Download the Town of Caroline 2006 Comprehensive Plan

A Community Process

The process of developing a comprehensive plan starts with a careful analysis of existing conditions and trends regarding the physical, environmental, social, and economic aspects of the Town. Existing conditions are projected into the future based upon current trends.

Through a public participation process, community members help build consensus for a vision for the Town’s future.

Impetus for developing the Comprehensive Plan came with a desire to enhance the quality of life among our town’s citizens, and growing awareness of the need to protect our community from possible negative effects of growth. In the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, the planning process set out to celebrate and protect the diversity of lifestyles and interests within our community, build on the strengths of our community in achieving our goals, and guide the future of the town. The Caroline Town Planning Board was charged with developing a comprehensive plan that is:

w Grounded – reflects Caroline’s community values, goals, and vision for the future;

w Focused – provides a blueprint for actions to achieve these goals; and

w Viable – engages the community to produce an achievable and successful plan.

In order to fulfill this charge, the Planning Board took seriously the process of engaging as many residents as possible in the comprehensive planning process. The Planning Board’s job was not merely to produce a report, but to reach out and collaborate with the community, to educate residents about planning, and to involve them in developing the plan. These goals stem from the fundamental aim of the planning process: to engage residents in building community consensus for a vision for Caroline’s future.

The roots for developing a comprehensive plan in Caroline date back to 1988, when the Town formed a Planning Committee that conducted surveys and community meetings and developed a Comprehensive Master Plan which included a vision statement, goals and objectives. Although the plan was not adopted, it established the need for a community-wide dialog about the future of our communities.

The current planning process began with a mini-survey during the Brooktondale Apple Festival in October 2003. Members of the Planning Board spoke with more than 40 residents, seeking their initial thoughts on what they like about Caroline and what they would like to improve. The results of these discussions and mini-surveys indicated what would likely be salient and important issues during the planning process.

From February through April 2004, a series of three community workshops were held that explored residents’ goals, visions and concerns. More than two-dozen people participated in each of the workshops, sharing their desires, hopes and aspirations for the future of the Town.

Notes from the workshops formed the basis of the planning process. Throughout the process, regular updates in the Brooktondale newsletter kept the community informed and encouraged involvement.

In June 2004, the Planning Board conducted a town-wide survey to collect public input for the comprehensive plan. The survey was mailed to all 1,770 registered voters in the Town, and of them, 451 people – 26 percent – returned the survey. A report analyzed results from the Town of Caroline Planning Survey, documenting what residents identified as priorities and goals for a comprehensive plan and the best strategies for achieving these goals.

Beginning in June 2004, three Working Groups began interpreting data from surveys, workshops, maps, and county studies, and started transforming ideas into writing. Composed of six to eight community volunteers each, the working groups drew on the strength and diversity of our community’s experience, perspectives and expertise. The Working Groups addressed three main topics of the Town’s comprehensive plan: (1) open space, environmental protection and outdoor recreation; (2) housing, roads and transportation; and (3) farming and small business. The working groups brainstormed, discussed, and drafted visions, goals and recommended actions to shape the Town’s developing comprehensive plan.

Beginning in fall of 2004, the Planning Board reviewed the recommendations of the Working Groups and developed a draft plan that integrated feedback from earlier phases of public input into a single comprehensive plan. The Tompkins County Planning Department provided technical assistance and recommendations in adapting the working group reports into a viable plan.

The Planning Board completed the draft plan and sought public review in mid 2005. The Board mailed the plan’s executive summary to residents, invited public comment, and held a series of public meetings to get input on the draft plan. After receiving public comment on the draft, the plan was revised and attention turned to Part II.

Recommendations of the working groups formed the basis of Part II. The planning board chose nine goals to focus on in the Part II action plan for the next five years (after considering those action points and priorities voiced at public meetings). On September 21st 2006 the Planning Board unanimously voted to send both parts of the Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board for the last public hearings and final approval.

Once accepted, the Comprehensive Plan becomes a living document. Every five years, it will undergo an extensive review and update process. The Planning Board will review the Plan, gauge the Town’s progress towards meeting our goals, and update the goals and implementation approaches.

A wide variety of people and groups have been instrumental throughout the planning process. Volunteers on the Working groups represented a diversity of backgrounds and affiliations, and their experience and expertise have been invaluable. Community members responded to surveys and attended public meetings, sharing their diverse perspectives and visions. The Town also relied heavily on the cooperation and work of many agencies and municipalities. The County was especially important in assisting the development of the Plan. A more complete listing of the people who participated in the planning process is located in the Appendix.

Excepted from the 2006 Town of Caroline Comprehensive Plan