Sea Cliff to Get New “Master Plan”

By Maureen Daly

The Village of Sea Cliff is adopting a new community plan.

Representatives from the village's planners - BFJ Planning - met with residents of Sea Cliff last week to answer questions about the Comprehensive Plan.

They were joined by some public officials and members of the Long Range Planning Committee and discussed early data gathering plans and questions and concerns from the public.

The Comprehensive Plan in the works by Sea Cliff was started in 2019 and is the first such plan initiated by the village since 1970. Such plans are used by businesses, governments and nonprofits to develop an outline for bringing short-term achievements into the long-term.

Frank Fisch, a founder of BFJ which is consulting firm dedicated to urban design, environmental analysis, explained that among the goals of the plan was to ensure that the village would be prepared for any future issues from environmental concerns to zoning issues to the rising cost of living.

“The plan should be a reflection of the issues for which the Sea Cliff residents’ desire protection or alteration,” stated Fisch.

There was a lot of dialogue regarding zoning laws and potential sales issues surrounding the North Shore Country Club. He also reiterated that zoning laws could be changed as necessary through the Comprehensive Plan.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail,” noted Sea Cliff Mayor Elena Villafane, who added that the village will save money in the long run by looking to the future and anticipating problems before they occur.