We commend the village of Voorheesville for using a crisis as an opportunity.

Two years ago, groups of village residents were upset over two different issues. A Stewart’s Shop, with a gas station, was proposed at the village’s main intersection, near the Vly Creek and across from the elementary school. Residents raised concerns about traffic in an area where many walk, about the safety of the water and the dangers of building in a floodplain, and about the loss of the village’s small-town character as a chain store was to replace an independently owned and run community gathering place — Smith’s Tavern.

At about the same time, the village board was poised to adopted a planned unit development district, which would have allowed St. Matthew’s Church to build a complex with 40 apartments on the seven-and-a-half vacant acres next to the church on Mountainview Street and also would have applied to the other half-dozen areas of 7.5 acres of land in the village.

“For my family and other families, it’s the difference between staying and leaving,” said one resident who lives near the proposed development. Another village resident, from Salem Hills, said people in his neighborhood had been treated like second-class citizens with the trend of putting multi-family dwellings near Salem Hills with its older homes rather than near the newer more expensive home.

“Compressed housing is profitable; it’s where the money is,” he said. “We don’t want to live in a place we moved away from.”

At the same time, an older woman whose children are grown and gone, said she loved Voorheesville and believed the complex proposed by St. Matthew’s could have accommodated her in her old age. “I want to stay here till I die,” she said. “I don’t know if I can afford to stay if I have to sell my house.”

Faced with this dilemma, the village board did the right thing. Its member voted unanimously to begin the master-planning process. The board hired an experienced consultant, well-versed in planning for small municipalities, Nan Stolzenburg, and reached out to to various segments of the community — from businesses to cultural groups. Members of the public at large were also invited to share their visions for the village at a well-attended sesion.

A committee did a thorough job of detailing Voorheesville’s strengths — community character, history, the beauty of the surrounding landscape, excellent schools — and weaknesses — the need for infrastructure upgrade and for a communication hub, the perception that the village is unfriendly to business, and high school taxes.

The resulting comprehensive plan groups goals by theme in order to maintain the village’s strengths and allay its weaknesses. The themes include: community character, environment, walkability, business development, housing opportunities, infrastructure, village capacity, and recreation.

The document was unanimously adopted by the village board on Tuesday night. The board should be proud of its work but must not rest on its laurels.

Over the years, we’ve watched too many comprehensive plans languish on forgotten shelves. In order for the plan to have meaning, the board must take the next all-important step: codifying the recommended zones into law.

Without new zoning law, the plan will not become a reality. The plan has mapped out six new districts, which reporter Sean Mulkerrin described in detail last week. Trustee Richard Straut, who has spearheaded the project, told Mulkerrin that the village would look to rewrite its zoning code all at once, which could  take four to five months.

The six zones outlined by the plan appear to be thoughtfully delineated. A Mixed-Use Business Residential District would be carved from part of the current industrial zone but would allow for more uses.

A Conservation District would also be carved from the current industrial zone, a wise move since the area lies in the 100-year floodplain, contains regulated wetlands, and is designated by the village to protect its aquifers.

Two zones are proposed for Main Street that would allow for a variety of small businesses and mixed use. A Multi-Family District, which is currently in a residential zone, would allow for multi-family dwellings as well as recreational areas, open spaces, garages, and maintenance buildings.

The Creekside Commercial District, which would take pieces from two residential zones and a business zone, is in the Vly Creek floodplain and would not allow a gas station or a “Formula Business” like Stewart’s.

Although the law has not yet been adopted, it’s already had an effect since Stewart’s Shops has said it will sell the land with Smith’s Tavern, which it had purchased.

We commend both village leaders and residents for working to shape a community that fits their vision now and will serve them well into the future. Once the zoning has been drafted, tweaked through public hearings, and adopted, developers and businesses in the future will have a clear idea going into a project of what and where they can build rather than being caught in the midst of upheaval as Stewart’s was.

The plan says that currently in Voorheesville retail stores generated $30.3 million in 2012 and restaurants generated $1.3 million.We expect those numbers will increase with thoughtful zoning in place.

Rather than being run over with suburban sprawl, Voorheesville will be able to maintain its historic character with a walkable community. The plan allows for multi-family housing, which would allow people like the elderly woman who said she wanted to die in Voorheesville, an affordable place to live.

We hope other municipalities follow suit. The town of Knox could learn from Voorheesville’s example. For two years, the supervisor has pushed for a business district at an intersection that the town’s planning board twice recommended against and many of the would-be district residents don’t want.

Then, last month, the supervisor suddenly changed course and recommended a multi-use district instead. Knox drafted its comprehensive plan over a quarter of a century ago. Land-use plans are best updated every five to seven years.

What’s needed in Knox is a process similar to the one Voorheesville just went through — one that is open and inclusive, surveying different segments of the community and residents at large to systematically define the current conditions and map out a wise and worthwhile future direction.