INTRODUCTION

Planning board and zoning board of appeals members make decisions of major importance to their communities and to all New Yorkers. These decisions can affect the function and appearance of communities for decades to come while impacting property interests important to individual New Yorkers. For this reason the State of New York requires all Planning Board members and members of the local Board of Zoning Appeals to undergo four hours of training each year.

The Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development provides several opportunities throughout the year to help those on local planning boards and ZBAs to meet this training requirement. In addition, there are many training opportunities available in neighboring counties and on-line.

Pre-registration for trainings is required by 3pm the day of the training. To sign up, please use the links below or contact the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development at (315) 253-1276 or by e-mail at planning@cayugacounty.us.

All trainings are free of charge and designed for members of locally elected and appointed boards. Materials from past trainings are available HERE.

TRAININGS

Planning & Zoning Case Law Update | 5:00pm
SEQR | 6:30pm
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Cayuga County Office Building, 6th floor Legislative Chambers
Click here to register

From 5:00 to 6:15pm, NYS Department of State will summarize recent cases that pertain to land use and the implications of them on land use regulation at the local level explored. Opinions by the New York State Attorney General, Office of State Comptroller, and Committee on Open Government that pertain to land use and local governance will also be reviewed. Understanding the SEQR process is an essential part of the job for any member of a Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals. This presentation, given by the New York State Department of State includes an overview of the environmental assessment form (EAF), Type I, Type II, and Unlisted actions and the sequence of making a positive or negative declaration on a project’s potential to have an adverse impact on the environment. The relationship between the administration of local regulations and SEQR will also be discussed. It is expected to last from 6:30 to 8:30pm

Introduction to Smart Growth & Visualizing Density
Wednesday, July 25, 2012 | 7PM
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Conference Room
Click here to register

In 2010, then-Governor Patterson signed the Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Investment Act into law. County Planning staff will introduce the concept of Smart Growth and focus on what it means in the context of rural and small towns. We will discuss Capital Improvement Plans, fiscal responsibility, cost-of-community-services studies, conservation subdivisions, farmland preservation techniques and sprawl. Finally, we will provide illustrative examples of residential density throughout the region to give attendees a better sense of what their zoning codes allow.

Intermediate Planning Board - Site Plan Review & Subdivision

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 | 7PM
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Conference Room
Click here to register

County Planning staff will provide training on the intricacies of site plan review and subdivision.

Zoning Board of Appeals
(For Southern Cayuga County Towns & Villages)
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 | 7PM
Town of Moravia Fire Hall
Click here to register

Zoning Board of Appeals
(For Central Cayuga County Towns & Villages)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | 7PM
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Conference Room
Click here to register

Building on the success of the 2011 ZBA training for Northern Cayuga County Towns & Villages, these two trainings will provide an in-depth look at the statutory role of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the use variance and the area variance. County Planning staff will provide a resource book with sample documents, reference materials, SEQR & 239 review forms and a variance reference card.

***Association of Towns Planning & Zoning Training
TBD Cayuga County Department of Planning & Economic Development is working with the Association of Towns to bring their annual Planning and Zoning Training to Cayuga County. Details should be available by April 2012.

Click here for a pdf of the above information

Materials from Past Trainings

Visit the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development blog at http://cayugaplanning.posterous.com.