GUILDERLAND — A public workshop to be held on May 7 will give residents of Guilderland Center an “exciting opportunity to think about how they want their hamlet to change over the next few years,” said Michael Welti, a consultant hired by the town; he’s director of planning services for Behan Planning and Design.

The meeting is the first public workshop held to help develop a neighborhood master plan for Guilderland Center, a study conducted by Behan Planning and Design, along with Creighton Manning Engineering and the Capital District Transportation Committee. The study is being supported by a grant from the CDTC.

A committee of residents has been meeting for the past several months to oversee the project, and Welti said that the workshop will be used to get a better understanding of the items of concern.

“I’ve been meeting with the committee, and we have a pretty good idea of what the target items are, but we want to confirm them and make sure we’re not missing anything,” said Welti.

ßdeal with traffic, the buffering of residential areas, land use conflicts, and streetscape and architectural guidelines.

Guilderland Center includes a large high school and district bus garage; a shopping plaza and apartment complex; a town landfill, park and highway garage; and a massive industrial park, as well as residential areas.

The workshop will be interactive, according to Welti, and will begin with an explanatory presentation, followed by an opportunity for the public to voice concerns.

“This is just the beginning of the study,” said Welti. “We’re absolutely urging all residents to attend.”

At another workshop, most likely in the fall, the committee will come back to the residents with initial suggestions, according to Welti.

The May 7 meeting will run from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Guilderland Center Fire Department, on School Road.