Town of North Greenbush completes Climate Smart Resiliency evaluation
NORTH GREENBUSH, N.Y. — The Town of North Greenbush recently announced the completion of an evaluation of its local plans, codes and policies using the New York State Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities to reduce vulnerability to flooding and other climate risks.
This process was accomplished by a team of town staff and elected officials who were assisted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County through a Climate Resilience Partnership.
The “Partnership” is a collaboration between Cornell Cooperative Extension associations in the Hudson Valley, with funding and assistance from the Hudson River Estuary Program and the New York State Water Resources Institute. The Town Board adopted a resolution in 2019 establishing North Greenbush as a Climate Smart Community and held a public meeting in October 2020 to review the planning report and the recommendations from the completed evaluation. This process allows the town to pro-actively plan for and mitigate against natural hazards and extreme weather events by establishing community resilience and reducing vulnerabilities.
“The North Greenbush Climate Smart Committee and Cornell Cooperative Extension Partnership Team put forth an outstanding effort to complete the Climate Smart Resiliency tool in a particularly challenging year," Councilperson Mary Frances Sabo, Chair of the Town Climate Smart Committee, stated.
The completed Town Planning Report and initiatives can be found on the Town website: www.townofng.com. Evaluating policies for climate resilience is a required action in the New York State Climate Smart Communities certification program. The action includes completing the state’s Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool, which provides a framework for communities to conduct a thorough review of planning documents, zoning codes, activities and policies to identify opportunities for climate preparedness.
This process culminates with a final report summarizing strengths and opportunities, as well as recommendations on how the municipality can better address climate-related risks in existing and future policies.
Recommendations contained within the Town report include:
Update stormwater management plans and associated mapping
Update the Town’s Comprehensive Plan to include resiliency/sustainability elements
Explore the inclusion of Zero Emissions Vehicle charging station capacity
Continue steps toward becoming a New York State Climate Smart Certified Community