The City of Rensselaer Planning Commission meets monthly on the second Monday at 6:30 PM (if there is business pending). Application materials are due in the Planning Office three weeks in advance of the meeting.
Early Notice and Public Review of a Proposed City Project in the Hudson River 100-Year Floodplain and Map of Proposed Plan
EARLY NOTICE AND PUBLIC REVIEW OF A PROPOSED CITY PROJECT IN THE HUDSON RIVER 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN
To all Interested Agencies, Groups and Individuals:
This is to give notice that the City of Rensselaer has conducted an evaluation as required by Executive Order 11988, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands, to determine the potential affect(s) that its activity in the 100-year floodplain of the Hudson River will have on the human environment for the Neighborhood Safe Parks Improvements Project funded in part with a FY 2022 NYS Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Award (CDBG #974PF87-22).
A portion of the Neighborhood Safe Parks Improvements Project is located in the 100-year floodplain of the Hudson River, located at Riverfront Park on the west side of Broadway and in the vicinity of the on-and-off ramps for the Dunn Memorial Bridge within the City of Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, NY. The Riverfront Park portion of the Project involves using CDBG funding to replace the existing playground in the same general location with new safe, modern, and accessible playground equipment and permeable ground surface, replace and install park benches, barbecue grill stands, and trash receptacles along existing pathways within the Park at various spaced locations, install a hydration and hands washing station (not a building) that would be connected to an existing City water main to provide sanitary hand washing and water bottle filling services for park patrons, and install WIFI connectivity equipment, generally routers and signal transmitters mounted on existing structures, to improve broadband services within the Park. There are no park improvements or other Project activities proposed for the Hudson River shoreline, any existing floodway area, or within nearby Mill Creek and its streambed which runs through the southern part of Riverfront Park.
The purpose of these improvements is to provide opportunities for safe park and recreational facility usage by City residents, replace deteriorated and unsafe equipment and park fixtures such as broken playground items and unsafe or rotted benches, and promote Riverfront Park for more passive and active fitness and recreational activities and safe gatherings by residents. No actual building foundations, new building structures, or new or increased paved surfaces will occur within the floodplain, and there are no known wetlands expected to be impacted by Project activities at this location per available wetlands mapping. The amount of land acreage to be disturbed within the floodplain in Riverfront Park (and subsequently restored with grass restoration and landscaping) within the floodplain is less than one-quarter of an acre.
There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in the Hudson River floodplain and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information to the City about this Project Area. Commenters are encouraged to offer alternative sites outside of the floodplain, alternative methods to serve the same project purpose, and methods to minimize and mitigate impacts. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about floodplains can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in floodplains, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.
Written comments must be received by the City of Rensselaer at the following address postmarked on or dated by (if by Email) Wednesday, November 9, 2022: City of Rensselaer, Attention: Mayor and Certifying Officer, City Hall, 62 Washington Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144, or by phone at (518) 462-9511 (please leave a detailed message). Comments may also be submitted via Email and addressed to the Mayor and Certifying Officer at: [email protected] by the same date specified above. A map and description of the Project may be reviewed at the Planning and Development Department on the second floor of City Hall at 62 Washington Street or at the City’s website at www.rensselaerny.gov
Date: October 25, 2022
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The Planning Commission consists of six members who are city residents appointed by the Mayor to terms of three years. The list of Planning Commission members may be viewed by clicking the membership link on this webpage.
Read "The Role of the Layman in Planning", by Carl J. Mays.
Comprehensive Plan
In 2005, the Planning Commission adopted a set of Land Use and Development Goals intended to guide its future decisions for the beneficial growth and redevelopment of the City. The adopted plan, future land use map, and appendices are listed below.