Rye residents will have multiple ways to shape the city's first long-range plan in more than 40 years, after the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee's second meeting laid out a detailed public engagement strategy on July 27.

Eight of the committee's 15 members gathered at the Locust Avenue Fire House for a 90-minute session led by consultants Tiffany Zezula, deputy director of the Land Use Law Center at Pace University, and Corey Block of AKRF Planning, the White Plains-based firm that has completed comprehensive plans for more than 25 New York municipalities, the Rye Record reported.

The centerpiece is what City Manager Brian Shea described to the City Council on Sunday, July 26, as a "hub-and-spoke" engagement model. The steering committee sits at the center. Six technical advisory groups fan out from it, each covering a major planning topic: housing and demographics, economic development and downtown vitality, transportation and mobility, environment and natural resources, parks/recreation and waterfront, and history/culture and community.

Neighborhood groups form the outer ring, tasked with bringing priorities from every part of the city into the process.

Beyond those formal channels, the plan calls for community-wide workshops and smaller "kitchen-table" conversations designed to give residents more personal settings to share ideas. The committee also discussed building an inventory of local nonprofits, clubs, and community groups to make sure no organization is left out of outreach.

Block told the committee that consultants are currently gathering feedback from the public and conducting their own research before moving to preliminary recommendations, emphasizing that the steering committee will serve as a "sounding board" throughout.

Five phases, 18 months

The planning process is divided into five phases: Kickoff & Background Research (currently underway), Visioning, Initial Recommendations, Draft Plan, and Plan Adoption & Environmental Review. The full timeline: about 18 months.

Transportation and mobility emerged as a key discussion point at the July 27 meeting, with committee members highlighting its connections to economic development, sustainability, and quality of life. Topics included improving access to commercial areas, expanding sidewalk and crosswalk infrastructure, evaluating parking needs, and considering alternative transportation options.

The committee also aims to align the plan with state funding programs that increasingly reward municipalities for incorporating environmental and resilience goals.

A more readable plan

Unlike the 1985 plan, which reads like an 87-page technical report, the committee said the new document should be accessible to everyday residents. That means summaries, clearly stated goals, and interactive online features.

Mayor Josh Nathan, who attended the meeting alongside Deputy Mayor James Ward, City Manager Shea, Corporation Counsel Kristen Wilson, and City Planner Christian Miller, noted that four consulting groups are involved in the project.

"The person who came here 30 years ago, had one promise. The person who came here 10 years ago, has a different version of that. There is some variety," Nathan said, acknowledging the range of expectations residents bring to the table.

As we reported July 18, the committee expanded from 12 to 15 members earlier this summer, adding two Rye High School students and correcting an appointment mix-up involving two residents with the same name.

The committee closed the July 27 session by sending out a survey to find a common date for its August meeting. The city is also exploring a hybrid format so members who are traveling can participate remotely.

How to get involved

Residents can follow the process and sign up for participation opportunities at cityofryecomprehensiveplan.com. The site includes resource documents, meeting materials, and links to upcoming surveys. The City Council will ultimately adopt the final plan following public hearings.

Coming up: The steering committee's next meeting is expected in August; a date has not yet been announced. Check online for updates on TAG recruitment and neighborhood engagement sessions.