BETHEL, NY — The Town of Bethel has set a date for a public hearing on the final draft of the town’s comprehensive plan, after receiving it from the comprehensive plan committee.

Bethel’s comprehensive plan, which acts as a framework for future development, has been going through a process of being updated. The last time the plan was updated was in 2006.

In May, Bethel’s comprehensive plan committee revealed its tentative draft of the comprehensible plan. After receiving public input, the committee revised parts of the plan and re-released the plan. 

Town supervisor Daniel Sturm said at a Wednesday, June 24 town board meeting that public input was either in agreement with the plan, or offered ways the plan could be improved while maintaining the same objectives.

“Many of the comments offered were fairly aligned with the overall direction and philosophy of the plan,” Sturm said. “Other comments, while not fundamentally oppositional to the draft plan, were oriented towards ways the respondents thought the plan could be strengthened.”

Comments made covered several areas, including public engagement and process, short-term rentals, census data and population estimates, water quality and capacity, environmental protection, zoning and land use, historic preservation and implementation and accountability. 

Residents will have another opportunity to provide public comment at the town board’s public hearing, which is set for Wednesday, July 29 at 7:45 p.m. at the Duggan School. This will be the last chance for public comment before the plan is finalized and adopted by the town board.

At the June 24 meeting, Sturm thanked the members of the committee for their hard work in drafting the plan, and the members of the community for their participation and their feedback.

“In my view, this team of Bethel residents has done an outstanding job by working hard to produce this plan for the town and to get us to this point in the process. They worked for over two years. We cannot thank them enough for the job they have done and the time that they have committed to the Town of Bethel,” he said.

Sturm gave a special acknowledgement to Nan Stolzenburg, the consultant who has been guiding the town through the process of putting the plan together. Sturm thanked her for “devoting the time, the effort and the commitment to the town.”

“She immersed herself in everything concerning Bethel in this lengthy process. She made it a point to listen to and to include everyone who has a concern or stake in the process. [It was an] amazing effort and incredible work, and I want to thank her again,” he said.

Council members Wendy Brown and William Crumley also thanked the committee members and the Bethel residents that gave feedback and input on the plan for their time and deduction to this project.

“Thank you to everybody that had input, both public and people assigned on the committee,” Brown said. “I know how much time I spent reading it. I can’t imagine how much time went into putting it together.”

“I want to start by sincerely thanking the comprehensive plan committee for their tireless work on this comprehensive plan [over] the last two years,” Crumley said. “The sheer volume of this output shows the depth and thought that went into it. I sincerely thank them for everything they put into it.”

The comprehensive plan and supporting documents, including specific changes made to the plan because of public comment, can be found at the Town of Bethel’s website, townofbethelny.gov/home, under the More tab.