relevant to the Village’s character and future development: • • • • • • Commercial areas and retail amenities Public facilities Recreational facilities Environmental issues Village objectives and spending priorities Strengths and weaknesses of Croton-on-Hudson These survey responses provide an overall guide to residents’ viewpoints and the local issues receiving the most attention. As a general indicator of public opinion, the survey can help further refine the issues and content of the Comprehensive Plan. The thoroughness of public involvement enabled Croton-on-Hudson residents to voice their concerns and ideas for community goals, and to advocate recommendations at critical points in the planning process. 4.2 Village Wide Recommendations Although numerous issues, viewpoints, and objectives were presented over the course of the planning process, the vision for the Plan shared by most participants to date emphasizes the following basic goals: preserving traditional qualities, strengthening assets, protecting resources. To realize these goals, the Plan emphasizes Croton-on-Hudson’s unique features as key elements to be protected, maintained, and enhanced to the greatest extent possible: the waterfronts; greenery, open space and trails; low key, smalltown quality; historic qualities and character; transportation and pedestrian access; economic diversity and tax base. The following village wide recommendations incorporate the key issues and opportunities to be addressed in the Plan: 1. Protect natural resources, maintain/improve parks, preserve natural character. These goals were generally viewed as paramount, since the natural environment was described as one of the defining features of Croton-onHudson, fundamental to the local quality of life. Other general recommendations include improving access to open space resources, with better signage, improved trails and links between these resources and the rest of the Village, and establishing a tree trail map. 2. Expand public recreation uses of the Hudson River waterfront park areas, and improve access to the waterfront. PAGE 77 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Although the acquisition of the Seprieo property has significantly expanded public waterfront parkland, access by auto and for pedestrians remains very limited. 3. Maintain economic diversity. Part of the Village’s unique character stems from the economic diversity of its residents. The Village should employ a balanced approach is made in selecting future spending programs, so that residents are not “priced out” of the Village through resulting tax increases. 4. Preserve the historic character of Croton-on-Hudson. The history and small town character of Croton-on-Hudson was viewed as central to its distinctive charm. Building upon Croton-on-Hudson’s historic assets and character throughout the Village is a central objective, to be realized through historic preservation efforts including the sensitive renovation of older structures, and the creation of architectural review standards and preservation ordinances in commercial zones where appropriate. As part of the effort to improve the overall appearance of the Village, the Village should maintain and renovate its municipal structures, such as the Municipal Building and firehouses, in a way that is consistent with the design standards developed for commercial buildings. 5. Improvements to signage throughout Village. The existing signage regulations help protect the aesthetic qualities of the Village. This Plan recommends strict enforcement of these regulations after giving commercial owners sufficient time to comply with the requirements of the law. As an additional step, the Village should design and place informational and directional signs in strategic locations, such as the Gateway areas, to direct residents and visitors to shopping areas and points of interest. 6. Improve the visual quality of Croton-on-Hudson, particularly in commercial districts and in the Upper Village as a means to create identifiable gateways and promote business attraction, as well as preserve the historic character and scale of the Village. Efforts should be made to reduce or eliminate “visual clutter” such as inappropriate, unnecessary or duplicated signs, overhead utility wires, and building designs that are not compatible with the character of the Village. The Village should also undertake the development and implementation of design guidelines for municipal and commercial buildings and consider, as a long-term option, the burying of utility wires in commercial areas, as discussed in Section 4.3. PAGE 78 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 7. Establish architectural review standards. As part of the effort to improve visual and built quality in Village, the Village should establish specific architectural standards to encourage good qualities of exterior building design and appearance, to relate such design and appearance to the site and surroundings of such structures, to permit originality and resourcefulness in building design and appearance which are appropriate to the site and surroundings, and to prevent such design and appearance as are unnecessarily offensive to visual sensibilities. The Planning Board should be given the powers of an Architectural Review Board to avoid redundancy in the application process. This power of architectural review should encompass all non-residential properties and also include new residential construction and major alterations in residentially-zoned districts. 8. Enhance the function of the Upper Village area, generally recognized as