment opportunities.
Objectives:
A.Promote regional cooperation in economic development planning.
B.Improve business opportunities within the framework of improved
community character and appearance.
C.Promote well-designed office research parks and similar uses that offer
good jobs and wages in appropriate locations.
Community Appearance and Character
Goal:Encourage development with high aesthetic standards to provide a visual
and natural environment that will promote economic stability, enhance
community character, and will be compatible with surrounding land uses.
Objectives:
A.Improve the appearance of the Route 9 corridor.
B.DeveloptheHughsonville,Chelsea, New Hackensack, Swartoutville and
Myers Corners Hamlets,andtheOld Route 9 District as vibrant, traditional
town/village centers.
C.Protect important landscapes through open space and farmland
conservation.
D.Protect historic buildings and sites.
E.Regulate signage to promote appealing streetscapes and to protect
important landscapes.
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Transportation
Goal:Encourage the development of a transportation system consistent with
Town land use patterns and objectives, including public transportation,
pedestrian and bicycle systems.
Objectives:
A.Improve traffic conditions on Route 9.
B.Use transportation improvements as a positive factor in shaping growth.
C.Require service roads, internal connections and combined parking lots,
where appropriate.
D.Minimize the number of access points on major and collector roads.
E.Develop a sidewalk network and bikeway system connecting community
facilities, centers and schools.
F.Improve street connectivity between neighborhoods as new areas are
developed.
Water Supply and Sewage Treatment
Goal:Continue the development of a system of central utilities to address the
needs of existing developed areas with water supply and sewage treatment
problems, and to achieve land use goals and objectives.
Objectives:
A.Extend utilities at the lowest cost feasible by serving the highest number of
users per linear distance of utilities.
B.Encourage public involvement in planning decisions associated with
municipal sewer and water service.
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Recreation and Community Facilities
Goal:Develop recreational and cultural facilities and programs that are adequate
to serve the Town’s current and future populations.
Objectives:
A.Anticipate future needs and provide appropriate locations for facilities,
services and programs. Locate recreational facilities in such a way that
they are compatible with Town development patterns.
B.Maximize community use of existing facilities.
C.Develop Greenways along the Hudson River, Wappinger Creek and Sprout
Creek for public recreation.
D.Develop additional trails throughout the Town to meet public demand for
nature and walking trails.
Goal:Maintain and enhance the Town-wide comprehensive recycling program.
Objectives:
A.Encourage increased rates of recycling.
B.Encourage proper disposal of hazardous wastes.
C.Monitor recycling rates, solid waste disposal rates, and hazardous waste
disposal rates through objective measurements.
Land Use
Goal:Guide the development of the Town in a way that preserves
environmentally significant features, improves housing choice, and
encourages a balanced economy.
Objectives:
A.Designate areas of the Town intended for low-densityresidential
development, farmland protection, and open space.
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B.Designate areas of the Town that are well situated for medium- and high-
density residential development.
C.Designate areas of the Town that, due to transportation links, the intensity
of proximate land uses and other features, areappropriate for current and
future use as Town centers.
D.Designate areas of the Town where only commercial, industrial, or
institutional land uses are appropriate.
Survey
An extensive 58-question survey was sent to every household in the Town of Wappinger
in 2004, seeking the opinion of residents in relation to the development of a new
Comprehensive Plan. Of the approximately 10,000 surveys mailed, about 2,500 were
returned, representing a very high response rate. The survey asked residents to prioritize
planning issues, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Town, and identify
recreational preferences. Many questions were open-ended, allowing respondents to
write in responses, and these responses were recorded as text into the survey database by
Town employees. In addition to questions about issues and opportunities facing the
Town, the survey also included questions regarding the respondents’ age, employment,
most frequent modes of transportation, household composition, household income,
housing costs, housing tenure, and the number of years residing in the Town. This means
that the Town has the opportunity to cross-tabulate survey responses regarding issues
according to these socio-economic factors in order to better understand the community
and respond to specific planning decisions in the future.
Public Meetings
The Town Board appointed a Comprehensive Plan Committee inthe spring of 2003
composed of residents of Wappinger, as well as members of the Town Board, Planning
Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals. The Committee has met diligently through over a
dozen meetings.By the time the Plan is adopted, it will have been before the Town
Board as the subject of a public hearing on at least two occasions, as required by State
law.
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Introduction
Implementation
The Comprehensive Plan represents not only a product of much time and effort, but also
the beginning of a process which involves changing existing conditions, regulations, and
procedures in the Town. Sustained public involvement is necessary to bring the items in
this plan to fruition.The following are preliminary implementation strategies that the
Comprehensive Plan Committee has identified for the Townto consider following
completion and adoption of this Comprehensive Plan:
1.Require copies to be distributed to all Town Board members and staff.
2.Place copies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Town Code on the Town web
site.
3.Ensure that copies of theComprehensive Plandocument and large scale
presentation mapsare available at every Town Board meeting for easy
reference.
4.Develop a policy that all memos, reports, studies and resolutions affecting
capital and planning decisions include reference to applicableComprehensive
Planobjectives and recommendations.
5.Prepare a priority list/matrix of the objectives and recommendations
identifying:
x
Planning topic (e.g., Community Character; Environmental Resources;
Land Use; Transportation, etc.).
x
Objective (numbered by chapter).
x
Recommendation (numbered by chapter, e.g., Objective #3-13, etc.).
x
Involved and responsible parties (TownBoard, PlanningBoard,Zoning
Board of Appeals, staff/consultants, special committee, Local Development
Agency, adjoining municipalities, other agencies).
x
Effort and cost required (low, medium, high or rough approximation in
dollars).
x
Time required (6 months, 1-2 years, 2+ years, ongoing, etc.).
x
General priority (e.g., low, medium, high).
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6.Schedule a review of the priority list/matrix with an annual report on status of
implementation projects and progress. The review/report could be made part of
a report to Town residents to show progress and to reinforce the public’s
interest and awareness of the role and importance of the Comprehensive Plan.
7.Schedule a review of the Comprehensive Planat least once every five years.
8.Establish special implementation committees (by interest and topic), perhaps
with an oversight committee.
9.Public outreach and meetings on topics and issues of local concern (e.g.,
Hughsonville Concept Plan, re-use of former Fairchild Plant, etc.)
10.Create or improve application and development plan review forms and
checklists. The forms and checklists would query applicants, staff and boards
to verify review of and compliance with the relevant portions of the
ComprehensivePlan, its maps and recommendations.
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