Hartford is currently preparing an updated Comprehensive Plan for the town. By outlining our vision for Hartford, and strategies for achieving that vision, our plan will continue to be a foundation for any policies and actions that we, as residents, want the town to implement in the future. The planning process typically involves three steps: understanding where we are now; deciding where we want to go; and choosing how we get from here to there. For the plan to be a useful and valuable resource, it is imperative that the public participate in this process. Otherwise, the town has no means of knowing what type and direction of change is wanted by residents, and what resources should be preserved and protected from change.

The Town Council has appointed a Steering Committee to guide development of the revised plan, which is composed of the following town officials and residents: Tom Abraham, Bob Dillon, Kevin Eastman, Phillip Gibson, Ami Goldstein, Dana Haff (Town Supervisor), Robert Holmes, Chrys Nestle, George Stokem (Committee Chair) and Sharon Weber.

Draft Plan Available for Public Review and Comment 

The first draft of the Hartford Comprehensive Plan is now available for download from the link above and the Comprehensive Plan Committee will be presenting the draft at public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21 at the Hartford Fire Hall.

The committee has been meeting for a year and has written the plan based on the public input received through a town-wide public opinion survey distributed in fall 2008 and three public planning workshops held last winter. Residents expressed overwhelming public support for maintaining Hartford’s rural character and agricultural economy. The purpose of the upcoming meeting is to engage town residents and property owners in further discussion about what the town could and should do to move towards its vision, and hear comments on the details of the plan.

Based on the results of this meeting, the committee will be making further revisions to the plan before bringing its recommendations to the Hartford Town Council for consideration. The plan outlines the town’s policies on a range of issues from economic development to land use and resource protection. The plan does not have the force of law, but is intended to guide the town’s decisionmaking.

Public Workshops 

The first workshop was held in January 2009 and around 70 residents came out that evening to assess the town’s strengths and weakness, and develop a shared vision for Hartford’s future. The materials and a summary of the discussion can be downloaded from the links on the left-hand side of this page. You can also view photos taken during the workshop by clicking on the thumbnail above.

At February’s meeting, we examined future growth and development patterns. We discussed where are the best places for new homes and businessses in Hartford and what development patterns are most appropriate on farmland, in a wooded area, or adjacent to our hamlets. The materials and a summary of the discussion can be downloaded from the links on the left-hand side of this page. You can also view the resulting maps and development plans, along with photos taken during the workshop by clicking on the thumbnail above.

The final public workshop was held in March 18, 2009. We focused on rural character, agricultural resources and the town’s natural environment.

Survey

As a first step in revising the Comprehensive Plan, residents were asked to complete a survey. The town previously surveyed residents in 2005 and this most recent survey followed up on those earlier responses with more detailed questions about preserving agriculture and promoting economic development in Hartford. The deadline for completing the survey was Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Thanks to everyone who took a few minutes to respond - we received 151 responses from the 940 surveys distributed. Complete survey results can be downloaded from the link on the left hand side of the page.