To the Residents and Supervisors of the Town of Hurley:

The Hurley Comprehensive Plan sets the stage for yet more detailed work. The hard discussions have just begun. We need you to participate.

The plan outlines many action steps. You can find the details summarized here.

Some of what we recommend falls into the category of changing our philosophical approach to planning and development -- becoming proactive rather than reactive. That philosophical change requires some adjustment in our procedures and codes.

We recommend that the context for proactive planning be further fleshed out through a series of professionally facilitated workshops. The Town Board, members of the Planning Board and Zoning Committee need to be intimately involved with the discussions. But the workshops will be successful only if we engage the broadest range of perspectives - town residents, professional planners from our governmental agencies, developers, large parcel landowners, business owners, architects, and others.

We recommend that the Town Board establish three new standing committees and two ad hoc committees. an Historic Preservation Commission, a Senior Services Advisory Committee, a Public Education and Communications Committee, an ad hoc Route 28 Task Force, and an ad hoc design commission. Recruitment for the committee members should grow out of the workshops discussed above.

We've also recommended that the Highway Supervisor establish a Traffic and Transportation Committee to support and advise her as she coordinates and advocates with the county and state agencies that share responsibility for our roads.

Those recommendations provide a framework for proceeding with a variety of recommendations that address life in the Town of Hurley. Housing, historic preservation, planning for and supporting our seniors, increasing recreational opportunities, and protecting our environment all have action steps outlined.

We appreciate having had the opportunity to listen to our neighbors, explore and debate the alternatives, and shape these recommendations. We hope they form the foundation for a vibrant future for the town -- protecting the things we love while dealing with the realities of change.

Thank you for your support throughout the process.

Sincerely,

Ruth Wahtera, Chair