Skip navigation.

Login | Register | Help | Contact Us | FAQ | Site Map

Planning

Contact Information

 

 

Thomas Goodwin
Planning Manager

e-mail

Department of Planning and Development - Planning Division

8100 City Place

50 W. Main St.

Rochester, NY

14614

Phone: 585 753-2000

Fax: 585 753-2028

View Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Public Information Meeting Notice

View Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Public Information Meeting Handout

View Proposed 2011-2016 CIP by Sector:

     Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Administration Sector

     Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Human Services Sector

     Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Physical Services Sector

     Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Public Safety Sector

     Proposed 2011-2016 CIP Summary

 

 

Back to top

 

Parking Survey

Statistical Analyses of Selected Parking Standards

Monroe County Department of Planning and Development, Planning Division in conjunction with the Parking Study Advisory Committee is working on a report titled, “Statistical Analyses of Selected Parking Standards”.

Study Purpose

The purpose of this project is to obtain accurate parking data for analysis to determine parking ratios for various land uses. The parking data and analysis will aid municipalities in the evaluation of their current parking standards for future development and provide current parking data for developers and consultants.

Overview

We are a very automobile-dependent society. This dependence has created a need to provide adequate parking spaces for the customers of the destination businesses. Sometimes we find that the parking provided is just not enough and competition for available spaces can result in less than safe parking conditions. Other times we find that there are plenty of parking spaces available, many of which rarely, if ever, are used.

Some negative aspects of providing to much parking include increased rate of storm water runoff, increased pollutant loading to local streams, less green space and generally a visually detracting landscape. Larger parking areas require more parking lot lights, more complex travel lanes, higher maintenance costs and no specific benefit to the customer or the business.

On the other hand, a site without enough parking can encourage illegal activities such as double-parking, parking in fire lanes or obstructing delivery areas, or discourage customers from even coming to the business.

This publication is intended to assist municipalities, consultants and developers to better plan effective, efficient parking ratios for specific land uses. Historically, municipal parking regulations have been conservative in the required ratios, resulting in many unnecessary parking spaces. Zoning ordinance references for parking vary from municipality to municipality, with relatively little consistency from one code to the next. Some are based upon square footage of a facility, some based upon number of seats or legal occupancy. Other codes leave parking ratios to the discretion of a ruling board or agency.

It is the intent of this research to provide a realistic view of actual local parking demands for many common land uses. The analyses included in this report can assist a local municipality that may be dealing with modifications to a local zoning code or revisions to development criteria, by providing a useful range of observed parking space demands collected during peak use of a facility. This report can assist a consultant in advising a client on how much parking to provide. It can also assist a developer in minimizing the cost of installed infrastructure that is not necessary or even help justify a variance or waiver from an outdated code.

These parking recommendations were developed with locally collected data from Monroe County, New York and are intended to be a resource in evaluating existing codes and ordinances, used in conjunction with other technical resources, such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Parking Generation manual. It addresses some of the newer and changed land uses that may not be effectively described in some local ordinances, such as Pharmacies with drive thru windows and the wide range of senior housing options. It also includes some less standard land uses, such as funeral homes and marinas. There are conventional land uses such as restaurants, office buildings and supermarkets included as well.

It is the hope of Monroe County and the advisory committee responsible for the preparation of this resource, that this will become a tool for local municipalities and the development community to evaluate the parking needs of various land uses.

For further information, please Contact Us

View Statistical Analyses of Parking by Land Use

Back to top

Monroe County Council of Governments

 

Mission Statement

The Monroe County Council of Governments (COG) is a voluntary organization of municipal governments, which is comprised of the Monroe County Executive, the City of Rochester Mayor, town supervisors and village mayors. The Council provides a forum for intergovernmental cooperation on issues of common concern to governments in Monroe County. The goal of the Monroe County Council of Governments is to examine opportunities for further intergovernmental cooperative actions and provide cost-effective governmental services.

The Council meets six times a year in the Large Conference Room, Watts Conference Center, 49 South Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, New York.

Some of the issues dealt with by the Council include the Empire Development Zones, Economic Development, health insurance and intergovernmental cooperation.

 

Please Contact Us for further information.

Back to top

Monroe County Planning Board

The Monroe County Planning Board consists of 15 members: eight citizens appointed by the County Executive, County Legislature and Environmental Management Council, five members of the County Administration and two County Legislative Representatives.

The Board is charged with reviewing and recommending a six year capital improvement program which outlines the major improvements slated for County facilities (parks, roads, buildings, etc.). The Board also reviews and recommends any amendments (new projects; changes in funding and scheduling) to the Capital Improvement Program that may be proposed. The Planning Board also advises the County Executive and County Legislature on major project initiatives that may be undertaken by the County, other levels of government, or governmental agencies.

View Monroe County Charter

View 2010 Monroe County Planning Board Meeting Schedule

 

Back to top

Farmland Protection Resource Center

Monroe County Agriculture Picture of New York State farm. Agriculture is an important part of life here in Monroe County. According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, we have 631 farms and over 106,000 acres of farmland in Monroe County. Farm products from Monroe County generate approximately $54 million in sales annually and support thousands of local jobs. The Monroe County Farmland Protection Resource Center is designed to provide farmers, local officials, and interested citizens with the tools they need to help preserve farmland in their community. By working together and taking advantage of available resources we can ensure a bright future for agriculture in Monroe County.

To learn more visit the Farmland Protection Resource Center.

 

Back to top

Municipal Land Use Report

 

Funds from the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) were provided as a grant to continue a system for annually reporting changes in land use within Monroe County. Up-to-date land use data is important for transportation modeling and analysis and will be used by GTC as input into their traffic simulation model. This land use information will be used to assess changes in land use, identify trends, guide capital project investments and help pinpoint "hot spots" of traffic congestion that may become candidates for possible traffic management solutions such as Transportation Development Districts (T. D. D.) or Transportation Management Associations (T. M. A.).

In response to the need to monitor proposed development, the Genesee Transportation Council and the Monroe County Department of Planning and Development initiated a process to identify all proposed projects and approved major projects within a computerized database that can be updated on an annual basis. The updated data is then compiled into an annual Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report.

View Past Reports:

 

2000 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2001 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2002 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2003 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2004 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2005 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2006 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2007 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

2008 Municipal Land Use (MLU) Report

  

 

Back to top

 

Water Resources

 

Black Creek Watershed

 

Scroll down to RELATED LINKS to visit the Black Creek Watershed website for information on the next Black Creek Watershed Coalition meeting, minutes from previous meetings and to see the State of the Basin Report.

Large watersheds cross municipal boundaries, often making it impossible for any one town or county to conduct comprehensive watershed planning on its own. Towns and villages within Monroe County often work together on watershed planning and Monroe County itself works with other counties with which it shares a watershed.

The Black Creek Watershed consists of all the land that drains to Black Creek and its tributaries, including all or part of the Towns of Bethany, Batavia, Stafford, Byron, LeRoy and Bergen in Genesee County and the Towns of Riga, Ogden, Wheatland, Sweden and Chili in Monroe County. Clarendon in Orleans County and Middlebury in Wyoming County also contain small portions of the watershed.

In 2001, on behalf of the Coalition, Monroe County applied for and received a Watershed Assistance Grant (WAG) from River Network, a Portland, Oregon-based national river and watershed conservation organization supported by the US EPA. The grant made it possible to host a symposium, publish a newsletter, create a web site and hire a group of consultants to prepare the Black Creek Watershed State of the Basin report.

The State of the Basin inventory was prepared using a Geographic Information System (GIS) as a central component of the project. The report includes a geographical description of the watershed, uses of land and water from the 1970's to the present and water quality and water quantity summaries from available data. A map set accompanies the report to graphically illustrate spatial trends across the Black Creek Watershed.

A summary of problems and risks that can affect the future of the Black Creek Watershed is presented for public consideration. Water quality risks include point sources discharges, agricultural sources of pollution and nonpoint sources from developed areas. Water quantity risks are associated with flooding and low flow conditions; it is recognized that water quantity issues may have relevance to water quality issues. The BCWC intends to develop and implement an integrated Watershed Management Plan to minimize water quality impacts and water quantity problems in the Black Creek Watershed to the most practical extent possible.

The report is the basis on which a Black Creek Watershed Plan will be developed. Funding has been secured to begin work on pieces of the overall Watershed Plan.

Please Contact Us for more information or visit the Black Creek Watershed website for information on the next Black Creek Watershed Coalition meeting, minutes from previous meetings and to see the State of the Basin Report.

  Related Links:    

                Black Creek Watershed  http://www.blackcreekwatershed.org

 

Irondequoit Bay

Irondequoit Bay is an area of historical, archaeological, ecological and geological significance. In preglacial times, the Bay served as the mouth of the Genesee River. When the last ice sheet receded, the river abandoned its channel and took its present course west of the Bay. This set the stage for the Bay as a vital natural resource and a center of settlement.

The Bay is classified by New York State as a "Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat." Its diversity of landforms yields a variety of ecosystems that provide habitat for many fish and wildlife species.

Human use in the Irondequoit Bay area threatens the Bay’s beauty, ecosystems and recreational opportunities. Balancing the protection of natural resources with recreation and development is necessary for continued use of the Bay area. To this end, an intermunicipal group - the Irondequoit Bay Coordinating Committee - was formed. Subcommittees of this group work together to review development plans on properties in the Bay area; develop and implement a Harbor Management Plan; and to conduct a scientifically rigorous study of the Bay’s biological resources.  (See Biological Study of Irondequoit Bay.)

 

Related Links:      

Environmental Conservation Rules and Regulations (NYS) http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/regs/index.html

Environmental Notice Bulletin, NYSDEC http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/enb

Town of Penfield Irondequoit Bay Harbor Management Plan http://www.penfield.org/web/deps/planning/plans.php

 

Irondequoit Bay Coordinating Committee (IBCC)

The Irondequoit Bay Coordinating Committee (IBCC) was established in 1985 as an advisory committee through an inter-municipal agreement between the towns of Irondequoit, Penfield and Webster and the County of Monroe.

The IBCC's mission is to coordinate among various levels of government with an interest in the Irondequoit Bay, all levels of public and private use of the area, and to develop, recommend and monitor, related policies. The IBCC's goal is to promote recreational and economic opportunities on Irondequoit Bay while protecting and maintaining environmental quality.

All of the parties to the inter-municipal agreement have jurisdiction over and/or review powers relating to the use and development of Irondequoit Bay and its surrounding area. The inter-municipal agreement does not impact and/or diminish any of the above parties' statutory jurisdictions. Rather, the IBCC provides a mechanism to balance the rights of all stakeholders while protecting the Bay's ecosystem.

Related Links:      

Environmental Conservation Rules and Regulations (NYS) http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/regs/index.html

Environmental Notice Bulletin, NYSDEC http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/enb

Town of Penfield Irondequoit Bay Harbor Management Plan http://www.penfield.org/web/deps/planning/plans.php

 

Irondequoit Bay Technical Staff (IBTS)

The Irondequoit Bay Technical Staff (IBTS) is a subcommittee of the IBCC. Membership is made up of representatives from the towns of Irondequoit, Penfield and Webster, Monroe County Planning and Development, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District, New York State Department of State, Environmental Management Council, and the Monroe County Water Quality Coordinating Committee. The IBTS was created to review proposed projects located around the Bay and offer comments and recommendations to the permit-issuing agency for their consideration.

For further information on the Irondequoit Bay Coordinating Committee and subcommittees, please Contact Us.

Related Links:      

Environmental Conservation Rules and Regulations (NYS) http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/regs/index.html

Environmental Notice Bulletin, NYSDEC http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/enb

Town of Penfield Irondequoit Bay Harbor Management Plan http://www.penfield.org/web/deps/planning/plans.php

 


Back to top

State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)

 

The Monroe County Department of Planning and Development is now offering the Spring 2009 Land Use Decision-Making Training program.  The program is designed especially for new and returning municipal board members; each workshop earns members of planning boards and zoning boards of appeals 2.5 credit hours toward their four-hour annual training requirement. The program is also of value to municipal officials and staff, agency personnel, planners, attorneys, architects, developers, engineers, landscape architects, surveyors and citizens. View Spring 2009 Training Program Brochure

The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) requires that government agencies consider the potential adverse environmental impacts of an action before a decision is made to undertake a project. State, county, and municipal agencies are subject to the review procedures outlined in SEQR.

The Division of Planning maintains up to date information on the SEQR regulations and is available to assist and answer questions on this complex process.

For further information, see Related Links or Contact Us.

Related Links:         Environmental Notice Bulletin, NYSDEC

                                NYSDEC – General SEQR Information

     

Back to top

  

Land Use Decision-Making Training Program

 

The Monroe County Department of Planning and Development is offering the Land Use Decision-Making Training Program in the Spring of 2010.  The program is designed especially for new and returning municipal board members; each workshop earns members of Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Appeals 2.5 credit hours toward their four-hour annual training requirement.  The program is also of value to municipal officials and staff, agency personnel, planners, attorneys, architects, developers, engineers, landscape architects, surveyors and citizens.

 

View Land Use Decision-Making Training Program Brochure

 

Back to top

 

Print this page Back to top