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mailmanI had to miss the Public Hearing concerning the Town’s Comprehensive plan.  But I was happy to see the video of the hearing,  though I was surprised at the fact that the Comp Plan Committee did not make a public presentation.

I wanted to learn more so I dutifully went to the Town’s web site and clicked on the link labeled COMPREHENSIVE PLAN- AVAILABLE HERE.  Well, it is sort of available there.  Actually what is available is a zip file that is downloaded to your computer.  For the uninitiated, zip is a software application that takes a file or set of files, bundles them together, encrypts, and compresses them to save on disk space.  Also for the uninitiated, to actually view the  Comp Plan you have to un-zip it.  To un-zip the file, you have to have the zip application on your computer. If you don’t have the app on your computer you have to download it and install it. So accessing the Comp plan is actually a three or four step process depending on whether or not you already have the app loaded on your computer:


  1. Download the Zip file -- a free version is available at www.winzip.com/free-download or www.winzip.com/Mac (make sure you get the free version--otherwise it will cost you $29.95)
  2. Install the Zip app on your computer
  3. Go to the Town’s website, and download the zipped version of the Comp Plan
  4. Un-Zip the file and there you have it.


If you don’t want to do all that, the Plan is available at the Town Hall or the Lansing Library.  That’s still a process for anyone who doesn’t live at the Town Hall or the Library.  You still have to get there.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s asking a lot of the citizens of Lansing, especially those who are not especially computer savvy and don’t feel confident doing anything else on their home computers but read and send e-mail and view photos sent to them. I also don’t consider the zipped version a savings of computer space. The zipped files are 16,577 Kb.  The un-zipped version of the Comprehensive Plan is ~2,711 Kb + 5.179 Kb for the maps.  Why bother to zip the files in the first place.? Does the Comp Plan Committee really want us to read this 99 Page document?  Is this what anyone would call available?  Here’s what access to the Comp Plan should have looked like to begin with: http://lansingdemocrats.nationbuilder.com/comprehensive_plan Download the pdf of the file and read it for yourself without all the intermediate steps. The Lansing Democratic Committee wants you to read the Comprehensive Plan.  Do Town Officials share that goal?

Whose infinite wisdom ever thought putting up a zipped version of the Plan was a good idea?  The people of Lansing deserve a lot better.

Marcy Rosenkrantz
Lansing, NY
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