The Rye City Council is expected to approve a $285,000 contract with planning and environmental consulting firm AKRF to oversee the development of a new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Rye, a document that will guide land use, infrastructure, housing, environmental policy, and community priorities for decades to come. If approved at the next City Council meeting (now delayed until Wednesday, March 4, 2026 due to the storm), the resolution would authorize City Manager Brian Shea to sign the contract with AKRF and move forward.
A Plan 40 Years Old
Rye’s current Comprehensive Plan (fka Master Plan) was completed in 1985 and has not been updated since then. City officials note that, while the City has adopted individual plans and policies over the years (examples would be flag lot restrictions, rock chipping rules and the recent tree ordinance, the absence of a modern, unified comprehensive plan has become increasingly problematic as Rye faces evolving challenges — including climate risk, housing pressures, infrastructure needs, and changing economic conditions
In November 2024, the City Council received a presentation outlining the benefits of updating the plan and the typical process involved. Following that presentation, the Council directed City staff to prepare and issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in 2025 seeking professional planning services.
Selection of AKRF
Several firms responded to the RFP, and City staff provided a shortlist of the most qualified candidates. Members of the City Council interviewed finalist firms throughout 2025 and early 2026 before determining that AKRF was best positioned to lead a project of this scope and significance
AKRF is a New York-based planning, engineering, and environmental consulting firm with experience working with municipalities across Westchester County and New York State. For the Rye project, AKRF has assembled a multi-disciplinary team that includes OLIN Studio, which will focus on open space, parks, placemaking, and downtown character, and Barton & Loguidice, which will address transportation, infrastructure, and flooding issues.
The project team also includes the Land Use Law Center at Pace University, which will co-lead public and stakeholder engagement. The Center specializes in consensus building and community-driven planning processes and has worked on comprehensive plans in neighboring municipalities, including Mamaroneck and New Castle.
Community Engagement
The budget allocates funding to engagement activities, including the development of a project website, committee meetings, stakeholder meetings, community workshops, and regular City Council updates. In total, the proposal anticipates 14 stakeholder meetings, multiple public workshops, and both in-person and virtual engagement opportunities over the course of the project
According to the proposal, the planning process will begin by soliciting broad community input on what residents value about Rye and what they believe needs improvement. That feedback will be paired with background studies analyzing socioeconomic conditions, housing, transportation, infrastructure, environmental resources, and climate resiliency.
Budget Breakdown
The total proposed cost of $285,000 is structured as a lump-sum contract and includes:
- Community engagement planning, meetings, workshops, and digital outreach
- Background studies and data analysis
- Preparation of preliminary and final draft Comprehensive Plan documents
- State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) compliance
- Support for public hearings and final plan adoption
City officials note that the budget reflects the scale of the work, the depth of technical analysis involved, and the extended timeline required for a thorough, participatory planning process.
Why a Comprehensive Plan Matters
A Comprehensive Plan does not change zoning or approve specific development projects on its own. Instead, it serves as a policy framework that guides future decisions by the City Council, City staff, Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and other boards.
It can influence decisions related to housing types and locations, environmental protection, transportation improvements, flood mitigation, downtown vitality, parks and open space, and long-term capital investments. Many state and federal grants also look for consistency with an adopted comprehensive plan when evaluating funding applications.
Project Leadership
The Comprehensive Plan effort will be led by senior planning professionals with extensive municipal experience in Westchester County and across New York State:
Peter Feroe, AICP, senior vice president at AKRF, will serve as principal-in-charge for the City of Rye’s Comprehensive Plan. Feroe is a Westchester-based planner and co-leader of AKRF’s Hudson Valley municipal planning practice, where he oversees large, multi-jurisdictional planning and land-use projects. His experience includes comprehensive plans, zoning updates, SEQRA environmental reviews, and infrastructure-related planning for municipalities such as Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Babylon, East Hampton, and Orangetown. In that role, he has worked closely with elected officials, planning boards, and community stakeholders to move plans from concept to implementation
Day-to-day project management will be handled by Corey Block, AICP, a senior planner at AKRF, who will serve as project manager. Block has managed comprehensive plans, zoning amendments, and large municipal initiatives, including broadband and infrastructure-related planning efforts. Her background includes coordinating public engagement, data analysis, and inter-board collaboration — functions that are expected to be central to Rye’s planning process.
Public and stakeholder engagement will be co-led by the Land Use Law Center at Pace University, with Tiffany Zezula, Esq., deputy director of the Center, playing a prominent role. Zezula specializes in consensus-building and community-based planning and has led engagement efforts for comprehensive plans in municipalities including Mamaroneck, New Castle, Ossining, and Red Hook. Her work emphasizes broad participation, including outreach to residents, students, business owners, seniors, and civic organizations, using both traditional meetings and non-traditional engagement methods
Supporting technical components of the plan will be led by subconsultants:
- OLIN Studio, an internationally recognized landscape architecture and urban design firm, will guide planning related to parks, open space, placemaking, and downtown character.
- Barton & Loguidice will lead analysis of transportation, infrastructure, flooding, and resiliency, building on their prior work in Rye and throughout Westchester County.
Project Timeline
1985
- Rye’s current Comprehensive Plan is adopted.
November 2024
- City Council receives a presentation on the benefits and process of developing a new Comprehensive Plan.
2025
- City issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking professional planning services.
- Multiple firms submit proposals.
- City staff identifies a shortlist of qualified planning firms.
Late 2025 – Early 2026
- City Council interviews finalist firms.
- AKRF selected as the preferred planning consultant.
February 25, 2026 (now rescheduled to March 4, 2026)
- City Council considers authorizing a $285,000 contract with AKRF to begin the Comprehensive Plan process.
2026–2027 (Estimated)
- The community engagement phase begins, including stakeholder meetings, workshops, surveys, and a project website.
- Background studies conducted on housing, land use, transportation, infrastructure, environment, and climate resiliency.
- Preliminary draft Comprehensive Plan prepared and released for public review.
2027 (Estimated)
- Public hearings held.
- Final Comprehensive Plan completed and presented to the City Council for adoption.
Next Steps
If approved, the City Manager will be authorized to finalize the contract and begin work with AKRF. The planning process is expected to unfold over multiple phases, with regular opportunities for public input before a final plan is presented for City Council adoption.
The resolution authorizing the contract is scheduled for consideration at the March 4, 2026 City Council meeting.
Disclosure: This story was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Feedback on our stories is welcome.
