Planner outlines yearlong update of East Hampton Plan of Conservation and Development

Juliet Hodge, the town’s planning and zoning official, outlined the process and timeline for a yearlong update to East Hampton’s Plan of Conservation and Development (PCD).

Hodge described the PCD as the town’s long‑range visionary plan, covering housing, open space, infrastructure, sustainability and transportation. She said the process will include an online survey, neighborhood meetings, a steering committee drawn from boards and commissions, mapping updates and a data profile produced under an RFP. Hodge said the first steering‑committee meeting is expected at the end of April, that she has begun the map update and that she will post meeting summaries and mapping materials to the town website as the process progresses.

Hodge cited Connecticut General Statutes (Conn. Gen. Stat. 8‑23) as the statutory guidance for required PCD topics, and she noted that an up‑to‑date plan is important for eligibility for some discretionary state funding. She urged broad public participation and described a visioning session later in the process where goals and objectives will be drafted from survey and meeting results.

Council members discussed forming a representative steering committee and asked staff to notify boards and commissions to appoint volunteers. Hodge said she will circulate the steering‑committee request and summarize input as it is gathered.