Technical Assistance

The Capital District Regional Planning Commission provides technical assistance in program areas such as sustainability, water quality, GIS and mapping, and land use planning. In addition to these areas, the Commission also provides the following contractual, technical assistance.

Technical Assistance Program

The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) and the Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC) are pleased to announce a collaborative technical assistance program aimed at helping area communities advance local projects that resonate with the New Visions 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. Eligible project categories include, but are not limited to

  • Comprehensive/Neighborhood Planning
  • Community Design Assessment
  • General Community Planning
  • Land Use Planning and Implementation
  • Data Collection
  • Data Analysis and Mapping
  • Recreation Trail Planning
  • Transportation Safety and Operations Planning
  • Zoning and Site Planning

Municipalities within the designated planning area of the Capital District Transportation Committee in the counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible projects may include: traffic modeling or transportation safety projects, grant writing assistance, community connectivity or trail development planning, and GIS mapping and analysis.

CDRPC and CDTC are currently accepting applications for 2024 Technical Assistance Projects on a rolling basis. To learn more or to apply, check out CDTC’s website here.

 

2022 Projects

Village of Castleton on Hudson, Rensselaer County: Existing Conditions and Growth Trends Analysis

  • CDTC and CDRPC will prepare a growth trends analysis for the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson which will inform planning for growth over the next 10 to 20 years. The Village’s growth trends analysis will assess historical traffic conditions, demographic data and development based on building permits over the past 20 to 30 years. The report will provide a solid foundation for the Town to initiate an update to its 2005 Comprehensive Plan.

Town of Guilderland, Albany County: Development and Growth Trends Analysis

  • CDTC and CDRPC will prepare a growth trends analysis for the Town of Guilderland to inform planning for growth over the next 10 to 20 years. The Town’s growth trends analysis will assess historical traffic conditions, demographic data and development based on building permits over the past 20 to 30 years.  The report will provide a solid foundation for the Town to initiate an update to its 2001 Comprehensive Plan.

Town of North Greenbush, Rensselaer County: Existing Conditions and Resource Mapping

  • CDTC and CDRPC will prepare a series of maps that inventory transportation and natural resources for the Town of North Greenbush and its Open Space Committee to support the Town’s comprehensive plan.

 

2021 Projects

 

Town of Colonie Enhanced Development Regulations White Paper: Stormwater Management, Landscaping and Site Design and The Green Area Ratio

  • The Town of Colonie requested planning assistance to identify methods of preserving and enhancing greenspace as a component of new development. The Town’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan established several goals and actions identifying the need and opportunity to implement of programs and policies to strengthen Town Code and stormwater management controls to protect environmental assets, enhance quality and quantity of attractive landscaping features and utilize natural methods of stormwater controls to manage stormwater on site.

Infrastructure and Growth Report, City of Troy

  • The City of Troy requested planning assistance to identify and convene stakeholders to discuss intermunicipal communication, examine development and development capacity, and explore ways to balance growth with sewer and transportation infrastructure capacity

Village of Ballston Spa Comprehensive Plan Update Guidance and Data Project

  • CDRPC provided guidance to the Village of Ballston Spa as it began the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan. CDRPC provided an assessment of the existing Comprehensive Plan, compilation of existing conditions data, data analysis and the development of a draft Request for Proposals for professional planning services for the Comprehensive Plan update. The data and recommendations from CDRPC’s work will be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan update process.

2020 Projects

 

Town of Glenville Route 50 Study Area Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Analysis

  • An analysis of the Town’s Zoning regulations as they pertain to a portion of Route 50 for Complete Streets (pedestrian, vehicular, transit, bicycle), access management, stormwater management and land use

Town of East Greenbush Gilligan Road Complete Streets Enhancements Feasibility Study

  • CDRPC assisted the Town of East Greenbush with a feasibility study for a complete street on Gilligan Road. This project identified bicycle and pedestrian routing options that provide safe, separated and supporting infrastructure in the corridor.

Town of Clifton Park Western Clifton Park Development & Conservation Trends Analysis

  • CDRPC assisted the Town of Clifton Park with data collection and analysis to understand the development and conservation trends of the Western Clifton Park study area as defined in the 2005 Western Clifton Park Land Conservation Plan & GEIS Study.

Town of Westerlo Comprehensive Plan Committee Analysis

  • CDRPC provided assistance to Westerlo’s Comprehensive Plan Committee to help prepare for a Comprehensive Plan update by providing important data updates for how the Town has changed since the last Comprehensive Plan update.

Saratoga Greenbelt – Wilton Connector Trail

  •  Understanding the current conditions within the study area is critical to. identifying the most feasible alignment for a Saratoga Greenbelt – Wilton Connector Trail. For the purposes of
    this project, “trail” refers to a bicycle‐ and pedestrian‐friendly facility that is off‐road, next to the road, or onroad. The Saratoga Greenbelt Trail is a network of planned and existing trails that loop around and through the city and can be used for both transportation and recreation. The proposed connector trail will link this network to the Town of Wilton’s existing and planned nature trails and retail destinations.

Village of Castleton Demographic, Housing and Economic Analysis

  • CDTC and CDRPC prepared a growth trends analysis for the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson. The information obtained by completing the analysis will assist the Village in developing a realistic approach in planning for growth over the next 10 to 20 years. The Village’s growth trends analysis will assess historical traffic conditions, demographic data and development based on building permits over the past 20 to 30 years.

Town of Guilderland Demographic and Growth Analysis 1990-2020

  • This report provides analysis of the changes Guilderland has experience over the past thirty years which will provide context for how the town will plan for future changes.

2019 Projects

 

Town of Bethlehem Growth Analysis

  • Provides data on Town development trends, including population and economic analysis and compares to regional trends.

Town of Coeymans Comprehensive Plan Update

  • Provides existing data and base mapping, information on best practices for comprehensive planning, frames a public involvement process and develops a public survey tool.

Village of Menands Food Access Study

  • Provides data on current access to healthy food, provides information on methods of healthy food provision (i.e. farmers market, veggie mobile, etc.) and participate in village committee meeting to identify options to increase food accessibility.

City of Rensselaer Comprehensive Plan Assistance

  • Provide guidance on data needs for economic development planning and toward the update of the Comprehensive Plan. Provide existing conditions data on economic and development trends.

 

Regional Impact Analysis

 

Economic Impact Analysis

An economic impact analysis examines the effect of an event on the economy in a specified area, ranging from a single community to the entire region. It usually measures changes in business revenue, business profits, personal wages, and/or jobs. The economic event analyzed can include implementation of a new policy or project, or may simply be the presence of a business or organization. An economic impact analysis is commonly conducted when there is public concern about the potential impacts of a proposed project or policy.

An economic impact analysis is a common economic development and planning technique used to examine how an activity will have an impact on things such as jobs, economic output, and tax revenues. The analysis models how an activity, such as construction spending or employment changes, will impact a local or regional economy. That impact, or “shock,” is modeled using input-output analysis to determine what are the direct, indirect, and induced impacts. An economic impact analysis is not a complete benefit-cost analysis because it only examines the impact of that economic “shock.” Unlike a fiscal impact analysis, an economic impact analysis doesn’t look at it cost side of the equation.

The Capital District Regional Planning Commission performs this analysis for local governments and non-profits in the region. Our past clients include:

  • Capitalize Albany Corporation
  • Center for Economic Growth
  • City of Schenectady
  • Columbia County
  • Port of Albany
  • Proctor’s Theater
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership
  • Saratoga Hospital
  • Schenectady Metroplex
  • Skidmore College
  • Town of Guilderland Industrial Development Agency
  • University at Albany
  • Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Services

The Commission has also performed its own economic impact analysis associated with current trends and topics occurring in the Capital District. These include:

  • Annual Economic Impact of the Capital Region Foreign-Trade Zone
  • Potential Economic Impact of Amazon HQ2 on the Capital Region
  • Economic Impact of GlobalFoundries on the Capital Region and New York State
  • Estimated Economic Impact of Capital District Non-Profit Organizations on the Capital Region

Fiscal Impact Analysis

A fiscal impact analysis is a type of benefit-cost analysis that considers the revenues generated by a new development less the costs to support it. We examine all costs to support a development (e.g. school, infrastructure, public safety) versus the cost of services to be provided to a new development, which may be a housing or commercial development for example. We examine how much it will cost to support that development and what are the potential revenue (i.e. taxes, fees) generated because of the development. The result is an examination of how the costs to support a new development are balanced against the financial benefits of that same development. While it may be preferable to generate net new revenues to benefit a community, our analysis does not take a position on those concerns because they are specific to that community’s overall goals and objectives.

School Enrollment Projections

Utilizing qualitative and quantitative analysis, the Capital District Regional Planning Commission conducts research into the patterns and trends that have influenced enrollment and determine how those influences will impact enrollment in the future. Our analysis provides school districts with a comprehensive understanding of projected enrollment throughout the district, including grade-to-grade enrollment trends and birth rates. All reports include an extensive overview of local residential building activity from which future enrollment can partially be projected.

Our past clients include: