OVERVIEW
The Village has contracted with consultants from Colliers Engineering and Design to assist with updates to the Village’s Zoning Code. The existing Zoning Code will be updated to reflect the vision, goals, and values of the community, incorporate smart growth land use practices, and align with the Village’s Strategic Action Plan’s guiding principles, such as:

• Small Town Character: Atmosphere, preserving existing character, pedestrian connections, and residential districts
• Economic Development: Downtown core, parking management, business district amenities, tourism, and wayfinding
• Public Investment: Beautification, improving sense of place, and infrastructure
• Community: Encourage sense of place, promote family-friendly atmosphere, information sharing, and open space preservation
• Natural Resources: Improve water quality, reduce community impact on environment and aquifer, and protect critical viewsheds

The purpose of the Zoning Code update is to codify land use policies and recommendations from the Village’s concurrent 2012 Strategic Action Plan update effort and allow for the incorporation of development best practice through smart growth. The revised land use regulations will ensure that new development and redevelopment opportunities occur in a sustainable manner that supports both the environmental and economic well-being of the Village.
NOTE: This project is partially funded through a NYS Department of State (DOS) Environmental Protection Fund Smart Growth Community Planning and Zoning Program grant.

 COMMUNITY PREFERENCE SURVEY (CPS)
To help guide the Zoning Code revisions, the Village has launched a visual Community Preference Survey (CPS) and is seeking your input. The purpose of the CPS is to gather feedback from the public on their development character preferences and what level of regulation may be appropriate to achieve desirable design practices. At the end of this survey, respondents will also be able to provide general comments on the Village’s zoning code and this process.
You may access the survey via this link >> www.surveymonkey.com/r/bemuspointCPS
Please feel free to also send this survey link to your own friends and family in Bemus Point. The more participants, the better!
 
 WHY UPDATE THE ZONING CODE?
There are many reasons to update our zoning regulations, but primary considerations include:
To Better Guide Community Investment
Municipal zoning laws determine the types and locations of allowable land uses, guide the design of structures and sites, and define a community’s character. Municipal zoning laws also activate the land use recommendations established in community planning initiatives. When zoning codes are out of sync with community goals, it can have a detrimental effect. This often results in undesirable development patterns, unnecessary barriers to investment, and inefficient and burdensome administrative procedures. The implementation of Smart Growth principles through zoning also helps to address local economic, environmental, energy, and equity issues.

To Modernize the Zoning Code
The Village of Bemus Point Zoning Code and Zoning Map were first adopted several decades ago. Today, shifts in markets and technologies necessitate revisiting the Village’s Zoning Code to ensure that it is supportive of and responding to current community needs and investment opportunities.
Additionally, the update will serve to make the Village’s Zoning Code easier to understand and implement, removing outdated, conflicting, and overcomplicated provisions. The Zoning Code will also be updated to follow a more user-friendly format.
 
PROJECT PROCESS & SCHEDULE
The Zoning Code update will occur over a fifteen-month period. A Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC) comprised of review board members, residents, and local stakeholders will oversee the process, meeting six times over the course of the project. Additionally, three public input events will be held.
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The schedule below identifies the key milestones for the Zoning Update: 

WHAT IS SMART GROWTH?
Generally, “smart growth” is a considered a sound approach to land use planning and development that incorporates best practices for community sustainability and stability.  Further described by the NYS Smart Growth Program, smart growth supports and integrates four key themes: Equity, Economy, Environment and Energy/Climate.

• Equity—Smart Growth champions inclusivity, equity and diversity by encouraging a variety of housing types and employment opportunities for people of all incomes, backgrounds, ages, and abilities.
• Economy—Smart Growth enhances community quality of life, creates livable, sustainable communities and revitalizes downtowns, which is proven to help attract and retain businesses and workers.  
• Environment—Environmental stewardship is woven into the fabric of Smart Growth, with green spaces, natural resources, and parks seamlessly integrated into community design.
• Energy/Climate—Smart Growth promotes walkable, bikeable, transit-accessible neighborhoods with a compact mix of land uses, which minimizes reliance on cars and thus reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.  Smart Growth also encourages clean energy and climate resiliency.
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To achieve long term development success, several key principles will be considered as part of this Zoning Code update. It is important to note that the application of these principles will be considered in the context of what is appropriate for the Village of Bemus Point, as there is no “one size fits all” for land use regulation. These Smart Growth principles include, but are not limited to:  

1. Promoting a mix of land uses in development focus areas.
2. Enabling a diverse mix of housing types, providing opportunity and choice for all.
3. Prioritizing infill and redevelopment of existing buildings to revitalize neighborhoods and downtowns.
4. Providing well-planned, equitable, and accessible public spaces.
5. Encouraging compact neighborhood design and concentrated development around existing infrastructure.
6. Preserving open space, parks, and natural resources.
7. Increasing mobility and circulation by supporting alternative transportation options, such as walking, biking, and transit.
8. Increasing climate resiliency and adaptation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, through nature-based solutions, clean energy resources, and green infrastructure.
9. Building on traits that make a distinctive and attractive community with a strong sense of place.
10. Engaging in an inclusive, collaborative public planning process that considers the needs and character of the community.