After nearly five years of discussion and debate, the Williamsville Village Board has adopted a community plan designed to preserve village character and direct future growth in the years ahead.

Like similar plans adopted by the Town of Amherst and other municipalities, the village’s plan is a guide for both government planners and interested developers looking to push forward on projects within the village.

The plan sets density and height restrictions for new and renovated buildings in different parts of the village and addresses difficulties with pedestrian access to Main Street. The plan also encourages more mixed-use development along the commercial corridor.

The plan identifies 10 different land-use categories and promotes certain design standards for buildings, property and parking in each one.

“It captures the historical essence of the village, while also making it very progressive in the sense that it’s very proactive in handling the issues the village faces,” said Trustee Jeffrey Kingsley.

Trustee Brian Kulpa, who has worked with the Community Plan Committee to develop the plan over the years, said the committee’s work involved a lot of debate, disagreement and compromise, all of which made the final plan a better product in the end.

He said he hopes one outcome of the plan is the creation of more higher-density housing for senior citizens who want to remain in the village.

Wally Pacer, chairman of the Community Plan Committee, said he’s proud of the work that up to 18 committee members helped shape after “robust and diverse discussion” and numerous public meetings and workshops.

“I think we have a plan to carry the Village of Williamsville into the future,” he said.

The next step for the Village Board is to hire a consultant who can apply the plan to the village’s existing zoning code, which has been criticized as being vague, inconsistent and riddled with loopholes.

The consultant would recommend changes to the code to make it consistent with the recommendations of the community plan. The village is setting aside $60,000 for this purpose in the proposed 2010-11 budget.

Kingsley said he hopes the changes lead to the elimination of the village’s politically charged “exceptional development” category, in which developers bypass planning and zoning boards for their projects and have the Village Board serve as the sole decision maker for project approval.