From the Greene County Clarion:

Large scale developments are reshaping Greene County. Explosive suburban growth strains the local budget while jobs and tax revenues stay in other communities. Meanwhile, Greene stands to lose its greatest asset-beautiful and productive rural land. So what can we do?

1. Slow Down
Enough already. A staggering number of new housing units -- over 3,200 -- have
already been approved in Greene. That amount of residential development can cover projected housing needs for at least a decade. So there's no reason to approve more major developments unless the proposal is demonstrably good for the community -- for instance, attracting businesses that will offer rewarding jobs and increase the local tax base...

2. Reconsider Our Plan for Growth
The Greene County Comprehensive Plan -- the document that articulates the community's goals and guides local policies -- is due for revision next year. This process involves extensive public participation, creating a prime opportunity for the people who live in Greene to decide how we want to deal with the challenges and opportunities of growth...

3. Make Development Pay Its Fair Share
When developers are seeking a rezoning, the County can ask them to provide cash or improvements to public infrastructure (roads, schools, parks, etc) in order to provide services to the new development. In most cases, proffers cover only part of the costs associated with the development,because state law requires that localities base their suggested proffer amounts only on capital facilities costs -- that is, the costs of land acquisition and construction. So, proffers might cover part of the expense for building a new school, but they would not help pay for teachers' salaries and other ongoing costs...

4. Use Clustering and Phasing in Rural Areas
Putting sensible tools into action can improve the way growth occurs in areas that our Comprehensive Plan designates primarily for agricultural use or for conservation. Without reducing development rights, we can improve the shape that new developments take and we can improve the timing of construction...

5. Protect Rural Land Through Voluntary Conservation
Momentum for private, voluntary land conservation is on the rise in Greene County. Last year, landowners protected over 3,600 acres, more than doubling the total acreage of privately held protected land in Greene, which is now over 6,250 acres....

Read the Greene County Clarion (PDF)