Pittsford Village Comprehensive Plan
Foreword (2019)
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At JFK International Airport, a traveler from Pittsford Village hurried to catch his flight. Suddenly he stopped as he caught sight of a large New York State tourism display featuring a familiar view from our village’s Main Street bridge. The Sam Patch was underway on the Erie Canal. The historic architecture of Schoen Place formed a charming backdrop for people enjoying the canal trail on a sunny day. “This summer, cruise through history,” read the headline. The tagline: “It’s here. It’s only here.”
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New York State created the ad to promote the entire Erie Canal, of course, not specifically Pittsford. Still, the photo was selected because our village offers an iconic and rare view of the canal as it flows through an intact, historical setting.
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The unexpected glimpse of our tiny village, in the midst of one of the world’s busiest airports, compelled the traveler to momentarily pause and reflect on the uniqueness of his hometown. His experience was similar to that of a community coming together to draft a comprehensive plan. The process demands a pause, a fresh look, a renewed vision for the future, as well as a renewed appreciation for the vision of community leaders in the past.
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Fifty years ago, Andrew Wolfe, a founder of Historic Pittsford and champion of citizen involvement in issues that affect our natural and built environments, introduced a Plan for Pittsford. As he put it, the plan’s goal was “to preserve the village’s individual charm and atmosphere, its quiet, and its greenness.”
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In updating the most recent plan we, the Steering Committee, are building on the work of all those community leaders who came before us. This plan, together with the new Village Zoning Code that it informs, is the result of hours of listening, learning, engaging, and collaborating.
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The Steering Committee would like to thank the residents, business leaders, government officials, and all participants who came together to imagine a future that preserves and builds upon all the best qualities of our village.
Tom Cummings
Chair - Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee
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