The Countryside Exchange: A Program of Glynwood Center

The Countryside Exchange brings together international teams of volunteer professionals to work with communities on their most important issues. Those issues usually center around conservation and economic development. The Exchange is a catalyst. It uses a visit by an objective team of “outsiders” to identify a wide range of potential solutions, create diverse coalitions, spur the emergence of new leaders and inspire collaborative action. The community also benefits from new ideas, networks and information that it can use to help shape its future.

Since 1987, more than eighty-six communities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan have hosted a Countryside Exchange. Close to 700 professionals from England, Scotland, Wales, the United States, Canada, Japan, France, the Netherlands and Australia have participated as team members.

How Does the Exchange Work?

Communities are selected to participate in the Countryside Exchange through a competitive application process. Glynwood Center evaluates proposals based on such criteria as the depth of interest within the community, existing leadership and leadership skills and the strength and diversity of community members supporting the application. Applicants must also demonstrate flexibility, a willingness to learn new skills and processes and show commitment to working as a team and to developing a community based implementation strategy after the Exchange.

Once a community is selected, a Local Organizing Committee (LOC) is formed. The LOC is crucial to the success of the Exchange and must include a representative cross section of the community – business owners, farmers, developers, elected officials, conservationists and “average citizens.” The LOC identifies and refines the questions that the Exchange team will address. It also plans the Exchange week itinerary, takes care of logistics and handles publicity. After the Exchange, the LOC helps initiate implementation efforts.

Because the team is only in the community for seven days, thorough preparation by the LOC is critical. Glynwood Center provides a detailed handbook for local organizers. Glynwood staff attends several of the planning meetings and offers guidance on a whole range of Exchange preparations.

The Exchange Team

Glynwood Center draws upon its extensive international network to form teams consisting of six to eight experienced professionals. Each team is international and interdisciplinary in its makeup. Team members are selected by matching a candidate’s expertise with the issues identified by the community. In order to ensure that teams are objective, participants must have had no previous connection to the host community.

The team spends a very intense week in the community. A full itinerary of issue oriented roundtables, presentations, tours, panel discussions and community gatherings gives the team an opportunity to speak with many residents, officials and organizations. The week culminates with the team presenting its observations and ideas at a public forum. A summary report is also published to assist the community with implementation.

Implementation

After the Exchange week, the team report is distributed throughout the community as a first step towards developing an implementation strategy. Most Exchange reports include some forty recommendations and determining priorities is one of the most important tasks facing the community. Glynwood Center continues to provide support during this period and offers a training workshop tailored to the community’s needs approximately six months after the Exchange week. Community representatives are also invited to an annual training seminar. Glynwood maintains contact with its “Family of Exchange Communities” through its web site, www.glynwood.org, Update Newsletter, database and ongoing personal contact.

The Results

Just as communities vary, so to do the results of each Exchange. Some team recommendations may be broad, others very specific. Some may be small-scale projects that can be implemented quickly. Others may be larger, requiring a policy change, a significant philosophical shift – and time. In some cases, the Exchange may trigger a change that the community widely acknowledged was needed. The report may articulate an issue that leads to community discussion and an alternate solution. What most Exchange communities share in common is that the new and strengthened partnerships, expanded leadership base and collaborative action cultivated through the Exchange pay dividends long into the future.

The Exchange in the Town of Warwick, New York

Community Description

The Town of Warwick is a large and diverse town located in southern New York and includes the three main villages of Greenwood Lake, Warwick and Florida as well as several hamlets. Covering 107 square miles, it is the largest town in Orange County and one of the largest in the Hudson Valley. The landscape is characterized by mountains and farmland, from the Sterling Forest in the East to the Black Dirt region in the West. M any of the communities remain separated by open space or farmland, creating the typical rhythm of a rural landscape.

The Town of Warwick is experiencing tremendous growth pressure which is part of a regional pattern stemming from the expanding New York City metropolitan area. Orange County has been one of the fastest growing counties in New York State for nearly two decades and new development patterns associated with this growth have changed the pastoral environment. Although the eastern and western sections of the Town are mostly protected from intense development by the severe environmental constraints of steep slopes and black dirt soil, subdivision proposals are scattered throughout central Warwick and along the Town’s roadways.

In 1993, Community 2000, a grassroots organization made up of Warwick citizens, conducted six town wide visioning meetings during which over 500 residents voiced their opinions regarding what they would like the town to be in 2000. In 1993, highest priority was given to “keeping Warwick beautiful, preserving our rural character and saving our farms.” The Town recently completed a new Comprehensive Plan following several years of research and community fact-finding and each town is independently preparing its own plans for the future.

The Town of Warwick viewed the Countryside Exchange as an opportunity to review existing community efforts, raise awareness and foster constructive dialogue for the referendum on the Purchase of Development Rights. The Warwick community also anticipated an infusion of different viewpoints from outside experts to help view issues in a new light and bring many concepts to the implementation stage.

Community Issues

Through a series of public meetings, the Local Organizing Committee developed a list of issues which it felt reflected the concerns of the community. These issues were expanded and refined with input from a number of citizens at two community forums. Four key issues were identified, including the creation of a community identity; economic development and revitalization; the preservation of open space and protection of farmland; and effective methods for implementation. Specifically, the community asked the Exchange team to consider the following:

1. How can we break down the barriers that separate the different communities and people in the Town of Warwick and develop a sense of pride in Warwick for all of its citizens?

• How can we reduce the feeling of isolation expressed by many residents in the Town and develop a sense of Community?
• How can we encourage cooperation between the diverse communities and villages in the Town?
• How can the Town respond to the needs and concerns of the individual communities and villages while fostering a sense of community and pride throughout the Town?

2. What can be done to attract appropriate economic development to Warwick to help reduce the increasing tax burden without destroying the rural character of our Town, its unique communities and its environmental heritage?

• What type of economic growth is appropriate for the Village of Greenwood Lake and how do we attract it?
• How do we attract high-tech businesses to Warwick that will provide local employment reducing the need to commute outside the area?
• Where should the new businesses be located?
• How do we retain locally developed industries such as farms and other small businesses?
• Is an increased emphasis on tourism an appropriate goal for this community?
• How can we market our assets?

3. What are the best techniques to preserve open space in the differing communities in Warwick?

• How can all of the communities benefit form a locally funded Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program?
• How can we sustain and enhance our agricultural economy?
• How can we deal with the residential sprawl overtaking the central part of the Town?

4. How can we achieve and implement the goals of the Exchange Program as those identified in earlier studies and plans sponsored by citizens of the community?

Sample Exchange Itinerary:

Three Days from the Town of Warwick Exchange

Sunday, October 22

10:00 a.m.	Visit to Farmers’ Market Walking Tour of Main Street, Village of Warwick
1:00 p.m.	Tour of Local Farms
7:30 p.m.	Discussion about the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR), at Warwick Town Hall

Monday, October 23

9:30 a.m.	Meeting with the Town and Village Departments of Public Works
10:30 a.m.	Meeting with the Town and Village Police Departments
12:00 p.m.	Tour of Applewood Orchard
7:30 p.m.	Public Forum on Open Space at Sanfordville Road School

Tuesday, October 24

12:00 p.m.	Luncheon and Roundtable Discussion on Economic Development
2:30 p.m.	Tour of the Village of Florida
7:30 p.m.	Meeting with the Town and Village Planning Boards and Engineers and the Open Space Committee at Warwick Town Hall

The Town of Warwick Exchange Team

Helen Bovey is a consultant from the United Kingdom specializing in the areas of community engagement, voluntary action and training and development. She also teaches environmental professionals about how they can effectively involve and engage communities in their efforts.

Claire Caffall is Project Manager for the Gloucestershire Market Town “Better Communities Partnership” a government-funded program concerned with promoting the vitality and viability of small towns in and around market towns in Gloucestershire, England.

David Downie is a manger for Scottish Natural Heritage and runs conferences and seminars. Scottish Natural Heritage is a government agency which oversees the care and protection of the natural beauty and wildlife of Scotland while promoting access and facilitating appreciation and understanding of its value.

Jeff Foot is a Business Development Manager for Ross and Cromarty Enterprise, a government body located in the Scottish Highlands whose goal is to raise the overall quality of life by growing businesses, developing people and strengthening communities.

Jeffrey Milder is a planner with Daylor Consulting Group in Massachusetts which works with communities to develop land use plans that promote local objectives such as growth management, open space protection and sustainable economic development.

Ed Minihan is the Director of the Upper Midwest Regional Office for the American Farmland Trust. His responsibilities include educating communities in the states of Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa about farmland protection techniques and working with individual landowners and farmers concerning their land protection options.

Randi Vogt has over 20 years experience in the areas of land use planning, growth management, land preservation and urban design and architecture. She is currently working as Principal Project Planner for Calvert County’s Department of Planning and Zoning in Maryland.

BRINGING THE COMMUNITIES OF WARWICK TOGETHER

EXCHANGE TEAM REPORT

Introduction

The Countryside Exchange team visited the Town of Warwick, New York from October 20th through 26th, 2000. For many months, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) worked with the residents of Warwick’s town and villages to identify several areas of concern for the team to address including:

• breaking down the barriers that separate the community and encouraging synergy and cooperation;
• encouraging economic development and revitalization;
• preserving open space and protecting farmland; and
• developing effective methods to implement goals that have been identified through various planning processes.

During the Exchange week, the team spoke with over 300 people in a variety of forums including meetings with local government officials, roundtable discussions, tours and informal gatherings. Based on these discussions and after reviewing a variety of documents, the team developed the following observations and recommendations, which are offered to the community for their consideration.

Issue One: How can we break down the barriers that separate the different people and communities of Warwick and develop a sense of pride for all its citizens?

Observations

While there is tremendous energy and pride in the communities that make up the Town of Warwick, there is no cohesive identity for the area. Residents of the various villages often identify with their local community and do not see themselves as part of a larger Town. For example, Greenwood Lake residents strongly identify with their Village community and not with the Town. This division is attributed to the presence of the mountain that separates Greenwood Lake from the rest of the Town. This physical separation is compounded by a perception that the Town initiates some programs that alienate the Village, while failing to provide the Village with its “fair share” of services. Some residents of the Village of Warwick also identify only with their Village and others with the Town as a whole. Similar patterns exist for Pine Island and Florida residents. There are also socio economic differences between and within these communities that further divide the Town.

The current framework of local government further complicates the situation. There is clearly fragmentation between the Town and Village boards and between the planning boards and trustees. Municipal leaders have little or no regular contact and most boards do not have the support of professional, permanent staff. Implementing any new initiatives is therefore problematic as the mayor, or supervisor, and trustees are already overburdened with significant responsibilities and there is no one who is responsible for integrating the interests of all the residents of the Town.

While some good examples of cooperation do exist, for example, between the Department of Public Works and the Police Department, over all, there is an absence of obvious vehicles to integrate the community.

Recommendations

• Build on the energy, enthusiasm and commitment that already exists in the community. The Countryside Exchange has provided the opportunity for village and town officials to work together. Recognize this as a success and don’t lose the momentum and benefits that have been achieved already through this process.
• Develop a common vision for the Township. Start by identifying what people regard as special about their own community and the township as a whole. Why do people like living there, and what do they think is unique about their place. This visioning process should be financed and supported by all the municipalities within the Town.
  • The villages must “buy into” this shared vision. Once developed, it can be used in a number of ways, including for joint marketing of the area. For example, at entry points to the villages, instead of simply saying Pine Island, all signs could follow a similar format such as “Pine Island in the Town of Warwick.”
• The villages, hamlets and township fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. This jigsaw theme could be developed through specific initiatives that bring the community together. Consider using “community arts” to develop a sense of integration. Community arts is a technique that uses different art medium as a basis for bringing people together. It is a facilitated process that can be used to identify what is special about a place and to foster discussion between people about the differences and commonalities between their perspectives. It is a particularly good approach for reaching people who often do not get involved in more traditional community engagement processes. This could be linked with the visioning process and produce common banners for the villages/town or a town-wide calendar that showcases the variety of people and places within the various communities.
• Municipal officials need to value and support town-side community interactions. There are a lot of activities in the town already and these need to be recognized and supported as they provide an important basis from which other community activity can thrive. One idea might be to have some sort of community fair, where all groups get together to explain their different roles, publicize their work and discuss issues of common concern.
• Village and Town Boards as well as planning boards and trustees of individual communities should meet regularly to foster a sense of trust and cooperation. This could take the form of “update meetings”, joint training sessions, facilitated problem solving, etc.
• Changing the structure of local boards would also aid integration. Consider the following:
  • Restructure representation on the town board and ensure that each community is “fairly” represented.
  • Modify the period of tenure for town and village board trustees. Serving for only a two-year period puts pressure on trustees to act fast and deliver results quickly. This may be counter productive in the long term as developing concepts like creating a vision or long-term planning inevitably become a low priority. Board tenure of three or four years would encourage longer perspectives and support projects that require an extended time frame.
  • Increase the size of municipal boards. Adding new members could aid in reducing the individual work loads, free up more time for developing new initiatives and encourage less experienced people to become involved.
• The village and town boards need to keep residents more informed and be more open.
  • Produce a newsletter that is distributed to all households, perhaps twice a year. This newsletter could include information on what all the boards are doing, how decisions are made, what’s new, etc. This is a relatively inexpensive tool and if produced on a town-wide basis, would encourage all residents to learn about activities that are taking place beyond their immediate community.
  • Develop a Warwick-wide web site. Include on the site the minutes and agendas of all municipal meetings, again fostering the concept of an “open local government.”
• There is a need for more people to become involved in local government and work as volunteers to promote implementation strategies.
  • Recruit residents to become part of specific working groups or ask people with certain skills to help with specific pieces of work.
  • Create a “talent bank” that lists the skills of local people. This might be one way of getting some of the commuters involved in very specific activities such as marketing or newsletter design. Include a request for people to identify their skills and volunteer for projects in the first newsletter.
  • Build the capacity of local people so that they can meaningfully participate in town activities. Encourage local people to become involved in training programs such as Glynwood’s Community Leadership Alliance. There may also be a need to provide additional training more locally, using appropriate town venues such as the Warwick Community Center.
  • Train and support trustees, planning board members and community volunteers in strategic planning. Teach them how to prioritize their activities and work collaboratively.
• Locate new community facilities in downtown areas to encourage a sense of community.

Issue Two: What can be done to attract economic development to Warwick that will reduce the tax burden without destroying the rural character and environmental heritage of the town and its different communities? Is an increased emphasis on tourism an appropriate goal for Warwick?

Observations

Attracting and Supporting New and Existing Businesses

Currently, the Town of Warwick has a strong and diverse economic base, with a mix of small and medium sized companies in a number of sectors, including highly productive agriculture, retail stores serving both local and visitor needs, specialty service based industries such as marine facilities in Greenwood Lake, basic office support businesses, plus a less obvious education and research sector. Many businesses, particularly within the agricultural and food processing sector, are long established family businesses that have grown steadily over the years.

Most existing businesses have focused on traditional, established practices and few have yet to consider value added products. There is an opportunity to expand existing local businesses through better business planning, market analysis and product diversification. Additionally, existing small businesses in Warwick need support and guidance regarding long-term financial and succession planning.

There is a strong desire throughout the Town of Warwick to encourage new economic development in order to reduce local property taxes. However, there is also great concern about the visual and environmental impacts of commercial, office and higher density development. The team interpreted Warwick’s aspirations and criteria for appropriate development to be:

• High quality, minimal environmental and visual impact;
• Work force below 50 employees;
• Positive tax revenue; and
• Located in close proximity to existing villages.

These parameters are very narrow and will obviously limit the kinds of businesses that the Town can attract. There also seems to be no consensus with regard to the longer-term vision for the area, both in terms of the future of the villages and for the Town. This is considered to be due to lack of dialogue at the strategic level. As a result, proposals for new development, including new business initiatives, are not dealt with in a positive and comprehensive manner.

Many residents commute long distances to work and are genuinely interested in establishing local businesses as an alternative to the “daily commuter grind.” This represents a sizeable opportunity that the Town should actively seek to develop.

As the Town seeks to attract new small businesses, they must also be concerned with establishing an available work force. Unemployment is low in the area and earning expectations are high. As a result, individuals interested in taking over an existing business or starting a new one would have a difficult time of finding entry level employees. Additionally, housing prices in the region are high, making it difficult to attract younger and less expensive employees.

Tourism

The Town of Warwick is richly supplied with the resource base upon which to build a diverse tourism initiative. Throughout the week, the team was impressed with efforts already made to capture the tourist dollar. In addition to natural resource assets, such as Greenwood Lake, the agricultural industry provides a vital and vibrant tourism base as evidenced by the Applefest, roadside farm stands, new wineries and the successful farmers’ market.

It is our view that tourism is both appropriate and the most significant economic force to sustain business and environmental quality throughout the Town of Warwick. However, there are a number of concerns that have been identified by residents including traffic congestion. These issues will need to be addressed if the Town is to be successful in attracting new businesses and gaining the community’s support. If Warwick fails to adequately address residents concerns, the Town and villages’ ability to expand the tourism industry may be set back.

Greenwood Lake is a classic visitor destination with beautiful scenery; a large lake with rich deciduous wooded slopes that offer a wide variety of view sheds and contemplative vistas. There are a number of marinas that cater to residents and tourists interested in water-based recreation and a good range of retail outlets and restaurants along the Main Street and close to the water.

The community has worked diligently to enhance the environmental quality of the Village of Greenwood Lake. Despite the ongoing problems with the lake’s ecosystem, we were advised that water quality has improved significantly over the past few years and that the community is committed to achieving further environmental progress.

In addition to improving the environmental condition of the lake, there are many opportunities for Greenwood Lake to enhance the visitors’ experience. The Village needs a gateway with information services, a variety of overnight accommodations, and increased public access to informal recreation. There is also an absence of interpretation facilities to educate visitors about the community’s natural and cultural resources.

Recommendations

Business Attraction and Support:

• Working together, the Chambers of Commerce, Village Trustees and Town Board should identify opportunities to encourage certain types of businesses, based on a local needs assessment and available land. The Mid-Hudson Valley Office of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and possibly the Orange County Tourism Department could assist in marketing the area as a potential location for the businesses identified. These could include businesses such as insurance, healthcare companies or travel agents.
• Consider identifying and contacting a developer who is willing to build an office complex with shared/communal services (e.g. shared reception/telephone answering/meeting room for hire) on speculation. Such a complex could act as an incubator unit for fledgling or micro enterprises. The Town and Villages could encourage this type of development by identifying appropriately zoned parcels (commercial or industrial) and supplying the necessary infrastructure such as electricity, water, sewer and road services.
• The Chambers should explore links with local colleges and other educational institutions to identify the support that is available for individuals considering establishing home offices. In terms of location, most of these people will probably work from home initially, so businesses could be located in any part of the Town or Village without any visible effect. Some individuals/businesses may require office accommodation, but this will probably be on a small scale and the demand can probably be met using properties already zoned for such activity.
• Encourage a local entrepreneur to start a childcare facility. Consider using the Doc Fry Center or other municipal/community buildings to support such a business. It might also be feasible for businesses grouped in a particular locality to jointly subsidize the operating cost of such a facility, to make it easier for their employees to afford childcare.
• The Chambers, through the assistance of the SBDC, should promote business growth and succession planning to address the lack of strategic planning that pervades many small businesses. This process can also help businesses identify ways to diversify product lines, without losing the focus on their core activity. For example, operators of marinas could provide guided boat tours on Greenwood Lake and incorporate environmental education; wineries could expand their product range using honey from local bee-keepers; and vegetable growers might consider processing or packaging their product to add value and increase profit margins.
• The Chambers should organize events to encourage niche marketing with specialist speakers invited to address and provide guidance for specific businesses.
• Encourage farm diversification programs through direct consumer investment. Establish farm sponsorship projects whereby visitors are encouraged to financially contribute to the upkeep or management of a crop that might be rare or potentially uneconomic without outside financial support. In return, consumers receive internet progress reports during the year and are encouraged to purchase the product at the end of the growing season. This method has been used successfully in other countries. For example, in Europe, it is common to support and sell a year’s output from a row of vines through the Internet.
• The Chambers, Town and Villages should join together and assist farmers in marketing locally grown produce in supermarkets throughout the Town and region.
• The Chambers should hire a professional to develop a program of shop front improvements and retail marketing training for Main Street merchants. This could include advice on window dressing, monitoring stock performance and store display layouts. Consider contacting the New York Main Street Alliance or National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program for guidance or further information.
• The Chambers should support the Village of Greenwood Lake’s efforts to obtain funding for Main Street beautification works, and help identify alternative/additional sources of funding for this kind of activity.
• When reviewing the comprehensive Plans and Zoning Ordinances, architectural themes based upon the locale’s existing historic structures should be adopted along with an Appearance Code, and an Architectural Review Committee should be appointed to administer the Code.
• The Chambers should work with existing businesses and the SBDC to identify opportunities to collaboratively market local goods and services. They could develop promotional packages offering complementary products such as B & Bs, guided boat trips, fishing permits, guided walks for bird-watchers/botanists/wildlife photographers, etc.
• Set up “Food Trails” to encourage customers to visit a number of producers offering complimentary wares, rather than simply buying apples at only one farm.
• Market Warwick products and services in nearby towns such as Vernon, NJ.
• The Chambers, with the support of the Town and Villages should produce simple leaflets to encourage residents to support local businesses, highlighting what might happen if they don’t.
• Each group of Village Trustees should consider initiating a Village Ambassadors or Guide scheme, whereby local residents volunteer to provide information to visitors. Volunteers identify themselves with a distinctive cap or badge.
• The Villages and Town need to work together to provide a variety of housing types that will attract a diverse workforce, particularly young people.

Tourism:

• Increased emphasis on tourism is appropriate for all the communities of Warwick. Initiatives to lengthen the tourist season should be pursued and events such as Applefest should be spread over several days, with one day as a main event. Issues such as severe traffic congestion could threaten the event and must be addressed.
• Businesses must work together to market their products and services in an imaginative, but coordinated fashion. Use the Internet to increase marketing for recreational activities and sales.
• Develop additional tourist activities including main street open days, farm tours, arts based events and culture days as well as environmental based programs with music and educational experiences.
• Provide opportunities for urban residents to participate in residential learning experiences based on craft and spiritual health workshops.
• Enhance existing resources in the area such as the Mount Peter Ski Area, which has great potential for summer time recreation such as mountain biking and the Hawk Watch View platform that could be the focus for the “Hudson Birdlife Thruway” interpretation theme.
• The expansion of Sterling Forest State Park onto the back door of Greenwood Lake Village is a great opportunity for the Village to improve its economy through targeted outdoor recreation tourism services. Tuxedo is positioned to become the park’s main Gateway, but Greenwood Village should work with park staff on gateway development to become a secondary park gateway.
• The Appalachian Trail is the backbone of Warwick’s trail system. Warwick should explore the possibility of developing other connecting trails throughout the Town, possibly taking advantage of rail and future pipeline rights-of-way.
• Establish a Greenwood Lake Tourism Association (task force) to develop a strategy to make the village more attractive to tourism based commercial development. The GLTA would begin by preparing a business enhancement and interpretation plan.
  • Develop a gateway facility at the strategic entry point to the Village. Seek financial support for this initiative from the Hudson Valley Greenway. The gateway should contain a visitor information center that attractively markets local accommodations and other services.
  • In co-operation with other Warwick communities, develop interpretative facilities that explain and enhance the visitor’s experience of key themes such as the Greenwood Lake Ecosystem ‘People Drink This Water!’; Freshwater Science and Management; Our Lakeside Woodlands and Wildlife; and the Hudson Valley Birdlife Thruway.
  • Work with the school system to develop local environmental education programs and materials that support the K through 12 curriculum.
  • Create interpretative theme trails from the village center and provide panels or other appropriate media at sites of special interest. Use a variety of art forms, such as sculpture, to interpret and attract visitors. Make sure that the art is environmentally focused.
  • Provide facilities for an arts based co-operative in the village where products can be displayed.
  • Convert the building acquired by the Fire Department to a low cost, good quality accommodation for trail users, bicyclists and hikers. Identify ways to provide for sewage disposal.
  • Purchase Meyer’s Tract. Allow residents and visitors to use the land for informal recreation and to provide public lake access. Include provisions for disabled visitors and promote the village as the caring and supportive community that it is.
  • Collect and collate a series of local stories that capture the cultural past of the area and engage the community in this interpretative experience. This should be done in co-operation with the wider Warwick Valley Tourism Association.

Issue Three: What are the best techniques to preserve open space in the differing communities in Warwick? How can all the communities benefit from a locally funded purchase of development rights program? How can we sustain and enhance our agricultural economy? How can we deal with the residential sprawl overtaking the central part of the town?

Observations

Warwick’s historical land use pattern consists of tightly-knit settlements surrounded by rural land. Residents cite the villages, hamlets, farms and open space as essential elements that define the community and should be preserved. In this regard, the community has already conducted considerable planning and visioning; however, the Town’s current Comprehensive Plan is not action-oriented and there has been little success in implementing its goals. Additionally, although it appears that significant public input guided the Town planning process, there appear to be few citizens currently involved in implementation. Concern was expressed that the Village of Greenwood Lake’s Comprehensive Plan was not based on broad public participation.

More than many places, Warwick’s natural systems, scenery and landscape are the basis for the community’s economy and quality of life. These systems include the Town’s forests, farmland, lakes, aquifers, and viewsheds. Importantly, these systems span the political divisions within the community (villages, towns, school districts).

It appears that Warwick has made a sincere effort to integrate natural ecosystem information into the planning, development and infrastructure management programs of the Town and Villages. The goal of this approach, as alluded to in the Town and Village Plans and re-enforced by citizens, is to protect the environment and still create opportunities for positive change in the communities. To date, these efforts have met with mixed results because of a piecemeal approach to information. The community has assumed that some natural features (e.g., steep slopes) are protected from significant alteration because they are unsuitable for development. However, these assumptions are not always correct, and lead to complacency toward the community’s environmental stewardship.

The Town of Warwick is essentially zoned to become a suburb, although some attention has been paid to environmental planning. Current zoning allows 2 to 4 acre residential lots within the rural and ecologically sensitive areas. This zoning will not preserve farms or sensitive areas. Most of the citizens we spoke to were fearful of the prospect that Warwick’s zoning might “come true.”

Greenwood Lake is viewed as a significant natural asset that is under stress from over use and misuse. Issues include stormwater run-off, sedimentation, septic system contamination, shoreline crowding and loss of shoreline buffers. These and other impacts contribute to poor water quality conditions that choke the lake with weeds, reduce aquatic life and make the lake less suitable for human recreation.

Several initiatives as recommended in the Diagnostic-Feasibility Study of Greenwood Lake have been implemented including improving stormwater management practices, capping the upstream landfill and promoting less chemical treatment of lawns. Residents have noted a modest improvement in water quality, but are not satisfied that enough is being done. There is some question that the data collected in 1983 may be outdated and it appears likely that septic contamination is now a major contributor to poor water quality.

In addition to Greenwood Lake, other water resources are under threat. For example, the community’s water supplies, which include Glenmere Lake and the aquifer that underlies, in part, Warwick Village, are not adequately protected from contamination.

Agriculture is a significant force in Warwick’s economy, particularly in the Florida and Pine Island areas. Annual agricultural sales from Warwick are estimated $65 million, which benefits the Town as a whole. In order to protect upland farms, which are threatened by residential development, the Town has proposed a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program with a goal of preserving 3,000 acres. The proposal is controversial, particularly in the Villages of Florida and Greenwood Lake, since the costs and benefits of the PDR program would be unevenly distributed.

Warwick currently lacks the techniques, funding and staffing to accomplish its objectives related to landscape and open space. The Town and Villages need professional staff to help the community implement previous planning initiatives; funding to permanently preserve farms and sensitive lands; and publicly-sponsored programs to upgrade Greenwood Lake.

Recommendations

Warwick’s vision for the future, as the Exchange Team understood it, is based in large part on maintaining rural lands, active farms, and healthy natural systems. These elements underpin quality of life and large sectors of the economy (e.g., farm products, tourism). It is essential for Warwick’s future economy and quality of life that the community:

• preserve its natural ecosystem;
• preserve a critical mass of prime upland farms;
• protect scenic viewsheds along the roads;
• direct growth away from prime farm land and ecologically sensitive areas and toward villages and hamlets;
• improve the water quality in Greenwood Lake;
• develop townwide trails including links to the Appalachian Trail and Sterling Forest; and
• acquire village parks in Warwick Village, Greenwood Lake and Florida.

An early step toward accomplishing these objectives is to create a focused, action-oriented open space plan. Although Warwick has already done much planning, an open space plan is needed in order to integrate information on natural systems, open space, and farmland Warwick-wide. Much of this work is already proposed as part of the $75,000 grant that the Town was recently awarded. The open space plan should include:

• An “ecological footprint” for the community that identifies environmentally sensitive areas. The plan should also identify significant landscapes such as farmland, scenic roadways, etc.
• A strategy for protecting a critical mass of upland farms.
• A strategy for increasing the amount of public parkland and open space within Warwick, and for increasing public access to existing lands, including trails.
• An action plan for accomplishing the plan’s objectives, including identification of the group or organization that will work on each objective. For example:
• Objective: Preserve a critical mass (minimum of x,xxx acres) of prime upland farms.Actions:
  1. Identify potential techniques and funding sources. [Agriculture Advisory Board]
  2. Prepare draft Agriculture Preservation Program for public review and comment. [Zoning Revision Committee, Agriculture Advisory Board, Open Space Committee]
  3. Present draft to citizens groups and individuals and make revisions as needed. Hold public hearing. [Agriculture Advisory Board]
  4. Adopt changes. [Town Board and/or Village Boards]

The Town must maintain the distinction between settled and rural areas. Existing villages should continue to be the focus of residential, business and civic life in Warwick. New growth should be directed toward the villages in a manner that is consistent with the villages’ existing development patterns. This means:

• Development densities allowed in and near the villages should be comparable to what’s there now: residential lots ranging from 1/6 acre to 3/4 acre.
• Around each village, a “Settlement Boundary” should be drawn. The Settlement area should be large enough to accommodate new growth around the village. Within the Settlement area, public water and sewer service should be provided in order to allow the continuation of traditional village development patterns.
• Immediately outside of the Settlement area, where development is discouraged, there should be a greenbelt of farms and open space, which functions as a gateway to the villages.
• Street patterns should extend the traditional grid pattern apparent in Warwick, Florida and parts of Greenwood Lake. Curvilinear streets and cul-de-sacs are incompatible with traditional development patterns and should not be allowed.
• All new public facilities and retail stores and services (with the possible exception of highway-oriented businesses such as car dealerships) should be required to locate within one of the villages or hamlets. Supermarkets, will want to locate a store in Warwick Village and Greenwood Lake because this will be the only place in the Town where supermarkets are allowed. These village supermarkets will function as “anchors” to attract shoppers to other village businesses.
• Mixed-use development should be allowed within the Settlement areas, subject to certain design and aesthetic criteria, providing that non-residential uses don’t exceed established traffic, noise and other impacts. Although the PUD zoning appears to provide reasonable options for creating mixed-use development on very large sites, zoning alternatives should also be provided to develop appropriate mixed-use development on smaller sites within the Settlement areas.
• Village downtowns should perpetuate (or in some cases re-create) a “Main Street” feel, not a shopping center design. This means locating buildings close to the sidewalk with parking located in the rear. Flexible parking requirements, including shared parking, should be allowed.

Within the rural areas, overlay districts should be established to protect specific natural and scenic resources including ridgelines, floodplains, farmland, and scenic roadways.

Any residential development allowed outside of Settlement areas should be clustered. Cluster developments should require most of the site (e.g., 70%) to remain open space. There is already a provision in the Warwick Zoning Ordinance that allows the Planning Board to require clustering.

• Develop design guidelines that identify specific characteristics of the landscape to be protected during clustering. The historic site design and architectural style of hamlets might be included as an option. These guidelines will also assist the Planning Board in administering the cluster provision.
• Locate houses outside the field of vision of travelers along the roadway or at the boundary between forests and fields.
• New subdivision roads should be designed to closely mimic the visual characteristics of existing rural roads.
• Subdivision entrance signs should be prohibited.
• In rural areas, give priority to development projects that are consistent with the community’s planning objectives (e.g., new development that strengthens the existing villages and hamlets rather than developing rural greenfields). Amherst, MA has used this strategy effectively to protect farms and other open space. Consistency with NY State law should be examined.
• Hamlets should retain their roles as secondary “satellite” population centers outside of the three villages. Zoning around the hamlets should be revised to allow higher-density housing and mixed-use development (expansion/modification of the LB and LB-H districts). Public water and sewer may be appropriate in some areas; in others, clustered septic systems should be used.
• Adopt a PDR program and establish a broad-based administrative body such as a Land Trust Committee to administer it. An example would be a seven-member committee with representatives appointed by each village, and one member of the agricultural community appointed by the Town. The other three members could provide certain expertise, such as real estate, planning, tax/estate planning, development, or land use law. This kind of expertise could be provided by individuals who reside within or outside the community. To fully address equity in a PDR program in the Town, there should be a firm commitment to bring Greenwood Lake high school children into the Warwick Valley School District.
• In conjunction with a PDR program, a “revolving fund” could be developed so that development rights purchased from rural lands could be sold to developers building in or adjacent to villages. This is, in essence, a very simple transfer of development rights program, which is potentially a very effective tool to keep rural lands rural and settled areas vibrant, without compromising farmers’ property rights.
• Define a Warwick-wide “ecological footprint” to guide future growth as well as land and resource protection. Put simply, ecological footprinting means inventorying and mapping all areas of important ecological value, documenting linkages between systems and their importance to maintaining a healthy natural environment. In undertaking this exercise, specific attention should be paid to understanding the extent to which natural features and functions are sensitive to change or degradation. Make certain that no net loss in ecological function occurs. “Natural features” are the things we see or know exist such as lakes, forests, wetlands, creeks, rivers, rock outcrops and aquifers. “Natural functions” are the functions that natural features provide such as habitat for birds and fish nesting or feeding, drinking water, clean air or cover and protection.
• The Town of Warwick should partner with the Village of Warwick and the Greenwood Lake Watershed Management District to review the lake’s present water quality condition and agree on next steps for continuing to improve its water quality.

Implementation

As we worked in the Town of Warwick, we began to see the connections between many of the issues and concerns of the residents and leaders. This is true for both the physical and social fabric of community life. This connectivity should be recognized and support the town’s activities in the future. Highlight the need to work together to build a vibrant Town of Warwick. Most important, work on developing a common vision.

This report contains many recommendations. The details of how you implement these ideas are up to the people of the Town. To make the best use of this report, you will need to disseminate it widely and begin to create an implementation strategy. It is important to make information on progress readily accessible.

We suggest you find a suitable ‘vehicle’ for taking these recommendations forward. The model of a partnership forum would be an appropriate option. Such a forum could include representatives from each of the Boards together with people from other sectors – LOC representatives, the Chamber of Commerce, the health sector, people running community organizations such as the Doc Fry Center, etc. Its role would be to build an alliance that works co-operatively towards implementation. It would probably need to split into thematic working groups that embrace a wide perspective. It is clear from our work that you will need to include and make a special effort to recruit some specific groups – including young people, people with disabilities and people from ethnic minority communities.

Start now with some ‘quick wins’ and move forward in small steps – these might include joint meetings within the community and with neighbors, the community newsletter and an open space inventory. Co-operating with the Vernon community leaders would appear to be a priority, particularly with the Intrawest development now in its initial development phase. Working together on major initiatives such as developing a coordinated regional tourist strategy that includes interpretation, would provide a firm foundation for future social and economic development.

You need to hire professional staff to complement your local champions. This staff should have a town wide role (their role should include networking and liaison with the Vernon community as well) and should be resourced jointly by all the agencies. Staff roles will depend on the resources available but they could include a project development worker, planners, a grant writer and community development worker. As a priority, primarily because of the urgency of the open space issues, we would recommend the hiring of a planner.

Everyone should remember that plans are plans and not implementation strategies. That’s why they sit on shelves. Every plan in the future should include specific recommendations and an implementation section, with guidance for the boards on how to prioritize projects and tasks.

A final thought:

Ask yourselves:

Do you want to be the kind of community
that makes things happen?
That watches things happen?
Or that doesn’t realize that things have happened?

Good Luck!

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