Town board schedules comprehensive plan hearing for May 8 in school cafeteria
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH - The Town of Bath will hold a public hearing on a draft comprehensive plan for the municipality at 7 p.m. May 8 in the Haverling High School cafeteria.

Once adopted by the town, the plan will guide future development in the town, including the possibility of land use regulations affecting the location of adult businesses.

It was the opening of an adult products store on Worth Road in 2004 that led to the formation of a committee charged with drafting a long range plan for land usage regulations. A draft version of that plan was submitted to the town board at the end of 2007.

Regarding adult businesses, the draft comprehensive plan noted adult businesses have "unique secondary impacts" on surrounding neighborhoods, including:

• Increased crime levels

• Degradation and blighting of neighborhoods

• Depreciations of commercial and residential properties.

Beyond the issues relating to adult businesses, some area residents are likely to urge the town board to consider more sweeping land use regulations.

An organization identifying itself as the Bath NY Group for Responsible Development said last week local residents hope to work with the town board to develop a comprehensive plan "that will help pave the way to effective land use regulations."

The group had opposed the construction of a Wal- Mart "supercenter" on state Route 54, citing a possible "negative impact on our environment, our local businesses, traffic and our overall small town economic health."