Town of Red Hook Comprehensive Plan - Steering Commi ee Mee ng Minutes July 22, 2025 7:30-9:00pm Red Hook Town Hall In A endance Commi ee: Agatha Bacelar, Dennis Kanuk, Jennifer Mañon, Hart Migdal, Ben Shute, Julia Solomon (Chair), Doug Strawinski Liaisons: Chris ne Kane (Liaison, Red Hook Town Board), Melkorka Kjarval (Liaison, Village of Red Hook) Guests: Eric Pierson (Pa ern for Progress), Amanda Wild (NYS Department of State) Regrets Laurie Husted, Chuck Mead, Sam Phelan, Tricia Reed, Taun Toay (Liaison, Bard College) Updates The community engagement plan has been finalized and will be distributed to the commi ee. The consultants have begun interviews with key community stakeholders and will con nue these throughout the summer. A protocol is being developed for Kitchen Table Conversa ons. A descrip on for the Community Engagement Subcommi ee has been developed and will be circulated to the commi ee. Thanks to steering commi ee members who shared ideas of individuals and groups to engage. Preliminary Presenta on – Exis ng Condi ons Data Eric from Pa ern for Progress presented preliminary data about the characteris cs of the Town of Red Hook. Topics included: Demographics School Enrollment Income & Housing Agriculture & Open Space Smart Growth Ac vity Amanda Wild from the New York State Department of State (project funder) led a discussion ac vity around the core Smart Growth principles, which are: Develop plans and land use regula ons that allow for and encourage mixed-use neighborhoods. Enable a diverse mix of housing types, providing opportunity and choice for all. Encourage compact neighborhood design and concentrated development around exis ng infrastructure. Priori ze infill and redevelopment of exis ng buildings to revitalize neighborhoods and downtowns, including areas around public transit. 1
Preserve open space, agricultural resources, and natural resources. Promote climate resiliency and adapta on, preferably through nature-based solu ons, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Priori ze transporta on op ons such as walking, cycling, and public transporta on. Provide well-planned, equitable, and accessible public spaces. Build on unique traits to create an a rac ve and welcoming community with a strong sense of place. Engage in an inclusive, collabora ve public planning process that considers the needs and character of the community.
Commi ee members considered the following ques ons: Describe your community and how it has or has not changed in the past 30 years. Are there areas in your community that support a mixture of uses within walking distance in the same neighborhood or within buildings, such as residen al and commercial uses together? Are there neighborhoods where it’s difficult to access day-to-day necessi es? What neighborhoods in your community support different housing types, such as apartments, townhomes, and single-family homes? Does the community allow for and support a range of housing that is accessible, affordable, and available for people at different income levels and ages? What are the most compact areas in your community? Where is new development happening in your community? Are there underu lized or abandoned spaces within developed areas of your community that could be er be used? For instance, are there vacant lots where buildings used to stand, buildings that have sat vacant, or underu lized parking lots? How would new development impact open spaces, agricultural lands, and natural resources in your community? What are the areas that are most important to protect? What major weather events, such as heavy snow, flooding, tornadoes, extreme heat, drought, etc. have affected your community and how? Are there areas in your community that are par cularly suscep ble to damage from a major weather event? How do people without cars get places safely within your community? What would encourage you to walk, bike, and use public transit more within your community? What kinds of community gathering spaces or public spaces exist in your community? How are those spaces used and by whom? Do these spaces serve all members of your community? What are the strongest characteris cs about your community? What makes your community unique? 2
Are there public artworks, gathering spaces, views, or landmarks that are par cularly treasured by community members and visitors? What community engagement ac vi es have been successful in your community? What community members or groups have been historically difficult to reach or otherwise absent from community planning discussions?
Next Steps Prior to the next mee ng, the final community engagement plan and community engagement subcommi ee descrip on will be circulated to the steering commi ee. The August mee ng will focus on community engagement plans.
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