Westport Comprehensive Plan Project

About the Planning Process

A Comprehensive Plan establishes guidelines for the future growth and development of a community. This process is an all-inclusive approach to addressing a community’s vision for the future to encourage growth that aligns with local wants and needs. This approach includes robust community engagement and opportunities for different interest groups to provide input, coordination with a committee of local residents and community representatives, and collaboration with local elected officials and regulatory groups. The Comprehensive Plan itself is the formal document produced through the planning process. This document serves as a policy guide for future development decisions and can be used to support grant and funding applications.

Plan Requirements*

Generally, a Comprehensive Plan should include six requirements:

  1. It should be comprehensive

  2. It should be long-range (projecting at least 10 years into the future)

  3. It should be general

  4. It should focus on physical development

  5. It should relate physical design proposals to community goals and social and economic policies

  6. It should be a policy instrument first and a technical document second

*New York State Town Law § 272-a defines the requirements for all municipalities to participate in the comprehensive planning process. For the official New York State Department of Local Government Services document on Zoning and Comprehensive Plans, click here.

Project Timeline

*Project timeline is subject to change.

Comprehensive Plan Committee Members

Elisha Bartlett, Chair
Alan Hipps, Vice Chair
Alyssa Carroll
Robert Granfors
Bill Johnston
Cynthia Ford-Johnston
Nancy Page
Robin Severence
Matt Sherman
Jen Williams