A Greenprint that Makes Fiscal Sense
In 1993, Pittsford, N.Y. commissioned a fiscal analysis of the revenues and expenses associated with existing and potential land uses. The analysis showed that it would be less expensive to implement a new land use plan rather than continue the current zoning policy.
The proposed plan, entitled "Greenprint for Pittsford's Future", targeted 2,000 acres of land for permanent protection while also creating several enhanced economic development sites for commercial and light industrial expansion. The community supported the plan, recognizing that protection of open space, including purchase of development rights, would cost taxpayers less per year than full build out of the town. Landowners supported the plan because they were compensated for the loss of their development rights.
Today, Pittsford has a network of preserved open space that is a regional model and has been hailed as a program that serves as a national model for community conservation.
For more information on this project, see Related Links at bottom right of screen.
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