Clarkson presents Comprehensive Plan to residents

About 25 people attended the Town of Clarkson's Comprehensive Plan meeting on Wednesday, April 27.

Councilperson Christa Filipowicz said that most seemed "interested in learning about the concept of the hamlet areas around Clarkson Corners, Garland Corners, Redman Road at West Avenue and 104, and the hamlet at 19 and East/West Avenue."

She said those areas would allow for Clarkson's densest development for both residential and commercial areas.

"As you move away from these areas the density would become less," she said. "There were suggestions for extending some of the east/west roads in Clarkson for several reasons: to aid in planning to meet Clarkson's rural vision, providing services efficiently (particularly emergency) and calming traffic through the town utilizing curvilinear roads."

Any designs would be dictated and respectful of the natural features that Clarkson wishes to preserve. "Rather than have a grid-like development in the rural areas, a road may follow the path of a creek or stream," Filipowicz said.

In the less dense residential areas, a clustered development that provides for green space around the development would greatly assist in maintaining the rural atmosphere. There was also discussion centering on commercial areas - limiting this development to the hamlet areas in order to make them more viable and strong for the long term.

Filipowicz said there was "good discussion all the way around."

The committee will take the feedback received from the community and incorporate it into the plan's future development.

Goals for planning

During the initial planning phases of the comprehensive plan, the committee defined five goals for Clarkson that included:

•preserving the distinctive features of Clarkson's character, including its historic hamlet areas, rural road frontage and natural drainage systems;

•focus on development at existing nodes;

•match the location and capacity of infrastructure and community services to Clarkson's rural vision;

•diversify the tax base to improve community quality of life and municipal fiscal management; and

•designate neighborhoods and rural residential areas to accommodate a wide range of life-style preferences with regard to density, cost, size and type.