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Peekskill sustainability staff present climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan
Summary
City sustainability staff presented the Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan (CVAP), summarizing resident survey results (143 respondents) and recommending nine strategies — from more tree plantings to resilience hubs — with a goal of formal adoption so measures are integrated into the city's comprehensive plan.
Emma Kaminski, the city sustainability coordinator through the Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, and partner Janelle Kazarek presented the City of Peekskill Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan to the Common Council on April 7. They described the CVAP as a two‑part package: a climate vulnerability assessment identifying local assets and risks, and an adaptation plan listing feasible, equitable strategies to reduce exposure and build resilience. "The adaptation plan outlines strategies that prepare the city to better withstand the climate threats and then adapt to the new normal climate and weather conditions," Kaminski said.
Presenters said the outreach phase included a climate‑vulnerability survey that produced 143 resident responses. Staff reported more than 75% of respondents were very or extremely concerned about high energy costs tied to extreme temperatures; over 70% cited concerns for trees, wildlife, and water infrastructure; and over 60% highlighted health risks from rising temperatures. The presenters tied those concerns to nine recommended strategies, among them distributing multilingual preparedness materials through the Peekskill Emergency Notification System, reviewing building and zoning codes to enable distributed energy projects including battery storage and geothermal, implementing green‑infrastructure stormwater management and an expanded tree‑planting program, and creating a resilience hub and municipally deployable accessible transportation for extreme events.
Kaminski and Kazarek asked the council for feedback and said staff will post the most recent draft on the city's website and return with a final plan for formal adoption. The presentation noted the tree program is timed to a 2025 city tree inventory funded by a 2024 New York State DEC grant. The city manager and councilmembers requested supporting climate‑hazard data and agreed staff should provide regional weather records to compare resident concerns with historical metrics. No formal vote was taken; staff said next steps include collecting that data, incorporating council feedback, and returning with an adoption resolution.
