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Spring 2006 News about Wilmington ’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)

April 24 focus workshop:  Lake Everest restoration, public access to the waterfront, and hamlet revitalization

Other community input activities and reporting back to the community:

Summary of 1/31 meeting

Web site and booklet availability

Survey on newsletter and next topic

Other LWRP news, committee list

April 24 Workshop

The Focus Workshops were held April 24 from 6-7:30pm .  Participants signed up in advance for a discussion on one of the following: Lake Everest restoration, public access to the waterfront, and hamlet revitalization around the waterfront.   Each group read a factsheet summarizing findings from the LWRP Inventory on their topic, and discussed questions (these factsheets will be posted on the web site and available at the Town Hall).  They identified key recommendations including:  hiring a grants writer for town to maximize hamlet potential; need studies to improve information about sedimentation, depth, use of Flume; pursuing expanded trails for fishing, walking; getting volunteers for trail work, etc.   

Other Community Input and Reporting activities

Wilmington ’s effort to gather the community’s wishes about the future of its waterfront are moving along swiftly.  Here is information about what the Citizens’ Committee, Town, and consultant are working on…

1.      Sharing What Community is Saying and Findings of the Project so far: 

a.      There is now a Wilmington Waterfront Project web site available to follow progress and find documents and contact information, at www.adksc.org (click on Wilmington Waterfront Project) – this is also linked on the Whiteface Region Visitor’s Bureau web site (http://www.whitefaceregion.com/  Click on “Living Here” and then “ Wilmington ”). 

b.      In addition, a booklet is available at the Town Center with documents, minutes, etc. similar to those on the web site. 

c.      Results of our first survey are available on the Wilmington Waterfront Project web site. 
d.      There is an article in the most recent Town Newsletter on the project as well, and articles that have appeared in the local press are also available on the Wilmington Waterfront Project web site. 

2.      Gathering Community Input: 

a.      Short Surveys: The town of Wilmington included a survey on the back page of the spring Town Newsletter and will be sending around another mini-survey soon. 

b.      Outreach to local groups:  Committee members met with the Seniors at their luncheon and the Youth center young people this month, discussed ideas with the Wilmington Historical Society, and also plan to speak with the Fire Department, Fish and Game Club, Mountain Artists group, and other groups. 

c.      The Waterfront Revitalization Program had its first all- community meeting on January 31^st with standing room only attendance.  The meeting included the following:

       Introductions of the consultants ( Adirondack Sustainable Communities, Inc.– ASCI), the Citizens’ Committee members, and visiting officials from DEC, the NY Departments of Transportation and State, and Essex County Planning

       An overview of the project, which is a year-long planning effort to preserve, protect, develop and enhance the waterfront resources of Wilmington .  The resulting plan will include recommendations for specific projects as well as sources of funds to implement them.  Citizen’s Committee members Tom Hinman and Dawn Stevens and Kara Page invited residents to speak up about their views on our waterfront

       Public input:  Lake Everest and the river is of great concern to the community, especially:  what they like - quiet scenic vistas, bird watching, paddling and fishing access, the beach area, restrictions on motor use, and the low level of commercial business on the river and Lake Everest; what they want changed - deepening the Lake, improvements in the beach area (i.e., adding signage, bathroom and pavilion facilities), and control of problem behaviors such as drag racing, vehicle access to the peninsula, drinking and vandalism; and other interests - environmental integrity maintained both in general and during any dredging, expanded sidewalks and walking access, putting power lines underground, creating maps for trails and public access for fishing and walking and making them more widely available.  The group also commented on the planning process and areas that need more information.  These included costs of projects, determining the boundary of the waterfront, information on sedimentation and the impacts of dredging, and use of the Flume swimming hole (safety, maintenance by DEC, liability).

       Results:  Committee members were pleased with the turnout, but still hope to hear from more Wilmington residents through surveys, ideas/suggestions submitted at Town Center, following and commenting on the web site www.adksc.org, reading survey results and minutes of the meetings at the Town Center, speaking to a Citizen’s Committee member, and especially attending Focus Group Workshops and public meetings.

3.      Other LWRP News: 

The Citizen’s Committee and consultants are compiling an inventory of natural, cultural, infrastructure and historical resources of the waterfront as it exists now.  This should be finished in late May or June and will be available to residents at the Town Center and on the Wilmington Waterfront Project web site.  The Committee will then analyze the inventory, identifying areas where we don’t have enough information and research that could produce it, identify problems and strategies to solve them.

They have begun next steps of looking at strategies and policies, and thinking about projects.  They will submit a proposal with initial project ideas to this spring’s LWRP grant application pool. 

4.      Committee: 

Local members of the Citizen’s Committee members are: Holly Aquino, Jeanne Ashworth , Ann Barlow or John Lafferty, Marcel Bruce or Bill Skufca, Jim or Mary Ellin Carmelitano, Judi Gould or Virginia Crispell,  Rachel Finn or Bill Stahl, Gary Follos, Tom Hinman, Kara Page, Jane Sibalski, Guy Stephenson, Jr., Dawn Stevens, and Michael Vilegi.