The city is planning to move forward with its first comprehensive plan update in nearly 40 years.
The last version, an 87-page planning document coined the “The City of Rye, NY Development Plan,” was produced in 1985. Ronald Reagan just entered his second term in the White House, Yankees fans had yet to hear the name Derek Jeter, and Whitney Houston released her debut album that year — at the age of 21.
A zoning and infrastructure document, the comprehensive plan guides future development to include housing, environmental sustainability, and preservation of the community’s character.
But it’s decades overdue. Municipal standards advise that communities update a comprehensive master plan every 10 years.
“This is a big deal,” said Republican Councilman Bill Henderson.
It’s not the first time City Hall has toyed with revising the comprehensive plan. It had last set its sights on an update in 2017 during the Joe Sack administration, but a mayoral changeover and the onset of the pandemic derailed the project.
The city is now looking to resume those 2017 efforts and began public discussions at last Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
Key areas of focus for council members are housing diversity for seniors and younger residents, and sustainability.
“A comprehensive plan is first and foremost a public process,” said Councilwoman Sara Goddard, a Democrat.
To ensure the project remains on track, the council proposed establishing an 11-member committee to oversee the process, select one or more consultants, and report back to the governing body three times per year.
First, the council would be tasked with selecting the right committee members. The mayor and two members of the City Council would likely sit on the ad-hoc group.
“Some of the concerns I have, one are the ideological makeup of the committee so we don’t have a progressive runaway train or a conservative let’s not do anything sort of committee,” Henderson said.
The committee would hold meetings in public – in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats available – to ensure broad participation from the community, according to city officials. The process would also seek input from local organizations and residents.
The city has set aside $250,000 in funding for the project, with the potential to secure an additional $250,000 through a state grant.
The project is expected to take years to complete.