The Comprehensive Plan
Q: What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A Comprehensive Plan is a long-term roadmap for a city’s future. It brings together community input, data, and local priorities to guide decisions about land use, housing, transportation, economic development, parks, and more.
It helps answer big questions like:
How should Peekskill grow? What should be preserved? What needs to change? What upgrades are needed?
Most importantly, a Comprehensive Plan reflects the community’s shared vision and lays out clear, actionable steps to help make that vision a reality over time.
Q: How will the The Peekskill Plan be used?
A Comprehensive Plan is used to guide everyday decisions about how a city grows and changes over time.
It helps City leaders, staff, institutions, developers, and community members:
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Make informed decisions about land use and development
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Shape policies and zoning to reflect community priorities
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Guide investments in infrastructure, housing, parks, and public services
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Coordinate across projects and departments so efforts align
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Evaluate proposals to ensure they support the community’s vision
While it doesn’t enforce rules on its own, the plan sets the direction for future actions, policies, and investments.
Q: Who will The Peekskill Plan be used by?
The Peekskill Plan will be used by a wide range of people to guide decisions about the city’s future, including:
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City officials and staff to guide policy, budgeting, and daily decision-making
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Planning and zoning boards to inform review of development proposals
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Elected leaders to set priorities and make informed choices
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Developers and property owners to understand the City’s vision and expectations
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Community organizations and advocates to support local initiatives
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Residents to stay informed and engaged in how Peekskill grows and changes
The plan is a shared tool—meant to keep everyone aligned around a common vision for Peekskill’s future.
Q: Why does the City of Peekskill need a new comprehensive plan?
Peekskill’s current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1981. Since then, the city has experienced decades of change—new development, shifting housing needs, economic growth, and evolving community priorities.
The Peekskill Plan will replace the 1981 plan and provide an updated roadmap that reflects the city as it exists today. It will address current opportunities and challenges while guiding future decisions around housing, land use, economic development, transportation, and more.
This update is a chance to take a fresh, comprehensive look at how Peekskill can grow and evolve in a way that reflects the needs, values, and aspirations of the community today.
Q: Why now?
Peekskill has changed a lot since 1981. The city is experiencing development pressure, particularly around housing growth, which presents both challenges and opportunities. This moment allows Peekskill to plan proactively—supporting smart growth while also improving public spaces, connectivity, and resilience to climate change.
The City’s last Comprehensive Plan was completed in 1981, meaning much of today’s planning is guided by more recent documents like the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (2004, updated 2015) and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Plan (2022).
Updating the Comprehensive Plan now provides an opportunity to bring these efforts together into one unified, citywide vision. It ensures that future decisions are guided by current conditions, community priorities, and a shared direction for Peekskill’s growth.
Q: What are some of the problems that the current comprehensive plan has now?
Peekskill’s current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1986, and while it provided valuable guidance at the time, it no longer fully reflects the city as it exists today.
Some key limitations include:
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Outdated data and assumptions that don’t reflect current population trends, housing needs, or economic conditions
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Limited guidance on today’s issues, such as housing affordability, climate resilience, and equitable development
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Misalignment with current zoning and development patterns
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Lack of clear, actionable strategies to guide implementation
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Does not reflect community priorities today, as the city has changed significantly over time
Updating the plan allows Peekskill to address these gaps and create a more relevant, forward-looking roadmap for the future.
Q: Why should I care about The Peekskill Plan?
Because it directly shapes your day-to-day life—and how the City makes decisions.
The Peekskill Plan guides how the City approaches housing, development, transportation, parks, and neighborhood character. It helps determine what gets built, where it happens, and what priorities the City focuses on over time.
It’s also a key tool the City uses to evaluate proposals, guide investments, and make sure decisions across departments are aligned with a shared vision for Peekskill’s future.
And just as importantly, it’s your chance to have a say. The plan is built on community input, so your voice can help shape how Peekskill grows and changes.
It’s about making sure the future of Peekskill reflects what matters to the people who live here.
Q: Who is leading The Peekskill Plan?
The Peekskill Plan is a collaborative effort led by the City of Peekskill, bringing together local leadership, community members, and technical expertise to shape a shared vision for the city’s future.
Guided by the Department of Planning & Development and supported by a multidisciplinary consultant team, the process is grounded in both professional insight and local knowledge. The Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC)—a group of residents, civic leaders, and stakeholders—helps guide the plan’s direction and ensure it reflects community priorities.
Most importantly, the plan is shaped by the people of Peekskill. Through workshops, surveys, and ongoing engagement, residents, business owners, and organizations play a central role in defining the vision and strategies that will guide the city forward.
Q: Who ultimately will decide to approve the updated Comprehensive Plan?
In Peekskill, the Common Council is responsible for formally adopting the Comprehensive Plan. All members of the Common Council are residents of the City of Peekskill, elected to represent the community and its interests.
The Planning Commission plays a key role in preparing, reviewing, and recommending updates to the Plan, while also advising throughout the process. The Department of Planning and Development facilitates the effort, often working alongside a professional consulting team to support research, public engagement, and plan development.
Together, this process ensures the Plan reflects community input and professional planning guidance before it is ultimately adopted by the Common Council.
Q: How does The Peekskill Plan Get Adopted?
The draft Peekskill Plan is developed through a public process that includes community input, technical analysis, and review by the Planning Commission and City staff. Once the draft is complete, it is shared publicly for review and feedback before moving through formal public hearings and final consideration.
The Planning Commission reviews the Plan and provides a recommendation, and the Common Council makes the final decision to adopt it through a public vote.
Q: What happens after the Plan is adopted?
Once adopted, the Comprehensive Plan becomes the City’s official long-term guide for future growth, development, and decision-making.
It is used by the City to inform decisions about zoning, land use, development proposals, public investments, and policy updates. While it doesn’t change laws on its own, it helps ensure that future decisions are consistent with the community’s vision for Peekskill.
The Plan is also intended to be a living document, meaning it can guide decisions over time and be updated as the City continues to grow and change.
Q: What makes a Comprehensive Plan different from other plans?
A Comprehensive Plan is different because it looks at the big picture of the entire city and sets a long-term vision for how it should grow and develop.
Unlike smaller or more focused plans (like neighborhood studies or single-topic plans), a Comprehensive Plan brings everything together in one place—housing, land use, transportation, parks, economic development, and more.
It also:
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Looks long-term, typically 10–20 years into the future
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Covers the whole city, not just one area or issue
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Guides multiple decisions, across different departments and boards
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Connects community vision to action, helping shape future policies, zoning, and investments
In short, a Comprehensive Plan is the City’s overarching roadmap—it helps ensure that all other plans and decisions are working toward the same shared vision for the future.
Q: When will the plan be complete?
The Peekskill Plan is currently underway, with adoption anticipated in September 2027.
Before adoption, the City will go through several phases including research, community engagement, draft development, and public review. This process is designed to ensure residents have meaningful opportunities to provide input and help shape the final Plan before it is formally adopted.
Q: What does a successful Comprehensive Plan look like for Peekskill?
A successful Peekskill Plan is one that clearly reflects the community’s values and helps guide real, positive change over time.
It should be easy to use, widely understood, and actively referenced by the City when making decisions about housing, development, transportation, parks, and other key issues.
Most importantly, a successful plan:
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Reflects what residents want for Peekskill’s future
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Provides clear, practical guidance for City decision-making
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Helps align policies, investments, and projects around a shared vision
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Is flexible enough to stay relevant as the city evolves
In the end, success means the Plan doesn’t just sit on a shelf—it helps shape a stronger, more connected, and more resilient Peekskill.
Q: What is Smart Growth?
Smart Growth is a planning approach that encourages communities to grow in a way that is sustainable, efficient, and responsive to local needs.
For Peekskill, Smart Growth means guiding development so it strengthens the city’s existing character while improving quality of life for residents. It focuses on making better use of land and infrastructure, supporting walkable neighborhoods, and ensuring that growth aligns with community priorities.
The Peekskill Plan will incorporate the following Smart Growth principles:
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Promote mixed land uses where appropriate.
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Create an adequate range of housing opportunities and choices.
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Promote development where infrastructure is adequate and sustainable.
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Build on the existing traits that give Peekskill a sense of place.
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Promote public spaces.
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Promote mobility and circulation within Peekskill and connectivity to neighboring places.
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Promote mass transit.
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Promote walkable/bikeable neighborhood designs
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Stimulate the economy through visitorship
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Integrate clean energy resources using incentives.
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Improve resiliency to extreme weather events.
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Encourage social diversity and integration.
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Expand planning and implementation efforts across jurisdictional lines.
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Promote community and stakeholder collaboration in planning.
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Promote fiscally responsible and financially sustainable policies
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In short, Smart Growth is about helping Peekskill grow in a way that is connected, resilient, and aligned with the community’s long-term vision.
Engagement
Q: What is the Comprehensive Planning Committee?
The Comprehensive Planning Committee is a representative body guiding the overall direction of the plan, building consensus, and connecting the planning process to the broader community. The CPC includes:
Steering Committee (SC)
City-appointed staff and officials who provide technical guidance, policy alignment, and institutional knowledge to ensure strategies are feasible, actionable, and consistent with City priorities.
Resident Advisory Committee (RAC)
Community members selected through an open public application and lottery process who provide insight from lived experience, local knowledge, and neighborhood perspectives. RAC members participate in meetings, review materials, and serve as ambassadors to the broader public.
Q: What about perspectives and experiences that are not represented in the advisory committee?
The Peekskill Plan is designed to include voices beyond the Advisory Committee, recognizing that not everyone can or will be represented in that group.
The City is expanding participation through a Community Ambassador program—engaging trusted, well-connected community members to share information, gather input, and connect with people through existing networks, organizations, and everyday spaces.
In addition, there will be public surveys, workshops, and other engagement opportunities offered throughout the process. These are designed to meet people where they are and make it easy to participate in different ways and at different times.
Together, these efforts help ensure the Plan reflects a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and voices from across the Peekskill community.
Q: Will there be other ways to get involved if I’m not on the committees?
Yes—there will be many ways to participate throughout the process.
The Peekskill Plan is designed to be open and accessible, with public surveys, workshops, events, and activities happening at key moments so residents can share input and stay informed.
You can also get involved as a Community Ambassador, helping to connect your networks and community to the planning process by sharing information and gathering feedback.
Opportunities to participate will be announced throughout the project, making it easy to get involved in a way that works for you.
Q: How will the public be informed about the Peekskill Plan process?
The consultant team and the City of Peekskill will work together to share updates and opportunities to get involved throughout the process.
You can follow along on Instagram at @thepeekskillplan, sign up for email updates through the project’s newsletter distribution list, and visit the Get Involved page on the website to see upcoming events and opportunities.
The website and Instagram will also host public surveys and questionnaires. In addition, flyers and printed materials will be distributed at local libraries, public spaces, and businesses throughout Peekskill.
You can also sign up to be a Community Ambassador to help share information directly within your networks and neighborhoods.
Together, these efforts are designed to keep the community informed and make it easy to participate throughout the planning process.
Contact / Logistics
Q: Who should I contact with questions?
We’d love to hear from you!
The best way to reach the team is by email at hello@thepeekskillplan.com for a quick response.