When people choose to call Rye home, they are drawn by more than a location, Mayor Josh Nathan said — they are joining a community built around an unwritten promise.
That promise is shaped by the character, traditions, and expectations residents carry with them when they become part of the city, Nathan said. At the second meeting of Rye’s comprehensive plan steering committee Monday, city officials said the goal is to define what that promise should mean for future generations.
“The person who came here 30 years ago, had one promise,” Nathan said. “The person who came here 10 years ago, has a different version of that. There is some variety.”
Eight members of the steering committee, which recently expanded to 15 total members, were on hand for the second meeting as Rye continues to work toward its first comprehensive plan update in more than 40 years. Much of the meeting’s focus was on maximizing public engagement and involving members of the community, beyond the handful who regularly attend traditional government meetings.
During the 90-minute meeting, consultants Tiffany Zezula, deputy director for the Land Use Law Center at Pace University, and Corey Block, of AKRF Planning, guided the committee through a discussion about developing a public engagement strategy.
“In addition to the formal hub-and-spoke engagement and reporting structure, the Comprehensive Plan process will leverage many other existing networks throughout Rye,” according to the newly launched steering committee website. “While everyone can participate in a technical advisory group, the City Council, steering committee, staff, and project team will engage boards, commissions, neighborhood and civic groups, non-profits, business owners, and many others.”
The plan calls for additional community-wide engagement workshops, as well as smaller “kitchen-table” conversations intended to create more personal opportunities for residents to share ideas.
“All these engagement efforts combined ensure that everyone has a seat at the table,” the website says.
Block told committee members the early stages of the process are about gathering input before the group moves onto developing recommendations.
“We are here, in the visioning phase, gathering feedback from you all, from the public, we’ll be synthesizing that, we’ll be doing our own research,” Block said. “From there, we do the preliminary recommendations … the whole time we’re getting feedback from you all — this is exactly what you’re there for, to be our sounding board.”
To ensure a range of diverse opinions, committee members discussed creating an inventory of local organizations, including nonprofits, clubs, and community groups, to ensure they are included in outreach efforts.
The committee also discussed the use of technical advisory groups (TAGs) as another way for community members with relevant experience or interests to provide input during the planning process.
The six TAGs will focus on housing, economy, transportation, environment, parks and rec, and history/community.
Transportation and mobility were discussed Monday as a foundational element that could impact several other aspects of the plan, including economic development, sustainability, and quality of life. Improving access to commercial areas, expanding sidewalk and crosswalk infrastructure, evaluating parking needs, and considering alternative transportation options could help advance multiple planning goals.
The committee also aims to be mindful of sustainability in all areas of the comprehensive plan, particularly as state funding programs increasingly encourage municipalities to align planning efforts with environmental and resilience goals.
Unlike Rye’s most recent comprehensive plan, which was created in 1985 and reads like an 87-page technical report, the committee said it aims to create a more accessible final document that residents can easily understand, including summaries, key goals, and interactive online features.
The comprehensive plan process will continue with additional steering committee meetings, TAGs, and public outreach opportunities before recommendations are developed and eventually presented to the City Council for consideration.
Nathan was joined by Deputy Mayor James Ward, City Manager Brian Shea, Corporation Counsel Kristen Wilson, and City Planner Christian Miller among several onlookers in attendance.
“Members of the council will be showing up to watch what’s going on so that we’re all aware of what the committee is doing. We don’t want to be out of touch. We’re also here tonight because a lot of work has gone into setting this up, and there are four consulting groups,” Nathan told The Record on Monday. “There’s been a tremendous amount of outreach to the community … you set something up, and you want to see that it’s working.”
The committee concluded the meeting by preparing to send out a survey to find a common time for its August meeting. The city is also exploring options for a hybrid meeting format to allow all committee members to participate, including those who may be traveling or otherwise unable to attend in person.
