Under New York State General Municipal Law, some applications reviewed by local boards must also be sent to County Planning for review and comment. This is called a “referral.”
The purpose of this review is to bring inter-community and countywide considerations to municipal boards. County planners provide technical input to support local decision-making and help guide the future of Dutchess County. The referral process supports consistency with Greenway Connections and helps address countywide planning considerations.
FAQ: Find out more about GML-239 Referrals (.pdf)
GML 239 referrals are submitted through the County’s Referrals and Major Projects (RAMP) online system.
Referrals must be submitted by the reviewing municipality, not by the applicant.
A step-by-step guide for using RAMP is available below.
RAMP User Guide (PDF)
Some planning functions must be performed by a certain board. For other actions, the municipality may designate which board handles such action, as shown below:
| Action | Legislative Board (Town Board, Village Board of Trustees, City Council), or delegation thereof | Planning Board (administrative only) | Zoning Board of Appeals (administrative and quasi-judicial) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Plans (prepare, adopt, approve, amend) | X | X (optional participation in preparation and/or review) |
|
| Zoning Ordinance, Map, Subdivision Regulations (enact, amend) | X | ||
| Appoint members of other board | X | ||
| Approve budgets for other boards | X | ||
| Create advisory boards | X | ||
| Subdivisions | X (review/approval or delegation of) |
X (review/approval) |
|
| Site Plans | X (review/approval or delegation of) |
X (review/approval) |
X (review/approval) |
| Special Use Permits | X (review/approval or delegation of) |
X (review/approval) |
X (review/approval) |
| Area Variances | X (review/approval) |
||
| Use Variances | X (review/approval) |
||
| Interpretations of zoning ordinance | X |
