Foreword

The Board of Trustees of the Village of Pittsford has taken a proactive approach to ensure that the future of the Village is as successful as its past. The Village is using a comprehensive planning process to establish a clear vision for the community, which addresses the concerns of a broad spectrum of constituents.

The previous Village Comprehensive Plan was completed by the Monroe County Department of Planning in 1965. Several years later, Historic Pittsford, Inc. hired planner Andrew Kane to prepare a plan for improving and restoring the center of the Village. Although never officially adopted, Historic Pittsford, Inc.'s plan influenced Village policy and planning for the next thirty-five years. Nearly all of the plan's primary goals have been achieved. These accomplishments include:

• The establishment of a local preservation commission and listing of a significant part of the Village on the National and State Registers of Historic Places
• Restoration of the park and north facade of the old Phoenix Hotel
• Protection of Pittsford Farms and other agricultural lands near the Village
• Development of the Erie Canal towpath as a recreation trail
• Development of a comprehensive street tree planting program
• Implementation of phased decorative street lighting plan
• Adoption of ordinances intended to regulate outdoor lighting, signs, and the screening of parking

In 1997, increasing private and State interest in development of the Erie Canal prompted the Village to initiate a Canal Corridor plan as Phase 1 (LWRP) of a Comprehensive Village Plan. A volunteer committee and Behan Planning Associates developed recommendations to preserve, further enhance and revitalize the Village's Erie Canal waterfront. The plan was developed in cooperation with the Town of Pittsford, which simultaneously prepared a plan for its section of the Canal. In 1999, the two coordinated plans were submitted to the New York State Department of State as a Local Waterfront Development Plan (LWRP).

Mayor Robert Corby and the Village Board of Trustees appointed the Phase II volunteer Comprehensive Plan Committee in the fall of 1999. The committee consisted of Village residents, business owners, Village government officials and Town residents. The committee, chaired by Village resident, Rod Mattingly, was asked to solicit public input and develop a consensual vision for the future.

In June of 2000, the committee held a full-day design workshop attended by approximately 100 people. The design workshop or "charrette", provided a forum for residents and local professionals to discuss current issues, problems, local characteristics and the future. Using the input from the workshop, a survey, interviews, and public hearings, the Comprehensive Planning Committee established a list of planning recommendations. In the spring of 2001, consultants peter j. smith & company, inc. and Barkstrom and LaCroix Architects were hired to produce a comprehensive plan document incorporating the research and recommendations developed by the committee. The Comprehensive Plan will guide planning policy to retain and enhance the distinctive identity and character of the Village.