2025 Workshop
View the 2025 Workshop Program to see the Agenda, Speaker Biographies, and Session Descriptions.
Plenary Session
In Motion – the Long-Range Transportation Plan for the Capital Region
This session is designed for planning and zoning board members to understand how long-range transportation planning intersects with local land use decisions and how municipalities can actively contribute to shaping the region’s transportation future.
Session Speakers: Sandy Misiewicz
Sustainability Sessions
Climate Action Planning
Capital Region communities have been working to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and are making great progress. This session explores the recently completed CDRPC Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) for the Capital Region, funded by the U.S. EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, which provides a regional framework to further support local climate action.
Session Speakers: Todd Fabozzi, Tara Donadio & Haley Balcanoff
Planning for Battery Energy Storage Systems
Participants will learn about the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Guidebook, which provides comprehensive tools, model laws, permitting templates, and inspection checklists to support local governments in responsibly managing energy storage development. NYSERDA also offers a series of webinars and technical resources that address zoning, fire safety, decommissioning, and taxation considerations for BESS projects.
Session Speakers: Jennifer Manierre & Eva Hoskin
Water Quality Sessions
Municipal Board’s Review Responsibilities Relating to Stormwater
This session will cover what a review board should understand during a project review when it comes to stormwater. The course will cover the required knowledge with tools and recommendations to assist the board member to better understand what happens prior, during, and after a project review when it comes to stormwater.
Session Speakers: Lindsay Buck, Floria Huizinga & Scott Reese
Lessons Learned: Recent Updates to State and Federal Wetlands Regulations
New York State and federal agencies have enacted significant updates to wetlands regulations that will reshape how municipalities approach land use, development review, and environmental permitting. This session is designed for planning and zoning board members to understand the implications of these changes and how to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.
Session Speakers: Terresa Bakner, Frank Barbera, Kevin Weed & Yates Lansing
Securing Our Water Future with DWSP2 Resources and Support
The Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) assists local governments to create community-specific drinking water protection plans in a way that strengthens relationships, fosters collaboration, and engages stakeholders. This session will cover the free technical assistance and resources available, highlight previous communities that have gone through this process, and next steps for interested communities.
Session Speakers: Tyler Bobko & Alyssa Bement
Planning and Zoning Sessions
Planning and Zoning Board Procedures and Ethical Obligations
Effective planning and zoning meetings are essential to fair, transparent and legally sound land use decision-making. This session is intended to provide Board Members with practical guidance on how to conduct meetings that are orderly, inclusive and compliant with New York State law. Participants will learn about the distinct roles and responsibilities of board members, applicants, municipal staff, and the public.
Session Speakers: Mark Schachner
Technologies to Streamline Planning and Zoning Review Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love AI
This session explores digital tools that streamline planning and zoning workflows, improve decision-making, and reduce administrative burdens. It emphasizes how technology can support, but not replace, the critical role of planners and board members. The session also highlights where human judgment and ethical discernment remain essential, helping participants strengthen capacity in areas beyond automation.
Workshop Session Recording:
This is the meeting summary generated by AI. You will see some obvious errors which highlight the need for a “human in the loop” on AI outputs.
https://docs.zoom.us/doc/cBlw6P3fSLCxxIFEnJF2WQ?from=doc_share&skipCheck=1
Session Speakers: John Scavo & Abe Uchitelle
Case Law Update
Recent court decisions continue to shape the legal landscape for land use, zoning, and development review. This session provides planning and zoning board members with key case law updates that directly impact how municipalities interpret and apply zoning regulations, conduct site plan and special use permit reviews, and manage public hearings and procedural requirements.
Session Speakers: Javid Afzali
Site Plan Review
This session will discuss the statutory authority local governments have to review site plans. It will address the scope and content of a site plan and the role of the site plan in municipal review of development projects. A discussion of design and the reasons some approaches might be preferable to others is included in the course.
Session Speakers: Monica Ryan & James Bragg
