STEUBEN
COUNTY PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
3 East Pulteney
Square, Bath, NY 14810 |
| WELCOME!
Thank you for visiting the web home of the Steuben County Planning
Department.
The Department plays a variety of roles in County government, and we
have
tried to incorporate as much information as possible on this web
page.
We hope we have made it a useful and easy to navigate tool for anyone
looking
for information about planning in Steuben County. Each area includes
information
which is specific to Steuben County, but we have also included links to
related sites which may be of interest.
If you would like to discuss anything with us, please do not hesitate
to
contact the Planning Department by mail, phone, fax, or email:
Steuben County
Planning Dept.
|
|
ABOUT THE PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
The
Planning Department
serves as both a line department and a staff department. The line
department duties involve providing a variety of services to local
boards
in the area of planning, land use regulation, and other local
government
responsibilities. Even though New York counties do not have local
land use regulatory authority, and the County, therefore, does not have
primary review authority on projects, the County Planning Department
serves
as an educational resource for local boards which are given the review
and approval authority. The staff can assist municipalities in
developing
comprehensive plans, writing or amending zoning and subdivision
regulations,
assisting in an advisory capacity in site plan reviews, and other areas
where the expertise of a professional planner is a help to the local
board.
In addition, there is a requirement for certain zoning actions of local
boards to be referred to the County Planning Agency for review for
inter-community
or countywide impacts.
The
Sealer of
Weights and Measures and the County Historian are under the general
supervision
of the Planning Director.
The
department's
staff function involves using the skills of the planning staff to carry
out policy analysis to assist the County Administrator and the
Legislature.
The department has done numerous studies, surveys, etc., to provide
input
for decisionmaking. Examples of this function of the department
are
listed under “County Projects”.
The Planning staff also provide staffing to the Environmental
Management Council and the Agricultural
and
Farmland Protection Board. The department is also the link
between
economic development organizations, such as Industrial Development
Agencies,
and County government. Each of the functions and activities of
the
department will be discussed more fully in the individual sections of
this
web page.
The next
several
pages provide an introduction to the Planning
Department Staff, the department's 2001
Summary Annual Report, and the 2006
Work Program.
updated
01/26/06 jeg |
|
THE PLANNING
STAFF
PLANNING DIRECTOR:
Gregory P.
Heffner, AICP
Greg
came to Steuben
County in January, 1985 as Senior Planner, and was appointed Planning
Director
in June, 1989. Prior to coming to Steuben, he served as Land Use
Administrator in Blacksburg, Virginia. He holds a B.S. in Social
Studies from Penn State, a Master of Education in Social Sciences from
Kutztown University, and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from
Virginia
Tech. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified
Planners.
Primary Duties:
- serves as Deputy County
Administrator
- manages the activities of the
Planning Department
- Economic Development
- Local Technical Assistance
- Research projects for the County
Administrator
and Legislature
SENIOR PLANNER: Amy R.
Dlugos
Amy was
appointed
Senior Planner in June, 1994. Previously she was County Planner for
Yates
County, New York, and has also worked for the National Forest
Service.
She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University.
Primary Duties:
- Local Technical Assistance
- Environmental Management Council
- Agricultural Districts;
Agricultural
and Farmland Protection Board
GIS COORDINATOR: Thomas
E. Sears
Tom was
appointed
GIS Coordinator when the position was created in September, 1996. Prior
to that time, he spent thirteen years in the Data Processing Department
(now Information Technology) as a Computer Programmer. He holds
an
A.A.S in Computer Science from Corning Community College, a B.S. in
Geography
from SUNY Oneonta, and an M.A. in Geography from the University of
Kansas.
Primary Duties:
- coordinates all activities
concerning county
geographic data, mapping, and analysis
- supports county departments and
local municipalities
with their geographic information needs
- contact person for census
information and
FEMA floodplain map determinations liaison with the state and other
entities
for GIS issues
|
|
COUNTY
PROJECTS
The following are brief summaries
of recent
Planning Department activities which are representative of the
Department’s
County government staff support role:
Steuben County Sewer District
#1
The Planning Director is Chairman of
the
Board of Directors of Steuben County Sewer District #1. The
district
was formed by the Legislature in 2000 to permit the building of a
wastewater
line from the Mercury Aircraft facilities in Hammondsport and Urbana to
the Ira Davenport Hospital, for subsequent treatment by the Village of
Bath Sewage Treatment Plant. During 2001, the required
applications
to NYSDEC and the Great Lakes Commission were developed.
Following
approval by DEC, the application to the Great Lakes Commission will be
submitted. This is necessary due to the transfer of water from
the
Great Lakes Basin to the Susquehanna River basin by the proposed
wastewater
line.
Office Space Study
In the spring of 2000, the
Agriculture,
Industry, and Planning Committee requested that the Planning Department
conduct a comprehensive review of Steuben County office space and
related
facilities. This request resulted from a growing discussion,
among
some legislators, of building a Human Services Building to house the
County’s
human service-related departments, and possibly other related
non-profit
agencies serving Steuben County. The Planning Director completed
the study and presented it to the AIP Committee in June, 2001.
The
study is available from the Planning Department.
Publications
The Planning Department carries out
a
variety of research activities and policy analyses to assist the County
Administrator and County Legislature. Some of these activities
culminate
in the production of a report. These reports are available to the
public for a small duplication fee. The following reports are
available
from the Planning Department:
County Revenue Study: An
Analysis of
the Revenue Sources Utilized by Steuben County Departments; May,
1991
Survey of Jail Capacity
Expansion Activities
of Western New York Counties; December 1991
Youth Programs in Steuben
County: An
Overview; August, 1999
Steuben County Government
Office Space
Study: Departmental Needs Assessment with Preliminary Building Options;
June,
2001
Citizens’ Guide to Steuben
County Government;
January, 2002
|
STEUBEN COUNTY
PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
2001 ANNUAL
REPORT
PROJECTS
Office Space Study
In early 2001, the Agriculture,
Industry,
and Planning Committee asked the Planning Director to investigate the
growing
lack of office space for County operations. A detailed survey was
completed of all County departments, with follow-up interviews as
needed.
In June, a report was presented to the AIP Committee which outlined
current
departmental space, and space needs as perceived by the
departments.
The report then presented two options for addressing the space needs:
construction
of
a Human Services Building, and construction of a new Administration
Building,
with the current County Office Building renovated for human service
departments.
The Chairman of the Legislature appointed a committee to further study
space needs. The committee will begin its work in early 2002.
Steuben County Sewer District
#1
In early 2001, the County
Legislature established
Steuben County Sewer District #1. This district was created
specifically
to allow the construction of a sewer line from Mercury Aircraft in
Hammondsport,
through the Mercury Central / Pleasant Valley Wine facility, and on to
the Ira Davenport Hospital. This will address a significant wastewater
problem at Mercury, which was under a deadline from NYDEC for finding
an
acceptable solution. Mercury Aircraft will pay all the costs
associated
with the district and subsequent sewer line, but a County sewer
district
is needed because the line will pass through more than one
municipality.
The Planning Director was elected chairman of the Board of Directors
for
the District. During 2001, the board worked with Malcolm-Pirnie
Engineers
to develop the applications to NYSDEC for the sewer line construction,
as well as the application to the Great Lakes Commission for the
diversion
of water from the Great Lakes basin to the Susquehanna basin.
Both
applications were submitted in late 2001.
Agriculture and Farmland
Protection
Plan:
In August 1999, the County, with
Cooperative
Extension as lead agency, received a grant from NYS Ag. and Markets to
develop an agriculture and farmland protection plan. With
consultants
Shepstone Management, the Steuben County Agricultural Expansion and
Development
Plan was completed in late 2000 and approved by the County Legislature
in January 2001. It was approved by Ag. and Markets in August
2001.
During 2001, the plan was reproduced and distributed to municipalities
and involved agencies. The Planning Department worked with
Cooperative
Extension to implement aspects of the plan including adoption of a
County
Right to Farm Law and sponsorship of a Farm-City Day at Egresi
Vineyards
in Pulteney.
ON-GOING
ACTIVITIES
County Administration
The Planning Department provides the
Legislature
and the County Administrator with information necessary to formulate
policies
and implement programs. The Planning Director serves as Deputy
County
Administrator, and assists the County Administrator in a variety of
administrative
tasks.
Economic Development Fund
During 2001, the Economic
Development Fund
was used to assist two County projects. The first was a grant of
$10,000 as part of the local match of a USDA Rural Development Grant to
conduct a feasibility study of the redevelopment/enhancement of
Pinnacle
State Park in the Town of Addison. The second was a $400,000 grant to
the
Steuben County Industrial Development Agency to assist in the
development
of a new Corning, Inc. Diesel Ceramic Manufacturing Plant in the Town
of
Erwin. This plant will manufacture diesel catalytic converters,
and
the County funding will be used to construct a new 115kV line from the
NYSEG substation approximately five miles to the new facility.
The
line will also be available to other potential new industrial
development
in the Erwin Industrial Park and along Route 417.
Agricultural Districts:
The Planning Department is
responsible for
mandatory eight-year reviews of the County's 19 Agricultural
Districts.
In 2001, reviews and consolidations completed in 2000 for Districts No.
7 and No. 8 and for Districts No. 2 and No. 15 were approved by
Ag.
and Markets. Reviews for Districts No. 6, No. 9, and No. 16
were completed and their consolidation into one district, No. 6, was
approved
by Ag. and Markets. A review of District No. 10 was completed and
submitted to Ag. and Markets and approval is anticipated in
2002.
The department often provides information about the benefits of ag.
districts
and determines whether properties are in a district or not.
Internet
The Senior Planner monitors the
email which
is generated by the County’s web page. She answers requests
whenever
possible, or forwards the questions to the appropriate County
department.
The Planning Department also frequently uses the Internet to research
planning
topics.
Environmental Management
Council:
The Senior Planner provides
technical and
clerical assistance to the EMC. In 2001, the EMC held educational
programs in schools and cosponsored two programs on oil and gas
drilling,
one for landowners and one for local officials. Issues the EMC
studied
include: solid waste, recycling, hazardous waste collection, and
the county landfill; salt storage and groundwater contamination;
seismic
activity at the Avoca Gas storage site; CAFO regulations and hog farms;
and the Millennium Pipeline Project.
Capital Budget
The department again developed the
proposed
capital budget, including small equipment, major equipment, and capital
projects, to be incorporated in the Legislature's budget process.
Geographic Information System
(GIS)
Coordinator
The Geographic Information System
Coordinator
continues to produce numerous maps for the 911 Coordinator as part of
the
effort to improve the addressing in the County. Quality
assurance/quality
control, with the aid of the Real Property Tax Service Agency, has
continued
to insure the accuracy and integrity of the GIS. Other GIS-related
assistance
was given to the Towns of Campbell, Corning, Cohocton, Jasper, Erwin,
Urbana,
Hornellsville, the Cities of Corning and Hornell (including the newly
formed
Empire Zone), and the Village of Hammondsport. In addition, files
and maps were prepared for numerous private concerns, especially energy
firms. Within County operations, maps were prepared for the Real
Property Tax Service Agency, Treasurer (specifically for the Tax Sale
website), Emergency
Mgt. Office, Public Works, as well as numerous applications for the
Planning
Department. The GIS Coordinator made a presentation to the Steuben
County
Assessor’s Assn., was appointed the County’s contact person for the
State
GIS Data Sharing Cooperative, and was appointed to an advisory
committee
for the NYS Office for Technology. The GIS Coordinator also serves as
the
department’s primary source for Census information and floodplain
information
for property owners and real estate agents.
Building Code Administration
The department administers the New
York State
Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, through a contract with
Atlantic-Inland,
Inc., for municipalities which have opted out of enforcement. The
municipalities under county jurisdiction are the Village of Riverside
and
the Town of Addison.
Regional Planning Board
Activities
The Planning staff are active
participants
in many facets of the work of the Southern Tier Central Regional
Planning
and Development Board. The Planning Director is a voting member
of
the STC Board of Directors, chairs the Regional Human Services
Committee,
and is a member of the Regional Economic Development Policy Committee,
the Rural Leadership Committee, and the I86 Task Force. The
Senior
Planner and the GIS Coordinator represent the Department on the
Physical
Resources Advisory Committee.
Committee Memberships /
Activities
In addition to the Regional Planning
Board
activities cited above, the Planning Department staff represents the
Department
and/or the County on numerous boards, committees, etc. These include:
1)
Steuben County Traffic Safety Board; 2) Steuben County Water Quality
Coordinating
Committee; 3) Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau; 4) DEC
Region
8 Open Space Plan Committee; 5) Route 15 Project Advisory Committee; 6)
Sullivan Trail RC&D Council; 7) Schuyler-Steuben Rural
Transportation
Advisory Committee.
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
The department provided technical
assistance
to numerous municipalities during 2001. Planning and zoning
assistance
was provided to the Towns of Avoca, Campbell, Cohocton, Erwin, Fremont,
Hornellsville, Hornby, Lindley, Pulteney, Tuscarora, and Wayland; the
Villages
of Avoca, Bath, and Painted Post, and the City of Hornell. The
Department
also regularly assisted the regional planning board staff with local
planning
issues in the communities they serve. In addition to the on-going
assistance,
the staff sponsored a training session for local board members,
presented
by the NYS Department of State, on site plan review and special use
permits.
Also the Planning Director and Senior Planner participated in a mock
ZBA
session at the Local Government Conference at Corning Community
College,
sponsored by STCRPDB. Staff also provides an on-going service to
local lending institutions and real estate appraisal companies by
providing
flood plain and Census tract information. The department
regularly
provides Census, economic and other data to individuals, agencies and
private
firms writing grants or business plans, and those working on various
development
projects.
Gregory P. Heffner, AICP
Planning Director
|
|
LOCAL
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
One of
the primary
functions of the Planning Department is to assist local planning
boards, zoning boards of appeal, and municipal governing boards in
carrying
out their duties. The staff is always available for phone or
email
questions. Staff members attend meetings of local boards, as well
as presenting workshops on topics useful to board members.
Local
planning
activity in Steuben County continues to evolve. Click on the
appropriate
words to see maps which reflect the municipalities in Steuben County
which
have:
A critical aspect of local land use
regulation
is the level of code enforcement being implemented. Rules and
regulations
do not have any impact on community quality if they are not
enforced.
To view a list of all municipal Code Enforcement Officers in
Steuben
County, click on the highlighted words. In some cases the same
person
enforces both the Zoning Law and the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and
Building
Code. In other municipalities, there is a specific inspector for
each. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the
particular
approach of the municipality in which they are applying, and be sure to
apply for all applicable permits. |
COUNTY
REFERRALS
OF LOCAL ZONING
ACTIONS
Section
239 of
General Municipal Law requires that certain municipal zoning actions be
referred to the County planning agency. The purpose of this
referral
is to ensure that inter-community and/or county-wide considerations are
included in the review. Actions requiring referral include new
zoning
laws, amendments to existing zoning laws, variance requests, special
use
permits, and site plan reviews, if the property is located within five
hundred (500) feet of a state or county road, a municipal boundary, or
certain other criteria.
The
complete text
of General Municipal Law Sections 239.l
and
m is attached and may be downloaded by clicking on the
highlighted
words.
The 239
Referral Form which should be used by municipalities when
referring
actions to the County is also available by clicking the highlighted
words.
New York
State
law now permits municipalities and County Planning Agencies to enter
into
agreements which exempt certain actions from the County review
procedure.
If your municipality is interested in discussing the exemption option,
please contact the Planning Department.
|
Steuben
County
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
COUNCIL
The Steuben County
Environmental
Management Council (EMC) is a group of volunteer citizens, appointed by
the County Legislature, to assist and advise the Legislature on
environmental
matters. Members come from all areas of the county and are
employed
in a variety of occupations. In addition to citizens, several
agency
and department personnel serve as ex-officio members. The County
Planning Department provides staff assistance for the EMC.
In its role as an advisor to
the County
Legislature, the EMC gathers information on environmental matters and
discusses
environmental issues of local, state, national, and international
significance.
The EMC also sponsors workshops and seminars and is actively involved
in
promoting environmental education in schools and in our
communities.
MEETINGS
The Steuben County Environmental
Management
Council meets on the first Thursday of alternate months.
Informational
workshops for the general community are often offered on the first
Thursday
of non-meeting months. Meetings start at 7:00 p.m. and are held
at
the County Office Building in Bath, NY. For more information on
upcoming
meetings please contact Amy Dlugos at amy@co.steuben.ny.us
or by calling (607) 664-2268. EMC meetings are open to the public
and citizen input is always welcome.
We are always looking for
volunteers and
encourage anyone who may be interested to attend several meetings to
get
acquainted with the EMC and its projects.
MEMBERS
Lee Hersh, 5362
Duvall Rd,
PO Box 449, Painted Post, NY 14870
Iva Putman, 4641 Stony Ridge
Road, Campbell, NY 14821
Steve Stewart, 6155 Stewart
Road, Bath NY 14810
Janet Thigpen, 4557 Dyke
Road, Corning, NY 14830
Rachel Treichler, 7988 Van
Amburg Rd., Hammondsport NY 14840
Bonnie Vance, 71 East Third
Street, Corning, NY 14830
Miles Vance, 71 East Third
Street, Corning, NY 14830
MEMBERS EX-OFFICIO
Members of the
Agriculture,
Industry, and Planning Committee
Chairman of the County
Planning Board
Commissioner of Public Works
County Attorney
Soil and Water Conservation
District Chairman or designee
Cornell Cooperative
Extension Association President or designee
County
Planning Director
DESIGNATED OFFICERS
Chairperson - Janet
Thigpen
Vice-chairperson
– Lee Hersh
|
|
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Economic Development in
Steuben County
Economic Development Plan
On November 29, 1999, the
Steuben
County Legislature adopted the Steuben County Economic Development
Plan.
This document provides information regarding Steuben County as a place
to live and work, as well as establishing Goals, Objectives, and
Policies
to guide the County Legislature in making decisions impacting the
economy
of
the County. The full text of the Plan is available from the
Planning
Department.
Economic Development Fund
The County Legislature took a
significant
step to bolster the County economy in 1997 when the decision was made
to
contribute $1,000,000 toward infrastructure improvements in the Town of
Erwin. These improvements were necessary to allow the
construction
of the Corning, Inc. Photonic Technologies plant. This funding
represented
the largest involvement of the County Legislature in economic
development
up to that time. Soon after the Erwin funding, the County was
asked
to assist the City of Hornell in supplying the local match for an
Economic
Development Administration grant for infrastructure improvements to
allow
the expansion of the Alstom, the French company which had located in
the
former Amerail properties. Again, the County Legislature approved
the funding, this time for the sum of $533,000.
Following the Hornell funding
decision,
the County Administrator and the Planning Director proposed to the
Agriculture,
Industry, and Planning Committee that a more structured process was
needed
if the Legislature wanted to continue its economic development
activities.
A process was developed for applying for funding, and an economic
development
fund was established in the County Budget, and funded at the $750,000
level.
From 1997 through 2002, the
County
has contributed over 5 million dollars for economic
development.
Tourism Promotion
The Planning Department acted as the
County’s
tourism promotion staff prior to the creation of the Steuben County
Conference
and Visitors Bureau (SCCVB). The Planning Director is the County
Administrator’s designee on the SCCVB Executive Board. A 3%
Occupancy
Tax on hotel and motel rooms and bed and breakfasts supports tourism
promotion.
To reach the SCCVB webpage, click here: http://corningsteuben.com
|