The Planning Division provides research, advisory and administrative support for an array of comprehensive and land use planning functions within the City of Poughkeepsie.
RFP for City of Poughkeepsie Development Code
Submission Deadline: June 27, 2008
The City of Poughkeepsie seeks to retain a professional consultant for the purpose of completing a comprehensive revision (currently underway) of its zoning and land use regulations. The current rezoning process began in February of 2006 with the hiring of a professional planning consultant. After two years, the City opted to terminate its contract with this consultant. The completed work has resulted in an incomplete draft of new Zoning and Land Development Regulations.
The current rezoning process was undertaken in order to update and supplant the City’s existing Zoning Code, which was adopted in 1979. In undertaking this rezoning process, the City was looking to depart from its strictly Euclidean Code, which is cumbersome, poorly formatted, difficult to use, wordy, and short on graphics and easy-to-use tables, and incorporate elements from Form-Based zoning, which would rely more on design guidelines and performance standards to better regulate form and function.
Generally, this New Code should preserve and strengthen the City’s urban form, protect and preserve its highly valued single family neighborhoods, promote and protect the City’s rich architectural heritage, and overall, encourage quality development consistent with the economic and aesthetic goals of the City.
Development Code Request for Proposal
(.pdf, 140kb)
Main Street and Waterfront Development Summary
(.pdf, 650kb)
Qualified applicants may contact Jeremy Doxsee for a digital copy of the exisiting Draft Code.
Jeremy Doxsee
Project Manager
jdoxsee@cityofpoughkeepsie.com
Comprehensive Planning
The City’s principle long-range plan, known as the “Comprehensive Plan,” serves as the blueprint for future growth and development, and provides a policy framework in which to guide municipal decisions. Usually updated every 5-10 years, the Comprehensive Plan was last revised in1998.
The Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP), which was drafted by the Waterfront Advisory Committee and adopted in 1998, provides the City and its residents with policy guidelines to help guide current and future land use decisions along the Hudson River waterfront.
Planning Staff assists in the application and administration of a variety of Federal and State planning, design, and construction grants.
Planning staff collaborates with City, County, and State agencies on a variety of highway, transit, and pedestrian/bicycle transportation planning projects.
Land Use Planning
A principle function of the Planning Division is to provide advisory and administrative support to the City’s Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Waterfront Advisory Committee, and Shade Tree Commission.
Planning Board
The Planning Board reviews a variety of development-related applications, including:
- site plans
- subdivisions
- special permits
- signs
- façades
- Common Council referrals for advisory opinions
- plans for altering nonconforming uses.
Planning staff attends all Planning Board meetings, and provides advisory and administrative support to the Board. In addition, planning staff ensures that all applicants comply with State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) requirements.
Zoning Board of Appeals
The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is a quasi-judicial board that is responsible for making zoning interpretations, recommending zoning changes to the Common Council, approving changes of legal nonconforming uses, and for ruling on area and use variance requests. Planning Staff attends all Zoning Board of Appeals meetings and provides advisory and administrative support.
Shade Tree Commission
The Shade Tree Commission (STC) was formed in 1978 in order to study the problems and needs of the city in connection with its tree planting program and to make recommendations to the Planning Board, City Administrator, and Mayor as to type and kind of trees to be planted in the City. Other functions include the dissemination of news and information regarding the protection, maintenance, removal and planting of trees in the City. Planning staff attends all STC meetings and provides advisory and administrative support.
Waterfront Advisory Committee
The Waterfront Advisory Committee (WAC) was appointed by Mayor and Common Council in 1986, and has served in an advisory capacity to the Mayor, Common Council, Planning Board, and other City officials for all activities and/or developments within the delineated boundaries of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Zone. Planning staff attends all WAC meetings and provides advisory and administrative support.
Application Deadlines and Meeting Schedules:
Planning Board:
- applications must be submitted to the Building Department two weeks prior to the first Tuesday of the month.
- meets the third and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chambers (third floor) of City Hall.
Zoning Board of Appeals:
- applications must be submitted to the Building Department by the third Friday of the month preceding the meeting.
- meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chambers (third floor) of City Hall.
The Shade Tree Commission:
- meets the second Wednesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in the in the Common Council Chambers (third floor) of City Hall.
Waterfront Advisory Committee:
- meets the first Wednesday of the month, when necessary, in the Common Council Chambers (third floor) of City Hall, at 6:00 p.m.
Need help or have any questions? Call us to make an appointment – we’ll be happy to meet with you.
Office Location
City Hall – 2nd Floor
Monday – Friday
8:30am – 4:30pm
Contact Info
Susan Sanderson, Senior Planner
planningdept@cityofpoughkeepsie.com
Jeremy Doxsee, Planner
jdoxsee@cityofpoughkeepsie.com
845-451-4055 Office
845-451-4059 Fax
Planning Department forms are available in the Forms and Applications section of this website.
