Westport now working on comprehensive plan

WESTPORT | A diverse team of locals is now working on the town's comprehensive plan, essentially a guideline to help map the future growth and development of the community. The last comprehensive plan was updated in 1977; therefore, a Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC) was formed to help initiate the project for today's Westport. "There are some people who think that the plan is still very relevant, and there may be parts of it that still are, but it's been about 50 years," said CPC Chair Elisha Bartlett. "But a lot of us feel like now it's a great time and opportunity to pause and check in." And so, the team — comprised of Bartlett, Alan Hipps, Alyssa Carroll, Robert Granfors, Bill Johnston, Cynthia Ford-Johnston, Nancy Page, Robin Severence, Matt Sherman, and Jen Williams — immediately got to work after receiving an approximate $64,000 grant through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Smart Growth Program, thanks to assistance by the Office of Community Resources. "There's a lot of volunteer effort going into this," Bartlett said. "With this team, we're going to be able to provide viewpoints of all of Westport." So far, the CPC, which awarded LaBella Associates with the RFP (Request for Proposal), has held two full committee meetings, during which its members reviewed several draft documents that the town has completed, including plans for waterfront development, economic revitalization, housing, and farmland protection/environmental preservation. "We pulled from those documents the various visions and what projects were at the forefront," Bartlett said. "And as we move forward, we're going to check in on the relevance of those items to see if they still stand today. Then we're going to seek public engagement so that they can weigh in, too." The CPC plans to host its first public workshop later this month or early next month, and a community survey is also expected to be finalized around the same time. The goal is to complete a full draft by early May 2026 and finalize it by June 2026, she continued. "We're going to try our best to stick to that timeline, but as of right now, we're really working to not set priorities and goals until after receiving input from the public." However, Bartlett shared her personal hopes for the future of Westport. "I'd like to be able to live more comfortably in Westport and have a greater connection to goods and services without having to commute long distances," she said. "I would like to see the town have a healthy, stable economy and be able to maintain itself and grow into the future." For more information or updates, visit westportcompplan.com.

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Westport now working on comprehensive plan

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