Goshen opens public comment on comprehensive plan after 40 meetings

Goshen has opened a public comment period on the comprehensive plan that will steer zoning, development and other land-use decisions for years, after more than a year and a half of work and roughly 40 committee meetings. The Town Board held the public hearing at its May 14 meeting and is accepting written comments until the June 11 town board meeting.

The plan is not just a broad policy statement. The town posted an updated package on May 7 that included Environmental Assessment Form parts 1 and 2, a draft expanded part 3 and traffic study appendices, showing the document is moving through the state environmental review process as well as the planning process. Goshen’s website says the comprehensive plan is the philosophical framework that reflects how residents define quality of life, while zoning is the law that puts those goals into effect. In practical terms, the document could influence where housing goes, how dense it can be, how much open space remains protected and what kind of growth reaches downtown over the next decade.

The effort has deep roots. Town records date back to 1714, and Councilman Philip Canterino said when the review began at the July 25, 2024 Town Board meeting that the previous master plan update was in 2017 and relied on 2000 census data. Canterino led the Comprehensive Review Committee and said the work required substantial research, statistical data, patience, creativity and commitment from volunteers.

Residents who spoke at the hearing focused on what the plan would mean on the ground. Planning Board member Jeremy Zweig praised the draft as disciplined and detailed, then pointed to the Houston and Route 17A intersection, which he called the most dangerous in town, and urged the board to ask the state to lower the speed limit there. Transportation remains a live issue across Goshen, including a state project to modernize nearby Routes 17A and 94 with repaving, new signals, crosswalks, sidewalks, drainage work, a roundabout and culvert replacements.

County Legislator Jonathan Redeker said the plan recognizes both Goshen’s strengths and its burdens, including its role as the county seat and the presence of major county facilities and tax-exempt properties that serve the region. He also praised the plan for protecting water, farmland and historic character. Town auditor Justin Wood added a fiscal backdrop: Goshen has a healthy fund balance overall and lower debt than most towns, but the water fund is in deficit.

The Town Board also named itself lead agency for the SEQRA review of the comprehensive plan, while continuing to discuss Interstate Waste Services’ permit request for a renovated transfer station, including a proposed increase in daily waste intake from 600 tons to 670 tons. The company’s proposal would add 9,000 square feet, water storage for fire suppression, an electrical room and a loadout tunnel with a scale, underscoring how closely Goshen’s planning choices are tied to traffic, waste handling, infrastructure and the town’s long-term costs.