Westchester Action Plan, 2008 - Westchester County Government

use patterns and a presentation of ways to apply the policies at the county and local levels.
The plan is proposed to replace Patterns for Westchester: the Land and the People,
adopted by the County Planning Board in December 1995. After an extensive public review
process, the Board aims to adopt the new policies in spring 2008.
Strategy for a Sustainable Future
To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts, adapt to climate change, and ensure
sustainable development, the Community of Westchester must find ways to:
1) Preserve appropriate environmentally
sensitive undeveloped land so as to
reduce sprawl, capture carbon and
protect natural ecosystems including
wetlands and forests.
2) Encourage higher density mixed use
development in centers and along
major transportation corridors.
3) Improve existing land use planning
processes.
a) Enhance current regional planning efforts.
Carbon capture through
sequestration is the removal of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere into a
biological unit. For example, CO 2 is
absorbed by plants and used for
growth. In New York State, forests
hold an average of over 200,000 lbs. of
carbon per acre.
b) Integrate climate change concerns and sustainable site development
concepts into planning processes.
Address Climate Change through Comprehensive Planning
The Task Force recommends that climate change and sustainable development concepts be
addressed within and integrated into the existing planning processes. Specifically
Comprehensive Planning should incorporate and address the following issues:
♦ Open space planning that identifies, inventories and prioritizes critical areas to be
preserved;
♦ Acquisition of land for purposes of sequestration;
♦ Identification of forestry patterns and forest coverage, including street trees, to
identify locations requiring management and planting;
♦ Encouragement of linked biodiversity corridors;
♦ Protection and enhancement of farmlands and agricultural areas;
♦ Promotion of transit-based development;
♦ Promotion of affordable housing near workplaces and mass transit;
Attachment 7: Land Use
Westchester Action Plan, 2008 7-2