BETHEL — The Bethel Town Board introduced an updated comprehensive plan last Wednesday night, moving the town closer to adopting its first major revision of the planning document since 2006.

The plan, titled “Bethel Moving Forward”, was prepared by the town’s Comprehensive Plan Committee over more than two years with assistance from Community Planning and Environmental Associates. The effort was funded in part through New York State Environmental Protection Fund Smart Growth Community Planning Program grant money.

Town Supervisor Daniel Sturm thanked the committee members during last Wednesday’s meeting, saying the group worked through a lengthy process that included surveys, open houses, focus groups, interviews and public hearings.

“This team of Bethel residents have done an outstanding job by working hard to produce this plan for the town and to get us to this point in the process,” Sturm said.

The plan is intended to guide future growth, land use, infrastructure, housing, environmental protection and economic development in the town. Sturm said the document places particular emphasis on preserving Bethel’s rural character, protecting water quality and ensuring development does not exceed available environmental and infrastructure capacity.

The Comprehensive Plan Committee formally submitted the final draft to the Town Board after adopting a resolution June 8. Sturm said the committee reviewed 27 sets of public comments after a public hearing on an earlier draft.

According to the town’s summary of changes, comments focused on public engagement, short-term rentals, census data, water quality and capacity, environmental protection, zoning and land use, historic preservation, implementation and accountability, and climate and sustainability.

The final draft includes several revisions made after public comment.

One of the most notable changes adds a recommendation for the town board to create a committee to study short-term rentals in Bethel and make regulatory and policy recommendations. The summary says that the committee would consider the town’s previous draft short-term rental law, comments received on that proposed law and comments received through the comprehensive plan community survey.

The short-term rental committee was also added to the plan’s priority action chart, and the zoning checklist was revised to include defining short-term rentals and incorporating future language into town zoning if adopted by the town board.

The final draft also includes updated demographic and housing data, including 2024 and 2025 figures where available. Water quality information was updated using New York State Department of Environmental Conservation data.

The committee also added language emphasizing that the comprehensive plan establishes a policy framework, rather than detailed zoning or regulatory language. The clarification came after some commenters asked for more specific zoning recommendations.

Additional changes included updated climate action language, expanded lake management recommendations, the addition of the Sullivan County Historian as a potential partner, and new zoning checklist language related to data centers and crypto mining facilities.

The board voted last Wednesday to receive the committee’s resolution, accept the summary of changes, introduce the updated draft and begin the environmental review process under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

The board also voted to refer the plan to the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Community Development and the Bethel Planning Board for review.

A public hearing on the comprehensive plan is scheduled for July 29 at 7:45 p.m. at the Duggan School.

Sturm said the town plans to keep planning consultant Nan Stolzenburg involved as the plan moves toward adoption and implementation.

“She’s not going anywhere as far as I’m concerned,” Sturm said. “She’s going to do a good job leading us to the next step.”