The Town of Smithtown, in collaboration with consultants H2M Engineers, has completed the draft Comprehensive Master Plan. An initial presentation will be given virtually by Smithtown’s Planning Department and H2M, featuring the recommendations of the draft plan based on community input and expert guidance, during the December 15th Town Board meeting. Community outreach for public review and a comment period will follow. Please Note: The December 15th Town Board meeting is not a public hearing.
Continuing the thorough process, which included a significant public input, environmental review and analysis of existing conditions, the policies included in the Draft Comprehensive Plan will be used as a roadmap to the future. The finished product will guide many aspects of the Town of Smithtown, as well as future land use decisions.
How to Watch:
Community members are welcome to view the presentation via the Town’s live stream: http://smithtownny.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=2287
For those unable to view the presentation live, it will be available via SmithtownNY.gov, on Smithtown GTV, and on the Town’s Comprehensive Plan webpage at: www.publicinput.com/smithtown which will be published immediately following the December 15th presentation.
How to Comment:
The Planning Department will be reaching out to various community organizations in the coming weeks to schedule virtual community Q&A meetings to discuss the plan’s findings and recommendations as they pertain to both the Town and each individual Hamlet. We would appreciate hearing any and all comments you may have on the draft plan during these sessions. Comments may also be submitted via email, written letter, and at the community Q&A meetings. The Town Board will also conduct a public hearing on the draft plan, slated for February 2021.
Next Steps:
The Draft Plan will undergo a full environmental review. The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process has several steps in which the opportunity to provide comments is also given. The Environmental Impact Statement will be started on December 15 by the Town Board adopting resolutions including the Draft Scope, which is an outline of topics to be included in the Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the Draft Scope can be submitted until 5 pm Friday, January 22, 2021.
The flow chart below lays out the steps and approximate time frame for each step in the process.
