Hudson River waterfront were described as “essential to the maintenance of the character and distinct life pattern of our Village.” The plan also stressed protection of the Hudson River and its shallow bays (Croton Bay at the mouth of the Croton River, and Haverstraw Bay), as key elements in the ecology of the Hudson River Valley. Protection of lands underwater, limitation (through zoning) of the types of industrial uses “consistent with the welfare and tranquility of our Village,” provision of recreation-conservation areas, as well as public access to the shoreline, were the waterfront recommendations. The Introduction to the Master Plan outlined general objectives (described as “value judgments”) to guide the future development of the Village, and noted that while the Master Plan was “not completely free of contradictions, it does in the opinion of the Planning Board express an overall vision of the sort of community that our Village is, or ought to strive to become.” The stated objectives of this vision are summarized as follows: Preserve low-density residential character. The Master Plan maintained that essential single-family residential character of Croton-on-Hudson should be preserved, although with some flexibility in permitting modest increase in townhouses, attached dwellings, and small apartments. It was estimated that when fully developed the Village could support a population of 15,000 residents. The Master Plan’s zoning recommendations for residential areas therefore focused on ways to limit the projected growth in population to this estimate. The Village should have an identifiable “core,” containing the greatest density of commercial and residential uses. The Master Plan defined the Upper Village and the Riverside Avenue shopping PAGE 9 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN area as the two ends of this core, which together formed the larger Central Village. This area was to be preserved and enhanced as the focal point of Croton-on-Hudson identity, characterized by commercial and office uses, municipal facilities, and higher density residential structures. In its emphasis on the core, the Master Plan sought to avoid sprawl and scattering of uses in unrelated parts of the Village. Preserve areas of open woodland through clustering of residential units. Protect waterfront assets. Control the development of Hudson River waterfront, and preserve as essentially undeveloped the Croton River waterfront. Encourage commercial/industrial development to increase tax base. The Master Plan noted that it “does not envision Croton-on-Hudson becoming a regional or semi-regional shopping center, and does not encourage the proliferation and scattering of retail stores throughout the Village, at the possible expense of the economic survival of the Central Village.” b. Preliminary Market Analysis and Design Study, Upper Village, June 1981 Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. was retained to prepare an economic market study of the Upper Village area to analyze how this area functions, its trade area, its strengths and weaknesses, and to identify opportunities for public and private actions to preserve and build upon the charm, scale, and atmosphere of the area. The primary goal defined in the study, is “to preserve and build upon the special scale, charm, and atmosphere of the Upper Village.” The recommendations of the study included stabilizing existing businesses and attracting a limited number of compatible new ones, especially specialty stores, boutiques, personal services, and small offices. Improvements to the streetscape, façades, and to the overall image of the Upper Village (e.g. through the use of a logo), would help achieve these goals. c. Croton-on-Hudson Local Program (LWRP), 1992 Waterfront Revitalization The Croton-on-Hudson LWRP was adopted in March 1992 by the Village’s Board of Trustees, and later approved by the NYS Secretary of State (June 1992) and the U.S. Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (August 1992). The coastal zone in Crotonon-Hudson extends to the eastern boundary of the Village, because the LWRP “considers the entire Village of Croton-on-Hudson to have a direct and significant relationship with both the Croton and PAGE 10 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Hudson Rivers…the topography of the Village is such that inland areas contain primary viewsheds of the Rivers and waterfront and provide an important visual identity of the Village with the River.” (LWRP, page I-3). Since all of Croton-on-Hudson lies within the Coastal Zone, the land use policies set forth in the LWRP apply to the entire Village. In addition to the 44 statewide and 49 local coastal zone policies described in detail, the LWRP outlines a series of local objectives including linking parks and waterfront areas, improving waterfront access, expanding existing recreational areas, protecting scenic views, and updating the Village’s master plan for consistency with the LWRP and the development goals for the Village. (See Section 3.2g for a more detailed description of these policies). Several projects are listed in the LWRP to implement the above objectives, including trail improvement, waterfront improvement, and additional environmental and traffic studies, as well as the “amendment of the 1977 Master Plan to ensure