NEW SCOTLAND — The upstairs meeting room at Village Hall that several times last year was packed with angry or disgruntled citizens has been filled in recent sessions with the harmonious flow of ideas, according to Trustee Richard Straut, who serves as the village board’s liaison to the comprehensive land-use committee.

The 14-member committee, developing the village’s first master plan, started meeting in December and is is to have its work completed within 10 months.

Two focus groups have been held and a third is scheduled for tonight. The first was on the village’s cultural institutions, including Scouts, churches, the library, the American Legion, and the garden club.

Nan Stolzenburg, the certified planner hired to guide the group, told The Enterprise in a recent podcast that it was a wonderful session and, as often happens in the planning process, various groups in a community that aren’t very familiar with each other begin to communicate.

The second focus group was for local business leaders and the third will be for Voorheesville government leaders. Members of the village board, planning commission, and zoning board as well as the code enforcement officer and public works superintendent will meet.

“It’s to get input from the board on difficulties and assets, and what we think ought to be in the plan,” said Straut.

The committee is a diverse one, said Straut. It includes includes owners of large properties and small, and representatives from a variety of neighborhoods and different age groups.

“There’s a good dynamic,” said Straut. “Ideas just start flying. As people talk about what makes Voorheesville special to them.”

He gave an example of one idea that came out of  group discussion.  “We realized so many things are going one with the senior citizens, the library, the garden club, the VFW, but there’s no common place for people to learn what others are doing,” Straut said. The  idea was hatched to create an electronic community bulletin board.

“Everybody got on board with that,” Straut said. The public is welcome to attend the meetings, he said.

The village board decided a master plan was needed after two controversial matters packed village meetings last year. One is Stewart’s Shops’ plan to build a gas station and convenience store on Route 85A where Smith’s Tavern now stands; Stewart’s is proceeding with its application before the village’s planning commission and a public hearing will be held on the application on March 14.

The other was a proposal to adopt a planned unit development district. This would have allowed St. Matthew’s Church to build a 40-unit apartment complex on the seven-and-a-half vacant acres next to the church on Mountainview Street. Faced with public outcry, the board set aside the planned unit development bill and decided instead to proceed with a master plan.

“Some people have lived here their whole lives,” Straut said this week. “Other people, like me, are relative newcomers.” Straut, an engineer, has lived in the village for 15 years.

“It’s very interesting to hear different perspectives on the village and how it’s changed,” he said. “The sense of community is different than it used to be….People aren’t outdoors as much.” Parents instead are driving children to a series of scheduled events. Previously, he said, “Kids went out and played.”

So one of the questions the group is asking is: “What can we do to  get people to come together more?” Straut said. He gave an example of a community magnet. “Memorial Day in Voorheesville is something special. People love it.”

Straut said of the comprehensive plan, “Culture is a big part off it. We have to maintain a sense of place and meld that with economic stability. That’s part of the challenge — to meld them together.”

He also said, “There’s a good reason people like it here. I got a sense the moment I arrived how special it is. People don’t want to change that.”

But, he went on, “Things change around you.”

One of the goals, he surmised, will be to “bring back business to Main Street.”

He described Voorheesville as “a strong train community.” Although trains no longer stop in Voorheesville, “People come here to watch the trains,” he said.

Recently, a pavilion has been erected at the start of the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail that echos the train station that once stood nearby — complete with a roof in the shape of a witch’s hat.

Straut said the village’s train history could be melded with its current “bicycle culture.” He noted bicyclists will use the rail trail and also use Voorheesville as a take-off spot on their way to the Helderbergs.

He suggested a café, a restaurant, or a place to get an ice-cream cone would be a welcome addition for cycling visitors. Practical changes, like zoning and signs, could make a difference, too, he said. An economic development consultant, Ellen Pemerick, is working with the committee.

Once the brainstorming sessions are over — “and all the ideas are in the pot,” Straut said — we’ll develop a cohesive plan. That plan will be about more than just land use, he said. “It will strengthen the identity of our community,” said Straut.